A chiang rai day trip from Chiang Mai crosses the mountains of northern Thailand to the far northern province. The route links the White Temple, the Blue Temple and other stops in one long day. The drive runs in both directions.
The sections below cover the journey, the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the other stops. They also cover the Karen village visit, trip options, the seasons, temple etiquette, GetYourGuide listings and common questions. To plan trips elsewhere in the country, start from the Thailand Tours homepage.
What does a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai cover?
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai links three stops in one day. They are the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Black House. The tour starts and ends in Chiang Mai, and the guide meets you at your hotel.
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai follows the order that each operator sets.
- Pickup: the day begins when the guide and the driver meet you at the hotel.
- Drive north: the road leads to Chiang Rai, the northernmost major city in Thailand. Chiang Rai is also the capital of Chiang Rai Province.
- White Temple: Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, stands outside Chiang Rai city, in Mueang District.
- Lunch: one review places lunch at the cafes outside the White Temple exit gate.
- Village stop: one operator lists a Long Neck Demonstration Village on its group tour.
- Drive back: two operators list the return to Chiang Mai as the final step.
Pick a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai by its list of stops, because the stops differ between operators. One review runs the White Temple, lunch, the Blue Temple and the Black House. One timetable runs the Black House, Wat Huay Pla Kang, the Blue Temple, lunch and the White Temple.
A third operator runs the village stop, the White Temple, lunch, the Blue Temple and Wat Huay Pla Kang. A review of a fourth tour reaches the Blue Temple near the end of the day. The group watched the sunset there.
One operator writes that its chiang rai day trip from chiang mai starts and ends in Chiang Mai. A review of another tour says the group was dropped back at their hotels. Tours in other parts of the country are listed on our Thailand tours page.
How long is the drive on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
The drive on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai takes about three and a half hours each way. Chiang Rai lies about 200 kilometres north-east of Chiang Mai. The main road between the two cities is Highway 118.
Reviewers report different drive times. One review says about 3.5 hours, and another says four hours. One listing asks you to prepare for about three hours each way. Wikipedia puts the bus ride from Chiang Mai at about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
The hot spring rest stop on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai sits on Highway 118. The road runs through Doi Saket in Chiang Mai Province, then through Wiang Pa Pao in Chiang Rai Province. One review describes the road as four and sometimes six lanes wide.
Highway 118 is not the only road leading out of the city for a day. Readers asking what a Doi Inthanon national park tour covers in one day get the summit, pagodas and waterfalls.
One guide says Highway 118 cuts through forested hills. A cyclist on that road from Wiang Pa Pao to Doi Saket reports roughly 10 km of climbing. Wikipedia says the Khun Tan Range runs along the west side of Wiang Pa Pao District. One review calls the older road winding, around mountains and through villages.
Tours that add a hot spring stop choose Mae Kachan Hot Springs, in Wiang Pa Pao District. On a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai, one review places the stop midway along the drive. The stop is for stretching your legs and using the toilet. The same review says the water in the wells is constantly on the boil.
Four listings name air-conditioned transport. One operator lists an air-conditioned minibus. Another runs vans with 12 passenger seats beside the guide and driver. A small-group listing sets a maximum of 12 guests. A private listing offers an SUV, an MPV or a minivan for up to eight guests.
Check the pickup zone before you book a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai. One operator lists hotel pickup within 3 km of the Three Kings Monument. Its spots include the Night Bazaar, Tapae Gate, Chiang Mai Gate, Suan Dok Gate and the old city.
The same listing names Nimmanhaemin Road and the Santitham area. Its private option extends pickup to 7 km. A surcharge applies for pickup outside the radius. A second operator says to confirm your pickup address, especially in Mae Rim.
What is Wat Rong Khun on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
Wat Rong Khun is the White Temple, a stop on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai. The artist Chalermchai Kositpipat began rebuilding it in nineteen ninety-seven. It lies about 13 km from Chiang Rai city, and foreign visitors pay an entry fee.
