Doi Suthep Hill

Location: Doi Suthep is located in the west suburb of Chiang Mai city, about 16 kilometers from Chiang Mai old city, and about 20 kilometers from Chiang Mai airport.
Opening hours: open all day
Reasons to visit: Doi Suthep is the symbol and soul of Chiang Mai, and a Buddhist holy site in Thailand. It is also a comprehensive manifestation of nature and culture, and a tourist destination that you should not miss.

Doi Suthep is a famous Buddhist holy site in northern Thailand, and also a natural barrier and landmark of Chiang Mai city. Doi Suthep is located in the west suburb of Chiang Mai old city, with an altitude of 1667 meters. The mountain is surrounded by white clouds, with a cool and pleasant climate, lush trees, and colorful flowers. It is a tourist attraction that combines natural scenery and cultural landscape. Here, you can enjoy the panoramic view of Chiang Mai city, visit the splendid Doi Suthep Temple and the elegant Bhubing Palace, explore the rich natural landscape and colorful ethnic culture, and feel the charm and mystery of northern Thailand.

What to do in Doi Suthep

The best time to visit Doi Suthep is from November to February, when the climate is cool, the flowers are blooming, and it is a good time to appreciate the scenery and take photos. Generally speaking, one day is enough for you to visit the main attractions of Doi Suthep.

Visit Doi Suthep Temple and Bhubing Palace

The most famous attraction of Doi Suthep is Doi Suthep Temple, also known as Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, built in 1383, and one of the most sacred temples in Thailand. The temple is located on the hillside, and you have to walk up from the front of the temple with more than 300 steps. The railings on both sides of the steps are two colorful multi-headed dragons with peculiar shapes. The golden Buddha statues, the stupa covered with gold foil, and other attractions in the temple are worth seeing. Behind the main hall is the viewing platform where you can overlook the panoramic view of Chiang Mai old city. If the weather is clear, you can see the landmarks such as Chiang Mai airport, Chiang Mai university, Chiang Mai zoo, etc. 

Continue to the west, you can reach Bhubing Palace, the summer palace of the Thai king, built in 1961, and a typical Thai-style building. In December-January, it is very cool here, and the royal family members will live here from January to March. Visitors can visit the garden at other months, and the garden is open from 8:30 to 15:30 every day. The interior of the palace is only open on weekends and holidays from 8:30 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 15:00. 

Hiking in Doi Suthep

Another popular way to visit Doi Suthep is hiking. You can choose to walk on some trails in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, and enjoy the forest and jungle area in the mountain, as well as some waterfalls and caves. You can start from a small road near Doi Suthep Temple, and walk along the ridge to the top of the mountain, which takes about 2-3 hours. On the way, you can see the highest point of Doi Suthep, with an altitude of 1685 meters, and a small radar station. You can also start from a small road near Bhubing Palace, and walk along the valley to the foot of the mountain, which takes about 3-4 hours. On the way, you can see some Hmong villages and farmlands, and a waterfall called Montathan, which is the largest waterfall in Doi Suthep, with a height of 10 meters and abundant water. No matter which route you choose, you need to bring enough water and food, as well as sunscreen and insect repellent products, and some cash, in case you need to take a songthaew or motorcycle back to the city. If you are not familiar with the route, you can join some local hiking groups.

Viewing platform overlooking Chiang Mai panorama

If you want to have a panoramic view of Chiang Mai, you can go to the viewing platform of Doi Suthep. There are two places to choose from, one is the viewing platform behind Doi Suthep Temple, and the other is the halfway of Doi Suthep, where there is a place called Doi Suthep View Point, with a large parking lot, and some stalls selling drinks and snacks. From here, you can see the panoramic view of Chiang Mai, including Chiang Mai airport, Chiang Mai university, Chiang Mai zoo, Chiang Mai old city, etc., as well as some distant mountains and valleys. If you want to take beautiful photos of sunrise or sunset, you can wait here, but pay attention to the weather changes, sometimes there will be fog or clouds blocking the sight. 

Explore the Hmong villages hidden in Doi Suthep

As for the reasons for the emergence of Chinese Hmong villages in Chiang Mai, it is widely said that after World War II, the Kuomintang army left in northern Thailand could not return to the mainland due to political reasons at that time, and could only settle down in the mountains of northern Thailand, among which there were Hmong people. The Hmong people are one of the largest ethnic minorities in northern Thailand, and they mainly live in the mountains, relying on agriculture for their livelihood. They have unique clothing and customs. You can start from a small road near Bhubing Palace, and walk along the valley to the foot of the mountain, which takes about 3-4 hours. On the way, you can see some Hmong villages, such as Doi Pui Village and Ban Mae Sa Mai Village. 

Enjoy the cherry blossoms in Khun Chang Kian

If you go to Doi Suthep in January-February, you have a special surprise, that is to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Khun Chang Kian. Khun Chang Kian is a small village located in the northwest of Doi Suthep, with an altitude of 1400 meters. It is an experimental station of Chiang Mai Agricultural University, and also a settlement of the Hmong people. Every year in January-February, the cherry blossoms here will bloom, and the whole village will be dyed pink, very beautiful. Khun Chang Kian is very close to Doi Pui Hmong Village, and it is on the same road as Doi Suthep Temple and Bhubing Palace, and the traffic is very convenient. You can take some beautiful photos here, and also taste some local special food, such as roasted corn, roasted banana, roasted eggs, etc., which are roasted with cherry blossom branches, and have a special aroma. You can also take a songthaew or motorcycle to Khun Chang Kian, or choose to hike, and enjoy the scenery along the way. Khun Chang Kian is open from 6:00 to 18:00 every day, and there is no ticket, but you need to pay some parking or transportation fees, about 100-200 baht.

How to get there

Take a songthaew: The road to Doi Suthep is rugged and winding, and some tuk-tuks are also difficult to reach. Therefore, you can take a tuk-tuk in the city to the Tapae Gate near Chiang Mai old city or the Doi Suthep songthaew station near Chiang Mai university, and take a songthaew up the hill.