Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip from
Chiang Mai

✨Main vibe: A long day trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten), the Black House (Baan Dam) and a hot spring stop, with hotel pickup. About 6-7 hours of the 12-13 are spent on the road.

• 🛕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.

• 🌴Why people book it: Chiang Rai is about 3 hours north of Chiang Mai by road, so this is a full day in a van: you leave at about 7:00-7:30 am and are back at about 7:00-8:00 pm. In return you see three of the most unusual buildings in northern Thailand. Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, is a privately owned art temple that the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat opened to visitors in 1997 and is still building. Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, was completed in 2016 and is blue and gold inside and out. Baan Dam, the Black House, is the art museum of Thawan Duchanee, with more than 40 buildings in a garden. A hot spring stop breaks up the drive north.
• 🧭How the day feels: 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.
• 📍Key stops: Usually built around Chiang Mai hotel pickup -> Mae Kachan hot springs -> White Temple -> Blue Temple.
• 👥Best fit: Great for temple and art lovers who want the three best-known Chiang Rai sights in one day and do not mind a long drive with a route that usually runs for About 12-13 hours.

✅Booked as one clear package: The core logistics and main support pieces are already wrapped into the route below.

• 🚗Transfers: Round-trip hotel transfer in Chiang Mai by van.
• 🤝Private support: English-speaking guide.
• 🛕Included: Stops at the White Temple, Blue Temple, Black House and a hot spring.
• 🌊Included: Drinking water.
• ✅Useful extras: Accident insurance.

• ℹ️Good to know: 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.
• 🛕Good to know: 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.
• 🛕Good to know: 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.
• 🛕Good to know: 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.
• ℹ️Good to know: The Black House shows furniture made from animal skins, horns and bones; this is not to everyone's taste.
• 🤝Good to know: Lunch is at a local restaurant; we tell you on WhatsApp what your price covers and what you pay on the day.
• ℹ️Good to know: The road is winding in places: take travel sickness tablets if you need them.
• ⏱️Timing can shift: The order and timing of the stops can change with traffic, crowds and weather.
• 🚗Pickup note: 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.
• 🎒Bring with you: Bring Jacket, towel, swimwear, sandals.