If you only have a few days to travel around Thailand and don’t want to miss the White Temple or the Golden Triangle, one option is to take a day trip by minivan from Chiang Mai. This is an intense excursion, and due to the distance between each destination, you’ll spend many hours on the road.
If you’re just passing through the north briefly, we think it’s better to focus on Chiang Mai and its surroundings and enjoy them. But if you have a bit more time, we highly recommend skipping this day trip and instead spending a few days in Chiang Rai province, where you can explore everything more leisurely.
If you’re in the first group—those with limited time who are still deciding whether or not to take the Golden Triangle tour—here’s a little overview of what it involves.
Chiang Mai’s city center is full of agencies offering this type of activity, usually with English-speaking guides. If you want to make the most of your day, we recommend booking a private tour online that includes via this link: Private visit to Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle Temples.
Most agencies begin pick-up between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m.—pretty early, since it’s a long tour. Don’t worry if you haven’t had time for breakfast; the first stop at the hot springs is about an hour away.
The “cool” thing about this stop is that there are a couple of natural hot springs where, aside from the strong sulfur smell, you can boil and eat an egg right on the spot. You can also grab a bite to eat or drink from nearby coffee stands or convenience stores like 7-Eleven.
Without a doubt, Thailand’s famous White Temple in Chiang Rai is one of the most unique in the entire country. Its most striking feature is that, unlike most temples in Thailand, it’s completely painted in white—except for the restroom area, whose gold-plated walls could make you think you’ve entered royal bathrooms.
Its modern style, superhero imagery, and the fact that the artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat, continues painting its interior make Wat Rong Khun especially popular with tourists—as shown by the crowds. This temple truly surprised us, and we loved it so much that it deserves a dedicated article (coming soon!).
Around midday, there’s a break for lunch. In our case, it was a buffet, included in the price of the tour. Since most activities organized by different agencies are practically identical, it’s likely this is standard. Still, it’s worth confirming with the agency when booking.
But before lunch, we made a quick stop at Thailand’s northernmost point, right on the border with Myanmar. Besides snapping a classic photo and watching the hustle and bustle of the border crossing—people going back and forth—you can browse local markets selling jewelry, stones, and nuts.
The Golden Triangle is the name given to the place where the Ruak and Mekong Rivers form a natural border at the meeting point of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. The area was once infamous for opium cultivation, but today, tourists mainly come to snap a photo at the border or spend a little time in Laos.
If you join a tour, chances are they’ll give you the option to cross over to the Laotian side—though this usually comes with an extra fee, of course.
On the Thai side of the Golden Triangle, there’s not much to do apart from grabbing a bite at one of the cafés or browsing for souvenirs. Still, the area is filled with statues—elephants, Buddhas, boats, and just about anything else you can imagine—so there’s plenty to look at.
A word of caution: some tours from Chiang Mai include a visit to see the “giraffe women.” In our case, we were told this would cost extra, and we chose not to go.
We recommend getting all the details before committing to any activity. Ask first—so you don’t end up supporting something you’re uncomfortable with.
Well, as we mentioned earlier, if you’re short on time, we don’t think spending it in a minivan is the best use of it. Chiang Mai has a lot to offer, and you can enjoy it more without rushing to see a tiny glimpse of the surrounding provinces.
We did this tour once when friends were visiting and thought it would be a good chance to show them the White Temple. But if I had to plan that trip again, I’d swap this excursion for something closer to Chiang Mai.
Out of the 12 hours the tour lasted, I’d say we spent around nine of them inside the vehicle—just so you’re aware…
Another thing (and this might sound a bit odd, but it’s my personal opinion) is the strange feeling I was left with after listening to our guide all day.
There was something unsettling about how coldly she spoke about the different ethnic groups, or the way she encouraged people to try liquor infused with tiger testicles once we crossed into Laos.
Her tone carried a sense of indifference about the things she was showing us, which left me with a bitter impression. It felt like we had traveled hundreds of kilometers, only to skim the surface of everything we saw…
