🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
What makes Sing Buri easy is that it's a small province — the main sights cluster within a few kilometers of the town center. In a single day you can cover the famous temples, a retro market, and the grilled snakehead fish that the province is best known for. Driving yourself is even handier, since most temples have wide parking lots and you won't have to walk far.
How to get to Sing Buri from Bangkok
The easiest way is to drive yourself up the Asia Highway (Route 32) through Ayutthaya and Ang Thong, then on to Sing Buri — roughly 140 kilometers, about an hour and a half to two hours if you leave early and dodge the town-center traffic. We'd suggest leaving Bangkok around 7:00–7:30 a.m. so you reach Sing Buri around 9, in time for the cooler morning while it's still pleasant.
- Drive yourself — the most convenient option for a day trip, since the sights are outside town and spread out. Tolls plus fuel for the round trip run about 500–800 THB per car.
- Van / coach — catch one at Mo Chit 2 bus terminal; vans run to Sing Buri all day, with fares in the low hundreds of baht. But once you arrive you'll need a songthaew or motorbike taxi to reach the temples, which isn't ideal if you plan to hit several stops.
- Car + driver — an option if you'd rather not drive. The price is whatever you negotiate; hire one for the whole day and loop through the plan as you like.
A note on timing
On weekends and holidays, lots of Bangkok people head out of town, so the outbound Asia Highway gets packed between 8 and 10 a.m. Leaving before 7 is far clearer. For the trip home on a Sunday evening, aim to leave Sing Buri before 4:00 p.m. to avoid the build-up of traffic heading back into Bangkok.
Book the activities in your Sing Buri trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
A full-day day-trip timeline
This plan is built for driving yourself from Bangkok, fitting the main temples, the retro market, and a Mae La snakehead fish lunch into one day. The stops are ordered along the route so you're never doubling back.
Temples, fish, and home
Want a more relaxed pace
If one day feels too packed, drop Wat Sawang Arom and keep just Wat Phikun Thong, Wat Phra Non Chakkrasi, Bang Rachan, and the snakehead fish lunch. You'll get an unhurried trip with plenty of time to sit down and eat properly.
Temples to hit if you're here for the temples
Wat Phikun Thong (royal temple)
Home to the giant Buddha, Phra Phuttha Suwan Mongkhon Maha Muni, a large image beside the Noi River. People come to pray for success at work and good fortune. Open 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Wat Phra Non Chakkrasi Worawihan
An old reclining Buddha over 47 meters long, one of the largest in the country, with graceful features. It's the temple most associated with Sing Buri and not one to skip.
Wat Sawang Arom
In Ton Pho subdistrict near town, it keeps several hundred antique large shadow puppets and is a center for brass Buddha casting.
All three temples sit within about 10 kilometers of the town center, just a few minutes' drive apart, so you can comfortably cover them from morning to early afternoon in a single day. Dress modestly, and keep a shawl handy in case you enter a hall — it's tidier that way.
Mae La snakehead fish, the dish to try before you head back
Say Sing Buri and the first thing people think of is Mae La snakehead fish. Mae La is the name of a waterway known for snakehead fish with firm, sweet flesh, so grilled-snakehead shops line the main roads. The standout is whole salt-grilled snakehead — crisp skin, juicy flesh — eaten with blanched sadao (neem) and sweet fish sauce. This is the trip-closing meal that Bangkok people genuinely drive out here for.
Mae La Pla Phao (the original, no branches)
A legendary Sing Buri spot, open for more than 40 years — easy to spot by the giant bottle at the entrance. Whole-grilled Mae La snakehead with crisp skin and firm flesh. The dishes people pair it with are sour curry with cha-om and shrimp, and stir-fried kale with crispy pork.
Krua Chanthon
A garden-setting restaurant near Wat Phikun Thong, good for a meal after praying at the temple. It serves Mae La snakehead and a wide à-la-carte menu, with comfortable seating for families and groups.
Rim Mae La (original grilled snakehead with flame-charred sadao)
Over on the In Buri district side, known for grilled snakehead served with blanched sadao and a rich sweet fish sauce. A good fit for anyone who likes grilled fish done the traditional way.
Ordering fish smartly
Big Mae La snakehead is priced by size. With a group of two or three, order one grilled fish and add sour curry, a stir-fried vegetable, and hot steamed rice — that's plenty to fill you up. On weekends the famous shops get busy, so arriving a little before noon means a shorter wait for a table.
Souvenirs to bring back to Bangkok
- Sun-dried snakehead fish — Sing Buri's best-known souvenir; buy some to fry up at home. You'll find it at the grilled-fish shops and in the markets.
- Chinese sausage & mu yo — meaty souvenirs people love to carry back; they keep reasonably well.
- Fresh palm sugar in bamboo tubes — try it fresh at the Bang Rachan retro market, or take some home as an unusual souvenir.
Want to stay a night and see it all? Check out where to stay in Sing Buri first
See Top 10 Sing Buri hotels →