Planning a trip to Chiang Mai can be sometimes overwhelming. When writing the name of this hub for expats and content creators into Google to search what to do and what to see there, you will find countless of articles and blog posts with “not to miss” and “must see” titles. I visited Chiang Mai for the first time this year and after reading the 4th blog about what to do, with a list of places completely different from the previous three, I decided to let it go. However, there was one thing they all had in common – visiting temples (or wat in Thai language).
Introduction to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai and its surroundings are home to more than 300 temples, shrines and places of worship. Some are more popular than others but all of them are special in their own way. To visit all of them, you would need weeks, if not months… We had three full days in Chiang Mai and we dedicated one of them solely to temples. I think we saw a good combination of the famous ones you see the most on social media, and those which are yet to be discovered by masses.
In this article I am going to present you my favourites and hopefully it’ll make your future decisions about what to see in Chiang Mai a little bit easier.
Best Temples to Visit in the Surroundings of Chiang Mai
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
There is no doubt that this temple is the most famous one in Chiang Mai and you can find it in all the “must see” lists of what to do in this area. It is often referred to as Doi Suthep, even though this is only the name of the mountain on which it was built. Located 1073 metres above the sea level, this temple offers to its visitors amazing views over Chiang Mai Down-town and it is also one of the most important and sacred Buddhist sites in Thailand. The best temples to visit in and around Chiang Mai
Legend of Doi Suthep
According to a legend, there is Buddha’s shoulder bone hidden under the main stupa. This relic was found by a wandering monk, who brought it to the king of Lanna kingdom of North Thailand. The bone was broken into two pieces with the smaller one being enshrined in Wat Suan Dok and the bigger piece was placed on the back of a sacred white elephant that wandered through the jungle all the way up the Doi Suthep Mountain, where he suddenly died. This was interpreted as a good omen and so the king ordered to build a temple on the top of the mountain. The best temples to visit in and around Chiang Mai
I agree that Doi Suthep temple is a place that you definitely shouldn’t miss when travelling to North Thailand, but I would recommend visiting it early in the morning so you avoid crowds (we didn’t manage to wake up and arrived there with all the other tours and I can tell you it was very busy).
The entrance fee to Doi Suthep was 30 baht per person.
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat is much smaller, but it is often referred to as the most magical hidden temple of Chiang Mai. It was also my favourite from all. It is located in the forest and you cannot see it at all from the main road so it is seldom visited by many tourists. During our visit, a food festival took place near the temple with all the food and drinks being free of charge. I was asking people around what was the reason but got no answer as they couldn’t speak English very well, so this will remain a mystery to me. Anyway, the Pad Thai and mango sticky rice were one the best in my life!
Wat Umong
Another not so famous (therefore less busy) temple was Wat Umong, which is also called “Tunnel temple”, because big part of it is located in the series of ancient underground tunnels where people come to pray. The entire temple complex is quite big and in addition to an old monastery, you can also find here a lake where you can feed fish, turtles and ducks; and “talking trees forest” with words of wisdom in Thai and English on them.
The entrance fee to the tunnels is 20 bath per person, but the rest is free. The best temples to visit in and around Chiang Mai
Wat Phra That Doi Kham
Wat Phra That Doi Kham is also known as the Golden Temple, the literal translation of its name says: Temple of the Golden Mountain. Similarly to Doi Suthep, the temple is very popular among Thai people for its spiritual significance, and it’s becoming more and more famous among international travellers too, so prepare yourself that it’s going to be very busy.
The temple was built at the end of the 7th century and its most dominant feature is 17 metres tall sitting Buddha statue. Thai people believe that if you offer flowers to Buddha and pray in Wat Phra That Doi Kham, your wishes will come true. And there are also pretty cool views from the top of the mountain…
The fee to the temple for international travellers is 30 baht per person.
Famous Temples of Chiang Mai Old Town
Wat Pan Ping
Phoenix among the temples of the Chiang Mai Old Town that is Wat Pan Ping. Just like this mystical bird, this temple has also risen from the ashes of the fire that almost destroyed it in 2002. Luckily, most of it was restored and today you can admire the old parts along with those that were newly built. The best temples to visit in and around Chiang Mai
Wat Chiang Man
Chiang Man temple is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. It dates back to 1296, when king Mengrai decided to build a new capital of Lanna Kingdom. The oldest structure of the temple is its stupa, which is surrounded by 15 elephants. We discovered this temple by a lucky coincidence while we were strolling through the city and it belongs to my favourite ones.
Wat Pa Pao
This temple is not as ancient as most of the temples in Chiang Mai. It was built in late 19th century by Thai Yai community, an ethnic group with its origins in Burma. What makes it unique is the fact that it’s being completely overlooked by guidebooks and so it’s very peaceful. The best temples to visit in and around Chiang Mai
Wat Phra Singh
Phra Singh temple is a typical example of the traditional architecture of Lanna Kingdom. It is one of the most important temples of Chiang Mai with worshipers coming in to pray here all year round. The main entrance is guarded by lions (singh), however, its name is abbreviated form of its original longer name Phra-Put-Tha-Shi-Hing and doesn’t refer the word lion.
So these are all the temples we visited during our stay in Chiang Mai. As I said before, there is SO much more of them, but I am content with what I’ve seen and at least I know I have still more to explore when come back again. In the Old Town, you don’t really need to go “for a search of temples”. The alleys of this area are very cute so you can just aimlessly stroll around and the temples will find you, because they are everywhere!
When visiting any Buddhist temple, don’t forget to dress modestly, no short skirts, shorts or singlets are allowed in any Thai temple and on its premises. If it’s very hot that day, pack a scarf or long skirt to cover yourself so you will be allowed to go in. Also don’t forget to take your shoes off!
I hope this article gave you an idea and inspiration for which temples to visit in Chiang Mai! If you have already been there, which temples did you visit during your stay? Have you managed to check out those outside of the city too? Let me know in the comments below!
Please don’t forget to check my other articles from South East Asia!
