Doi Suthep: The Golden Chedi Above the City

Up the winding road to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where a naga staircase climbs to a glittering chedi and the whole valley lies below.

Area

Doi Suthep & the West

Start from

Chiang Mai University gate

Distance

about 15 km uphill by road

Time needed

half a day

Best season

October – February for clear views; mornings all year

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Shared red songthaew from the zoo or university gate, or Grab

Tickets & rules

Small entry fee for foreigners; covered shoulders and knees

Why go

From almost anywhere in Chiang Mai you can see the mountain, and on clear evenings a pinprick of gold near its summit. That is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most sacred temple in the north, and the trip up to it is a small pilgrimage that every visitor should make. The road twists through forest, the air cools with every bend, and then you arrive at the foot of a long staircase flanked by two great serpents.

At the top, the courtyard is a riot of gold: the chedi itself, sheathed in gilded copper plates, surrounded by umbrellas, bells, small shrines and the soft murmur of people walking clockwise around it. Bells ring constantly, and incense drifts across the terrace.

On the far side, the viewing platform looks out over the whole city, the airport runway and the rice plains beyond. On clear winter mornings you can see the grid of the old city and its moat. Further up the same road, the gardens of Bhubing Palace and the Hmong village of Doi Pui make easy additions.

The story

The legend of the temple's founding is told in every guidebook in Chiang Mai, and it is a good one. In the fourteenth century a monk brought a relic of the Buddha to King Kuena. The relic split in two; one half was enshrined at Wat Suan Dok, and the other was placed on the back of a white elephant and released into the forest. The elephant climbed the mountain, trumpeted three times, circled and lay down, and there the temple was built.

For six centuries the only way up was a long walk on foot. That changed in 1935, when the revered monk Kruba Srivichai organised thousands of volunteers to build a road. They finished in around five months, working without machines, and a shrine to him stands at the foot of the mountain where the road begins.

Higher up, Bhubing Palace is the royal winter residence, with rose gardens and cool pine air; its grounds open to visitors when the royal family is not in residence. Beyond it, Doi Pui village is home to Hmong families who sell embroidery and run a small garden and museum, a gentle glimpse of highland life that is easy to reach in an hour.

Getting there

Red songthaews wait near the Chiang Mai University gate and the zoo on Huay Kaew Road and leave when full; price is per person and lower if the truck fills up. You can also hire one for a fixed return trip including Bhubing Palace, or simply take a Grab.

At the top, climb the roughly 300 steps of the naga staircase, or take the small funicular for a modest fee. Allow 30 to 40 minutes each way on the road.

A suggested plan

1. 7:00Leave early to beat the crowds and the haze; mornings are clearest.
2. 7:45Climb the naga staircase slowly, pausing at the landings for the view.
3. 8:15Walk clockwise around the chedi and visit the cloister and viewing terrace.
4. 9:30Continue by songthaew to Bhubing Palace gardens if they are open.
5. 11:00Doi Pui Hmong village, then back down for lunch in Nimman.

Where to stay

Nimman and the area around Chiang Mai University put you closest to the mountain road. The old city is fine too, only fifteen minutes further.

Good to know

• Combine Doi Suthep with the Monk's Trail: walk up through the forest and ride down.
• The funicular is a good option for older travellers, but the steps are not as hard as they look.
• Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off; there are several halls to enter.
• Bring a light layer; it is noticeably cooler at the top.