By the end of the twentieth century, the original temple was in a bad state of repair. Chalermchai decided to rebuild it completely and to fund the project with his own money. Work on the new temple started in nineteen ninety-seven.
An earthquake in Mae Lao damaged the temple in two thousand and fourteen. Chalermchai announced plans to restore it within two years. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai shows a site that is still growing.
The main hall, the ubosot, is all white, with fragments of mirrored glass set into its outer walls. The roof has three tiers, with abundant use of Naga serpents. One guide says white stands for Buddha’s purity and the glass stands for his wisdom.
The main building is reached by a bridge that crosses a small lake. Hundreds of outreaching hands reach up beside it and symbolise unrestrained desire. The bridge symbolises the way to happiness by giving up temptation, greed and desire.
Symbols in Thailand reach well beyond the sculptures of one temple. Whether the elephant stands for Thailand is answered in a guide to an elephant sanctuary near Krabi.
Two creatures representing Death and Rahu guard the gate of heaven past the bridge. To enter the ubosot on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai, you cross that bridge first.
Inside the ubosot, the white gives way to murals of swirling orange flames and demon faces. One guide lists space ships, Superman and Neo from The Matrix among the images. The golden building is the restroom block and represents the body. The white ubosot represents the mind. The grounds also hold an art museum and a cave with art.
Guides list opening at 8 am and closing between 5 pm and 6 pm. One lists opening at 6.30 am. An entry fee applies to foreign visitors. Check the closing time before you pick a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai.
The path through the temple is one-way, so you cannot backtrack. After the ubosot, you leave by a side gate at the rear.
What Do You See at the Blue Temple on a Chiang Rai Day Trip from Chiang Mai?
Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, is a blue and gold temple 3 km north of Chiang Rai. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai stops here for a white Buddha 6.5 metres tall.
Phuttha Kabkaew, a Chiang Rai folk artist also called Sala Nok, realised the final design. He learned from Chalermchai Kositpipat while working on Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple. Building started in two thousand and five, and the main building was finished in January two thousand and sixteen.
The highlight is the vihara, a hall 13 metres wide and 48 metres long. Two large nagas stand in front of it. Inside sits a pearl-white Buddha image, with 88,000 Phra Rod Lamphun statues buried under it, says Wikipedia. Ceiling and wall paintings show scenes from the life of the Buddha.
The Blue Temple is deep blue with gold trim. One writer found it full of local visitors, unlike the White Temple. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai lets you compare both in one day.
Two guides list 7 am to 8 pm opening hours daily, and a third lists 6 am to 6 pm. One reviewed tour on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai gave around 40 minutes here.
Wat Huay Pla Kang is a Chinese-style temple with a large white statue of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy. One operator lists it as the final stop and calls it the Red Temple. Certain tour titles and one guide call it the Big Buddha. Pick a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai that names this stop.
Tour titles are worth reading on other trips too. The Ayutthaya tour from Bangkok page lists which options GetYourGuide carries. Another page asks what the water and stalls are like on a floating market tour near Bangkok.
The temple lies on a hillside on the northern edge of Chiang Rai. The drive from the centre takes 15 to 20 minutes. Local villagers began the monastery in two thousand and one. The site was registered as a temple in July two thousand and nine.
One guide lists the lift inside the Guanyin statue as running from 7 am to 6 pm. It warns that you cannot reach the viewing deck after the lift closes. Check these times against your chiang rai day trip from chiang mai plan.
What does the Black House add to a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
The Black House, or Baan Dam, is a private art museum in Nang Lae, north of Chiang Rai city. The artist Thawan Duchanee built it. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai can add this stop, and the grounds hold more than 40 buildings.
Thawan Duchanee was born in Chiang Rai in nineteen thirty-nine and died in Bangkok in two thousand and fourteen. In two thousand and one, the National Culture Commission named him a National Artist in Fine Arts. One source says he began building the estate in nineteen seventy-five. His art deals with the dark side of human passion.
