Northern Thailand
Old City temples (Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man)
More than thirty temples inside Chiang Mai's walled old town — the earthquake-cracked ruin of Wat Chedi Luang, the revered Wat Phra Singh and the oldest, Wat Chiang Man — all walkable in a morning.
Where
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Opening hours
Most temples open early morning to around 17:00–18:00 daily, with the main viharns sometimes closing for ceremonies; come early for cool air and quiet courtyards. Hours vary slightly by temple and can change for Buddhist holidays. Confirm current hours and prices on the official site.
Tickets
Free — many of the old-city temples ask no entry fee at all, while a few of the larger ones (such as Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh) charge a small amount, roughly £0.50–£1 (about ฿20–฿50). Carry a little cash for these and for donations.
Time needed
Allow a half-day morning, roughly 3 to 4 hours, to walk between the three main temples and dip into a few smaller ones on the way.
In short
Visiting Old City temples (Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man)
Chiang Mai's walled old town holds more than thirty temples in a grid you can walk in a single morning. Wat Chedi Luang's earthquake-cracked brick ruin is the standout, Wat Phra Singh the most revered and Wat Chiang Man the oldest. Most are free or charge a token amount, and modest dress is expected at all of them.
A morning inside the walls
Chiang Mai’s old town is a near-perfect square ringed by a moat and the remains of its red-brick walls, and packed into that grid are more than thirty temples — enough that you can simply walk and let the spires pull you from one courtyard to the next. The honest way to do it is on foot in a single morning, starting early while the air is cool and the courtyards are quiet, before the heat and the tour groups arrive.
Three are worth building the walk around. Wat Chedi Luang is the standout: a colossal brick chedi, partly brought down by a sixteenth-century earthquake and left in its broken grandeur, looming over the compound. Wat Phra Singh is the most revered and the grandest, gold-trimmed and busy with worshippers and monks. Wat Chiang Man is the city’s oldest, smaller and calmer, with its elephant-buttressed chedi tucked in the northern corner. They sit within about a kilometre of each other, so stringing them together is straightforward.
Cost, dress and doing it right
The money side is gentle. Many old-city temples charge nothing at all, and the larger ones — Chedi Luang and Phra Singh among them — ask only a small fee, roughly £0.50 to £1 (about ฿20–฿50). Carry a little cash for these and for a donation box if you wish, and you are set for the morning.
Dress is the thing to get right. Cover your shoulders and knees, skip vests and short shorts, and be ready to slip your shoes off before entering the prayer halls. A light scarf or sarong does the job and packs small; a few temples lend wraps at the door, but do not count on it. These are working places of worship, so keep your voice down, do not point your feet at Buddha images, and step aside for monks.
Allow three to four hours, weave in a couple of the smaller temples you pass, and break for an iced coffee when the heat builds — the old town is dense with cafes, and pacing it slowly is the point.
Planning the rest of your trip? See the Chiang Mai city guide.
