Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep Temple & Monk's Trail Hike

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/20

Duration4h

GroupUp to 300

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Two temples, one mountain: the hike that monks have walked for centuries

You hike the historic Monk's Trail through forest to the hidden temple of Wat Pha Lat, spend time in its quiet grounds, then climb to Doi Suthep at the mountain's peak for the view and the gold-covered chedi. Your guide is English-speaking, transport is by authentic red songthaew, and you get drinking water included. The entrance fee to the trail is paid separately in cash on the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hike and visit Doi Suthep temples

Travel by songthaew to hike start
Hike Monk’s Trail to Wat Pha Lat
Explore Wat Pha Lat temple grounds
Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple
Enjoy panoramic city view from temple
Return to hotel

The Experience

A red songthaew pulls up to the trailhead on the slopes of Doi Suthep, and you step out into the forest. The Monk's Trail begins here—a path worn smooth over centuries by Buddhist monks walking between the temples and the city before roads existed. The hike takes 30 to 45 minutes through jungle thick enough to muffle the city below, uneven in places, sometimes slippery after rain, but nothing that stops most people in normal shape. Your guide walks ahead, and the only sound is your footsteps and the small stream that runs through the temple grounds when you arrive.

Wat Pha Lat appears suddenly through the trees—moss-covered stone buildings, Buddha statues half-hidden in the undergrowth, shrines tucked into corners, a stream flowing between stone bridges. Built in 1355, it feels less like a tourist stop and more like a place that forgot the world moved on. You spend time here, moving slowly between the quiet corners, before heading back down or continuing up the mountain depending on which tour time you chose. The entrance fee to the Monk's Trail is 100 baht per person, paid in cash on the day.

Then comes Doi Suthep itself—the temple draped in gold that sits 1,053 meters above sea level. You can climb the dragon staircase, more than 300 steps flanked by a seven-headed Naga serpent carved in stone, or take the cable car if your legs need a break (cable car costs extra). At the top, the temple complex spreads across the mountain: statues, pagodas, shrines, bells, the original copper-covered chedi at the center. On a clear day, the view drops all the way across Chiang Mai and the Ping valley beyond. Your guide explains the paintings inside, the history of the temple, what each part means. Then the songthaew brings you back down to your hotel, the open sides of the truck letting the mountain air through as the city comes back into view.

The whole day runs with groups kept under 12 people, which means the temples don't feel like a crowd. You travel the way locals do—in that red truck with two benches, no air-conditioning, open to the road—and that's part of why it works. Pickups start up to 45 minutes before your scheduled time, so plan for that window. The tour runs rain or shine; tropical showers usually pass fast, but bring a raincoat during the rainy season just in case.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup via red songthaew, English-speaking guide, transport to and from both temples, a bottle of drinking water, and time at Wat Pha Lat and Doi Suthep.
The entrance fee to the Monk's Trail (100 baht per person, cash only) is paid separately on the day.
Cable car access at Doi Suthep, if you choose it, costs extra.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by WanderSiam Chiang Mai

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see both temples without arranging transport or figuring out timing yourself, and you're comfortable with the uneven forest path and the open-sided truck—that's what makes the morning feel like you're traveling the way Chiang Mai actually does.