Short answer
Is the Golden Triangle included?
No. This trip covers the White, Blue and Black temples and a hot spring. Operators also run a longer day that adds the Golden Triangle and a Mekong boat trip, with a return to Chiang Mai at about 10 pm in one operator's programme. Ask us on WhatsApp if you want that version.
Planning the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from Chiang Mai? Hotel pickup in Chiang Mai is about 7:00-7:30 am. The drive north takes about 3 hours with a hot spring stop on the way; the White Temple (about an hour), lunch (about an hour), the Blue Temple (30-40 minutes) and the Black House (about 45 minutes) fill the middle of the day, and the drive back takes about 3 hours, so you are at your hotel at about 7:00-8:00 pm. Below is the sequence of the day, the packing list and what to send to confirm.
At a glance
- Duration: About 12-13 hours
- Format: Small-group day trip
- Area: Chiang Rai, from Chiang Mai
- Pickup: Hotel pickup in Chiang Mai in a van, about 7:00-7:30 am
- Best for: temple and art lovers who want the three best-known Chiang Rai sights in one day and do not mind a long drive
- Price: From $40 per person
- Payment: Book on WhatsApp
The day in order
The standard sequence of the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from Chiang Mai; timing shifts with your hotel area, traffic, weather and group size. What happens at each stage is described in the travel guide.
| Step | Stage |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hotel pickup in Chiang Mai |
| 2 | Mae Kachan hot springs |
| 3 | White Temple |
| 4 | Lunch |
| 5 | Blue Temple |
| 6 | Black House |
| 7 | Back to Chiang Mai |
What to bring and how to prepare
Bring clothes that cover shoulders and knees, comfortable shoes that are easy to slip off, a hat, sunscreen, water, cash for the entrance fees and travel sickness tablets if you need them.
- It is a long day: about 3 hours each way by road, which makes 6-7 hours in the van out of 12-13 hours in total.
- Entrance fees are paid on the day unless your quote says otherwise. The White Temple charges foreign visitors 200 baht from 1 January 2026 (Thai citizens enter free); the Black House also has an entrance fee, paid at the gate.
- Dress for temples: shoulders and knees covered. At the White Temple, foreign visitors can borrow a sarong at the entrance from 2026. Take off your shoes before the main halls.
- Photos are not allowed inside the main hall of the White Temple. The bridge to it is one-way, so take your photos of it before you cross.
- The Black House shows furniture made from animal skins, horns and bones; this is not to everyone's taste.
- Lunch is at a local restaurant; we tell you on WhatsApp what your price covers and what you pay on the day.
- The road is winding in places: take travel sickness tablets if you need them.
- The order and timing of the stops can change with traffic, crowds and weather.
- We confirm the date, pickup time and total on WhatsApp before you pay; how and when to pay for this tour is agreed with your booking.
What shifts by season
Chiang Mai has a cool, dry season from about November to February, when the mountains are clear and the top of Doi Inthanon can be cold; the hot season follows from March to May, often with haze, and the rains from about June to October turn the forest green and the waterfalls full.
Booking and confirmation — what to send
To confirm the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from Chiang Mai, send the date, your hotel name and area, and the group size on WhatsApp — that is what sets the pickup time, the vehicle and the slot. We confirm the date, pickup time and total on WhatsApp before you pay; how and when to pay for this tour is agreed with your booking.
What the price covers is in why book it.
Questions and answers
Is the Golden Triangle included?
No. This trip covers the White, Blue and Black temples and a hot spring. Operators also run a longer day that adds the Golden Triangle and a Mekong boat trip, with a return to Chiang Mai at about 10 pm in one operator's programme. Ask us on WhatsApp if you want that version.
What is the Black House?
Baan Dam is a private art museum by the artist Thawan Duchanee: more than 40 buildings in a garden, traditional northern Thai houses next to his own designs. Some interiors have furniture made from animal skins, horns and bones.
What should I wear to the temples?
Cover your shoulders and knees. The White Temple asks for modest dress and, from 2026, lends sarongs at the entrance. Take your shoes off before the main halls, and wear comfortable shoes for the walking and steps.
Read next
- Is the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip Worth It?
- Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip: The Complete Travel Guide
- Black House in Chiang Rai (Baan Dam): what it costs, when it is open and what is inside
- Blue Temple in Chiang Rai (Wat Rong Suea Ten): is it free, when is it open and how long do you need?
- Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai: should you base yourself in one, or visit Chiang Rai as a day trip?
- Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai by Greenbus: how long it takes, what it costs and how it compares with a day tour
- Golden Triangle from Chiang Rai: how far it is, how to get there and what you actually see
- Chiang Rai day trip from Chiang Mai price: what $40 covers, which entrance fees you pay on the day and how long the day is
- White Temple Chiang Rai entrance fee: what foreigners pay, opening hours, dress code and photo rules
- Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from Chiang Mai — From $40 per person