Phitsanulok is best known for the Phra Buddha Chinnarat, one of the most beautiful and most revered Buddha images in Thailand, as well as for the national parks of Phu Hin Rong Kla, Thung Salaeng Luang, and Nam Tok Trakan. It is also famous for the popular dish of phak bung loi fa, 'flying water spinach', stir-fried in soya bean sauce and garlic.
Wooden Thai houses along the banks of the Nan and Yom rivers have a pleasing traditional ambience, and yet Phitsanulok is also increasingly a centre for economic and social development.
Visitors are recommended to try the province's famous noodles, locally known as Kuai Tieo Hoi Kha, literally legs-hanging rice noodles. The name comes from the way customers sit on a bench with their legs dangling under the table as they face the Nan River and enjoy the fine scenery and cooling breeze. Also, first-time visitors wishing to know more about the province should take in Sergeant Major Thawee's Folk Museum, well known for its collection of rural folk arts and crafts.
Phitsanulok is strategically located between the north, northeastern, and central regions, and it was in recognition of the province's growth potential that THAI added Phitsanulok to its domestic route network.