Thailand » Northern Thailand » Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai Temples Day Trip: White, Blue & Chinese Temples

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.95 (1,387 reviews) 97% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/23

Duration13h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Chiang Rai’s temples in one day—White, Blue and a giant monk

You’ll ride out from Chiang Mai to explore Chiang Rai’s surreal White Temple, wander through the glowing Blue Temple, and climb up to the Red Chinese Temple with its towering monk statue—all with a local guide who knows every shortcut and story. Expect lunch, hotel pickup, and plenty of little moments you won’t see coming.

13h

Step-by-step itinerary

Travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
Visit White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
Visit Blue Temple (Wat Rong Seur Ten)
Visit Red Chinese Temple (Wat Hyua Pla Kang)
Visit Wat SeangKaew Photiyarn monk monument
Enjoy included lunch
Return to Chiang Mai hotel

The Experience

I didn’t expect the White Temple to feel so…otherworldly. We left Chiang Mai just after sunrise (still yawning), and by the time we pulled up outside Wat Rong Khun, the light was sharp and almost silver on those white mosaics. Our guide, Nok, handed us bottled water with a grin — “You’ll need this,” she said. I remember the way my shoes crunched over the gravel as we walked up; there’s something about that place that makes you lower your voice without even thinking.

Inside, it was quieter than I thought it would be. The murals are wild — like, there’s Spiderman next to Buddha if you look close enough. Nok pointed out details I’d have missed (and probably did anyway). After that we drove to the Blue Temple — Wat Rong Seur Ten. It’s smaller but honestly just as striking. The blue is so deep it almost glows. There was incense burning somewhere nearby and a couple of local kids giggling at us trying to pronounce the temple’s name right. Li laughed when I tried to say it in Mandarin — probably butchered it.

Lunch was simple but good — rice, spicy soup, something sweet for dessert (I never caught what it was called). By early afternoon we reached Wat Huay Pla Kang — the Red Chinese Temple with its giant white statue watching over everything. It was windy up there; my hat nearly flew off. Nok told us stories about the monk monument and why people come here for blessings. There were families lighting candles and tying red strings around their wrists for luck. I still think about that view back toward Chiang Rai — all haze and green fields fading into mountains. The drive back felt long but in a nice way; everyone sort of drifted off or stared out the window quietly.

What’s included

Your day includes private transport with hotel pickup from Chiang Mai, entry ticket to the White Temple, bottled water along the way, a traditional lunch stop near Chiang Rai’s temples, plus drop-off back at your hotel after exploring with your local guide.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Pagoda View Tours