The estate covers about 160,000 square metres. Wikipedia counts over 40 structures on the site. On a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai, you walk the grounds. Only a handful of buildings open fully to visitors, and the rest are viewed from outside. It is an estate of dark timber buildings, not a temple.
Inside, crocodile and snake skins drape over furniture. Animal skulls and horns sit on long teak tables. The main building holds a shrine to Thawan and a huge golden Hintha bird. The largest hall stands on 44 wooden pillars. A couple of rooms hold explicit carvings.
The Black House opens every day from 9 am to 5 pm. Two sources close it for lunch from 12 noon to 1 pm. A third says only the ticket counter closes then. An entry fee applies, paid on arrival.
One source puts the Black House around 30 minutes by road from the White Temple. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai can also list a Red Temple stop. One operator names it as Wat Huay Pla Kang, with entry included.
Another add-on is Lalitta Cafe, in Mueang Chiang Rai district. One operator describes a fairytale-inspired garden cafe with waterfalls and flowers. A second operator allows about one hour there on its two-temple option and about 30 minutes on its three-temple option. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai listing leaves cafe food and drinks out of the package.
Does a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai include a Kayan village stop?
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai includes a Kayan village stop only when the tour adds it. The Kayan are a subgroup of the Red Karen of Myanmar, and their Lahwi women wear brass neck rings. Check the itinerary first.
The Kayan are a Tibeto-Burman minority. Padaung is a Shan term for the Kayan Lahwi, the group in which women wear the rings. The weight of the brass pushes the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage. Kayan people fled to Thai border areas in the late nineteen eighties and early nineteen nineties.
Villages are one way to spend time in the northern hills. Leftover questions about an elephant sanctuary tour in Chiang Mai have answers in a separate guide. The forest you cross on a Chiang Mai zipline gets its own guide.
Not every chiang rai day trip from chiang mai adds the village. One tour page calls it a stop added to almost the same tour. Another page says the day sometimes includes a visit to a Karen Long Neck place.
Two trip reports place the village near Chiang Rai.
On a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai, the village stop is a walk past market stalls. One visitor reports that a guide leads the group through the stalls and into a hut. An entry fee applies. Another visitor took about 45 minutes to walk through and saw women weaving scarves and clothing.
The stop on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai divides opinion. In January two thousand and eight, the UNHCR expressed reservations about tourists visiting Kayan villages in northern Thailand. Wikipedia notes that tourists bring revenue to the tribe. One travel guide calls such villages human zoos and says entry fees do not go directly to villagers.
Writers advise buying handicrafts from the women directly and making sure the money reaches the village, not third-party companies. One guide adds: ask before entering a home and remove your shoes. Pick a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai that explains the stop, and read about the Kayan first.
How long is a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai, and which option fits?
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai fills about 11 to 13 hours door to door. Pickup is around 7am and the return is in the evening. Options are a shared van, a private tour, a bus on your own or two days.
Operators list start and finish times in the same range. One lists a 7am hotel pickup and a return at around 6pm. Another lists a return at around 7pm. A private operator calls the day 13 hours door to door.
A reviewer was picked up just after 7am, and the day ran about 11 hours, not the 12 listed. Plan a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai around a 7am start and an evening finish.
Group size changes the drive. One reviewer travelled in a group of four and found the time on the road comfortable. Check the group size before you book a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai.
A private tour changes the pace. By one operator’s rules, a private party holds up to 15 guests and gets the tour alone. Guests can give more time to the White Temple and less to the Red Temple. Another operator lets you request its day tour one way.
Private bookings are not limited to land tours and temple stops. One guide says what your group gets on a private longtail boat tour in Krabi: one boat and one captain.
You can also go by bus on your own. Green Bus leaves from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3, also called the Arcade. One guide gives 3 hours 20 minutes in VIP class and 3 hours 45 minutes in Express. One blogger says buses sell out in peak season.
