Temples in Chiang Mai
19 experiences · from ฿700 to ฿7,140 per person · booked directly with local operators
Chiang Mai has around three hundred temples, and they are not interchangeable. A few sit inside the old city walls and can be walked between in an afternoon; the ones people travel for are up a mountain or three hours away in Chiang Rai.
The tours below range from a three-hour walk with a former monk to a full day across the province.
In the old city, or out of it
Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Umong are in or near town and work as a half day on foot or by bike. Doi Suthep sits up the mountain and needs transport. The White Temple is in Chiang Rai, three hours each way.
Doi Suthep at sunrise is a different visit
The same temple is a quiet, cool, mostly local place at dawn and a crowded one by mid-morning. Several tours here leave early for exactly that reason, and pair it with Wat Pha Lat, the small forest temple on the way up.
What to wear
Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone, at every temple. Some of the larger sites lend a sarong at the entrance, but not all of them, and you will be turned away without one. Shoes come off before entering a building.
A guide changes what you see
Temples reward context. Walking tours led by a former monk explain what the buildings are for rather than only what they are called, which is the difference between an hour of photographs and understanding what you are looking at.
Temples in Chiang Mai
Frequently asked questions
What should you wear to visit a temple in Chiang Mai?
Shoulders and knees covered, for men and women alike, at every temple. Shoes come off before entering any building. Some larger sites lend a sarong at the entrance but not all of them do, and you will be refused entry without appropriate clothing. Light long trousers or a long skirt are the simplest answer in the heat.
Which temples in Chiang Mai are worth visiting?
Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang sit inside the old city walls and can be walked between in an afternoon. Wat Umong is a forest temple with meditation tunnels. Doi Suthep is up the mountain and needs transport. Wat Pha Lat, the small forest temple on the way up, is quieter than all of them.
How do you get to Doi Suthep from Chiang Mai?
It is roughly forty minutes up a winding mountain road, so you need a driver, a tour, or a red songthaew. The temple itself is reached by a staircase of around three hundred steps flanked by naga serpents, or by a funicular for those who prefer not to climb.
Is it worth visiting Doi Suthep at sunrise?
It is a genuinely different visit. At dawn it is cool, quiet and mostly Thai worshippers; by mid-morning it is full of tour groups. Several tours leave early for that reason and pair it with Wat Pha Lat on the way up, which sees a fraction of the visitors.
Do you need a guide to visit temples?
Not to enter, but a guide changes what you take away. Walking tours led by a former monk explain what the buildings are for, what the offerings mean and how a working temple differs from a monument, rather than only naming what you are looking at.