Neil Aronson In this article, we look at the best 5 temples to see outside of Chiang Mai’s city center. In a previous article, Walk To 5 Of the Best, we shared with you our favorite temples you can walk to within the city. Here are my best 5 temples that will take some transportation, such as a scooter, car, or tuk tuk to get to. However, they are all very close to the city.
It feels like as a visitor you are required to go and visit a temple or two when in Chiang Mai. Partly because they are such an iconic part of the city and culture, and partly because they are everywhere. Especially if you are a first time visitor. They are an important part of the history and culture of Thailand, so visiting these best 5 temples is a good place to start.
I still stop in and check them out after 13 years when I am walking around the town. And for locals like my wife, it is a more meaningful experience than just looking at some ancient and important buildings.
If your visiting and want to know what are the best 5 temples to see, I would recommend any of these as ones everyone should visit. Even though they are not right in the city center, they are still easy to get to, and won’t take up an entire day to visit one or two.
As always with these list, it is subjective. There are so many great temples around Chiang Mai. Some of it is popularity, and some of the list is based on my personal view of the best 5 temples.
Be Respectful
Most temple grounds will have signs before you enter, but don’t be a unprepared tourist. Know before you go to visit these best 5 temples. Please respect their culture and traditions.
Dress respectfully when you visit any temple in Thailand. Make sure your shoulders are covered (no vests, tank-tops or spaghetti straps). Although skirts or shorts are acceptable at many temples, they should be smart and at least knee-length.
Take off your shoes before entering the temple buildings. If you are wearing a hat, that should also be removed before going inside.
Don’t sit on the platform or chairs reserved for monks. Monks are prohibited from touching women and women should never hand anything directly to a monk.
For more tips on traveling to Thailand, read our Tips & Advice.
Wat Phra That Doi Kham
It is probably safe to say that outside the city center, Wat Doi Kham would be considered the best 5 temples in all of Northern Thailand. At least one of the most popular. Only Wat Doi Suthep probably gets more visitors.
Getting to Wat Doi Kham is fairly easy from Chiang Mai City center. It is about a 30 minutes drive to the southeast, and sits on a grand hill on the southern end of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. The name of this best 5 temples means “Temple Of The Golden Mountain”.
The drive up is through a nice area outside of Hang Dong city, and the temple is large and visible below for miles around. Drive yourself, take a scooter, tuk tuk or songthaew. A great option is to book through Viator, and include other nearby attractions.
This ancient temple has more than 1,300 years of history, believed to be built in circa 687 to enshrine Buddha’s relics. It is known locally as the ‘wish temple’. Locals go to make a wish. This title has become so because of a local lottery winner, who won several times after making wishes for prosperity at the temple. If your wish comes true you must repay by giving back to the temple, by service or money.
Since this is one of the best 5 temples and very popular, it can get very crowded. So as I always suggest, try not to go on the weekends. If your driving yourself, there is parking below, and you walk up a steep hill to the temple past some food and retail stands. You can also easily ride a scooter up there, or take a songthaew. There is also not much shade and a lot of concrete, so it gets hot.
This temple reminds me of Wat Doi Suthep, on this best 5 temples list. Both are large and impressively on the hill top. Both with a lot of impressive gold and brightly colored buildings and buddha images. Both have sweeping views of the Chiang Mai valley below. Both are popular and get crowded.
Wat Pa Dara Phirom
This one of the best 5 temples around Chiang Mai is the only one on this list north of the city. Wat Pa Dara Phirom is about 20-30 minutes (depending on traffic) north off route 107 on the way to Mae Rim.
The outside wall itself is impressive and the entrance is guarded by two large lions. The Ubosot and other buildings are Lanna style, but with very intricate details.
Wat Pa Dara Phirom is a 100-year-old first class royal temple, so it is not exactly an ancient one. Since is is relatively newer, the buildings are in better condition that most. Less tourists come here since it in not right in the city. However it is popular to visit for locals. We came on a Sunday, and there were not very many people.
There is a chedi that is accessible, which contains a large Buddha footprint. And something unusual, the chedi does not stand behind the vihara. The Pagoda or the main temple houses a number of valuable like the gemstones, jewels and artifacts of Buddha.
This is a great place to come meditate. There is a meditation center and a school for monks.
Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham
Located at the foot of the mountains of Doi Suthep National Park, east of the city center. No doubt in my mind it is one of if not the best 5 temples around. Wat Umong is hidden in the corner of the city, however not one you can walk to. The grounds are located not far from Chiang Mai university and the popular western area Nimmanhaemin.
