The 12 best festivals, street fairs, and annual events in Chiang Rai

The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) in Chiang Rai is one of Thailand’s most surreal sights — pure white, shimmering with mirrored glass under the sun. The details feel almost otherworldly, blending Buddhist symbolism with modern art. Photos are allowed outside but not inside, where the murals surprise you with unexpected imagery. Visit early morning to avoid glare and crowds. It’s both art and reflection in one unforgettable stop.

Absolutely amazing day tour to 3 temples in Chiang Rai through Get Your Guide. These temples you really have to see for yourself to see their real beauty. Highly recommend if you’re in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai area. If you book the tour on Get Your Guide feel free to use my dis code. ANTNEWBYTRAVELS5

Absolutely stunning temple, it’s a shame tourists can’t respect the culture though. During our time at the temple we heard the man over the speaker repeatedly tell the same people to cover themselves. They kept removing their coverings to take their insta shots. Honestly, wake up to yourself. If you can’t come to a country and respect the culture, go home. No one wants you here. Obviously there’s going to be people everywhere at tourist attractions. So fine. But don’t be rude and act like you’re the only one there. To get into the temple you have to cross a narrow bridge / walkway. There is a recording telling people not to block this. Sure enough there was a couple on the walkway taking selfies completely blocking the way with total disregard for the 20 - 30 people trying to get across. Until I walked in front of their camera that is. If you’re going to come here, respect the culture and other people or don’t bother because you honestly just look like an absolute flog. P.s. don’t forget there’s more to see here than just the white temple itself.

Beautiful temple that’s definitely a must-visit if you’re in Chiang Rai. They don’t let you enter after 4.45. So don’t be stupid like us and definitely try to reach early! We had to check it out from outside and leave.

Its a beautiful temple for pictures taking. The white colour with chrome trimmed scriptures and building design really stands out especially during the sun light. Was really impressed with the toilet too which was painted in gold. Its gets crowded with Tourists and buses. There were quite a numbers of eateries here hence can dropby for meals too.

Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) in Chiang Rai feels like stepping into a dream — pure white, mirror details catching the light, and architecture unlike anywhere else. It’s art, spirituality, and imagination blended into one surreal experience. Every corner has symbolism, from the path of life and karma to the bridge toward enlightenment. It’s peaceful, meaningful, and visually stunning — a place that inspires you to slow down and reflect. ✅ Unique modern Buddhist architecture ✅ Stunning details & symbolic design ✅ Beautiful photo spots

The temple itself is very beautiful, with its white surface and embedded mirrors that reflect the sunlight and make the temple shine in the sun. The beautiful atmosphere is a bit disturbed by its popularity and the constant announcements repeated over loudspeaker, telling people to continue walking and not to take pictures within the temple. You can find tons of references to modern pop-culture across the temple grounds. The biggest attraction is probably the entrance, where you can walk over a bridge that is surrounded by a lake of hands reaching out to you.

Our visit to Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai was a highlight of our trip, offering a perfect blend of history, spirituality, and stunning architecture! Located in the heart of the city near the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, this temple is easily accessible yet feels like a serene retreat from the bustling streets. Known as the original home of the Emerald Buddha (now in Bangkok), Wat Phra Kaew holds immense cultural significance, and its peaceful ambiance made our visit unforgettable. The temple complex is beautifully maintained, with lush gardens, intricate statues, and vibrant Lanna-style buildings adorned with red and gold details. The main hall houses a replica of the Emerald Buddha, crafted with exquisite detail, and the surrounding murals depicting Buddhist tales are mesmerizing. We were particularly drawn to the Phra Yok Museum on-site, which displays rare Lanna artifacts, including jade Buddha images and ancient scriptures. a true gem in Chiang Rai that we’d highly recommend to anyone exploring the city!

This is one of the most amazing temples I’ve ever been to - the vibe and atmosphere is uniquely indescribable - the grounds are so green and well-maintained and all the structures on the temple territory are incredibly beautiful. They also have English-language meetings on Buddhism every Tuesday where you can talk with the monks.

This temple offers a complete blend of history, spirituality, and stunning architecture! The place accessible yet feels like a silent place full of solace. The building of this temple is well-maintained, with some gardens, statues, and red-gold ornaments around. Not only that, there is a Phra Yok Museum on-site, which depicting artifacts, and lots of a gems. Also, I enjoy my day dreaming here!

Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai (also known as the Emerald Buddha Temple) is a peaceful, more traditional spot that feels very different from the flashy White and Blue Temples. It’s not touristy at all, which actually makes it a really nice break — quiet, calm, and very well maintained. There is a school for monks and locals come pray here. The temple is famous because the original Emerald Buddha (now in Bangkok’s Grand Palace) was discovered here centuries ago. The one you see now is a beautiful green jade replica, still very impressive and treated with a lot of respect. The whole complex has a very local, authentic vibe — more focused on spirituality than on Instagram posts. There’s no entrance fee. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), especially if you plan to enter the main hall. It’s less strict than the White Temple, but still a sacred place. They also have a small museum on the grounds with historical artifacts and info about the Emerald Buddha. We spent about 15 minutes - more if you take time to read the signs and enjoy the surroundings. It’s located close to the city center, so very easy to combine with the Blue Temple.

