How to See the Top 5 Temples in Chiang Mai's Old City on Foot

The 'Old City,' as it is called, is the historic center of Chiang Mai and really all of Northern Thailand for that matter. This is a square neighborhood surrounded by a moat and the ruins of city walls, which were built in 1296 when the city was founded as the capital of the Lan Na kingdom. Despite being only 1.5 square kilometers in area, Chiang Mai's Old City is jam-packed with more than 30 temples! The whole area is extremely walkable, and there are tons of fun things to see as you walk from temple to temple.

Map of a Self-Guided Walking Tour through Chiang Mai's Old City

I've put together a free walking tour of the five best temples I visited in Chiang Mai. This walk is about two miles long and takes less than an hour, not accounting for the tours themselves. All up, this is probably about 3 or 4 hours, depending on how fast you walk and how long you stay. There are a few bonus temples and other sights along the walk, simply because everything is so close together in the Old City.

By the way, if your feet get tired, you will pass tons of restaurants and cafes along the way. There are also a number of souvenir shops on these main roads, and if you are lucky, some of them will have air conditioning or at least a cold beverage for you to cool off. And if you can't walk this much, but don't want to miss a thing, just hop in a tuk tuk or on the back of a motorbike: it'll only cost a couple of US dollars and save you tons of time and energy.

Ranking the Old City's Must-See Temples

In case you can't commit to spending half a day touring every part of the Old City, here are my personal recommendations for Chiang Mai temples that you absolutely don't want to miss.

1/ Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang is definitely the most popular temple for tourists visiting the Old City in Chiang Mai, and that's for a few reasons. First, it's a pretty big complex with a few different amazing shrines to see. There are some beautiful archways and a very intricate interior of a schoolroom, which you can see below. The main shrine is huge with elaborate columns and a series of small Buddha statues that patrons add gold foil to during prayer.

Second, the pyramid structure (aka the "chedi," a monument that holds holy relics) is a really cool sight. It currently stands around 140 feet tall, although it was nearly double that when it was originally constructed in the 15th century. The top portion of the structure was destroyed in an earthquake in 1545, and what you see today is the result of that damage.

2/ Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple)

Now, I know the Silver Temple is technically outside of the Old City, but it was honestly my favorite, and I think it's worth the five-minute walk past the city gate. I don't think it is the number one must-see temple in Chiang Mai, simply because it isn't quite the iconic gold-leaf design that you are likely coming to Thailand to see. But maybe that was the reason I liked it so much. With a blue tile floor and a silver exterior, Wat Sri Suphan was really unique and very cool.

I do need to put an asterisk on this recommendation because women are not allowed in the Silver Temple. The outside is very cool, and it is still really unique, but I am not sure it would have been worth the visit had I not been allowed inside. However, there is a second shrine on this property, which is open to everyone and also worth a look.

3/ Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh is probably Chiang Mai's second most popular temple for two reasons: one, the giant gold Buddha statue inside, and two, the giant gold pyramids outside (are you catching the theme lol). There is a little complex of smaller (although still quite large) golden pyramids all around the giant one, and the whole area is enclosed by a white fence that snakes around the pyramids and makes it quite a maze to exit. This is all behind the large shrine, which features a pretty sizable Buddha statue. I really like the way many of these shrines have structures up for hanging prayers above the prayer mat. It does make photos challenging, but they were really nice to look at.

A number of smaller shrines round out the sights here at Wat Phra Singh and make it a really nice place to walk around. There was an incense prayer station in front of the entrance to the pyramid maze, and I really liked the design on their gong.

By the way, there is an entire second shrine you can enter here at Wat Phra Singh, and you really don't want to miss it. The red and gold design is really eye-catching, and I loved the wallpaper you can see in front of the monk's reserved seating there.

4/ Wat Lok Moli

If you want to see a complete chedi, what Wat Chedi Luang's pyramid used to look like, albeit on a smaller scale, Wat Lok Moli, just north of the Old City wall, is a great example. I really enjoyed this temple, and not just for the chedi. There was some nice landscaping, cool sculptures, and I really loved the look of the white stone accents on top of the brick.

Also, they had this very cool prayer system where patrons would fill a bamboo cup with holy water and then send it up a pulley system to bathe a statue of the Buddha high up on the pyramid.

5/ Wat Dab Pai

I'm not sure if this temple makes most people's lists, but I loved Wat Dab Pai. It's a bit smaller, but it's so colorful in a way that was unexpected after seeing the standard gold and red design repeated so often. Regardless, entrance to this temple is free, and it's right along your route between Wat Lok Moli and Wat Phra Singh, so you might as well pop in and check it out!

Other Things to See in Thailand's Old City

As this walking tour through the Old City covers a lot of ground, you're going to pass some other unique Chiang Mai sights. That is, in addition to being constantly bombarded by gorgeous shrines, golden pyramids, and giant Buddha statues. It's really hard to avoid them in this temple-dense neighborhood.

Yes, aside from those, here are three other things to keep an eye out for on your walk through Chiang Mai.

Three Kings Monument

The Three Kings Monument is a very popular stop on any tourist visit to Chiang Mai. The statue was created in 1982 to honor the three kings who brought their domains together to form the Lan Na kingdom. During our visit, the square featuring the Three Kings Monument was set up for a cultural exhibition honoring the 730th anniversary of the city's founding, called the Symphony of Nopphaburi. This was a very cool performance to get to witness, including a full band, singers, dancers, and a reenactment of the agreement between the three kings.

Wat Phantao

Just down a side street from the Three Kings Monument is a small temple that caught my eye. It would have been easy to miss except for the stunning gold-on-black style. I only made a quick detour to snap a photo, but I did note that this temple is free to enter. I just didn't want to disturb those inside.

Old City Walls and Moat

Because the city is surrounded by a moat and city wall, each side of the square has a city gate and bridge connecting it to the rest of Chiang Mai. These bridges are wide enough for cars, but other smaller, pedestrian bridges along the moat are really quite charming. A short walk along the water is a great way to experience the ancient city wall and all the architectural elements that surround it.

How to Visit the Temples in Chiang Mai

All you need to know about visiting these temples is to dress appropriately and bring cash. Most of the temples in the Old City have a small kiosk where you pay the entrance fee. If they cost anything at all (some are free), it was usually 50 to 200 baht at the time of my visit. Some may just work on the honor system and just have a collection basket, so you will definitely want to have cash and not rely on credit cards.

In terms of clothing, I definitely recommend wearing shoes that are easy to slip on and off. You can't wear shoes in any of the shrines, so something that doesn't require too much time to tie and untie will be key to helping you get in and out of all the shrines quickly. That said, this walking tour also has a lot of walking, so you also want really comfortable shoes. Some shrines also require your knees and shoulders to be covered, especially for women, so it is best to bring an extra layer so you don't overheat wearing pants all day. Finally, it is considered disrespectful to wear a hat indoors in a Buddhist temple, so do remember to take it off and hold it when you step inside.