Rising 8,415 feet (2,565 meters) above sea level, Mt. Doi Inthanon, situated in the center of Doi Inthanon National Park, is Thailand’s tallest mountain. While many visitors strive to see the views from its summit, the surrounding forests, waterfalls, stupas—dome-shaped Buddhist shrines—and trails are just as impressive.
The mountainous border regions of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand come together in the exotically named Golden Triangle—a haven of Buddhist architecture, lush forest, and colorful riverfront villages. Located in the Chiang Rai province at Thailand’s northernmost tip, the Golden Triangle is thick with wonders, both natural and man-made.
The golden spire of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep glitters near the summit of Doi Suthep, a 5,499-foot (1,676-meter) mountain outside Chiang Mai. The wat, established in 1383, is one of northern Thailand’s most sacred temples. The International Buddhist Center at the wat hosts informal discussions, chanting, and meditation.
With brilliant white spires, eaves, and bridges that all glitter in the sunshine and reflect in surrounding pools, the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) is Chiang Rai’s signature sight. The building’s surroundings and interior are filled with art inspired by everything fromThe Matrix, to Hello Kitty andKung Fu Panda.
This partially ruined wat, possibly the largest structure in ancient Chiang Mai, dates back to the year 1441 and is most famous as the former home of the incredible Emerald Buddha. Nowadays, a jade replica fills the eastern niche of Wat Chedi Luang, although you can see the original in Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaew.
If you only see one temple during your time in Chiang Mai, Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan should be it. Set in the heart of the old city, the temple was founded in 1345 and is home to Chiang Mai’s most sacred relic—the Phra Singh, an image of the Lion Buddha housed within a golden shrine.
One of the few natural hot springs in northern Thailand, the Mae Kachan Hot Spring (Mae Ka Chan is so hot—reaching temperatures of 194˚F (90˚C—it can boil an egg in minutes, a feat that locals are more than happy to demonstrate. As well as cooking your breakfast, you can dip your toes in several pools.
With its secluded forest location and elaborate network of tunnels, Tunnel Temple (Wat Umong) is unique among Chiang Mai temples. The 15-acre (6-hectare) temple complex is home to saffron-robed monks, as well as free-roaming deer and ponds full of fish and turtles. Signs painted with words of wisdom hang from the ‘talking trees.’
Wat Suan Dok’s brilliant golden spire has stretched high into the skyline of the Northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai since the 14th century. The name roughly translates to "field of flowers," as the temple stands on a site that was once the garden of a ruling monarch just west of the Old City walls.
Warorot Market is a feast for the senses, where stalls selling dried durian paste and exotic fruits stand cheek by jowl with vendors offering fluffy bath towels and Buddhist amulets. The indoor hub—a more authentic alternative to Chiang Mai’s night markets—is a great place to sample local delicacies and purchase handicrafts at low prices.
Nearly 200 different ruins are strewn across the 27-square-mile (70-square-kilometer) Sukhothai Historical Park (Historic Town of Sukhothai), including towering Buddhas, ornate palaces, and crumbling temples. The UNESCO World Heritage Site—one of Thailand’s most impressive—hints at what the country’s first capital might have looked like in its golden age.
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park protects a swath of verdant forest and mountain ranges in Northern Thailand near Chiang Mai. Named after a hermit who lived in the forest before it became a national park, Doi Suthep-Pui is perhaps most famous for the temple at the summit of Doi Suthep Peak (known for its stunning views of Chiang Mai).
Unlike typical zoos that only welcome visitors during the day, Chiang Mai Night Safari stays open from morning till late at night—so you can see how animals such as tigers, rhinos, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, wildebeests, and giraffes behave after dark. It’s modeled on Singapore Night Safari but is twice the size; the site is sprawled across some 300 acres (120 hectares) and is home to around 1,400 animals.
The remnants of Chiang Saen’s former glory—the 7th century capital of the Lanna Kingdom—still lie scattered around the modern town. One of Thailand’s oldest towns, it boasts a strategic location along the Mekong River, serving as a border crossing to Laos and the gateway to the famed Golden Triangle region.
Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar is perhaps the city's most popular attraction. The colorful mix of shops and stalls sell all sorts of things, from ersatz designer fashions to embroidered hill tribes textiles, Thai silks, silver jewelry, carvings, ceramics, and antiques. It’s also one of the best places in town to sample some spicy street food.
The Mae Ping River cuts through Chiang Mai just a few blocks east of the old city and night market, where its banks have been developed with hotels, open-air restaurants, and bars. As it passes through the countryside, the river retains its natural charms. The ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam is also set on its shores south of Chiang Mai.
The Saturday and Sunday Walking Street Markets rank among the most popular in Chiang Mai, attracting tourists and locals who come to bargain for handicrafts, local products, herbs, and souvenirs; socialize; or fill up on Northern Thai street-food favorites. Buskers often set up to sing traditional Northern Thai songs or play local instruments.
A landmark piece of public art that’s also a shrine, the Three Kings Monument (Anusawari Sam Kasat) sits at the heart of Chiang Mai’s old administrative district. It commemorates the three kings—King Ngam Muang of Phayao, King Ram Khamhaeng of Sukhothai, and King Mangrai of Lanna—who worked together to found the city.
Spend a day in the water at the largest floating water park in northern Thailand. Located in an abandoned limestone quarry outside of Chiang Mai, the 33-acre (13-hectare) Grand Canyon Water Park offers plenty of opportunities for water fun in the form of waterslides, splash pools, watercraft, and inflatable obstacle courses.
Golden Mountain Temple (Wat Phra That Doi Kham) is named after the forested mountain on which it’s located, just outside Chiang Mai. A much-revered site in Thailand, the temple was built towards the end of the seventh century and is known for its 56-foot-tall (17-meter-tall) Buddha statue swathed in gold robes.
Spend an evening watching Thailand’s national sport—Muay Thai, aka Thai kickboxing—at Thapae Stadium, one of the top spots in Chiang Mai to catch a few matches. Nearly every day of the week, the stadium puts on several show fights and traditional matches featuring a range of fighters, both men and women.
Perched in the highlands near Chiang Rai, the Choui Fong Tea Plantation has been producing some of Thailand’s highest quality teas for decades. Benefitting from the rich soil and climate of the region, the plantation grows a variety of teas that are handpicked and then blended by tea specialists from Taiwan.
Thought to be the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, Wat Chiang Man is a typical Northern Thai temple, with massive teak columns holding aloft the central sanctuary. The wat has two important Buddha images—one on a marble bas-relief, the other a crystal seated Buddha—both of which are visible in a glass cabinet housed in a smaller sanctuary.
Situated within Chiang Dao National Park, the 6-mile-long (10-kilometer-long) Chiang Dao Caves system penetrating Thailand’s third-highest peak ranks among the most spectacular in the country. Impressive stalagmites and stalactites grow from the ceilings and floors of the five interconnected caves, along with other limestone and crystal formations.
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