Tour Code : SH001

Tour Code : SH001

Duration: 8 Hours

• City Moat 

Chiang Mai was founded by King Mengrai in 1296 and was once the capital of the kingdom of Lanna, one of the founding kingdoms of Siam. The old town is the geographical center of Chiang Mai city and was originally surrounded by a tall city wall and a 20-meter wide water-filled moat. While the moat is still in place, most of the city wall has disappeared. Today, only the old city gates and the fortified corners of the city wall are still more or less intact.

• Three Kings Monument

The three kings monuments in Chiang Mai. King Mangrai of Lan Na (center), King Ngam Muang of Phayao (left) and King Ram Khamhaeng of Sukhothai (right), commemorating their pact of mutual defense in 1287.

• City Heritage Center (2 museums)

Chiang Mai City Heritage Center was established in 2002. During its 14 years of operation, the Center has witnessed a total attendance of over 1,100,000 visitors, serving as a means of communication and illumination for the public as to the value of Chiang Mai in terms of the city’s history, traditions, art, culture, and ways of life of the various peoples living together in the land of Lanna.

• Wat Chedi Luang

The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there. After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow. Probably due to stability problems, it took until the mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj. It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, at that time the largest building of all Lanna. In 1468, the Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern niche. In 1545, the upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake, and shortly thereafter, in 1551, the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang.

In the early 1990s, the chedi was reconstructed, financed by UNESCO and the Japanese government. However, the result is somewhat controversial, as some claim the new elements are in Central Thai style, not Lanna style. For the 600th anniversary of the chedi in 1995, a copy of the Emerald Buddha made from black jade was placed in the reconstructed eastern niche. The icon is named official Phra Phut Chaloem Sirirat, but is commonly known as Phra Yok.

• Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple)

As one of the oldest temples in Chiang Mai, Wat Sri Suphan was originally built in the 16th century during the Mangrai Dynasty when the 11th king of the Lanna Kingdom, Phra Muang Kaew, ruled the kingdom between 1495 and 1525. 

Wat Sri Suphan is a unique traditional Lanna design. From the walls to the roof, the temple is completely covered in a combination of silver, nickel, and aluminum. Even the Buddha statues are covered in silver. 

• Lunch at local restaurant (own expenses)

@ THB 800 per pax