This list of the best places to see in Chiang Rai It will help you to organize the visit to one of the most amazing cities in Thailand, which we are sure, will not leave you indifferent.
Located in the northern part of Thailand, Ching Rai has nothing to envy to its much visited Chiang Mai neighbor, standing out for its beautiful temples scattered throughout the city and surroundings, as well as for one of the best gastronomic offers in the country.
Although in 2 or 3 days you can know all its points of interest and enjoy the city with tranquility, if you have more time we recommend you to make an excursion such as the Golden Triangle or Mae Salong, where you will enjoy the spectacular landscapes Mountain in this area.
To go from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, the best option is to take a bus from the Green Bus company that takes about 3 hours and from Bangkok, it would be best to opt for some direct flights to Chiang Rai airport.
In case of opting for the bus on any of the routes, we advise you to book it in advance on the 12Go platform to secure the place in the day and time you need.
Another interesting option to know the history of the city is to book this excursion to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai or this excursion that includes the Golden Triangle, both with a guide in Spanish and pick up at the hotel.
Based on the experience of the four days we spent in the city, during which we wrote this travel guide to Thailand, we have prepared this list of those we believe, are the 10 essential places to visit in Chiang Rai. We start!
1. White Temple
The White Temple or Wat Rong Khun is one of the wonders to visit in Thailand and one of the places to see in Chiang RaI prettier.
This modern temple, its construction began in 1996 and still continues, impresses with its architecture and originality, which have turned it into a unique space throughout the world as well as one of the most visited places in the country, so if you are going to visit it, something important is to arrive first thing in the morning or last, if you want to make the visit without many people.
Some of the most prominent elements of this temple, totally painted white, are the lake that is in front, which in sunny days, completely reflects the image of the temple, the Bridge of Reincarnation, the Gate of Heaven, the Ubusot, which is the central part, and the house of gold.
Considered by many as an unconventional place, this Buddhist and Hindu temple, surprises with the mixture of traditional style with the most surrealist, in which even mosaics in which comics and current events appear.
In addition to the temple itself, it is worth taking a walk around to see various structures and sculptures that maintain the style of the creator of the White Temple, such as the original washbasins, which are located in a yellow building and the museum.
To reach this temple located about 15 kilometers from Chiang Rai you can take a van or van at the bus station for a price of 30 baths per person.
Another option is to use Grab, the Uber of Asia, or a taxi, which will cost you about 200TH the journey.
If you want to know the history of this temple and the most important ones in the city, we recommend you book this tour with a guide in Spanish that includes hotel pick-up.
Visiting hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday close half an hour later.
White Temple
2. Blue Temple
The Blue Temple or Wat Rong Seua Ten, is next to the White Temple, our favorite temple in the city and another of the essential places to visit in Chiang Rai. This original temple, dedicated to the cult of Buddha, surprises with the intense blue color that predominates throughout the building and makes it another unique temple. Although it was built in 2005, the temple was not open to the public until 2016 and soon became one of the most visited temples and a claim for tourists looking for a perfect photo to post on Instagram.
Its most impressive place is the central building or Ubosot, decorated to the smallest detail with paintings and sculptures and that keeps a white Buddha 6 meters high to which the erect white Buddha is added, located at the back of the temple, which you We recommend not to get lost.
Other highlights of the enclosure are the two huge sculptures called Nagas that protect the entrance, a platform that serves as a viewpoint to the left of the entrance and the original fountain in front of the temple.
Keep in mind that it is a very popular temple among tourists and locals, so if you want to visit or take a picture without anyone, it is best to go at dawn or from 7 in the afternoon, when practically not there is no one.
To get to the Blue Temple, located about 3 kilometers from the city center, the best option is to take a tuk tuk for about 50THB. Another option is to walk, although the lack of sidewalk and you have to do a good piece of walking on the road, it does not recommend it.
Another very common way to visit all the surrounding temples is by renting a motorcycle, a highly recommended option but always being careful with driving and carrying the corresponding license.
The official schedule of the temple is impossible to locate and although in some blog we have read that it opens at 8 in the morning, from our experience we can confirm that before this time it is already open. As far as we could tell, once there, we believe they close at 8-21pm and open at dawn.
Blue Temple
3. Night Market
Touring the Night Market in search of some original souvenir and trying local food in one of its stalls is, without a doubt, one of the Top things to do in Chiang Rai.
In this Night Bazaar, much smaller than that of Chiang Mai, you can find authentic handicrafts made by the northern tribes and comfortable clothes that will help you make the hot weather of the country bearable. We recommend after shopping to approach a large square where a food court is set up with shared tables to try local delicacies and listen to live music.
On the weekend the night market expands to some of the main streets of the city.
Chiang Rai Night Market
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
4. The Black House, one of the best places to see in Chiang Rai
The Black House or Baan Dam Museum, is another of the places to see in Chiang Rai They do not leave anyone indifferent, either positively or negatively. The complex formed by more than 32 black and dark wooden buildings, of different shapes and sizes, is quite difficult to understand and understand, although it does not cease to be an essential part of the city.
To understand it you have to know a little about the life of the eccentric and renowned Thai architect Thawan Duchanee, who tried to represent his particular vision of Buddhism in his works; and that culminated in the creation of this place.
Although after the experience, we have to say that it is a perfect visit as a complement to the White Temple and the Blue Temple, what we did not like is the use of skins, stuffed animals and bones for interior decoration, which gives it a gloomy appearance , which contrasts with the beautiful wood carvings of the doors and the exterior of the temples.
We also ran out of words when we reached the end of the tour when we found a kind of white oval houses and African sculptures, which did not stick with anything that was there.
