Wat Tha Khanun

Kanchanaburi Province


This large temple is across Mae Nam Kwae Noi from town. The gleaming golden stupa on the hill above it, which seems to float over the town at night, can be reached via 285 steps on the hill's south face. The views are even bigger across the highway where a 1222-step (by our count; the sign says only 1173) metal stairway leads to a small natural Buddha footprint covered in gold leaf atop the peak marked with the yellow Thai Buddhist flag.

You can walk over the suspension bridge south of the market directly to the temple (be wary of the many temple dogs here) or take a moto-taxi (30B) via the highway. The stairs to the Buddha footprint start in the park across from the main temple gate, near the gleaming white seated Buddha statue.