Wat Chedi Luang is one of the many Buddhist temples that dot Chiang Mai City, and which seeks to direct devout locals and foreigners to enlightenment.
Chiang Mai Area – Chiang Mai Old City
Chiang Mai Old City is the historic heart of northern Thailand, surrounded by remnants of the old walls and moat and packed with temples, markets, museums and traditional streets. The current Chiang Mai Travel Hub inventory includes Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man, Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai Gate, Chang Phuak Gate, Three Kings Monument, Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre, Lanna Folklife Museum and several local markets.
The compact layout makes the Old City one of Chiang Mai’s easiest areas to explore on foot. Visitors can move between major temples, historic gates, museums, cafes and street-food areas without travelling far, while the Sunday Walking Street transforms Ratchadamnoen Road into one of the city’s busiest evening markets.
Explore Chiang Mai Old City
- Historic temples – Visit Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man, Wat Phan Tao and many smaller Lanna temples throughout the old walled city.
- City walls and gates – Explore Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai Gate, Chang Phuak Gate, Suan Dok Gate and sections of the historic moat.
- Museums and heritage – Learn about Chiang Mai’s history and Lanna culture at Three Kings Monument, Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre and nearby museums.
- Markets and street food – Browse Sunday Walking Street, Chang Phuak Market, Chiang Mai South Gate Market and Somphet Market for food, crafts and local shopping.
- Walking and local atmosphere – Wander narrow streets, stop at cafes and massage shops, visit Nong Buak Hard Public Park and discover smaller temples away from the busiest landmarks.
Browse the listings below to discover Chiang Mai Old City temples, markets, historic landmarks and things to do within the old walls.
Wat Chedi Luang
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai
Wat Phra Singh
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Phra Singh ranks as one of the most revered temples in the northern parts of Thailand. Consequently, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street Market
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai Sunday Walking Street Market transforms Ratchadamnoen Road into a large weekly pedestrian market through the Old City. Every Sunday afternoon and evening, the road fills with handicrafts, artwork, clothing...
Tha Phae Gate
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiTha Phae Gate is Chiang Mai’s best-known city gate and one of the main landmarks marking the boundary of the historic Old City. Its red-brick walls, broad pedestrian square, and central location make it a popular...
Wat Chiang Man
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Chiang Man stands out as one of Chiang Mai’s most remarkable temples simply because it is the oldest Wat in the city, yet still stands strong.
Chiang Mai Gate
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai Gate marks the southern edge of the Old City, where a surviving gateway, brickwork and moat meet a busy food-market neighbourhood. It is a useful landmark for a short heritage stop, a street-food meal or the...
Wat Phan Tao
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Pan Tao is a small but very interesting temple, especially for visitors who are thrilled by Thailand’s unique heritage and religious framework.
Wat Chetawan
Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Mahawan is a must-visit prime tourist attraction located close to the old walled city of Chiang Mai, right next to the popular Tha Phae Gate.
Wat Lok Molee
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Lok Molee, also known as Wat Lok Moli, is a temple located in the old Chiang Mai city, just about half a kilometre from the famous Chang Phuak gate.
Noina Art Studio
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiNoina Art Studio offers drawing and painting lessons in the northeast corner of Chiang Mai’s Old City. The small studio on Moon Muang Road Soi 9 suits travellers who want time at an easel or drawing table, with...
Three Kings Monument
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiThree Kings Monument stands in a central square on Prapokklao Road in Chiang Mai’s Old City, in front of the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre. Its bronze figures commemorate the rulers associated with...
Chang Phuak Gate
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChang Phuak Gate marks the northern entrance to Chiang Mai’s Old City, beside the moat and the busy Manee Nopparat Road. Its name means White Elephant Gate, and the brick gateway is a useful landmark for...
Suan Dok Gate
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiSuan Dok Gate marks the western entrance to Chiang Mai’s Old City, where Suthep Road meets the moat. The brick gateway and adjoining waterway make a useful stop on a walk around the old fortifications...
Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre gives visitors a broader understanding of the city behind its temples, markets and moats. Models, photographs, films and interpretive displays connect Chiang Mai’s...
Chiang Mai Historical Centre
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai Historical Centre explores the city’s development through its early communities, the Lanna kingdom and later periods of change. It is part of the municipal heritage group in the Old City, behind Chiang...
Nong Buak Hard Public Park
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiNong Buak Hard Public Park is a compact green space inside the southwest corner of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Also called Suan Buak Haad, it brings ponds, lawns and shaded paths together for a short walk or a relaxed...
Chiang Mai Moat
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai Moat marks the boundary of the Old City, tracing a roughly square circuit around its temples, neighbourhood streets and historic gates. The water, surviving brickwork and restored corners make the...
Chang Puak Market
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChang Puak Market, often called Chang Phuak Gate Night Market or North Gate Food Market, is the evening food-stall area outside the northern gate of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Vendors gather along Manee Nopparat Road...
Chiang Mai South Gate Market
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai South Gate Market is a daily food-shopping and eating area beside Chiang Mai Gate on the southern Old City moat. Often called Chiang Mai Gate Market or Bumrung Buri Market, it has a morning fresh-market...
Icon IT Chiang Mai
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiIcon IT Chiang Mai is a specialist electronics and computer centre on Hatsadisewi Road, just north of the Old City’s moat. Its shops cover computers, phones, accessories and repair services, making it a practical...
