Things to Do in Chiang Rai: Sights, Hidden Gems & Hotels

The Sights in Chiang Rai on a Map

For a better overview, we’ve put together a map with the best sights in Chiang Rai.

Highlights in Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai is a bit off the beaten path compared to classic Thailand itineraries, but if you’re already making a trip to Chiang Mai, you can easily combine the two cities.

Good to know: You can also just do a day trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. We share all the details in our guide to the best things to do in Chiang Mai.

Now let’s walk you through the seven most beautiful things to do in Chiang Rai.

White Temple

• Admission: 100 Baht (approx. $2.75)
• Location: Google Maps (about 15 kilometers south of the center)
• Rules: Shoulders and knees must be covered

What you need to know: The undisputed highlight of Chiang Rai is the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun. It gleams entirely in white and is covered in elaborate details. Inside, there are even murals featuring Michael Jackson — seriously wild! Oh, and the White Temple isn’t even finished yet — it’s not expected to be fully complete until 2070.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. The White Temple is truly one of a kind, and you can take incredible photos here — a genuine must-see among the things to do in Chiang Rai.

Our tip: In our guide to the White Temple in Chiang Rai, we share all the tips for visiting and getting to Wat Rong Khun.

Blue Temple

• Admission: free
• Location: Google Maps (about 3 kilometers north of the center)
• Rules: Shoulders and knees must be covered

What you need to know: The Blue Temple often lives in the shadow of the White Temple, but it’s just as impressive in its own right. The complex is dominated by stunning shades of blue and gold, with a white Buddha statue standing inside.

Is it worth it? Totally. The Blue Temple genuinely surprised us — we hadn’t read much about it beforehand, and it blew us away. Just be aware it gets crowded, so try to arrive early in the morning.

Our tip: Outside the building there’s an ice cream shop serving coconut ice cream — apparently it’s delicious! We unfortunately didn’t try it, but it comes highly recommended!

Red Temple

• Admission: free (only the elevator costs 40 Baht, about $1)
• Location: see Google Maps (about 7 kilometers north of the center)
• Rules: Shoulders and knees must be covered

What you need to know: The third “colorful temple” of the trio is the Red Temple — better known as Wat Huay Pla Kang. The real standout here isn’t the temple itself, but the massive white Buddha statue on a hilltop a few hundred meters away. The grounds also feature an impressive pagoda.

Is it worth it? Definitely! The complex is far less crowded than the other two temples, and the view from the Buddha statue is seriously beautiful.

Our tip: There’s a free shuttle from the temple to the statue. For a small fee, you can take an elevator up to the Buddha — or just climb the stairs.

Clock Tower

• Admission: free
• Location: Google Maps (in the center of Chiang Rai)

What you need to know: The Chiang Rai Clock Tower sits in a roundabout in the city center and stands out from a distance with its golden color. Its architecture is somewhat reminiscent of the White Temple, and it makes for a great photo stop.

Is it worth it? Yes. Since it’s centrally located, it’s easy to swing by and grab a great shot while you’re exploring the area.

Our tip: In the evenings at 7 PM, 8 PM, and 9 PM, a light show takes place at the Clock Tower — the structure lights up in a variety of colors. Worth sticking around for!

King Mangrai Monument

• Admission: free (if you’d like to make a flower offering, you can buy flowers for a small fee)
• Location: Google Maps (in the center of Chiang Rai)

What you need to know: Another point of interest in the center is the King Mangrai Monument, about a 15-minute walk from the Clock Tower. At its center stands a statue of the king who founded the city. You can also lay flowers here as an offering.

Is it worth it? It’s okay. If you’re in the area, feel free to walk over — but if you’re short on time in Chiang Rai, you can skip it.

Our tip: A few blocks from the monument you’ll find Lamp Park. During the Flower Festival in December and January, the colorful seas of flowers make it a real highlight.

Wat Phra Keao

• Admission: free
• Location: Google Maps (in the center of Chiang Rai)
• Rules: Shoulders and knees must be covered

What you need to know: You may already know Wat Phra Keao from Bangkok or Vientiane in Laos — both cities have temples by the same name. In Bangkok, it’s famous for housing the revered Emerald Buddha, one of the absolute top highlights of Bangkok. The temple in Chiang Rai houses a replica of it.

Is it worth it? Hard to say. Since we’d already visited Wat Phra Keao in Bangkok, we didn’t make it to the one in Chiang Rai — so we’ll leave this one up to you.

Our tip: If you’re heading from the center of Chiang Rai to the Red Temple, you can easily make a detour to Wat Phra Keao — it’s almost on the way.

Singha Park

• Admission: free (individual activities within the park cost money)
• Location: Google Maps (about 12 kilometers south of the center)

What you need to know: Singha Park is a mix of amusement park and sprawling farmland. The grounds are massive — but you can explore them by bicycle or scooter. There are tea plantations, restaurants, a zoo, sculptures, a zipline, and much more.

Is it worth it? We didn’t go, as we had mixed feelings about the zoo. That said, the park itself sounds like it could be pretty cool.

Our tip: If you want to visit Singha Park, combine it with the White Temple. Both are located south of Chiang Rai, just under 5 kilometers apart — easy to knock out in one trip.

Day Trips from Chiang Rai

If you have more time in Chiang Rai, there are some great day trips to take. Here are the three best excursion destinations from the city.

Golden Triangle

• Admission: free (some attractions like the Opium Museum charge a small fee)
• Location: Google Maps (about 70 kilometers north of Chiang Rai)

What you need to know: The Golden Triangle marks the tri-border area where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar — and it’s one of the most popular places to visit near Chiang Rai. There’s a viewpoint overlooking the Mekong River and all three countries, plus boat-shaped temples and Buddha statues. You can also take a boat tour and visit the Opium Museum.

