One of the main reasons people visit Kanchanaburi is to go and see the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Death Railway. Made famous by the film of the same name, the bridge you see today is mostly reconstructed due to allied bombing during the Second World War.
There are however some incredible temples around Kanchanaburi that are well worth the extra effort to go and see. We opted to hire a scooter for the day which cost us 150 BHT (3.20 USD)* which allowed us the freedom to explore the area at our own pace.
* As of 2024, this has increased to 200 BHT or 5.60 USD per day.
Tam checking the map with our awesome scooter
Which Temples Do We Recommend Visiting?
#1 Wat Tham Sua and Wat Tham Khao Noi
The main entrance to the temples
Located about 12km southeast of Kanchanaburi town and standing high up on a hill both temples, which stand side by side, can be seen from many miles away.
The entrance to both temples can be reached either by walking up the steep Naga flanked staircase or by a 10BHT brief cable car ride whilst to the right of the stairs are the caves where tigers once lived hence the name of the temple.
Once at the top you can either head left to Wat Tham Khao Noi which is a Chinese style temple or turn right towards Wat Tham Sua with its giant 18 metre high Buddha statue.
The Buddha of Wat Tham Sua which is named Chin Prathanporn, was built in 1973 and is often the first stop off for people wishing to pay their respects, often purchasing sheets of gold leaf and placing them on much smaller statues as thanks. There are several other beautifully decorated chedi that you can take a look inside and one even has a resident monk inside giving blessings in return for an offering.
What particularly struck us during our visit to this amazing temple was the views of the rich green rice fields and surrounding area which, on their own, are enough to recommend a trip to either of these two temples.
Stairs leading up to the temples
The cable car taking people up to the temple
Locals selling souvenirs at the top of the stairs
Locals making an offering by placing gold leaf on the statues
People leaving their footwear by the entrance into one of the temples
One of the many beautiful buildings within the temple
Monk praying inside one of the temples
The 18 metre high Buddha statue called Chin Prathanporn
Views of the lush green rice paddies
Wat Tham Khao Noi in the distance
#2 Wat Ban Tham (Dragon Head Temple)
Located just a few kilometres along the Mae Klong River from Kanchanaburi is Wat Ban Tham also sometimes known as the Dragons Head Temple.
The first thing you notice when pulling up in the car park is the jolly white Buddha sitting in front of temple with a golden chedi sitting on top of a mountain in the distance. Immediately your thoughts turn to how on earth do you get to the top but that soon becomes apparent.
View from the car park
Locals selling food and souvenirs near Wat Bam Tham
Heading directly into the centre of the temple courtyard, you are soon faced with a staircase of bright red steps that lead you up into the mouth of a giant dragon. From there you walk through the body of the beast which is decorated with murals of the temple until you reach the first temple cave. Here you will find a Buddha image known as Luang Por Yai Chinnaraj along with a monk who gives a blessing to whomever would like one.
Naga serpents flank the stairs leading to the entrance of the dragon’s mouth
Into the Dragon’s mouth
Inside the body of the Dragon at Wat Bam Tham
Shrine inside the first cave
Buddha image known as Luang Chin Prathanporn
Monk giving a blessing
Once you exit the cave its time to head up an iron staircase and into the stifling heat and humidity back out onto the side of the mountain where more steps await. Several minutes later you come to a shrine where another buddha sits with stunning views over the valley below.
After taking a time out for a breather its time to carry on walking. More steps lead to the second and much smaller cave and requires a little bit of climbing to get down its steep stone steps into its depths where you will find a small shrine to a hermit called Ruesi.
Incredible colours of the Dragon’s body
Iron steps leading up from the first cave
View half way up from the Buddha shrine
Entrance to the Hermit cave required a little bit of climbing
Shrine to Ruesi the Hermit
Leaving the cave behind its time for the final leg of the accent where you are rewarded with the most incredible views of the surrounding countryside. Here you will find the Golden Chedi that you saw from the car park along with several statues of Brahma and prayer bells.
Views across the Mae Klong river from the top of the Temple
Golden chedi at the very top of the mountain
Payer bells ringing as we leave the Temple and head back to our scooter
This is for most, especially in the heat and humidity you will encounter, a pretty tough climb with over 900 steps to negotiate but I can honestly say it was entirely worth the effort. This Dragon’s Head was not only a favourite of ours in Kanchanaburi but across everywhere we visited in Thailand.
#3 Kung Im Chapel
The Goddess of Mercy statue taken from the River Kwai Bridge
Located next to the Bridge on the River Kwai just on the outskirts of Kanchanaburi is the striking Kung Im temple. On first impressions you might think this is a Chinese temple because of its architecture but it is in fact a buddhist temple decorated with a Chinese theme in mind.
The grounds are full of sculptures of animals, dragons, golden coins and dominated by a huge Chinese Goddess of Mercy statue.
Wandering along the painted red and gold path there’s colour everywhere you look; exquisitely decorated pagodas make for good selfie opportunities or the enormous totem pole decorated in dragons is another.
One of the many statues around the grounds
Incredible totem pole decorated with dragons
Gold coins and monkey statue
Various animal statues line the red and gold walkway
Small shrine with receiving bowl
The grounds of the Kuang Im Chapel
Close up of the Goddess of Mercy statue
Time for that Selfie under a pretty pagoda
Steps leading down to the Mae Klong river where you can watch the train cross the bridge for the Death Railway
The main building with its roof adorned with yet more dragons is home to a golden Buddha statue.
