Doi Suthep Temple
Last updated 2008-02-12
Doi Suthep is actually the name of the mountain, although say it to any driver and he'll know you want to go to the temple grounds (note that tuk tuk are unable to make the steep climb up the mountain, take a car instead). The temple itself is called Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the province and is only 16 kilometres away from Chiang Mai itself. The road up the mountain is a long winding affair and those who suffer from motion sickness may wish to take something to counter the effects before setting off.
From the car park, it is still a steep climb to the temple itself via a long staircase flanked by the iconic naga dragons seen in all the tourist guides. If you are unable to make this long climb, don't worry as there is a cable car just a few yards away and you can bypass the stairs altogether (at the time of writing 20 Baht). Once you reach the top, entry to the temple grounds costs 30 Baht for foreigners. Thai nationals enter free of charge.
It is important to remember you should be appropriately dressed when visiting any temple in Thailand... no short skirts or excessively bare skin. Use your common sense. You must take off your shoes when entering the central Chedi area. In this sacred cloister of the temple you will find many Buddha images, gleaming gold everywhere and exquisite artwork and carvings and monks are busy blessing people with holy water. After shedding your shoes to enter this central area, there are guides waiting to talk to you about the finer details of the temple and show you around, for a fee of course. If you are really interested to find out more of each aspect of what can be seen here, it might be worth employing one of these guides, otherwise just wonder around at your own pace and enjoy the beauty of what you see.
Around the outer area of the temple (it's OK to wear your shoes here) you can see the temple museum, ring the long lines of bells, softly sound a 6ft tall gong, the various pagodas, statues, with various aspects of Buddhism and Hinduism, learn about the history of the temple... and enjoy truly spectacular views over Chiang Mai city and the mountains beyond.
View a map of Doi Suthep the temple grounds
See also: Doi Pui Village | Chiang Mai Zoo
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