Old Town History and Culture Walking Tour at Chiang Mai
Description
Explore Chiang Mai on foot and discover the roots of an ancient kingdom that goes back to the 13th century. We meet at the Three Kings Monument, where participants will receive a safety briefing and learn about King Mangrai, the first King of the Lanna Kingdom and the founder of Chiang Mai. Our first stop on this 2.5-hour guided tour is Wat Phra Singh, the second most revered temple in Chiang Mai, where visitors can explore the Lai Kam assembly hall and pagoda, both significant for individuals born in the Year of the Dragon. From there, the group will continue to Wat Chedi Luang, a 600-year-old site with fascinating ruins. Apart from seeing the beautiful temple premises, there will also be an opportunity to listen to talks by monks, before concluding the tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your expert local guide at the Three Kings Monument. After a short safety briefing, your guide will tell you about the significance of this monument and King Mangrai (who features in the middle), the first King of the Lanna Kingdom and the founder of Chiang Mai.
Our first stop is the second most important temple in Chiang Mai which dates back to the year 1346. This temple is a perfect example of Lanna architecture, and its assembly hall is home to stunning murals that are sure to mesmerise visitors.
After a short stroll we reach our next attraction which is popular among locals and tourists alike. Restored by UNESCO in the 1990s, this 14th century temple is singularly famous for housing the remains of a massive, imposing chedi. This sacred, venerated space was once home to the Emerald Buddha which is now held in the Royal Palace in Bangkok.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(13)
The guide, Kitty, was really difficult for the entire group to understand. He spent too much time at the onset talking about language and he repeated himself many times. I would recommend doing introductions and getting to the first temple and doing more about the history of temples, why are there so many etc. He didn’t have a mic ( so you couldn’t hear what he was saying while we were walking on the streets) or water for the group or money for the temple tickets so he had to make those stops. Most disappointing experience as almost all of us didn’t learn much about Chiang Mai. The temples are amazing but without an additional benefit of a tour guide you can understand, you can do it in your own
Thank you for your honest feedback. We’re very sorry the tour didn’t meet your expectations. Your comments about communication, organization, and content are taken seriously, and we’ll work to improve guide training, equipment, and preparation to ensure a better experience for future guests.
The tour was great. We learned a lot and visited important Chiang Mai temples+ . A great orientation. Our guides were lovely.
🙏 Thank you for your wonderful review! We are delighted you enjoyed your Chiang Mai temple tour and found it a great orientation. Knowing you learned a lot and appreciated our lovely guides is truly rewarding. We look forward to welcoming you back for another professional experience!
Excellent tour of 3 different temple complexes in old town Chiang Mai. The guide spoke English well and started and finished on time. Pacing was perfect, we never felt rushed or bored.we learned a bit a out the history and culture of the region.
Thank you for your excellent review! We are thrilled you enjoyed the tour of Chiang Mai's temple complexes. Providing a perfectly paced, punctual, and culturally enriching experience is our main goal. We are delighted our guide's English and knowledge contributed to your enjoyment. We look forward to welcoming you back for another professional tour.
Loved,loved ,loved it. I learned a lot,how nice it was.Out tour guide was helpful and knowledgeable.She knew the history well,she was vey attentive.
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic feedback! We're thrilled you loved the tour and found it both enjoyable and educational. It’s wonderful to hear that our guide’s knowledge and attentiveness made your experience special. We look forward to welcoming you on another great tour soon!
An excellent walking tour. My guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Everything was included, from all entrance fees and donations to a snack of fried bananas. Highly recommended!
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the walking tour and appreciated the inclusions like entrance fees, donations, and the fried banana snack! It’s great to hear your guide made the experience memorable. We truly appreciate the recommendation!
Our guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. She was helpful in recommending other places and activities we should try.
Thank you for your kind feedback! We're delighted to hear that your guide was knowledgeable and accommodating. It's great that her recommendations added value to your experience. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip and look forward to welcoming you again in the future!
My Guide was Khun Bim. She is a Thai person who speaks excellent English. I have followed a Japanese form of Buddhism for over 34 years and yet I still learned something new about Thai (Theravada) Buddhism. We were able to discuss the intricacies between the two schools in detail. Of course she is very knowledgeable about all things Buddhism, Thai Culture, and Chiang Mai. She can answer all your questions about any subject and is very kind. I went during the tourist low season. As I was the only tourist on the tour, it was more of a private tour for me. The price is very reasonable, and you can easily do this tour before dinner or a night out on the town! Highly recommended!
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're thrilled you had such a meaningful experience with Khun Bim. It’s a joy to hear that you not only enjoyed the tour but also gained new insights into Buddhism. We'll be sure to share your kind words with Khun Bim. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon.
It was great tour with friendly and knowledgeable guide, who managed to provide both detailed and interesting information. We were beforehand asked if we want to get blessing from monk for luck which was very thoughtful as not every person wants to participate in something of other religion. Overall this tour is great value for it's cost.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the tour and appreciated the guide’s knowledge and sensitivity regarding cultural practices. It’s great to hear you found it to be a valuable experience — we truly appreciate your kind words!
A comprehensive tour covering history,religion, sport, food and architecture. Farm was an engaging and knowledgeable guide who took time to respond to individual questions and had a wealth of personal stories to share. Don’t hesitate book this tour it was by far the cheapest and most informative I took in chiang mai
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the comprehensive tour and found it both informative and engaging. Farm will be thrilled to know that you appreciated his knowledge and personal stories. We truly value your recommendation and are grateful for your feedback. We hope to welcome you again on another tour the next time you're in Chiang Mai!
Lovely city tour with a knowledgeable and humble guide, I can highly recommend! It's a great way to get to know the city, the main temples and important places of the old town and get a good insight into the history and the city. The afternoon light with the sun going down and later the illuminated buildings and temples were amazing to take pictures of. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the city tour and appreciated our guide's knowledge and humility. It's fantastic that you found the tour a great way to discover the city's history, temples, and important landmarks, and we're especially delighted you captured the beautiful afternoon and evening light. We truly value your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience.