To get to the Black House, another of the places to see in Chiang Rai, located 12 kilometers from the city, you can opt for Grab, for about 200THB or a bus from the bus station.
Visiting hours: every day from 9am to 12am and from 1pm to 5pm.
The Black House, one of the places to visit in Chiang Rai
5. Restaurants
One of the Top things to do in Chiang Rai It is to try the delicious typical food of northern Thailand in one of its most recommended restaurants. During our 4 days in the city we tried several restaurants and their most typical dishes, which confirmed the fame that this city has of being one of the places where Thailand is best eaten ...
We leave you a list of what were our favorite restaurants in the city:
- Kunda Vegan Vegetarian: Very cozy restaurant with a very pleasant atmosphere and very attentive staff. Vegetarian and vegan food is prepared at the moment and is simply delicious, one of the best we have tasted in the world. The hummus, the veggie burger, the sandwich, the milkshakes, are just some of the wonders we tried.
- Oak & Awe Coffee House: Located in a small corner near the night market, this restaurant is another of our favorite places to eat in Chiang Rai. We recommend asking your lovely owner for the curries and especially the Khao Soi, a real pleasure for the palate.
- Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House: this restaurant with a large garden and colonial-style wooden buildings, located on the bank of a river near the blue temple, could already be considered a site to see in Chiang Rai.
In addition, if you add delicious desserts and a good variety of western and local food, they make it a perfect place to eat, snack or dine. - Jatujak Gallery: It was the first restaurant we tried in Chiang Rai and we were not disappointed. The place has an original decoration, very attentive staff and its modern dishes, especially the Pad Thai, are delicious.
Try the Curry and Khao Soi, one of the best things to do in Chiang Rai
Our recommended hotel in Chiang RaiOur recommended accommodation in Chiang Rai is the Nakaraj Princess Chiang Rai, located near the center, in a quiet area. In addition to its excellent location, it stands out for the decoration dominated by gold and ornate furniture, which although at some point can be overwhelming, in the end it is an experience. It also has spacious rooms, attentive staff and a full buffet breakfast.
6. Wat Huay Pla Kung
Located on a peak, about 9 kilometers from the city, is Wat Huay Pla Kung, another of the places to visit in Chiang Rai. This spiritual complex is composed of a typical Chinese 9-floor pagoda, a temple with a certain resemblance to the White Temple and a huge white Buddha figure almost 90 meters high. In addition, it is possible to climb the Buddha to the top to enjoy fantastic panoramic views of the entire environment and the city.
To get to Wat Huay Pla Kung you can take a Grab for about 150THB or a bus at the bus station for 50THB per person.
Wat Huay Pla Kang, one of the places to see in Chiang Rai
7. Chiang Rai Temples
In addition to the surrounding temples, some of the most important temples and what to see in Chiang Rai, are located within the city.
The best temples to see in Chiang Rai are the following:
- Wat Phra Kaew: It is the most revered temple in the city as it is the place where the relic of the Emerald Buddha was found, which is currently located in the Grand Royal Palace in Bangkok.
- Wat Phra Singh: one of the oldest and most important temples of the city, in which the images of Buddha, the reliefs of carved wood, the door and the library stand out.
- Wat Klang Wiang: Buddhist temple full of details in its decoration, which also has a white pagoda and a library.
Chiang Rai Temples
8. Clock Tower
The Clock Tower, the work of the creator of the White Temple Chalermchai Kositpipat, is another of the places to see in Chiang Rai. This golden monument, located in the middle of a central roundabout, has become over time the icon of the city, to which we recommend you take a look.
We recommend you approach the tower at 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m., to see the small show of light and sound that takes place at this time.
clock tower
9. Golden Triangle
The Golden Triangle is one of the most common excursions of travelers staying in Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai and how could it be otherwise, one of the places to include in this list of places to see in Chiang Rai.
This emblematic place in Southeast Asia owes its name to the great opium traffic that occurred at this border point with Laos and Myanmar, where gold transactions were paid.
The access door to the triangle is Chiang Saen, where you can hire a boat trip on the Mekong River overlooking the 3 countries and disembark on a small island of Laos, full of souvenir stalls. You can also climb the Golden Triangle View Point, a viewpoint overlooking the Mekong River and the 3 borders.
Another of the best visits near the shore of the Mekong is the Wat Phra That Doi Pu Khao, one of the oldest temples in Thailand.
To get to Chiang Saen from Chiang Rai you can take a bus at the bus station by 50THB. Another more comfortable option is to book an excursion in Chiang Rai that also includes the White Temple and the Blue Temple.
The Golden Triangle
10. Mae Salong
Mae Salong is a town located in northern Thailand, which is located in a beautiful mountainous natural environment full of tea plantations. This last recommended place from the list of places to see in Chiang Rai and surroundings, it has the peculiarity that the majority of its inhabitants are Chinese and tribal descendants of the Akha ethnic group. In addition to touring the factories and tea fields, in this area you can visit the mausoleum of General Tuan Shin, the Akha market of Mae Salong, the impressive Phra Chedi Boromathat temple and the Chinese Martyrs Memorial Museum.
You can get to Mae Salong from Chiang Rai by motorcycle in less than two hours although another option is to take the bus (platform 5) to Mae Sai, get off at the Pasang / Mae Salong stop and from there take a blue shared van to Mae Salong . In case of taking any bus in Thailand it is always better to talk with the driver to tell him where you want to go and thus ensure that he warns you if you should get off at an intermediate stop.
How to have internet in Thailand?If you want to have internet in thailand a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several GB of data, keeping your WhatsApp number and support service in Spanish.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to see in Chiang Rai essential, add yours in the comments.
