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All you need to know to visit Udon Thani
อุดรธานี
Northeastern Thailand
562 km from Bangkok
Province of Udon Thani
Northeastern Thailand
562 km from Bangkok
Province of Udon Thani
- Budget
- 3/5
- Recommended stay
- 1 to 3 days
- Sightseeing
- 2/5
Travel guide to visit Udon Thani
Udon Thani is the largest town in Isan (region of the Northeast of Thailand). This is a very big city. Its first tourist attraction is certainly the archaeological site of Ban Chiang, which dates from the Bronze Age and is classified as World Heritage by UNESCO and the orchid garden. Former U.S. base during Vietnam War, the city has a large expatriate community and many of its inhabitants speak English. Udon Thani can also be a step to the border with Lao a few miles away. By land or via flights to Luang Prabang offerd by Lao Airlines.For all the options for getting around Udon Thani, see our section on getting around in Udon Thani.
Accommodations in Udon Thani
Udon Thani is not much frequented by tourists, the foreigners you will see here are mostly expatriates. It is therefore logical that there are only a few accommodations for a city of this size. You will find the widest selection of hotels and guest houses in the area around the bus station, not far from the train station.Find accommodation in Udon Thani
My recommendations
People often ask me which accommodation I recommend in Thailand. Here are my recommendations in Udon Thani.
Banbua Grand Udon
Hotel in Udon Thani
Blu Monkey Brown House Udonthani Hotel
Hotel in Udon Thani
The Lion King Hotel
Hotel in Udon Thani
Prajaktra City Hostel
Hotel in Udon Thani
@Home at Udon
Hotel in Udon Thani
Practical information about Udon Thani
You can get to Udon Thani by plane, train or bus. There are night sleeper trains from Bangkok to Udon Thani in which you can have a bunk and sleep fairly well but it is recommended to book in advance to be sure you, at the station or on the SRT's website or on this website. There are more and more destinations served by direct flights from and to Udon Thani: Bangkok of course, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Hua Hin recently, Phuket.Transport in Thailand
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How to go to Udon Thani ?
Udon Thani is the largest city in Isan (Nord-Eat of Thailand), it has its own airport with several daily direct flights from Bangkok. You can also go to Udon Thani by bus or by train but we recommend you to take a sleeper in a night train. . You can book online on this website. Bangkok to Udon Thani buses depart from Mochit Bus Terminal.My selection of tours & activities in Udon Thani
Isan tour: Udon Thani - Nong Khai - Chiang Khan
Offered in English
Discover 3 provinces of Isan, a region preserved from mass tourism as it is very little offered to foreign tourists. Between temples, natural wonders and moments of simple life with the locals, you will meet artisans and enjoy magnificent sunrises and sunsets over the Mekong River.
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How to get around in Udon Thani ?
To get around in Udon Thani, you have the choice between taxis or tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis. They are easy to find near Udon Thani bus terminals and Central Plaza. There is also a local bus network in the city (around 10 THB per trip). There are also some rickshaws even if they are less and less numerous. And for those who want to ride bicycles, there are rental shops at Nong Prachak Park (from 20 THB per hour). You can also use GRAB app (similar to UBER but UBER does not operate in Southestern Asia any more) to order a transportation.
Festivals in Udon Thani ?
Here is a list of the main festivals held every year in Udon Thani. Their dates are published as soon as they are official on the Festivals in Thailand page.
Ban That Rocket Festival
This festival usually takes place in May
Must-visits in
Red Lotus Sea
หนองหานกุมภวาปีMy opinion : 5/5
From December to March, Lake Nong Han Kumphawapi about fifty kilometers from Udon Thani is covered with pink lotus flowers. A very photogenic and romantic scenery you can enjoy by hiring a boat.
Ban Chiang historical site
พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติบ้านเขียงMy opinion : 3/5
Located 55 km from Udon Thani, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and date from the Bronze Age. It includes a museum and an excavation site.
Nam Phan lake (Sang Khom)
อ่างเก็บน้ำพานMy opinion : 4/5
This lake located about sixty kilometers from the city of Udon Thani is a nice place to have lunch and spend part of the afternoon. Once there, you can rent a floating bamboo hut that a boat pulls indn the middle of the lake. There, you enjoy your meal and can dive and play in the cool water before calling the boat to take you back to shore.