Somphet Market
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiSomphet Market is a small daily fresh-food market near Moon Muang Road Soi 6 in the northeastern part of Chiang Mai’s Old City. It is also known as Ming Muang Market and is a convenient place to browse fruit...
Wat Chai Si Phum
Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Chai Si Phum is a community Buddhist temple on Wichayanon Road near the northeastern corner of Chiang Mai’s Old City moat. Its gilded façade, carved gable and naga stairway ornament give it a distinctive...
Wat Chiang Yuen
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Chiang Yuen stands just outside the northern side of Chiang Mai’s Old City, on Manee Nopparat Road. Its white-and-gold chedi, lion guardians and Burmese-influenced buildings give it a distinctive place on a...
Wat Chomphu
Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Chomphu is a neighbourhood Buddhist temple tucked into the Chang Moi streets just outside Chiang Mai’s eastern moat. Its golden chedi is the main visual landmark, rising above a compact compound surrounded by...
Wat Ou Sai Kham
Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Ou Sai Kham is a small temple on Chang Moi Kao Road, just outside Chiang Mai’s Old City near Tha Phae Gate. Jade Buddha images are its defining feature, accompanied by a decorated prayer hall, a scripture...
Wat Sai Moon Myanmar
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Sai Moon Myanmar is a Burmese Buddhist temple near the southeastern corner of Chiang Mai’s Old City moat. Its decorated entrance, Burmese-style religious imagery and active Myanmar community give it a...
Wat Puak Hong
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Puak Hong is a small Buddhist temple in the south-western part of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Its unusual round, stepped chedi gives it a distinctive place among the city’s temples, making it a worthwhile...
Wat Prasat
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Prasat is a small historic temple in Chiang Mai’s Old City, just north of Wat Phra Singh. Its timber worship hall, carved decoration and unusual relationship between the main hall and chedi make it a rewarding...
Wat Duang Dee
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Duang Dee is a compact temple on Phra Pok Klao Road in Chiang Mai’s Old City, close to the Three Kings Monument. Its name is commonly translated as ‘Good Luck Temple’, and its mix of worship halls...
Wat Dab Pai
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Dab Pai is a small Buddhist temple on Singharat Road in the north-western part of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Its decorated halls, naga stairways and sacred well make it a worthwhile short stop when exploring the...
Lanna Architecture Centre
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiThe Lanna Architecture Centre occupies Khum Chao Burirat in the heart of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Also called KHUM Museum, it combines a historic nobleman’s residence with exhibitions about the region’s...
Wat Chai Phrakiat
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Chai Phrakiat is a small Buddhist temple on Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai’s Old City, a short distance east of Wat Phra Singh. Its compact layout makes it easy to add to a walk, while the mix of Lanna and...
Wat Fon Soi
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Fon Soi is a small Lanna temple just inside the southern part of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Its naga stairway, decorated assembly hall and white-and-gold chedi make it a worthwhile pause on a walk north from...
Wat Khuan Khama
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Khuan Khama is the Golden Horse Temple on Sri Poom Road, just inside Chiang Mai’s northern Old City moat. Golden horse statues at the entrance and along the wall make it easy to recognise, while the compact...
Wat Muen Nguen Kong
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Muen Nguen Kong is a Buddhist temple in the southwestern part of Chiang Mai’s Old City, reached from the Samlan Road area. Its reclining Buddha, decorated Lanna halls and golden chedi make it a rewarding stop...
Wat Pan Waen
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Pan Waen is a small active temple in the southern part of Chiang Mai’s Old City, where an unusually decorated white chedi rewards a closer look. The shaded grounds and ornate assembly hall make it a worthwhile...
Wat Samphao
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Samphao is a compact temple on Chiang Mai’s central Old City walking route, west of Tha Phae Gate. Its raised Lanna assembly hall, ornate stairway and chedi make it easy to include between larger sightseeing...
Wat Si Koet
Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Si Koet is a small Buddhist temple on the western stretch of Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai’s Old City. Its assembly hall and principal bronze Buddha image give it more substance than its modest street...
Wat Thung Yu
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiWat Thung Yu is a small Buddhist temple on Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai’s Old City, near Wat Phra Singh. Also spelt Wat Tung Yu, it rewards a short stop with decorative temple buildings, Buddha images and...
Chiang Mai City Pillar Shrine
Si Phum, Mueang Chiang MaiChiang Mai City Pillar Shrine houses the Inthakhin, the city’s sacred pillar, within the grounds of Wat Chedi Luang on Phra Pokklao Road. It is a place of worship associated with the protection and wellbeing of...
What are the best attractions in Chiang Mai Old City?
Popular attractions include Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man, Tha Phae Gate, Three Kings Monument and Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre.
What is Chiang Mai Old City best known for?
The Old City is best known for its historic Lanna temples, surviving city gates and moat, traditional markets and compact heritage streets that are easy to explore on foot.
Can you walk around Chiang Mai Old City?
Yes. Many of the main temples, museums, gates, markets and cafes are close together, making walking one of the best ways to explore the area.
When is Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street Market held?
The market is held every Sunday along Ratchadamnoen Road in the Old City, with stalls selling food, crafts, clothing, art and souvenirs through the evening.