🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you're visiting Nakhon Nayok around the Sarika Waterfall area and want a stop that isn't another waterfall or cafe, Wat Khao Nang Buat is worth a look. It's a small temple on a hill, and the thing people talk about is the 227 steps you have to climb to reach the mondop at the top. That sounds like a lot, but take it slow and rest in stages and you'll get there. Once you're up top, the view and the cool breeze make the effort worth it.
Climbing the 227 steps to the top
The temple's staircase is a long concrete one running up the hill, with handrails on both sides. The climb from the base to the top is around 100 metres of elevation — not steep like a real mountain, but enough to leave you a little out of breath if you don't exercise regularly. The trick is to walk slowly, pause at the seating spots along the way, and turn around to watch the view below open up wider with every step.
- Start in the morning or late afternoon — midday sun is harsh and the steps get hot. Before 10am or after 3pm is much more comfortable.
- Wear shoes you can walk in — some steps are uneven in height, so trainers or anything snug are easier than flip-flops.
- Bring water up with you — there are no shops at the top, so carry a bottle along.
Want more out of Nakhon Nayok? Book tours & activities
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.
What there is to pay respects to at the top
Once you reach the top, the centrepiece is the mondop housing the Buddha footprint replica, which is over a hundred years old (made around 1858) and revered by locals. Inside the mondop there's also a blessing-pose Buddha image and several other old Buddha statues to pay respects to. If you're into merit-making, you get to pay respects and ask for blessings all in one spot.
What to know before you go
The temple is open roughly 08:00–16:00 daily, free with no admission fee. Just watch the time — if you arrive late in the afternoon you may not make it up and down before closing. Allow around 45 minutes to an hour for the climb up, down, and taking in the view.
Town and rice-field views from the top
What makes people willing to climb up is the view from the top — an open outlook over green rice fields alternating with the ridgelines around Nakhon Nayok town. The breeze is cool and pleasant up there since you're above the flatland. The prettiest stretch is the rainy season into early winter when the fields are still green, plus mornings or evenings when the sun is soft and the light photographs well. It's a photo spot that fewer people have found compared to the famous waterfalls.
Rice-field viewpoint
From the platform at the top you look out over paddy fields and houses below — at its best when the fields are green in the rainy season.
Ridgelines around town
The other side looks out over the hills ringing Nakhon Nayok, with long views on a clear day.
Buddha footprint mondop
The focal point at the top — both a place to pay respects and a backdrop for photos with the view.
Getting there and nearby stops
The temple is in Sarika sub-district, Mueang district, about 10–15 minutes by car from Nakhon Nayok town and on the same route as the Sarika Waterfall zone. Driving yourself is easiest since there's a car park at the base of the hill. Coming from Bangkok it's around a 2-hour drive, and it makes a good stop on the way to the waterfalls or cafes around Sarika.
- Sarika Waterfall — Nakhon Nayok's well-known waterfall, in the same zone, so you can stop by straight after.
- Huai Prue Reservoir — a reservoir viewpoint near the temple with easy parking, good for mountain-view photos.
- Cafes around Sarika — there are several hill-view cafes in this area, perfect for a rest after coming down.
Dress appropriately
This is a temple, so dress modestly — skip spaghetti straps or very short shorts so you can comfortably enter and pay respects in the mondop.
Plan a full day in Nakhon Nayok — waterfalls, temples, and cafes
See the Nakhon Nayok travel guide →