Chiang Mai
Reached via a steep naga stairway through the forest, this handsome wát looms above the city from the hillside above Royal Park Rajapruek. With its gilded chedi, super-sized Buddha statues and panoramic city views it's an attractive and quieter alternative to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
The easiest way to get here is by rented motorcycle or chartered rót daang; follow the signs for Royal Park Rajapruek from Rte 121 and go right at the roundabout before the entrance.
3.12 MILES
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
4.84 MILES
Wat Chedi Luang isn't as grand as Wat Phra Singh, but its towering, ruined Lanna-style chedi (built in 1441) is much taller and the sprawling compound…
4.62 MILES
Chiang Mai's most revered temple, Wat Phra Singh is dominated by an enormous, mosaic-inlaid w÷hăhn (sanctuary). Its prosperity is plain to see from the…
5.79 MILES
Chiang Mai's oldest public market, Warorot (also spelt Waroros) is a great place to connect with the city's Thai soul. Alongside souvenir vendors you'll…
4.94 MILES
Without doubt the most atmospheric wát in the old city, this teak marvel sits in the shadow of Wat Chedi Luang. Set in a compound full of fluttering…
Nam Tok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfall)
23.77 MILES
Ever walked up a waterfall? An increasingly popular day trip from Chiang Mai to Si Lanna National Park's 'Sticky Waterfall' allows visitors (with no magic…
2.95 MILES
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
5.02 MILES
Set inside the former Provincial Court, dating from 1935, this imaginative museum re-creates Lanna village life in a series of life-size dioramas that…
0.85 MILES
This expansive animal park is open day and night, but the real action happens after dark, when you can view all sorts of critters from the back of an open…
0.9 MILES
This sprawling formal park has 23 themed gardens donated by international governments, along with nine Thai gardens and six 'corporate' gardens. It sounds…
2.71 MILES
Not to be confused with the small Wat Umong in the old city, this historic forest wát is famed for its sylvan setting and its ancient chedi, above a brick…
2.95 MILES
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
3.12 MILES
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
3.44 MILES
The serene grounds of the royal family's winter palace are open to the public (when the royals aren't visiting). The unusually strict dress code requires…
7. Chiang Mai University Art Center
3.67 MILES
The Faculty of Fine Arts displays temporary exhibitions of contemporary Thai and international artists at its own gallery near the Th Nimmanhaemin/Th…
3.75 MILES
The main campus of Chiang Mai's famous public university occupies a 2.9-sq-km wedge of land about 2km west of the city centre, partly covered by forest…