How To Travel From Chiang Mai To White Temple

If you are visiting Thailand, chances are you’ve heard of the famous Wat Rong Khun White Temple. This beautiful temple is created by Chalermchai Kositpipat and is renowned for its glistening beauty, especially on a sunny day. This temple is also famous for its contemporary art and traditional Buddhist carvings. Most travellers often assume that the White Temple is in Chiang Mai when it is in fact in Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai doesn’t get as many visitors compared to Chiang Mai, and it is not as touristy.

One of my bucket list items to do in Thailand was to visit the beautiful White Temple in Chiang Rai. In fact, that was all I wanted to do in Chiang Rai during my second trip to Thailand. The pureness of the White Temple and the gory hands that reach out to you as you cross the Cycle of Rebirth bridge fascinated me and drew me to this temple.

Read this guide if you are trying to figure out all the options to get from Chiang Mai to Wat Rong Khun

If you are visiting Chiang Mai and you want to know your options on how to get to the beautiful Wat Rong Khun, then this guide is for you. I’ll walk you through the different options on how to get to the White Temple.

About the White Temple

Wat Rong Khun is privately owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a famous artist from Chiang Rai. He took over and reconstructed this temple with his own money after noticing the deterioration of the temple by the late 20th century. The White Temple officially opened its doors in 1997 and will continue to be enhanced until 2050.

Why Wat Rong Khun is almost entirely white

You’ll notice that Wat Rong Khun is a stark contrast compared to other glittering temples in Thailand. White is the primary colour of this temple, and Chalermchai used it to symbolize a pure mind as well as a movement towards merit. Gold, on the other hand, represents greed for material objects. In fact, the only building made of gold at this temple is the bathroom! That’s his funny way of saying that he thinks gold is a pile of poop as it reflects greed and temptations.

When you visit Wat Rong Khun, you’ll notice that there is so much detail in the design of this temple. Every aspect has a riddle or symbolism linked to Buddhist philosophy.

Options on getting from Chiang Mai to White Temple

You can get to Wat Rong Khun in a few different ways from Chiang Mai:

• Hire a private driver
• Taxi
• Bus
• Drive

I will walk you through the pros and cons of each option.

Chiang Mai to White Temple by private car transportation

The most common way to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai as a visitor is undoubtedly by hiring a private driver. That’s because it is the most comfortable option where you can have a degree of control over your schedule compared to taking a taxi or bus. I personally booked a private car transfer when I visited Chiang Mai and was really happy that I went with this option.

Travel time: 3 hours one way (could be longer depending on traffic)
Transfer cost: 3,600 baht round trip

Pros of hiring a private car

• No planning required: just flag a taxi or grab the card of the taxi driver from the hotel
• You can leave at any time
• Direct pick up from your hotel to Wat Rong Khun
• You can have the driver take you around Chiang Rai if you plan to stay overnight
• You can arrange to have a tour guide go with you (really worth it!)

Cons of taking the private car

• It is one of the most expensive ways to get to Chiang Rai.

You can hire a private driver (click here to check prices). This private car transfer also gives you the option of visiting Baan Dam (Black House) and the Golden Triangle.

Questions to ask before booking a private car transfer

Do your due diligence before booking your car transfer! Some questions you should ask include:

• Are there seatbelts?
• How many seats are there in the car?
• Is there proper insurance? If so, what kind of insurance does the company hold?
• How old is the car?
• Is there air conditioning in the car?
• Are any toll fees included in the price of the private car transfer?
• Who pays for the parking fees?
• Can the driver speak English?

Chiang Mai to White Temple by taxi

It is quite possible to take the taxi from Chiang Mai to Wat Rong Khun. The taxi drivers are not as aggressive compared to the ones in Bangkok, and they are less likely to rip you off.

Travel time: 3 hours one way (could be longer depending on traffic)
Transfer cost: 3,000 round trip

Pros of taking the taxi

• No planning required: just flag a cab or grab the card of the taxi driver from the hotel or ask a taxi driver if you took one while in Chiang Mai
• You can leave at any time
• Direct pick up from your hotel to Wat Rong Khun

Cons of taking the taxi

• One of the most expensive options
• May be harder to arrange visiting other places along the way, such as the black house or the blue temple
• You won’t know what kind of driver you’ll get until you hop into the taxi

Chiang Mai to White Temple by bus

If you have the time and want to save some money, taking the bus from the Chiang Mai bus station to Wat Rong Khun is another option. The best place to book your tickets from this website. Note that once you arrive at Chiang Rai, you’ll likely have to take a taxi to get to Wat Rong Khun.

