Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Mountain Temple Founded In 1383 Above Chiang Mai; Within Doi Suthep Pui National Park · Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the temple that watches over Chiang Mai, set about 1,000 metres up on the forested flank of Doi Suthep mountain, some 15 km west of the old city. Legend says that in the fourteenth century a relic of the Buddha was placed on the back of a white elephant and set free; the elephant climbed the mountain, trumpeted, circled and died on this spot, and the Lanna king built a temple where it fell, traditionally in 1383. At its heart is a gleaming gold chedi said to hold the relic, ringed by gilded umbrellas, bells, Buddha images and a cloister of murals, with pilgrims walking it clockwise with lotus buds and incense. A staircase of about 300 steps flanked by two long naga serpents climbs from the car park, with a small funicular lift for those who prefer it, and the terrace looks straight down on the city and valley. Red songthaews climb the winding mountain road, a forest trail leads up past the hermitage of Wat Pha Lat, and the road continues to Bhubing Palace and the Hmong village of Doi Pui.

Huai Kaeo Road, Su Thep, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the temple has opened every day of the year with no weekly closing day, from about 6 am to about 6 pm, with some reports of the grounds staying open later into the evening; the funicular lift runs shorter hours, roughly from early morning to late afternoon, and stops earlier than the temple. The inner court and halls close briefly for ceremonies. Bhubing Palace above it has opened only on days when the royal family is not in residence, with a last entry in the mid-afternoon and closures of weeks at a time. Shared songthaews thin out in the late afternoon. The traps that ruin a day are arriving between 10 am and 3 pm in the crush, going up for the view on a smoky or foggy day, reaching Bhubing Palace on a closed day, and staying after dusk with no plan for the ride down. Confirm current times before relying on them.

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