Chiang Rai is a beautiful city filled with colorful temples, amazing mountain landscapes, and beautiful gardens. In this Chiang Rai travel guide, we’ll share with you 9 must-see attractions that will make your trip unforgettable.
Getting There: Chiang Rai Travel Guide
Chiang Rai is the northernmost major city in Thailand. It does have its own airport, but you may want to consider combining a trip to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai together. These sister cities are just 3 hours apart and offer so much to see. You can rent a car or easily take a bus in between the two cities.
Once you arrive get ready to explore!
The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)
We started our adventure at the Blue Temple which is one of the newest temples in Chiang Rai. This temple was completed in 2016. This temple will wow you with its beautiful artwork in every shade of blue. Our friends and local guide Yu’i showed us how to make merit at the temple by offering flowers, lighting candles, and incense to show our respects at this beautiful temple.
The temple is colored with this beautiful shade of sapphire. This color represents purity. The design has a very modern feel. This design was created by Putha Kabkaew.
Watch the beautiful blue temple come to life in the video below!
Wat Huai Pla Kang
Wat Huai Pla Kang has 3 beautiful structures worth exploring. The pagoda which is filled with beautifully carved wooden buddhas and holy men, the white temple in the middle, and the big goddess of mercy statue. For 40 baht you can take the elevator up to see the intricately carved artwork at the top. You will also be able to see the great views of the surrounding landscape. I highly recommend that you do!
This place was one of my favorites. Although under construction at the time, I could still see the beauty of it all. The Big Buddha represented here is Guanyin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. Guanyin is often called the Goddess of 1000 arms and 1000 eyes. It is so she can help many people at one time. She is the bodhisattva of compassion.
Once inside you can take a lift up 25 floors and see the surrounding view of the area. The Big Buddha’s estimated elevation is 90 meters.
The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
Wat Rong Khun might be one of the most famous temples in Thailand. Built in 1997, it takes you on a symbolic journey from the suffering of hell to heaven. The artistic depiction begins with thousands of hands on display reaching out for salvation, but once you cross the bridge you reach heaven.
Upon arriving at the White Temple I could not help but be shocked and surprised. It’s beautifully designed. Having seen and experienced many temples it was thrilling to experience a modern temple. This temple sparkles beautifully with its reflective lake and with thousands of mirrored pieces. It’s definitely a must-see in Chiang Rai.
The Black House Museum
The Black House Museum is a collection of black houses showing off local folk art. With dead animal skulls, skins, and horns on display everywhere, this museum felt dark. The art seemed cryptic and mystic. There were several python skin pieces and alligator skin pieces. It felt like I was in the movie Beetlejuice, so if you like dark and macabre places, this is definitely the museum for you! We were told that many of the pieces used in this museum were collected over a number of years.
Singha Park
Singha Park is a great place to relax and take in the lovely mountain views of Chiang Rai. This park was once an active farm growing barley for making the popular Singha beer. Now, in addition to barley, they grow tea and flowers. These expansive fields bloom with flowers around December. At the cafe, you can sip one of the teas grown in the park while enjoying the views of the lake and the hills in the background. You can even walk down to the lake to feed the swans. This park also has zip lines, beer tastings, and walking and cycling areas.
The Clock Tower
In the evening, you can go downtown to see the clock tower. This ornate clock chimes every hour in the evenings at 7, 8, and 9 pm. The clock also plays music and it has a light show. We picked up some banana roti and watched the clock do its thing before heading to the Night Bazaar.
Night Bazaar
At the Night Bazaar, you may wander from stall to stall shopping for clothing, jewelry, and unique artisan handicrafts. There are stores, bars and restaurants as well. There was also live music. We noticed there were not nearly as many vendors as there was the previous year, but we still enjoyed the festivities. The Night Bazaar was a delightful way to end your day in Chiang Rai.
Doi Tung Royal Villa
The next day, we went to Doi Tung Royal Villa which would end up being my favorite stop in Chiang Rai. This villa was the home of the King’s grandmother who did remarkable work preventing deforestation and helping local ethnic minorities decrease the use of slash and burn agriculture.
We visited her house to learn about her life and her humanitarian works. I enjoyed learning that she liked to read mystery novels. She was instrumental in creating a mobile dentist office that would travel to provinces around the country to assist the people.
I also really enjoyed the Hall of Inspiration which exhibited powerful quotes and strategies for success written by the former Kings of Thailand. There, we learned about King Rama 9. It seemed to me that he was a take charge, innovative, and hard-working man. He worked with his scientists and engineers to make his country better for his people. I was fascinated that he would carry with him a walkie-talkie, a pencil and paper, a camera, a compass, and a map. I never imagined a King would be a problem solver. I must say that reading the words of the King is deeply moving. It was truly an inspiring exhibit.
We also visited the garden to take in expansive fields of colorful blossoms.
The Golden Triangle
Our final stop was the Golden Triangle, a place where you can see the intersection of three neighboring countries Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. I had been to this location once before and did not fully grasp the magnificence of it. The river intersects there and the river separates 3 completely different countries. It’s amazing to stand there.
We felt so honored to have a friend like Yu’i who shared her city with us. She gave us the warmest of welcomes to her home and to her city. It was truly an unforgettable experience.
While you are in Northern Thailand, be sure to explore Chiang Mai as well. Learn more about it below!
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