Chiang Rai is the northernmost large city in Thailand, about a 3 hour drive from Chiang Mai and a bit over 2 hours from the country’s borders with Myanmar and Laos.
We spent about a week exploring Chiang Rai, with one of our days spent exploring the city’s famous “color temples.” These consist of the White Temple – Wat Rong Khun, an open-air art exhibition in the style of a Buddhist temple:
The Black House – Baan Dam Museum, a mix of traditional northern Thai buildings, experimental architecture, and art museum:
And the Blue Temple – Wat Rong Suea Ten, a modern Buddhist temple famous for vivid blue coloring and detailed, elaborate carvings and murals:
All of these destinations are a short drive from Chiang Rai’s city center; moreover all are spectacular and well worth the trip. You can easily find tours in the city which will take you to all the locations (and more), or do what we did and rent a motorbike for a day to explore at your own pace.
Hopefully this video inspires you to pay a visit to Chiang Rai on your next trip to Thailand – these landmarks truly are can’t miss. Enjoy!
