Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip: The Complete Travel Guide

What makes the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from Chiang Mai worth your time

Hotel pickup in Chiang Mai is between about 7:00 and 7:30 am. The first stop is the Mae Kachan hot springs (about 15-20 minutes), then you continue to Chiang Rai for the White Temple (about an hour), lunch at a local restaurant, the Blue Temple (30-40 minutes) and the Black House (about 45 minutes); the order can change with traffic and crowds. The drive is about 3 hours each way, so you are back at your hotel at about 7:00-8:00 pm.

Route highlights at a glance

The standout moments of the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from Chiang Mai.

• White Temple, Wat Rong Khun — A white temple covered in mirrored glass and reached by a bridge past hundreds of outstretched hands; the artist opened it in 1997 and work is expected to continue until 2070.
• Blue Temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten — A temple in deep blue and gold with a white Buddha image inside; the main building was completed in 2016.
• Black House, Baan Dam — More than 40 buildings in a garden, many in dark wood, by the artist Thawan Duchanee; some furniture is made from animal skins and horns.
• Mae Kachan hot springs — A short stop on the road north to soak your feet in the hot spring water.

How the day unfolds, step by step

The route in order; exact pickup times and what shifts by season are in the schedule.

• Hotel pickup in Chiang Mai — Pickup at about 7:00-7:30 am; the exact time is confirmed the day before.
• Mae Kachan hot springs — A stop of about 15-20 minutes on the road north to soak your feet.
• White Temple — Wat Rong Khun, about an hour: the bridge of hands, the white main hall and the golden building.
• Lunch — A stop of about an hour at a local restaurant.
• Blue Temple — Wat Rong Suea Ten, about 30-40 minutes; take off your shoes before the main hall.
• Black House — Baan Dam, about 45 minutes among the dark wooden buildings and the garden.
• Back to Chiang Mai — About 3 hours on the road; you are at your hotel at about 7:00-8:00 pm.

Insider tips

The details a guide mentions on the day — worth knowing before it.

• Entrance fees are paid on the day unless your quote says otherwise: the White Temple charges foreign visitors 200 baht from 1 January 2026.
• Cover shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off before the main halls.
• About 6-7 hours of the day are on the road: bring a charged phone, water and travel sickness tablets if you need them.
• Photos are not allowed inside the White Temple's main hall.
• Lunch is at a local restaurant; ask us on WhatsApp what your price covers.
• Hotel pickup is in central Chiang Mai; tell us your hotel when you book.

Best time of year

November to February is the most comfortable time for a day with this much walking and sitting in a van; April is the hottest month, the rainy season runs from about mid-May to mid-October, and smoke from fires often makes the air in the north hazy between about December and April.

Whether it is worth the money and what the price covers is in why book it.

Questions and answers

Read next

• Is the Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip Worth It?
• Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip: Schedule and Packing List
• 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