A bus rider still needs a taxi or a tuk-tuk in Chiang Rai to reach the temples. Add that leg when you plan a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai by bus.
The two-day option adds a night in Chiang Rai. One blogger advises at least two days there, and one operator urges at least one night. A one-night visit still spends the first morning travelling, the blogger notes.
One operator runs a private two-day trip. Day one covers the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Black House. Day two covers the Golden Triangle and a Mekong boat ride. The hotel is not included. Book a room in Chiang Rai city centre before you pick a two-day chiang rai day trip from chiang mai.
Which season and hour suit a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai runs in every season, because the three main stops open every day. Chiang Rai gets its heaviest rain in August and its driest weather from December to February. At the White Temple, coaches arrive by 10am.
Wikipedia gives Thailand three seasons. Summer starts in mid-February. The rainy season follows it and ends in mid-October. Wikipedia dates winter from mid-October until mid-February. Chiang Rai’s own monsoon season runs from late April through October.
Rain changes the day. Chiang Rai sees 20.5 days of 1 mm rain or more in August. February records 1.2 such days. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai in February meets far less rain than one in August.
Winters are fairly dry and warm. Temperatures rise until April, which is hot. Farmers start wildfires in northern Thailand during the dry season. Wikipedia names February and March as the two months when conditions are at their worst.
The north is not the only region to plan a trip around. Readers weighing boat speed can find it in the Phi Phi island tour from Krabi guide. For Chicken Island and Tup Island, see the 4 islands tour in Krabi guide.
One reviewer says the old road to Chiang Rai became impassable at times in the wet season. Storms sometimes washed it out altogether.
Guides differ on White Temple hours. Wikipedia says the structure is open year-round. Ask the operator of your chiang rai day trip from chiang mai for its timetable.
The guides list no weekly closing day for either stop.
One guide says the coaches from Chiang Mai arrive by 10am. The bridge then becomes a slow-moving queue. A reviewer who arrived at 10am found crowds on the grounds already. One timetable for a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai lists the White Temple at 2pm, after lunch.
At the Blue Temple, midday is the busiest and hottest time. Early morning or late afternoon brings fewer people into photos.
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai starts early.
Which clothes and gear go with you on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
Cover your shoulders and knees at every temple, and wear slip-on shoes that come off at the hall doors. Pack a hat, sunscreen and cash. A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai also has a long drive, so plan for travel sickness.
Temples in Thailand ask visitors to cover their shoulders and knees. T-shirts, button-down shirts, long trousers and maxi skirts all meet the rule. One operator bans shorts, miniskirts, flip flops and sleeveless shirts.
Pack a light scarf or sarong for your chiang rai day trip from chiang mai. One guide says not every temple lends wraps. A visitor reports that White Temple staff hand a free white skirt to anyone without trousers that cover the knees.
Outdoor photos are almost always fine, but a hall can ban photography inside. Wikipedia says visitors can only take pictures of the White Temple’s main hall from outside. Shoes come off before any building with a Buddha image.
Four rules apply around monks and Buddha images on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai. Thai custom bars physical contact between monks and women. Never point your feet at a Buddha image or a monk. Do not touch or climb on Buddha statues. When seated near a monk, keep your head lower than his.
Ritual and respect do not stop at temple gates. Whether muay thai is the national sport is answered in the muay thai tickets in Bangkok guide alongside ring rituals.
One operator’s packing list names cash for entry fees and personal shopping, plus a hat and sunscreen lotion. Another operator says to bring cash or a card for entry at the White Temple and Baan Dam. One guide says visitors need sunglasses on a sunny day at the White Temple.
Read the listing if your chiang rai day trip from chiang mai includes children or older relatives. One operator lists its tour as suitable for all fitness levels and wheelchair accessible. It says infants sit on an adult’s lap. One review calls the White Temple grounds big but manageable to get around.
One operator warns that its chiang rai day trip from chiang mai includes a lot of driving. On car sickness, the NHS advice starts with a front seat. Its next tip is to fix your eyes on one point, such as the horizon. It says to break up long journeys to drink water or take a walk.
