Chiang Rai is a city in northern Thailand. It is well known for the culture, spirituality, and natural attractions. In 2018 there was a reported population of ~1.29 million living in the area with a rough estimate of 600,000 people living in the metro area. This busy town is a great way to experience Thai culture in an authentic and genuine manner. With such a wide variety of activities, we recommend spending at least 3-4 days to truly experience all the Chiang Rai has to offer.
How to Get There
Before planning activities, it’s important to know how you plan to get there. A quick list of options is below.
- Take a bus – generally from Chiang Mai or Bangkok (12 hours and ~$20). Check out 12GO to book your ticket.
- Take a flight – Airport is located northeast of town. We like Air Asia and Sky Scanner for tickets.
- Take a taxi – In roughly 3 hours from Chiang Mai you can arrive to Chiang Rai via taxi. Check out Rome2Rio for booking. A taxi will be more than a bus. If you have two people the price might even out to make the private ride worth it.
If taking a bus or flight, make sure you have the Grab app downloaded. This will help you get a ride to your next destination. We prefer to use Grab upon arrival because it reduces the confusion and stress of twenty people trying to get you to take their taxi. It also allows for a good estimate on what the price should be if you decide to take a taxi. Always get your accommodation information pulled up before stepping out to the road to avoid confusion.
Things to do in Chiang Rai
When exploring the town, it’s important to note that this is a location that we recommend renting a car or at least a scooter. The town is large enough that walking is not conducive to accessing most of the activities. We prefer to stay in an area that has a lot of walking opportunities then rent a car for the further away activities.
Chiang Rai is best known for the colorful, and not so colorful, temples throughout the city. The top one in town we recommend is the Wat Rong Suea Ten, or blue temple. As you would expect, a good portion of the temple is blue with shining touches of gold throughout. Expect to find a little shopping area within the temple as well.
A great area to stay in is near the clock tower. This is because there are tons of evening events that are close by. Specifically night markets. there is a Chiang Rai Walking Street market and a Night Bazaar close by. Both are perfect for grabbing dinner and experiencing local cuisine. The clock tower itself is also meant to be special as it lights up every evening around 7 pm. We did not find this to be an overly impressive tower but still enjoyable if you have the time.
Head out of City Center
The main reason a car is necessary is because some of the coolest activities to do in the area aren’t really in the town. It is possible to take public transportation or a Grab to most of these but having the freedom of a car is unmatched.
Temples
Temple hopping is a favorite pass time when in Thailand. So here’s our favorites!
The Wat Huay Pla Kang is awesome for a number of reasons. Not only is it an absolutely massive white Guanyin statue with huge dragons lining the walkway, it is also located in a temple comples. The three temples create a stunning backdrop for any photo. For a small cost you can ride up to the top of the white Guanyin to get a birds eye view. The inside is beautifully decorated in bright white with small diamonds glittering throughout. Plan to go a bit earlier in the morning to avoid the crowds.
Cave temples are some of our favorites. Head out to the west of town to find Wat Tham Phra. It is a very unique temple compared to many of the others. We loved it because it felt more authentic than the overly decorated style. It truly felt like a sanctuary.
***Hot Tip: Check out the Tu Pu Cave as well. We stumbled upon it and then researched afterwards. It appeared abandoned during our visit. Always be careful for you own safety.***
Everyone’s favorite is often the Wat Rong Khun, the white temple. Though the entire outside is white, the inside is very colorful. You can find different movie characters from Star Wars and Disney painted on the inside. No pictures are allowed inside of the actual temple. The complex is very large and includes the gold temple. There is a beautiful waterfall area that also has characters in it. Tickets can be bought online ahead of time. We visited right at open and right before close. We recommend the latter because it is possible to be one of the last people walking through with the golden sun creating stunning colors against the white temple.
An off the beaten path route will take you to the Doi In Cee temple. Be prepared for a stunning view over the countryside. If you have some spare corn, you will likely get the opportunity to meet a beautiful white peacock and her chicken friends. The other peacocks are very interested in friendship as well.
Always be respectful when visiting temples. Dress appropriately and take off your shoes before going inside.
Nature Experiences
Get out into nature and head to Phu Chi Fa nature area. It is roughly two hours going east from town. To get to the view point, the road is a bit curvy and steep. The parking lot isn’t very big but there is a few shops selling warm clothes. It’s a bit chilly at that elevation so bring a proper coat if possible. The hike to the top is steep and takes roughly 20-30 minutes if you go fast. Arrive early with a flashlight to see an amazing sunrise! This was on of our favorite experiences! Everyone leaves quickly after sunrise so hang out for a bit to get the place more to yourselves. If you go a bit farther up the path, a small statue shows that one side is on Thailand and the other side is on Laos! So technically, you get to visit another country!
A short waterfall hike will take you to Khun Kon waterfall on the west side of town. The hike is easily done in sneakers or solid back sandals. The water is pretty strong so it isn’t one to swim in. The view is stunning! We arrived somewhat early and had the place to ourselves.
You don’t have to be a beer drinker to visit Singha Park! The giant statue in the front makes for a great picture if you can go when there are fewer tourists. The park is huge so we recommend planning to drive it. They also appear to do golf court tours as an option too. Make time to stop for the picturesque lake and large animals made of hay.
Don’t mind getting lost in the mountains? Check out some of the coffee plantations to the west of town. After multiple attempts to find one and many small towns later, we arrived at the Ma Family Coffee Farm. A great opportunity to glamp in the mountains is provided as well if you plan ahead. The area was beautiful but once again chilly due to elevation.
Our final recommendation for a nature experience is to stop for lunch at the Lalita Cafe. It is near Wat Huay Pla Kang. There is an entrance fee to the stunning jungle cafe. You then use the ticket to exchange for food and coffee. Plan to spend some time exploring the area and getting tons of photos!
General Recommendations
As you can see, tons of the best opportunities are outside of town.
We recommend renting a car so you have the freedom to go exploring. Always bring cover ups for the temples and be respectful when taking photos. And last but not least, have fun!!!