As any real temple, it's always good and peaceful but what tries to destroy it are some evil creatures around it. Such a holy place and some souls that have nothing else to do than gossiping and staring at others when looking on the mirror is so difficult. These men kept playing cards and talking about the farang and looking bad at me, especially the pink shirt one. Good examples to work in a temple!

Really nice temple.. plenty of green, air feels very fresh here. Also not many tourists, quite relaxing. Walk up the steps and you will see a magnificent scene, green marble? walls. Recommended , one of the nicest ones in the area

All pictures are the Emerald Buddha statue taken at Wat-Pra-Kaew in Chiang Rai province. Please come to visit and study the history of the Emerald Buddha statue as well as immerse with land/temple where the real statue have been enshrined for centuries. 😊

blooming fairyland Pretty gardening During the day but especially at night, there are lights decorated with light, green, purple blue, magnificent as a de facto contract, beautiful, good atmosphere in another way. Better to go there at dusk. But if you don't have the possibility, you can go during the day to smell the orchids which are carefully watered every day, go there both at night and during the day. The atmosphere is different. Both are gorgeous. You can go for a run in the park in the morning.

Very beautiful place to spend with friends and family. Many varients of flowers and art work is really amazing. They have evening lighting show in flower garden (only during flower festival).really enjoyed the walk and click photos 😍😍😍🎉

FREE to visit, parking included too so as far as value, it's probably the best place day+night for families, teens, seniors, everyone imo 🤩 Awesome shows, food vendors, tee shirt vendors (disclaimer, bought some from local friends / relatives). Photos came great (Instagram, TikTok and Facebook) ready 🤳😇🌷🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼💐🏵️ We would definitely visit if we are in town again this time of the year. 😎🌨️☃️🧥🧤

Surreal experience through enchanted themed flower garden. Lots of different fresh flowers in full bloom. Decorative items also adds character to the garden. Colourful lights and sounds made the festival more alive. Outside is the market with lot of food and native thai fashion items. Includes clothes, mats, brass wear, shoes, traditional paintings etc. If you are a foreigner and in search of authetic northern thai style, u could have find some good items here. Its held once year and open from morning to mid night. But i suggest to go at night for the flower festival to get the maximum experience and beauty.

It's amazing. The flowers are beautiful. The place is really nice during the day and in the evening. The light effects are incredible at night. The event did not disappoint. Looking forward to the next one!

Many flowers and art projects/sculptures. While it does look pretty and is good for a leisure stroll, I wouldn't recommend traveling from far just to see it.

I visited Chiangrai Flower and Art Festival 2023 is held under the romantic theme ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’at the Garden of Reeds (Chiang Rai Provincial Hall at Rimkok). It’s an opportunity to admire the winter hues amidst a diverse array of blooming flowers, embracing the gentle breeze and warm sunlight in the wintery atmosphere of Chiang Rai. Cool weather makes it also the perfect place to plant flowers such as tulips, lilies, and many other species from colder climates. Event highlights and accommodations conveniently located near the festival grounds such as street food and effective public transport. Otherwise, the garden was visited by many people which can cause difficulty to walk or take some pictures. I would recommend this significant year-end destination that should not be missed.

I have come to these flower shows for 4 years in a row and love them all. Don't miss the flower show in the city center city park. It runs at the same time the asian flower show does.

So so so beautiful place 😍😍 I’m falling again and again, recommend should to go at night 👍🏻💐

The taxi driver called this place MYANMAR HOTEL. The room is old and the bathroom is moldy. The bed is VERY VERY HARD. I hate to give a poor review but I couldn't stay. I had to leave to a different hotel. The staff is amazing but for the price the room should be MUCH BETTER.

Good price. Wonderful staff extremely helpful, helped with pharmacy items and left behind items, always smiling. Perfect room no floors clean and comfortable. Recommend

Very good place near bus station and in downtown , nurture place in downtown.

(Translated by Google) We stayed two nights at the Golden Triangle Palace Hotel and were very happy with this choice. The beds were hard and perfect for a good night's sleep, we slept really well. In the morning there was the possibility of drinking instant coffee and eating delicious bananas from the hotel owner's field. The girl at the reception was very nice to us and friendly. Through the hotel we were able to rent scooters, excellent service as they brought the scooters to the hotel and also picked them up. (Original) Abbiamo pernottato due notti al Golden Triangle Palace Hotel e siamo stati molto felici di questa scelta. I letti erano duri e perfetti per una bella dormita, abbiamo dormito davvero bene. Al mattino c'era a disposizione la possibilità di bere del caffè solubile e mangiare le buonissime banane del campo del proprietario dell'hotel. La ragazza alla reception è stata molto carina con noi e amichevole. Tramite l'hotel abbiamo potuto noleggiare gli scooter, ottimo servizio in quanto ci hanno portato gli scooter in hotel e se li sono venuti a prendere anche.

