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Thailand's Buddhist clergy was divided into "town monks" who studied, taught and performed ceremonies for the believers, and "forest monks" who went into retreat, dedicated to meditation and asceticism. The bigger part of the historical park, covered with light forest, consists of the hermitage ruins of the latter group. Thanks to the canopy of leaves, it is very pleasant to visit on foot or by bicycle (can be rented by the main entrance). Its main sites are Wat Chang Rop (with its remarkable chedi that is surrounded by 68 stucco elephant figures), Wat Phra Non (with a relatively well-preserved chedi and remains of a Reclining Buddha statue), Wat Phra Si Iriyabot (with the park's only surviving, nine metre high standing Buddha statue). Next to the main entrance to this zone is also the park administration.
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City pillar shrine
Shrine that houses the symbolic navel of the city which according to the locals' belief is home to the city's guardian spirits.
พิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติกำแพงเพชร, Phiphithaphanthasathan haeng Chat Kamphaeng Phet
Exhibition of bronze sculptures and pottery from different periods of Thai art and Mon art. The highlight is an early 16th-century bronze Shiva statue. Its head and hands were cut off in 1886 by a German trader who tried to smuggle them to Europe. They were however confiscated before he could send them abroad and were reunited with the torso. A replica was then made under orders of King Rama V, given to the German crown prince and is now exhibited at the Berlin Museum of Asian Art.
Inner district
The ruins of the temple district of the ancient city of Cha Kang Rao, including Wat Phra Kaeo and Wat Phra That. The Reclining Buddha of Wat Phra Kaeo is arguably the most beautiful statue in the park and one of the best depictions of the Buddha's serene smile from the Sukhothai period. The zone is surrounded by five metre high laterite walls and a 25-metre wide moat. Four of ten forts and gates are relatively well-preserved and can be visited.
พิพิธภัณฑสถานกำแพงเพชรเฉลิมพระเกียรติ, Phiphithaphanthasathan Kamphaeng Phet Chaloem Phrakiat; also known as "Thai House Museum", พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือนไทย, Phiphithaphan Ruean Thai
Elegant replicas of traditional Thai houses, hosting an exhibition about local and regional history and lifestyle.
San Phra Isuan
Original place of the Shiva statue that now is kept at the National Museum, there is a replica where locals bring their offerings, asking the deity for blessing of themselves, their families and pets.
Landmark and central orientation point. It is made of laterite, thus referring to the ancient monuments of the historical park, that consist of the same material. With its castle-like shape and crenelations, it is also a nod to the city's name: "diamond wall". The bodhi (sacred fig) tree on the other side of the roundabout is used by locals as a meeting point.