Day 1 in Chiang Mai
6 stops · 10:00 to 18:30 · about 3.7 km between stops, in a straight line
Highlights: Wat Chiang Man — the City's Founding Temple, Wat Chedi Luang — the Ruined Giant and Wat Phra Sing — Lanna Craftsmanship at its Peak.
10:00about 45 min
Arrive & Check In
Drop your bags at your hotel in or near the old city — the moat squares are walkable from almost any guesthouse inside the walls, so you can step straight into temple territory within minutes of arriving.
11:00about 60 minSight
Wat Chiang Man — the City's Founding Temple
Start where the city itself started. Wat Chiang Man, the first temple of Chiang Mai, was built by King Mengrai in 1297, a year after he founded the capital. Its Chedi Chang Lom is ringed by the front halves of fifteen life-sized brick-and-stucco elephants, and the smaller wihan houses two revered Buddha images, the tiny Crystal Buddha and the stone Phra Sila. Take your time with both.
About 900 m to the next stop
12:30about 60 minLunch
Lunch at Ratana's Kitchen
A short walk from the temple, Ratana's Kitchen is a solid address for northern Thai cooking — think khao soi with its twin-texture noodles, nam prik ong, and pork larb dressed with toasted rice powder. Order broadly and share.
About 1.0 km to the next stop
14:00about 75 minSight
Wat Chedi Luang — the Ruined Giant
A fifteen-minute stroll brings you to what was once the tallest structure in the Lanna kingdom. The chedi lost its upper third to a 16th-century earthquake and has never been fully restored — that partial ruin only makes it more arresting. Walk around the base, chat with the resident monks who sometimes hold informal conversations with visitors in the late afternoon.
About 600 m to the next stop
15:30about 60 minSight
Wat Phra Sing — Lanna Craftsmanship at its Peak
Round off your old-city temple circuit at Wat Phra Sing, home to the revered Phra Singh Buddha image. The gilded Wihan Lai Kham chapel behind the main hall is the reason most people visit — its carved wood façade and interior murals of Lanna court life are among the finest examples of northern Thai craftsmanship you will find anywhere.
About 1.3 km to the next stop
18:30about 90 minFood
Evening at The Moat House
Settle in at The Moat House as the old city lights up along the water. It's a relaxed bar spot right by the moat — ideal for a cold Chang and a plate of something light as you plan tomorrow's trek up the mountain.
Photos: Supanut Arunoprayote (CC BY 4.0) · © Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0) · Stefan Fussan (CC BY-SA 3.0)