Reading, watching films and using electronic devices are things the NHS tells travellers to avoid. Shortly before or during travel, it also advises skipping heavy meals, spicy foods and alcohol.
Which GetYourGuide packages cover a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
This section covers nine GetYourGuide packages for a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai. The top package holds 9,533 reviews at 4.8 stars. Listed lengths start at 10 hours. All nine carry free cancellation and pickup labels.
Start with Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai White, Blue and Red Temples and Karen Tribe. No listing for a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai has more reviews than this one. Its rating is 4.8 stars and its length is 12 to 13.5 hours.
Its highlights list names the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Hauyplakang Temple. It adds a long-neck Mae Kachan village and a stop at the Mae Kachan Hot Springs. A private option is available.
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: 3 Temples, Hot Springs & Lalita Cafe holds 2,270 reviews at 4.5 stars. It runs 12 hours to a full day. Your option decides if the Red Temple and Longneck Karen Village are included.
The lunch package is Chiang Mai: White, Red/Black & Blue Temples Tour with Lunch. It runs 12 hours and holds 2,244 reviews at 4.3 stars. Its listing says round-trip transfers and lunch are included.
Six more listings change the mix of stops on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai.
- From Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai Temples and Golden Triangle Tour has 1,823 reviews at 4.6 stars. The one-day listing adds a Golden Triangle boat ride and the Black House.
- From Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai Temples & Long Neck Village Tour is a 13-hour small-group tour. It scores 4.8 from 1,319 reviews. A label names the 9-floor pagoda at Wat Huay Pla Kang.
- From Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip holds 4.5 stars from 887 reviews. Its one-day chiang rai day trip from chiang mai starts with a hot spring visit, then adds three temples.
- The 15-hour Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai Temples, Golden Triangle & Boat Tour scores 4.6 across 683 reviews. A label promises a 15 to 20 minute pause at a natural hot spring.
- Chiang Mai: White, Blue & Big Buddha Temples in Chiang Rai runs 12 hours, holds 4.7 stars from 369 reviews and mentions lunch.
- At 10 hours, Red, Blue, White Temples & Hot Spring Trip from Chiang Mai is the shortest of the nine. It holds 4.4 stars from 162 reviews and lists a local lunch.
Each of the nine listings needs a booking placed at least 10 hours early. Compare stop lists and lengths first, because each chiang rai day trip from chiang mai differs by listing.
Which questions are left about a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
A chiang rai day trip from chiang mai leaves five questions that earlier sections skip. They cover the White Temple’s status, the Golden Triangle, guide language, tour inclusions and driving yourself.
Is the White Temple a temple or an art exhibit?
Wikipedia calls Wat Rong Khun a contemporary, privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple. Its artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat, considers the temple an offering to Lord Buddha. He intends the area beside it to be a centre of learning and meditation.
What is the Golden Triangle on a tour listing?
The Golden Triangle is a mountainous region in northeastern Myanmar, Northern Thailand and northern Laos. It centres on the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers. Sop Ruak, on the Thai side, has become a tourist attraction. It has the House of Opium Museum and a Hall of Opium.
In which language is a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai guided?
Two operators list an English-speaking guide. One calls the guide licensed, and the other lists the guide among its inclusions. One review page also lists a Spanish version of the tour.
Does the tour price include temple entry?
One operator lists entrance fees as included and tips as not included. Another lists all attraction tickets as included. A review page puts entry to all exhibits in the price. On that tour, lunch and refreshments other than water are at your own expense. Read your list before choosing a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai.
Can you drive yourself on a chiang rai day trip from chiang mai?
Yes, with a valid driving licence. The Tourism Authority of Thailand names three options: a Thai licence, an International Driving Permit or an ASEAN licence. Renting a car needs a licence or permit, and traffic drives on the left. Wikivoyage suggests hiring a car with a driver if you lack confidence on Thai roads.