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The white plaster and mirrored glass of Wat Rong Khun reflected in the pond in front of it

Chiang Rai day trip

The White, Blue and Red temples of Chiang Rai, and the Lalitta waterfall cafe

Three temples that look nothing like each other, three hours north, and a coffee at the foot of a waterfall on the way back.

Full dayChiang Raifrom €47
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Duration

Full day

Stops

4 on the route

Starts in

Chiang Rai

Price

From €47

The experience

Best for
All three coloured temples, plus the waterfall cafe
Not for you if
You dislike long vehicle days. Six hours of road for four stops is the deal, and no tour can shorten it

This is the long one. Chiang Rai sits about 180 kilometres north of Chiang Mai, three hours each way on Route 118, which makes for a twelve-hour day door to door with an early pickup. Nobody does this trip for the driving. They do it because the three temples at the other end are unlike anything else in Thailand, and because reaching them on your own means a bus station, a rented scooter and a whole day of logistics.

The first stop is the one you have seen. Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, is not an old monument at all: it is a working art project that the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat began in 1997 with his own money, and it is still unfinished. You cross a bridge over a sea of reaching hands, and inside the ordination hall the murals run from traditional Buddhist iconography into aeroplanes, superheroes and mushroom clouds. It is a genuinely strange building, and the queue at eleven in the morning proves the point.

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Then Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, finished in 2016 and painted in cobalt and gold from floor to ceiling around a white seated Buddha. Then the Red Temple, Wat Huay Pla Kang, on a hill north of town, red and gold at the base and crowned by a white Guan Yin some eighty metres tall, with a lift inside that takes you up to a window in her head. The day ends at Lalitta Cafe, where the terraces are built around an artificial waterfall, which is exactly as photogenic and exactly as artificial as it sounds. It is a good place to sit for forty minutes before the drive home.

Northern Thailand is still building temples, not just preserving them. These three are the proof.

The route

  1. The white plaster and mirrored glass of Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, above its pond

    Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple

    Chalermchai Kositpipat's unfinished art project, begun in 1997. You cross a bridge over a sea of reaching hands, and the murals inside run from Buddhist iconography into aeroplanes and superheroes.

  2. The cobalt and gold facade of Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, and its naga balustrade

    Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple

    Finished in 2016, cobalt and gold from floor to ceiling around a white seated Buddha. Twenty minutes, and the best photographs of the day.

  3. The white Guan Yin statue of Wat Huay Pla Kang seated above a green hillside

    Wat Huay Pla Kang, the Red Temple

    A working hillside temple north of town, red and gold at the base, crowned by a white Guan Yin some eighty metres tall with a lift up to a window in her head.

  4. Lalitta Cafe

    Terraces built around an artificial waterfall, and the one stop of the day that asks nothing of you but a coffee before the drive home.

Why this one

01

Wat Rong Khun, still being built

The White Temple is an artist's project begun in 1997 and planned to outlive him. What you visit is the finished hall and grounds, mirrored glass and all.

02

Wat Rong Suea Ten, cobalt and gold

A 2016 build, blue from floor to ceiling, and the best twenty minutes of the day for anyone who came for photographs.

03

An eighty-metre Guan Yin

At Wat Huay Pla Kang, the Red Temple, you can ride a lift up inside the white statue and look out over the valley from a window in her head.

04

The Lalitta waterfall cafe

Terraces built around a falling sheet of water, and the one stop of the day that asks nothing of you but a coffee.

05

The logistics are handled

Six hours of driving, four stops and one province, arranged around you. On your own this is a bus station, a scooter and a lost morning.

What is included

Included

  • Pickup and drop-off in Chiang Mai, early in the morning
  • Air-conditioned transport for the whole day, about six hours of driving
  • A driver and guide for the four stops

Not included

  • Temple admissions: the White Temple charges foreign visitors, the Blue and the Red are free or ask a small donation
  • Lunch, coffee at the Lalitta cafe and anything you drink on the road
  • The lift inside the Guan Yin statue at Wat Huay Pla Kang
  • Tips, welcome but never expected

Practical detail

Duration
A full day, roughly twelve hours door to door
Pickup
Early, usually between 6 and 7 am in Chiang Mai. Times and pickup points are confirmed on booking
The drive
About three hours each way on Route 118, six hours of road in the day
Stops
Wat Rong Khun (White), Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue), Wat Huay Pla Kang (Red), Lalitta Cafe
Dress code
Shoulders and knees covered at all three temples, for everyone. Shoes come off at the halls
Bring
Water, sunglasses, small notes for admissions and donations, and something warm for the air conditioning
Best season
November to February. In March and April the valley is full of burning-season smoke and the views go with it
Cancellation
The policy that applies to your booking is shown before you pay

Read the guide page: temples ▸

Common questions

How long is the day, really?

Count on twelve hours from pickup to drop-off, of which about six are in the vehicle. The pickup is between 6 and 7 am and the return lands in Chiang Mai in the evening. It is the longest day trip on this site, and worth planning a slow morning after.

Is the White Temple actually finished?

No, and it is not meant to be. Chalermchai Kositpipat has planned nine buildings and has said the work will continue after his death. What you visit is the completed ordination hall, the bridge and the grounds, which is already more than most visitors expect.

What is the difference between the three temples?

Age and intent. Wat Rong Khun is a contemporary art project in white plaster and mirrored glass, started in 1997. Wat Rong Suea Ten is a 2016 build, blue and gold inside. Wat Huay Pla Kang, the Red Temple, is a working hillside temple dominated by a white Guan Yin about eighty metres tall. None of them is an antiquity, and that is the point: this is northern Thailand building temples now, not preserving them.

Are the entrance fees included?

Assume not, and carry small notes. The White Temple charges foreign visitors a modest admission, the other two are free or ask for a donation, and the lift inside the Guan Yin statue is paid separately. What your specific booking covers is listed on the booking page before you pay.

Is it worth it if I only have three days in Chiang Mai?

Honestly, only if these three buildings are the reason you came north. A whole day of a short stay goes into this trip, and Chiang Mai has its own temples, a mountain and a food scene you will not have finished with. If you have four days or more, it earns its place.

Can I do the same thing on my own?

Yes. Green buses run from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai in about three and a half hours, and songthaews or a rented scooter cover the temples from there. You will spend the day on logistics rather than on the temples, and you will not see all three plus the cafe unless you stay the night.

Book it

Ready when you are

Dates, times and live prices come up at the next step. Booking takes two minutes, and the cancellation terms are shown before you pay.

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From €47

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