Wat Pa Phu Kon
วัดป่าภูก้อนMy opinion : 3/5
This temple located 115 km from Udon Thani slowly became one of the must-visits in the province. It must be said that seen from the sky, it is really beautiful but by visiting it you will only see it from the ground. I advice you to cumulate its visit with other visits in the area. The temple's big reclining marble Buddha is superb !
Phu Phra Bat Historical Park
อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ภูพระบาทMy opinion : 5/5
Located 42 km northwest of Udon, the park covers a large part of the Phu Phan mountain and includes caves with prehistoric paintings, interesting rock formations and temples including a stupa housing a footprint of Buddha . (Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Nong Prajak Park
สวนสาธารณะ หนองประจักษ์My opinion : 3/5
It is the largest and best known park in town in Udon Thani. It is a pleasant place to go in the evening, the time of the day when it is most frequented. You will find massage shops and food stalls nearby.
Night market
ถนนคนเดินMy opinion : 5/5
The large Udon Thani culinary night market is located near the train station. It’s a bit of a Thai street food paradise. Very popular with locals, I recommend it a lot more than its neighbor called UD Town.Other places to see in Udon Thani
Kumphawapi Monkey park
If the red lotus lotus is quite famous, the small monkey park in the neighboring city of Kumphawapi is much less known. But it can fun to go there before or after the boat ride on the 'Red Lotus Sea' and it is not far.
Ban Na Kha Silk market
This clothing market about fifteen kilometers in the North of Udon Thani is famous for its traditional 'Mi-Khit' clothes. A local production typical of this part of Thailand (Isan). A shopping stop that can be extended 9km further by visiting the village where the weavers work.
Baan Khiri Wong Kot
This community more than 130 km northwest from Udon Thani province is becoming more and more popular. Tourists go there for their tractor adventure rides through the rice fields and the forest or for a complete 2 days/1 night program including different activities with the locals.
Kunnapat Rock Salt Spa (Ban Dung)
This small spa located in Ban Dung, 86 kilometers from Udon Thani city, offers you to enjoy the benefits of the naturally salted water from the soil of the district for a hot bath of the whole body or just your feet. A pleasant moment if you have no difficulty in immersing yourself in a very hot water.
Wat Kham Chanot
This temple is very important and revered because it is supposed to house the Phaya Nak, the great sacred Naga snake that is very present in the architecture of temples in Thailand, especially in the North and North-East of the country. It is not architecturally the most beautiful temple in Udon Thani province but certainly the most visited by Thai Buddhists.
City pillar shrine
The San Lak Mueang, a shrine that houses the city's founding pillar, is located near two pretty parks in Udon Thani city center. It is a tradition deeply rooted in Northern Thailand especially to have such a place and to come to pray and pay respect to the protective divinity of the city.
Wat Phothisomphon
It is the most important temple in Udon Thani, the most important in town, with the City Pillar Shrine. Visitors especially notice its chedi whose top floor is magnificent decorated and its ordination hall.
Thai-Chinese Cultural Center
This place dedicated to the memory and heritage of the Chinese communities established in Thailand for several generations is not a must-see, but it is an institution in Udon Thani. It testifies to the unique Chinese influences, past and present, in the heart of Isaan.
Wat Pa Dong Rai
This lotus-shaped temple, built over a pond, is located not far from the Ban Chiang Museum. Aside from its unique shape, it's the interior vault paintings that are truly memorable.
Wat Sridaram
This small, quick-visit temple is worth a stop for its very photogenic Naga serpent crossing a pond. You don't have to travel far to see it, but it's close to other interesting places and can make for a more pleasant stop.
Thai painted pottery workshop
This traditional pottery factory offers workshops to visitors. The prices are more than reasonable and it's really fun to do. It'll also make a unique souvenir of Udon Thani!
Weather & climate in
Udon Thani has a tropical savanna climate. Here, the winter is quite dry and very hot. Temperatures rise until April, the hottest month of the year. The rainy season lasts from the end of April to early October, with heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures during the day.The best time to come to Udon Thani is from November to March. August is the rainiest month and therefore the least suitable moment to come to Udon Thani.
How to ask the way in Thai to Udon Thani ?
I want to go to Udon Thani / Yak pai thi Udon Thani.Where is Udon Thani? / Udon Thani yu thi nai?
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