Wat Loi Kroh is located on Loi Kroh Road. In ancient times this temple was called Wat Hoi Khor. It was constructed by the sixth King of the Mengrai dynasty, and so is more than 500 years of age. After the Burmese had been driven out of Chiang Mai towards the end of the eighteenth century, the city was deserted for twenty years. When Prince Kawila came to reconstruct the city, he brought in…

Wat Mahawan The buildings of this temple are a mix of Lan Na and Burmese style. The viharn and bot on the east are Lan Na style, while the chedi, ho trai and unusual square viharn on the west are distinctly Burmese. The Lan Na viharn was built in 1865 and renovated in 1957 with bright modern wall paintings. The Burmese chedi has very detailed stucco relief work and is surrounded by chinthe…

Wat Muentoom is located just East of Phrapokklao Road within the old city. The temple is believed to be named following the name of the founder. It was built by a solider called "Toom" around 2012 B.C., or 1478 C.E. The word "Muen" stands for his ranking position. Because of his great faith towards Buddhism, he started to build a temple, helped by his relatives, friends, and Buddhist…

Wat Pa Daeng (Thai: วัดป่าแดง) Wat Pa Daeng is close to Wat Umong and situated in the forested outscirts of Chiang Mai. It is a meditation center and is fairly quiet (besides the many dogs) and difficult to find. The Viharn and several chedis are situated on the hill to which a long staircase leads while the Ubosot is at the bottom of the staircase. A fairly old temple…

Wat Pan On is located at Ratchadamnoen Road, 300 meters away from Tha Pae Gate. This beautiful temple was built by King Phra Muang Kaeo's reign in 1501. It was constructed when Lanna was prospering with arts and culture. Formerly there was another minor temple called Wat Chedi Khwan located nearby on the western side. Later, the two monuments that you find here today were combined into one…

This small temple right next door to Wat Chiedi Luang is notable because it’s made entirely of wood. Though it lacks the “bling” many of the city’s other temples are covered in, the elegant wood carvings that decorate Wat Pan Tao are worthy of a visit.

A short walk through the small streets from Wat Phuak Taem is Wat Pan Waen with it's white Chedi, which is nicely decorated. Notable are the four faces on the top of the Chedi and the elephant heads at it's base.

Wat Phra Singh On the corner of Singharat and Ratchadamnoen Rd road Wat Phra Singh was built inside the old city walls at a time when Chiang Mai was the capital of the northern Thai Lanna or Lan Na kingdom. The wat was originally built in 1345. It may have simply been a stupa erected by a king (and descendant of the great Mangrai) to honour his father. The stupa still stands, but most…