Travel time: 3 hours one way (could be longer depending on traffic)
Transfer cost: 300 baht one way plus the cost of a taxi from the Chiang Rai bus station to Wat Rong Khun

Pros of taking the bus

• Cost-effective and likely the cheapest way to get to Wat Rong Khun
• Buses have large seats and are air-conditioned

Cons of taking the bus

• Not the most comfortable or the most convenient option
• Cannot visit Chiang Rai on your own schedule as departures are determined by the bus company
• You will have to take a taxi from the bus station to Wat Rong Khun

Chiang Mai to White Temple by driving

This option is most suited for those who are

• Staying in Thailand for a long time
• Comfortable with driving in Thailand

Travel time: 3 hours one way (could be longer depending on traffic)
Transfer cost: Prices are around 1,100 baht per day

Pros of driving

• You have full autonomy of your itinerary
• You can easily rent a car from the airport and use the car to get around Chiang Mai
• Cheaper than hiring a private driver or taxi

Cons of driving

• Thailand drivers are not like what you’d expect in developed countries and are more aggressive
• You will need to bring your driver’s license, international driving permit and passport to rent a car
• The driver’s seat is on the right side of the vehicle, so it may take some getting used to in the beginning
• The roads Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai can be a bit of a challenge for those who aren’t used to driving in mountainous terrains

Other options to get to Wat Rong Khun that are excluded from this list

You may be wondering about the possibility of flying to Chiang Rai or renting a motorbike to drive to Wat Rong Khun. Both are possible, but I am excluding it from this list because it is not a practical way to get to Chiang Rai. I’ve listed the reasons below.

Flying to Chiang Rai

while there is an airport in Chiang Rai, there are no direct flights from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. I am excluding air travel as an option because it makes no sense to fly to Chiang Rai. You end up flying from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and then back to Chiang Rai, which makes no sense.

Driving to Chiang Rai by motorbike

You can also rent a motorbike to get to Chiang Rai, but I am excluding this from this list because it’s not for the inexperienced. The highway from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai has a lot of traffic, so unless you are taking backroads and you’re not in a rush to get to Chiang Rai, I wouldn’t suggest this option.

Other information about Wat Rong Khun

• Opening hours: The White Temple opens daily from 8 am to 5 pm and closes at 5:30pm on the weekends
• Entrance fee: 100 baht for foreign visitors and free for Thai people
• Dress code: Shoulders and knees need to be covered. If you didn’t dress appropriately, you could rent sarongs onsite.
• How long should you visit the White Temple: You can spend anywhere from an hour or more at the White Temple, although I think one hour is really rushing it.

Combine your trip to the White Temple to visit other attractions

Let’s face it, the drive from Chiang Mai to the White Temple is long, you might as well include a few stopovers to make the trip all the more worthwhile. Some of the places you can stop by include:

Baan Dam (The Black House)

The Black House is a contemporary home that features the work of Thawan Duchanee and other Thai artists. It’s a very dark art, but interesting and worth visiting during your drive to Wat Rong Khun. You can book an affordable tour that takes you to both Baan Dam and Wat Rong Khun: This tour is excellent if you are tight on time but want to see the three most famous temples and the black house museum near Chiang Rai. Prices are under $50 USD

Wat Rong Suea Ten (The Blue Temple)

As implied by the name, this unique temple is entirely blue and is the only blue temple in Thailand. This tour will take you to this temple as well as Wat Saeng Kaeo Phothiyan and Wat Huay Pla Kang, two beautiful, but lesser-known temples.

The Golden Triangle

This tour includes a visit to the White Temple, a boat ride and the golden triangle

If you plan to stay overnight in Chiang rai, consider visiting Doi Tung, Choui Fong Tea Plantation, Singha Park, Doi Mae Slong and Chiang Rai walking street. This tour gives you the option of visiting all the popular attractions as well as the lesser-known ones in two or three-day tours.

Conclusion

A visit to Wat Rong Khun is a must if you are in Chiang Mai, and you have the time to make a trip to Chiang Rai. Now that you know your options comment below on how you plan to get to the beautiful White Temple!