Nan Province

A quiet old province ringed by mountains in northern Thailand, preserving Lanna temple murals, hill villages and traditional crafts.

Nan Province lies in northern Thailand, bordering Laos to the east. Surrounded by mountains and crossed by the Nan River, it was once an independent kingdom and has been little affected by large-scale tourism development. Wat Phumin in the provincial capital is famous for its murals, and Wat Phra That Chang Kham and the old city walls are worth a visit. The province also has Phu Kha National Park, the ancient salt wells of Bo Kluea in the mountains, and a number of ethnic minority villages, making it well suited to slow self-driving trips. November to February is cool and dry, and seas of clouds can be seen in the mountains. Nan Airport has flights to Bangkok, and you can also come by road from Chiang Mai and Phrae.

Destinations

• Nan

Itineraries

• Lampang, Phrae & Nan Scenic Loop – Drive east from Chiang Mai through Lampang, Phrae, Nan, and Bo Kluea on a less-traveled mountain loop.