Is it worth it? Yes! We think tri-border areas are really cool in general, and the Golden Triangle has a lot to see and do.

Our tip: You can easily combine the Golden Triangle with other sights and day trip destinations around Chiang Rai — for example on the full-day tour from Chiang Rai to the White & Blue Temple and the Golden Triangle.

Phu Chi Fa

• Admission: free
• Location: Google Maps (85 kilometers from Chiang Rai)

What you need to know: Phu Chi Fa is a viewpoint on the border with Laos and a seriously special spot near Chiang Rai. It’s especially worth visiting at sunrise, when the sun rises through the mist. You can drive quite close to the viewpoint and then hike about one kilometer to the top.

Is it worth it? Yes. Phu Chi Fa is truly beautiful, and watching the sunrise there is a wonderful experience.

Our tip: Your best bet is to arrange transportation or a tour to Phu Chi Fa through your accommodation in Chiang Rai. The online selection isn’t great.

Lam Nam Kok National Park

• Admission: free
• Location: Google Maps (about 25 kilometers west of Chiang Rai)

What you need to know: Lam Nam Kok National Park sits west of Chiang Rai and is a popular destination for hiking and waterfall exploring. One great spot is the Huai Kaeo Waterfall, which you can easily reach from Chiang Rai by car or scooter.

Is it worth it? Yes, definitely if you’re a true outdoor enthusiast. That said, we’d prioritize the Golden Triangle and Phu Chi Fa first.

Our tip: Ask your accommodation for advice on tours to Lam Nam Kok National Park. Since it’s not a super popular tourist destination, there isn’t much information online — you’ll get far better tips on the ground.

Where to Stay in Chiang Rai?

We recommend staying in the center of Chiang Rai. While the downtown area itself doesn’t have a ton to see, you’ll be best connected to the highlights and have the widest selection of restaurants, massage shops, and more.

How Do You Get to the Highlights in Chiang Rai?

As you’ll have noticed in the overviews above, the things to do in Chiang Rai are spread out all over the place — nothing is really clustered together.

So here are our tips on the best ways to get around.

Guided Tours from Chiang Rai

Especially if you’re only in Chiang Rai for a short time, booking a guided tour is a smart move — you can tick off multiple sights in a single day without the hassle of figuring out transport. This is the standard tour you’ll most commonly find online:

Guided full-day tour to the White Temple, Blue Temple & Golden Triangle
On the ground in Chiang Rai, you’ll find a wider selection of tours that include other day trip destinations and attractions as well.

Getting to the Chiang Rai Sights on Foot, by Scooter, or by Bicycle

If you want to explore the highlights on your own, we recommend renting a scooter or getting around by bicycle.

Keep in mind that this applies to the sights within Chiang Rai — not the day trip destinations.

Highlights in Chiang Rai reachable on foot

• King Mangrai Monument
• Clock Tower
• Wat Phra Keao

Highlights in Chiang Rai reachable by scooter/bicycle

• White Temple (15 kilometers from the center)
• Blue Temple (3 kilometers from the center)
• Red Temple (7 kilometers from the center)
• Singha Park (12 kilometers from the center)

On a scooter, you can theoretically visit all seven attractions in Chiang Rai in a single day — but that’ll make for a very packed day.

It’s better to skip a few spots (like Singha Park and Wat Phra Keao) or to stay two days in Chiang Rai.

In our opinion, the most popular day trip destinations are too far to reach by scooter (if you’ve ever spent more than an hour on one, you’ll know exactly why).

You can rent a scooter just about anywhere in Chiang Rai. Ask your accommodation to point you toward a trustworthy rental provider.

Bicycle rentals are harder to find. Check with your accommodation about those as well.

Getting to the Chiang Rai Sights by Bus

Chiang Rai also has public buses that depart from the bus terminal. Not all sights are served by bus, but some are.

For example, you can easily reach the White Temple by public bus from Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1 (Google Maps).

The buses don’t really run on a fixed schedule — or the schedule changes frequently. Your best bet is to just head to the terminal and hop on the next bus that’s leaving.

From Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: How to Get There

If you’re traveling to Chiang Rai, chances are you’re coming from Chiang Mai. From there, you have two options:

• By bus
• By van or taxi

By Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

We took the GreenBus from Bus Terminal 3 in Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. The ride took just over four hours.

Through our hotel in Chiang Mai, we arranged a taxi to the bus terminal. It cost 150 Baht (about $4) and was actually cheaper than a Grab.

We booked the bus ride through 12goasia. We paid around $9 per person.

By Van or Taxi from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

Alternatively, you can book a transfer in a shared van or a private taxi to Chiang Rai. The advantage is that you can be picked up directly from your hotel in Chiang Mai or depart from a central location in the city.

With a van transfer, you’ll share the ride with other travelers. Depending on the option you book, everyone will be dropped off at their hotel in Chiang Rai or at a fixed central location.

A private taxi takes you directly from door to door.

Book your transfer from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

Onward Travel: From Chiang Rai to Laos

Many travelers who visit Chiang Rai continue on to Laos afterward. The border crossing at Huay Xai is only about two hours by car.

A popular option is to travel from Chiang Rai by slow boat to Luang Prabang. You’ll be taken by van to the Thailand-Laos border and from there to the slow boat’s departure pier.

The slow boats are simply outfitted vessels that travel two days along the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. Each day you’re on the water for six to seven hours, and you spend the night in the town of Pakbeng.

Read our firsthand account of the slow boat journey

Alternatively, from the Huay Xai border you can take a bus to Luang Namtha and from there a train to Luang Prabang. This option is a bit more expensive but faster — you’ll be traveling for a full day in total.

Book your journey from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang

Frequently Asked Questions about Chiang Rai