Travel and Transport Info for Nan, Thailand by Hobo Maps - - - Home

Click to see our Nan Town Map and our Nan to Laos Map

Peaceful Nan is a relaxing place to visit with great cycling and walking options but English is a rare commodity and visitors can face difficulties in getting around. Local people are friendly and eager to help. It's a cycling paradise with light slow-moving traffic.

Views of Nan area below:

The official Tourism Office is located at grid code JE179 on THIS MAP but doesn't offer much more than arranging local tours.

For getting around town we haven't seen any tuk tuks. But songtaew buses (pickup style) can be chartered from the bus station and most guest houses and hotels will call for one to come and get passengers. A few motorcycle taxis do roam around town and can be flagged down but very few speak any English. Some wear red vests.

Many hotels and guest houses have bicycles for rent and in Jan. 2023 there was a bike rental place at the bus station.

The main bus station in Nan is located at grid code JF174 on THIS MAP and is a bit too far for walking to most accommodation from the bus station. Most signs at the bus station are only in Thai and few workers there speak English. There is an Info desk at the bus station with English-speaking help but is not always open or staffed.

The following bus schedule was posted at the bus station November 2017 but was high up on a wall and looked rather old so it may not be completely accurate. Still the same in Jan. 2023!

Nakhon Chai Air has buses to Bangkok, Pattaya & Rayong per a sign at their ticket window May 2017

We were told of the following bus schedule departures from Nan Bus Station. Since these schedules were verbal replies to our questions and were not seen on signs the info is incomplete. For some places such as Pua they have big old slow orange buses and light blue songtaew buses going so there is an option.

To Mae Charim - 07:30, 10:30 & 12:30

To Pua - 07:30 & every hour after until ??

To Santisuk - 07:00, 10:00 & 12:00

To Thung Chang - 06:00 & every hour after until ??

to Chiang Rai - 09:00 minivan - 6 hour trip

Transport into Laos - The new bridge over the Mekong just west of Pak Beng, Laos opened recently which makes the 50 km trip from the border at Huay Kon/Muang Ngeun to Pak Beng much easier. Sayaboury Tourist Office advises of a public bus from Muang Ngeun to Pak Beng and Oudom Xay in Laos that departs at 11:30 daily. In November we were told bus from Muang Ngeun left at noon for Pak Beng. There have always been daily buses from Muang Ngeun to Hongsa and Sayaboury that depart in the mornings when the bus is full but we can't be sure of exact times or whether any go in the afternoons. See our Sayaboury Travel web page HERE for more info.

At Huay Kon in May 2017 foreigners were not allowed to take or ride bicycles or motorcycles into Laos. Not sure why this restriction and it may apply to two other border crossings in Sayaboury province as well.

Nan bus station images below.

Bicycles on Buses - Minivans to Huay Kon will carry bicycles on top for 100 baht but transport to other places by big old buses or songtaew buses may not be able to take bicycles. Some songtaews don't have racks on top and most big old crawler buses don't have much room for bikes inside and are too tall to take bikes on top.

Green Bus has nice big air con buses and passengers can make reservations far in advance - able to carry bicycles in the cargo bay for extra charge. Green Bus to Chiang Mai is 6.5 hour trip with most going a route that stops in Phrae, Lampang & Lamphun but one bus goes via Phayao instead. They also have buses going between Chiang Mai and Thung Chang that stop in Nan on the way. These buses will take passengers bicycles for 50 baht extra as seen in cargo bay picture below.

Various street scene images below show how quiet and nice the roads in Nan are for cycling.

Nan National Museum is open 09:00 to 16:00 but closed on Monday & Tuesday. Free admittance.

Nan "Whisper of Love" below: