The Golden Triangle is the border region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. For visitors on the Thai side, the main focal point is Sop Ruak, a village in Chiang Saen district where the Ruak River joins the Mekong...
Chiang Mai Area – Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is one of northern Thailand’s most distinctive destinations, known for contemporary temple architecture, historic Lanna sites, mountain scenery, tea plantations and the landscapes surrounding the Golden Triangle. The current Chiang Mai Travel Hub inventory includes Wat Rong Khun, Wat Rong Suea Ten, Wat Huay Pla Kang, Baan Dam Museum, Singha Park, Doi Tung, Doi Mae Salong, Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai Night Bazaar and many more attractions across the province.
The city itself is compact and easy to explore, while many of Chiang Rai’s strongest attractions are spread through the surrounding countryside. Visitors can combine temples and museums with tea plantations, waterfalls, mountain viewpoints and day trips toward Chiang Saen, Mae Salong and the borders with Laos and Myanmar.
Explore Chiang Rai
- Famous temples – Visit Wat Rong Khun, Wat Rong Suea Ten, Wat Huay Pla Kang, Wat Phra Kaew and other distinctive religious landmarks.
- Art and culture – Explore Baan Dam Museum, Rai Mae Fah Luang, Oub Kham Museum and galleries showcasing northern Thai and contemporary art.
- Golden Triangle and history – Travel toward Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle for Mekong River views, historic sites and border-region culture.
- Mountains and tea country – Discover Doi Mae Salong, Doi Tung, Choui Fong Tea Plantation and other scenic highland areas.
- Markets and city attractions – Visit Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, Walking Street, the Clock Tower and central landmarks for food, shopping and evening atmosphere.
Browse the listings below to discover Chiang Rai temples, mountain attractions, cultural sites and things to do across northern Thailand.
Golden Triangle
Wiang, Chiang Saen
Wat Rong Khun
Pa O Don Chai, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Rong Khun is not the typical Buddhist temple. Popularly known as the White Temple, this unique sanctuary is the highlight of temple tours in Chiang Rai.
Wat Phra Kaew
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai is closely associated with the discovery of the Emerald Buddha, one of Thailand’s most revered religious images. The original is now in Bangkok, but this quieter temple preserves the...
Singha Park
Mae Kon, Mueang Chiang RaiSingha Park is a large landscaped farm and leisure destination southwest of Chiang Rai. Tea plantations, seasonal flower displays, open lawns and recreation areas spread across rolling countryside, making it a...
Wat Phra Singh
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Phra Singh is a historic Buddhist temple in central Chiang Rai, known for its Lanna architecture and association with the revered Phra Buddha Sihing image. Layered roofs, carved wooden decoration and a golden chedi...
Doi Tung
Mae Fah Luang, Mae Fah LuangDoi Tung brings together mountain scenery, royal history and gardens in northern Chiang Rai. The Royal Villa and Mae Fah Luang Garden are the natural starting point: one offers an intimate look at the Princess...
Chiang Rai Hot Springs
Mae Chedi Mai, Wiang Pa PaoChiang Rai Hot Springs, commonly known as Mae Kachan Hot Springs, is a roadside geothermal stop on Route 118 between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Steam and very hot pools provide a short break from the mountain-road...
Doi Mae Salong
Mae Salong Nok, Mae Fa LuangDoi Mae Salong is a mountain attraction in Chiang Rai Province, known for tea-covered hills and the village of Santikhiri. A visit brings together ridge views, tea tasting and a strong Yunnanese Chinese cultural...
Doi Pha Tang
Po, Wiang KaenDoi Pha Tang is a mountain viewpoint in Chiang Rai’s Wiang Kaen district, overlooking the border landscape between Thailand and Laos. Its rocky ridge, open hillsides and views towards the Mekong make the walk...
Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiChiang Rai Night Bazaar brings together souvenir stalls, food areas and evening performances beside the city’s central bus terminal. It is a manageable place to spend an evening browsing textiles and handicrafts...
Wat Huay Pla Kang
Rimkok, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Huay Pla Kang is a large Buddhist temple complex north-west of Chiang Rai, combining Lanna and Chinese design with three very different landmarks. Its nine-storey pagoda, white ordination hall and enormous white...