The Kuang Im Chapel Building
Smiling Buddha inside the chapel
Marble floors, statues and murals inside the chapel
Pretty arch with colourful details at the chapel
Incredible dragons sculptures on top of the chapel roof
Area in front of the chapel
If your plan is to ride along the death railway then Kung Im Temple is worth checking out, after all the train takes you right past it.
Whether you are a temple-hopper or not, if you do decide to spend time in Kanchanaburi it is well-worth booking a hotel and spending a little time exploring these wonderful buildings, because unlike other areas in Thailand, these are some of the brightest, most extravagantly decorated we have ever come across.
Have you visited Kanchanaburi? With so many temples to explore perhaps you stumbled across a different one you feel our readers should know about.
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Kanchanaburi is my favorite province in Thailand, and I just visited Wat Tham Sua this weekend! I was especially impressed and intrigued by the small chapel just off the main stairs, where the mummified body of the wat’s founding abbot is preserved to visit. The glass coffin is set up on an elaborate and ornate golden pedestal, with CCTV cameras showing the monk’s face on TVs for all to see!
The temple is also well-known for a special type of amulet that they sell there, depicting a golden wasp or hornet. This amulet is said to bring wealth and luck to those who wear them!
It’s a beautiful temple, but nothing can beat the views of those rice fields from the top.
I love reading even more about this area. Thanks for sharing your knowledge 🙂
Amazing pictures – they really show off how fantastic and colourful the Thai temples are.
Am a big fan of hiring a scooter or bike to go exploring beyond what you can do by public transport. Worth every penny or baht!
I agree, sometimes you want to head off on your own and see different things. I also love the freedom to come and go as I please without having to keep to a bus timetable.
Thai temples are SO colorful! That first one looks so immense. I’d love to visit it. Also.. who wouldn’t want to walk through the belly of a dragon. Great list of Wats in the area.
Hi Hallie, The temples in Thailand are so vibrant but the ones we saw in Kanchanaburi were definitely the most colourful of all. The dragon temple was awesome and sent shivers through your spine as you entered the dragons mouth. Worth checking out if you ever visit the area.
Holy Cow! I had no idea that there were so many gorgeous temples in this area! I worked at a zoo near Kanchan a couple of years ago, and I’m returning this September to show my husband some of the things I had seen, but I’m adding these temples to the list for sure! Looks totally gorgeous!
That’s great you are going back with your husband. I’m sure both of you will have a great time visiting these temples, The dragon’s head is the hardest to explore because of all the steps but lots of fun.
Thailand is a place where cultures converge. Spirituality rubs shoulders with modernism and technology. The architectures of the temples are so intriguing. Kanchanburi temples are so colourful. We missed out on this place on our last visit but hope to get there next time around. Your post definitely urges us to get there fast.
It’s not just the temples near Kanchanaburi that we enjoyed but the vibe of the town and staying by the river was so relaxing especially arriving from Bangkok. But the Temples certainly were by far the highlight of our stay there so pack your bags quick and head on over there, It’s amazing!
I’ve always wanted to travel on the Death Railway – I loved the post you did on it! I love how all the temples are so unique – it’s not like if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all. Were you able to get to all of these from the train?
Hi Tara, The temples certainly have their own style so you don’t have that deja vu feeling. The Death Railway is a fantastic day out but the only temple you can see or visit from the train is the Kung Im Chapel. Located right next to the famous River Kwai Bridge its the easiest temple to get to, approximately a 5-10 minute tuk tuk ride from the town centre, we walked there as our hotel was a bit closer. The other two we hired a scooter and took about 20-30 minutes to get to but as you can see definitely worth the trip.
I am obsessed with all of these painted staircases. They are so beautiful. Especially the one that looked like a dragon’s tongue. Do people go into the temple barefoot or do you need to wear socks?
Hi Stephanie, Thai people seem to love painting stairs. The dragons tongue looks incredible as it takes you up into its mouth, a truly unique sight. You have to remove your footwear when you enter a temple building or cave temple but if you are wandering around outside or climbing the stairs then you can keep your shoes on.
Not gonna lie – I am completely blown away by how colorful these temples are. And the stairs?!? Such a magnificent use of color and its so welcoming.
Hi Nicki, We loved all the colour in Thailand and the temples were the icing on the cake.
These temples really do look incredible! I’m sad I didn’t see any of them when I was in Kanchanaburi. I’d really love to go to the Hermit Cave. I already knew I needed to go back, so this just bumps it up the list a bit.
Hi Cori, Kanchanaburi was one of our favourite places we visited and the Hermit cave was pretty cool, literally lol, so it’s a place we too would visit again.
I love everything history and culture and these Temples are just up my alley 🙂 Wat Tham Khao Noi looks amazing. It is nice change to see a post on amazing temples than just your norm tourist attractions. Beautiful pictures and definitely noted for when I return back to Thailand.
Hi, Thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoy Kanchanaburi as much as we did.
I’ve only been to one Thai temple in Los Angeles but these are amazing! Love the colors and the structure of the temples you listed. Would love to see them in person!
Hi Janna, It was our first trip to Thailand and can’t recommend it enough. Hopefully you will get to experience it one day too.
I love looking at pictures of the temples in Thailand. They are so colorful and gorgeous. I went to a Thai temple in Japan during a food festival and it was so much fun. The people, the food, and the temple were amazing 🙂
Hi Candy, We’d love to visit Japan, it looks like an incredible country to go travelling.
Oh renting a scooter is a great idea! I love how colorful these temples are and the rich green rice fields surrounding them.
Hi Sarah, Renting a scooter was definitely a good call. The freedom it gives you means you can take the time to visit places at your own pace.