There is another temple called Wat Umong in the walled city, just a heads up, not the same one. However that one, Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan, is a good visit also.
The temple was built in 1297 by King Mangrai of the Lan Na dynasty.
If your looking for a renowned meditation center to stay overnight and practice, this is a popular option.
For me, this is my favorite temple to walk around in all of Chiang Mai. Large grounds with lots of unique smaller things to see. Very shady and forest like, so great during the day. There is a tunnel system under the ground below where the main Chedi sits.
I suggest having several hours of time to really enjoy the large grounds that feature trails, multiple buildings, and the many parts of the temple. The entire Wat Umong complex consists of 37.5 rai (15 acres) of wooded grounds. You can feed the fish, turtles, and ducks in a large pond. “Talking trees” have words of wisdom in Thai and English. My favorite part was reading the proverbs, scattered around the grounds.
Wat Umong Temple Grounds
Being a large property there are many things to see and do on the grounds.
- At the entrance there is a Library, Thammakos Library.
- There is the Dharma Mystery Theater where you can watch movies to find the essence of Dharma.
- Open Air Museum. An area I thought is very interesting and great for photography.
- Tunnel Entrance
- Stairs to the Pagoda above.
- Large pond area with wildlife. Also where many small houses are.
The Meditation Center is one of the more popular ones in Chiang Mai for locals and tourists alike. My wife and her cousins have spent a week there many times. Overnight stay in dorm like facilities. See their website for more details.
Wat Pha Lat
On the mountain side of Doi Suthep-Pui national park, above Chiang Mai city, sits Wat Pha Lat. I accidently stopped with a friend to check it out, and it quickly became one of my best 5 temples to see. I knew about it, as it is on the local hiking trail called Monk’s Trail. Which was used by the monks to walk up to Wat Doi Suthep.
The temple is located on route 1004 half way up the mountain on your way to Wat Doi Suthep. Most people just pass by on their way up to Doi Suthep. It is only about 15 minutes from the city, depending on a couple traffic lights!
What I love about it is that it is not your typical looking temple. Similar to Wat Umong, it is shady is the forest, with smaller unique buildings and structures, such as the river running through it.
According the the temple plaques, the construction is not know. But the temple name appeared during the time of Kin Kue Na when he rode his elephant to bring relics of the Buddha from Sukhothai to be enshrined at Wat Doi Suthep and stopped at Pha Lat for a rest.
The stupa is a Bagan-style round stupa, surrounded by a circumambulatory path. It has a niche enshrining the Buddha image on the south side and stucco lions and deities at the corners of the base.
The Hall of Buddha is in a state of ruin, only its base remains.
Wat Doi Suthep
Doi Suthep, as it is commonly called, is considered the top must see temples in Chiang Mai. Heavily visited, it is located in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. However it’s only about a 14km drive up the mountain from Chiang Mai city center. Except it still takes some time, as it’s a steep one lane road, with often slow vehicles.
Sitting at an elevation of about 1100m (3500), you are treated with sweeping views of Chiang Mai from the grounds of the temple.
On the way up you can stop at the Forest Fire Management museum, on you left as you go up the hill.
The parking area is large with dozens of food stalls and souvenir shops. So you can easily eat a good lunch if you need to. Dress accordingly, for women no shorts allowed and shoulders must be covered.
The entrance area itself is very impressive, and set up for tourism. From the parking areas, the temple is reached by walking up 309 step steep stairs. There is a tram type ride for those who don’t want to do the steps. Here is Belle barely making it up!
When you enter the temple grounds, to the left is the White Elephant Monument. It represents the white elephant chosen by King Keuna of Chiangmai to deliver the Buddha’s relic to the place that the elephant would stop (as explained previously).
The auspicious white elephant walked up to the top of Doi Suthep, where the Buddha relic was placed and has been kept since then.
The name of the Temple (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep) actually explains what the temple has. Phra entails of an honorific Buddha image, and That means a relic. The original gold plated chedi is the most holy area of the temple grounds. Within the site are pagodas, statues, bells, a museum, and shrines. There is a well renowned meditation center here.
This temple has a special place in our hearts. My wife took me here on our first date! It has special importance to Thai, and she wanted to share that with me.
Since this is the most visited temple for Chiang Mai, it gets crowded. I mean, we are talking about large tour busses full. It really does not matter, except it makes photography inside more difficult, as people are always in the way.
I hope you get a chance to visit these spectacular culturally relevant temples. Any questions please ask. Don’t forget Travel Insurance, anything can happen.
