Separated from the bazaars of Chiang Mai by the jungle-clad hills of the Doi Khun Tan National Park, Lampang is the hippest northern Thai city you've probably never heard of. It's a provincial capital but has remained firmly off-radar to the backpacking crowd…until now.

These days, a steady stream of visitors tread the riverside walkways, settling in the characterful guesthouses that cluster in the center. They can delve into the sizzling mix of food stalls and traditional Thai local ware that make up the Tha Ma-O Cultural Road and the weekend Kad Kong Ta Street Market. Others get lost in the patchwork of age-stained buildings with carved gables and French-style porticoes, or sip coffees as the clip-clopping horse carts navigate the Lanna mansions of old. 

Lampang tour guides will mark a visit to Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat as a must, each pagoda complex a unique experience. Further out, waterfalls and natural hot springs await at Chae Son national Park while Doi Khun Tan National Park hosts scenic reservoirs and long train tunnels.