The staff are so helpful, kind and attentive. We arrived in the afternoon for a short visit and they arranged transport to the attractions within half an hour. If you are looking for a more traditional place, rather than a chain, then I would recommend this place. There's a veranda where you can sit and chill. The room had everything you needed, including both A/C and a ceiling fan (my preference). Excellent value for money. In the evening there were food stalls in the courtyard where food was cooked fresh.

I stayed here for 5 nights and it was perfect for me. Very close to the restaurants, bars and Walking Street but was very quiet at night. Good A/C in the room. Hard bed but I loved that. The owners were so welcoming and helped with tour booking and any other advice that was needed. Free bananas all day and a great cooked breakfast in the morning. For the money it really was fantastic. If I'm back in Chiang Rai, I'll stay here. Thanks!

(Translated by Google) The room had air conditioning, a fan, a TV, a refrigerator, and a bathtub. The room was quite spacious, and the Wi-Fi was extremely fast. The hotel was relatively close to the bus terminal, and there were many restaurants nearby. (Original) エアコン、ファン、テレビ、冷蔵庫、バスタブ付きの部屋でした。　室内もそこそこの広さで、Wifiは爆速でした。　場所も、比較的バスターミナルから近く、飲食店も付近にあります。

Completely dead and really sad place to be. I assume a lot of the community have left as it doesn't match these reviews The few people we met were nice but not worth the money

Like a human zoo. They dont look like happy. Also pricy too. 500 thb per person. Don’t go there !

There is absolutely nothing to do with any hill tribe at this location

it's a zoo, inhumane

(Translated by Google) It's a tourist trap. It is clearly an abandoned place where some people (few) go to play a part. We saw two women with long necks and not too long necks, the others were normal women who moved the rings due to the obvious annoyance they caused them due to their lack of habit. Markets, improvised dances and skits are useful only if you get additional tips beyond the already expensive ticket price (300 baht). (Original) É una trappola per turisti. Si tratta chiaramente di un luogo abbandonato dove alcune persone (poche) si recano a recitare una parte. Di donne con il collo lungo e nemmeno troppo ne abbiamo viste due, le altre erano donne normali che spostavano gli anelli per l’evidente fastidio che gli arrecavano per la mancanza di abitudine. Mercatini, danze improvvisate e scenette utili solo ape avere ulteriori mance oltre il prezzo già caro del biglietto (300 bath).

(Translated by Google) This is a village of the Karen ethnic minority (one of Myanmar's ethnic minorities) who migrated to Northern Thailand. The number of necklaces worn by women here depends on their age. (Original) Đây là một ngôi làng của dân tộc thiểu số Karen ( một trong những dân tộc thiểu số cua Myanmar) di cư xuống miền Bắc Thái Lan, số vòng đeo trên cổ của người phụ nữ ở đây phụ thuộc vào số tuổi của họ.

(Translated by Google) No one lives here anymore. It's sad to come here and have to go back to the hotel (Original) Không còn ai sống ở đây cả. Thật buồn khi tới đây và phải quay trở lại khách sạn

We had our best coffees and teas in Thailand here! Owner lady use good quality integridents for her products. Highly recommended!

Called in purely by chance. We had an iced Americano and a matcha latte. With four choices of beans and two types of matcha you get whatever you want. The quality was very, very good. One of those unexpected surprises that tempts you to reach for superlatives. Very highly recommended.

So cute!!!! Black Yuzu and Thai tea were lovely! Little cozy place with great vibes (and a lot of drinks choices)

Super cute coffee shop. The Thai coffee was delicious! The owner also helped me out with things to do in the area which was nice.

(Translated by Google) Coffee shop next to the main road next to Sermthai. It looks small like this, but it's good. The taste is like many famous coffee shops. The main coffee is Pang Khon. There are light, medium, and dark roasts. Most importantly, the price is not expensive. (Original) ร้านกาแฟ ติดถนนสายหลักติดกับเสริมไท เห็นเล็กๆเเบบนี้ เเต่คือดี รสชาติเหมือนร้านกาแฟดังๆหลายๆร้าน กาแฟหลักคือปางขอน มีทั้งคั่วอ่อน กลาง เข้ม ที่สำคัญราคาไมาเเพง

High quality coffee with reasonable price.

(Translated by Google) A friendly owner and a small and pretty shop. I stopped by by chance, but I have good memories. (Original) 친절한 주인과 작고 이쁜 가게. 우연하게 들렀지만 좋은 기억을 가지고 갑니다.

(Translated by Google) The barber is cute, friendly, and cuts beautifully with good skill. Friendly prices, cool air conditioning, clean shop, recommend. (Original) ช่างตัดผมน่ารัก อัธยาศัยดี ตัดสวยฝีมือดี ราคาเป็นกันเอง แอร์เย็น ร้านสะอาด แนะนำครับ

(Translated by Google) Very good haircut (Original) ตัดผมดีมากครับ