Golden Triangle & Temple Tour from Chiang Mai
About this activity
Highlights
- Visit the Golden Triangle
- Explore the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
- Discover the Black House (Baan Dam)
- Admire the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)
- Learn about local history and culture
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle
- English-speaking guide
- Admission fees to all temples and attractions
- Meals and beverages
Itinerary
One of the few natural hot springs in northern Thailand, the Mae Kachan Hot Spring (Mae Ka Chan is so hot—reaching temperatures of 194˚F (90˚C—it can boil an egg in minutes, a feat that locals are more than happy to demonstrate. As well as cooking your breakfast, you can dip your toes in several pools. Mae Kachan Hot Spring allows foot soaking only; full-body entry is not permitted.
Wat Rong Khun, perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.
Baan Dam Museum, also known to foreigners as the Black House Museum, is a mixture of traditional northern Thai buildings with unconventional and contemporary architecture, created by Thawan Duchanee.
Monumental, modern Buddhist temple distinguished by its vivid blue coloring & elaborate carvings.
Located in the far north of the province, the Golden Triangle is one of Chiang Rai's most famous attractions. Notorious in the past because of the opium trade, the Golden Triangle is the area where the borders of three countries converge: Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). Take a boat trip on the watery domestics lined along the borders (Option)
Optional visit to the Karen Long-neck tribe(admission fee 300 THB/PAX). A tribal village whose women wear stacked brass rings on their necks & sell handmade crafts. For those who do not visit Karen Long-neck Village, the tour guide will ask you to wait for others for around 1 hour. You can spend your time at the nearby market.
Meeting point
Start Location
Unknown location
Important information
Know before you book
- This tour is suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
- Please inform the operator of any dietary restrictions or special requirements in advance.
- Confirm your booking at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable clothing and footwear suitable for walking and temple visits.
- Bring a hat, sunscreen, and a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated.
- Respect local customs by dressing modestly when entering temples (shoulders and knees covered).
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Easy Public Transport
Good to know
- Please note that Chiang Rai is far away from Chiang Mai, so this trip involves a long drive in the minivan
- This is a joint tour, the operator will be picking up each guest in order, so please kindly wait patiently at your hotel. If waiting for too long, please contact the operator immediately
- On the rare occasion that we should be required to cancel a tour, we will inform you in advance and offer a different tour date, an alternative tour or provide a full refund
- Child ticket age between 3-6 years
- Participants can choose to end the program in Chiang Rai subject to upon prior request. Luggage will be charged at 500 THB per piece, with a size limit of 20 inches.
- For Wat Rong Khun, a respectful dress code is required. Flip-flops, tank tops, and short pants are not allowed. Appropriate attire includes sneakers, T-shirts, and long trousers like jeans.
- In any case, if your booking isn't matched with reality when you show upfront (such as child's age, child's height, the number of people and etc), you are responsible to pay the additional charge upfront for the tour
- For those who do not visit Karen Long-neck Village, the tour guide will ask you to wait for others around 1 hour. You can spend your time at the near by market.
- The tour will return you to your hotel between approximately 09:00 PM and 09:30 PM, depending on your hotel location and traffic conditions.
- Mae Kachan Hot Spring allows foot soaking only; full-body entry is not permitted.
Traveler reviews
Nice trip.
Start worried 15 minutes late’ the rest of the program was respected. The guide very well and the perfect driver careful no particular worries. Good trip. Recommended.
This day trip is worth my time and money
Originally I did not expect much from this day trip because my first impression of Chiang Mai wasn’t great. However, the fact is that this trip is quite worth my time and money. Both the tour guide and the driver were helpful and the itinerary was excellent in covering those attractions that I wouldn’t have visited myself. So I recommend this product to all foreigners. By the way, a taxi driver offered his service with much higher price without going to the Golden Triangle.
I do not recommend. Long walk with only 2 points that are really worth it
I found a very long tour and the only places that were really worth it were the white and blue temple. The walk in the golden triangle is SUPER GRATILESS, completely unnecessary, the black temple is actually a museum that is more or less. Looks like it was just for an itinerary. I bet they'd have better stuff to compose this otinerario.
Travel by Excursion!
When backpacking and needing to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, what better way to travel than by excursion! First stop was the Hot Springs where we breakfasted on freshly boiled eggs - they truly are, hot springs! Then onto the White Temple which is simply stunning and not to be missed, the grounds are superbly maintained and around every corner there is a surprise. Next, the Blue Temple is a vision in blue and gold. Then the Black 'temple' which is really a museum for the works and architecture of Thawan Duchanee, a Thai artist- what an imagination he had. Finally we went on a boat trip to view the border of Myanmar from a safe distance. The guide provided us with interesting information, the driver was helpful and we were dropped close to Chiang Rai where we could get a Grab taxi to our hotel. What a superb way to travel.
Great value
Driver was careful and safe, guide knowledgeable and helpful. The eggs cooked in the hot springs were delicious. The white and blue temples are stunning. Baandam museum certainly different, super architecture. Boat trip made a change of scene. Passed on the Long neck village. We really appreciated being dropped off near Chiang Rai. A great way to back pack between cities.