Chiang Mai Sightseeing: An Old City Guide
Sightseeing in Chiang Mai starts inside the 1.6 km square moat that King Mengrai built around his 1296 capital, and most of what matters is walkable from there.
The Old City’s core temples
Wat Phra Singh, founded 1345, holds the revered Phra Buddha Sihing image inside the gilded Wiharn Lai Kham hall (50 THB foreign admission, grounds open 06:00-20:00). Wat Chedi Luang’s brick chedi once stood 82 meters before a 1545 earthquake partially toppled it, and briefly housed the Emerald Buddha in 1468 (50 THB adult, 20 THB child, 06:00-18:00, with daily monk chats in the courtyard). Wat Chiang Man, built in 1296 as King Mengrai’s own residence, is free and holds two sacred miniature Buddha images. Search Old City temple tours on GetYourGuide for a guide who covers all three in one morning.
Wat Sri Suphan, the Silver Temple
Standing on Wua Lai Road in the silversmithing quarter, it holds the title of the world’s first all-metal ordination hall, its surfaces hand-embossed in silver, aluminum, and nickel repoussé. Foreign entry is 50 THB, open 06:00-21:00 and especially striking on Saturday evenings when it’s lit. Women are not permitted inside the silver ordination hall itself, out of respect for centuries-old Lanna consecration beliefs tied to relics beneath it; the exterior repoussé work is fully visible and photographable from the courtyard on the same ticket. See Tourism Authority of Thailand for temple dress-code guidance before your visit.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Fifteen kilometers west at 1,073 m elevation, this hilltop temple is reached by songthaew or private car up the switchback road; there is no cable car. Climb the 306-step naga staircase for free, or take the short funicular over just the final stairs (20 THB Thai, 50 THB foreign). Foreign temple admission is 30 THB, open 06:00-20:00, and since October 2025 a separate 100 THB Doi Suthep-Pui National Park nature-area fee also applies at several checkpoints on the mountain. See the Department of National Parks for current fee details.
Wat Umong, the tunnel temple
At the base of Doi Suthep, this 13th-century forest hermitage was built by King Mengrai in 1297 with vaulted brick tunnels sheltering Buddha shrines, designed to keep meditating monks cool. Free admission, open 05:00-20:00, and quieter than anything inside the moat.
Planning around it
Start early, 07:30-09:00, to beat both the heat and the crowds at Wat Chedi Luang; the Old City temples sit flat and close together, so two or three fit comfortably into one morning. Ratchadamnoen Road closes to traffic from 16:30 on Sundays for the walking street market, which is worth timing a visit around rather than through. Compare hotels inside the Old City on Booking.com to stay within walking distance of all four temples above.
Cover shoulders and knees at every temple, and carry small bills, since admission desks rarely break a 1,000 THB note. For a route that strings these temples together on foot, see the walking tours guide .