Choui Fong Tea Plantation
Sri Kham, Mae ChanChoui Fong Tea Plantation is a working tea estate and visitor destination in Mae Chan, north of Chiang Rai. Rows of tea follow the contours of the hills, while the plantation’s cafes provide places to enjoy the...
Baan Dam Museum
Nang Lae, Mueang Chiang RaiBaan Dam Museum, often called the Black House Museum, is an art and architectural complex in Nang Lae, north of Chiang Rai. Created by Thai artist Thawan Duchanee, it brings together dark timber buildings, paintings...
Wat Rong Suea Ten
Rim Kok, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Rong Suea Ten, better known as the Blue Temple, is one of Chiang Rai’s most distinctive contemporary temples. Deep blue surfaces, gold ornament and sculptural guardians create a dramatic exterior, while the...
Art Bridge Chiang Rai
Ban Du, Mueang Chiang RaiArt Bridge Chiang Rai, known locally as Khua Silapa, is an arts venue on Phahonyothin Road in Ban Du, north of central Chiang Rai. Its galleries present work by local and wider Thai artists, with changing exhibitions...
Chiang Rai Clock Tower
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiChiang Rai Clock Tower brings elaborate gold-coloured ornament to an everyday city intersection. Designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the artist associated with the White Temple, it rises from a working roundabout where...
King Mengrai Monument
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiKing Mengrai Monument is a bronze memorial to the founder of Chiang Rai and a key figure in the formation of the Lanna kingdom. Set beside a busy junction in Chiang Rai city, it combines a short historical stop with an...
Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park
Rop Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiMae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park, also known as Rai Mae Fah Luang, brings northern Thailand’s artistic heritage into a landscaped setting on the western side of Chiang Rai. Teak buildings, religious objects and...
Cat ‘n’ A Cup
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiCat ‘n’ A Cup is a cat café on Phaholyothin Road in central Chiang Rai, near the old bus-station and Night Bazaar area. It combines coffee, food and desserts with time in a room shared by resident cats...
Wat Rai Cherntawan
Huai Sak, Chiang RaiWat Rai Cherntawan, also known as the Cherntawan International Meditation Centre, is a Buddhist temple and meditation retreat in Huai Sak, outside Chiang Rai city. It belongs in a Chiang Rai itinerary rather than being...
The Navel City Pillar of Chiang Rai
Rop Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiThe Navel City Pillar of Chiang Rai is an outdoor monument beside Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong on a low hill near the city centre. Its central pillar and 108 surrounding pillars form a distinctive arrangement, with...
Pha Soet Hot Spring
Doi Hang, Mueang Chiang RaiPha Soet Hot Spring, also known as Doi Hang Onsen, is a mineral-bathing destination in Ban Pha Soet Phatthana west of Chiang Rai. An outdoor communal pool and private bathing facilities offer different ways to enjoy the...
Huai Nam Rin Lahu Village
Mae Chedi Mai, Wiang Pa PaoHuai Nam Rin Lahu Village is a highland community in Mae Chedi Mai, Wiang Pa Pao district, Chiang Rai province. The community hosts the Sunshine Network’s Thai massage courses, which bring students from Chiang Mai...
Oub Kham Museum
Rop Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiOub Kham Museum is a privately established collection in Chiang Rai’s Den Ha area, with royal objects, textiles, silverwork and religious art connected to Lanna and neighbouring Tai cultures. Founder Julasak...
Chiang Saen National Museum
Wiang, Chiang SaenChiang Saen National Museum gives context to the Buddha images, ruined temples and older settlement remains around Chiang Saen. Its collections bring together archaeology and Lanna art, making it a useful place to visit...
Phu Chi Fa Forest Park
Tap Tao, ThoengPhu Chi Fa is a mountain viewpoint in Chiang Rai Province, known for a pointed cliff and sunrise views across the border towards Laos. When conditions suit, mist fills the valleys beneath the ridgeline; on clearer...
Doi Luang National Park
Mae Yen, PhanDoi Luang National Park protects a large mountain and forest landscape spanning Chiang Rai, Phayao and Lampang. Waterfall walks are its most accessible visitor experiences, while the Doi Luang-Doi Nok mountain route...
Khun Chae National Park
Mae Chedi Mai, Wiang Pa PaoKhun Chae National Park protects forested mountains, streams and waterfalls in Wiang Pa Pao, Chiang Rai Province, northeast of Chiang Mai. The landscape rises from wooded valleys to high ridges, making the park a choice...
Doi Hua Mae Kham
Mae Salong Nai, Mae Fa LuangDoi Hua Mae Kham is a highland area near the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Fa Luang district, Chiang Rai. Its mountain views, villages and seasonal yellow bua tong flowers reward a carefully planned journey beyond the...
Doi Sa Ngo
Si Don Mun, Chiang SaenDoi Sa Ngo is a hillside viewpoint and community tourism area in Chiang Saen district, Chiang Rai province. It looks across the border-country landscape towards Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, with hills, lowlands and...
Khun Korn Waterfall
Huai Chomphu, Mueang Chiang RaiKhun Korn Waterfall is a tall forest cascade southwest of Chiang Rai, reached by a roughly 1.4-kilometre walking trail from the ranger and parking area. The approach through shaded vegetation is part of the appeal...
Central Chiangrai
Rob Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiCentral Chiangrai, formerly known as CentralPlaza Chiang Rai, is a shopping centre on Phahonyothin Road south of Chiang Rai’s city centre. It combines department-store shopping, supermarket supplies, restaurants...
Chiang Rai Walking Street
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiChiang Rai Walking Street turns Thanalai Road into a Saturday-evening market of food, handicrafts, clothing and local entertainment. Also called Kad Chiang Hai Ram Luk, it gives you a longer street-based browse than the...
Wat Klang Wiang
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Klang Wiang is one of Thailand’s most ostentatious temple, thanks to the elaborate pattern work on each and every structure on location.
Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong
Rop Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiWat Phra That Doi Chom Thong has been one of the most sacred sites in Thailand. It is the abode of spirits prior to the spread of Buddhism in the region.
Wat Phra That Doi Tung
Huai Khrai, Mae SaiWat Phrathat Doi Tong, also Wat Phra Maha Chinathat Chao, is situated at the peak of Doi Din Daeng, and is believed to be the site of the first chedi.
Wat Phra That Pha Ngao
Wiang, Chiang SaenWat Phra That Pha Ngao combines a wooded hillside temple with broad views over the Mekong near Chiang Saen. Its lower shrines invite a slower look at Buddhist images and Lanna woodwork, while the upper grounds bring the...
Kok River
Wiang, Mueang Chiang RaiThe Kok River flows from Myanmar through northern Thailand, passing Tha Ton and Chiang Rai before joining the Mekong. In Chiang Rai, it forms a broad waterside setting north of the city centre, with bridges, riverbank...
Northern Thailand Tours
Multiple Tour Options Available, Around Northern ThailandNorthern Thailand tours can be a day in the mountains outside Chiang Mai or a longer journey linking Chiang Rai, Pai and Mae Hong Son. The appeal lies in the contrasts: forest and waterfalls, distinctive temples...
Chiang Rai Tours
Tour pickup: Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai sightseeing routesChiang Rai tours take visitors from Chiang Mai into a province known for contemporary temple art, dramatic religious landmarks and the Mekong landscape of the Golden Triangle. The experience depends on the route you...
What are the best attractions in Chiang Rai?
Popular attractions include Wat Rong Khun, Wat Rong Suea Ten, Wat Huay Pla Kang, Baan Dam Museum, Singha Park, Doi Tung, Doi Mae Salong and the Golden Triangle.
What is Chiang Rai best known for?
Chiang Rai is best known for its striking modern temples, particularly the White Temple and Blue Temple, along with mountain landscapes, Lanna culture, tea-growing areas and access to the Golden Triangle.
Is Chiang Rai worth visiting from Chiang Mai?
Yes. Chiang Rai offers a distinctly different experience from Chiang Mai, with major contemporary temples, quieter city streets, highland scenery and attractions spread across the northern border region. It works best as an overnight or multi-day trip rather than trying to see the whole province in a rushed day visit.
What can you do in Chiang Rai at night?
Popular evening options include Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, Walking Street and the illuminated Chiang Rai Clock Tower, which has scheduled evening light and sound displays.