Wat Phra That Doi Suthep spiritual Sunrise Tour with an Ex-monk

Badge of ExcellenceChiang Mai, Thailand

Amazing Sunrise tour on Doi Suthep temple on Mountians top

5 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Price varies by group size

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Overview

Beat the crowds and see a spectacular sunrise from one of Chiang Mai’s highest points during an early-morning tour to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This unique tour offers you the chance to experience an alms-giving ceremony in the early morning and explore the famous temple without daytime crowds. Plus, a former-monk guide provides insight into Thai culture and the Buddhist religion.

Experience Wat Phra That Toi Suthep without the crowds on an early-morning tour
See an alms-giving ceremony that most first-time visitors miss
Benefit from the insider knowledge of a former monk
Enjoy a delicious Thai breakfast and visit a hidden jungle temple

What's Included

Famous Local Breakfast: ( Khao Soi, noodle , Pad Thai, chicken rice or other local Thai breakfast )
All fees
Bottled water
Professional Experienced TAT Tourist guide.
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Flexible for party needs
VIP. Air-con. Car / Van

Gratuities
Tip or other personal expenses

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

05:00 AM

Pickup details

Pickup all clients at their hotel lobby in the morning between 5:00 -5:20 am. ( Clients will receive an email before the tour starts to confirm the pickup time. )

What To Expect

Rise early and greet your guide at your hotel. Save your legs as you drive to the summit of Doi Suthep—the highest mountain in Thailand—to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, to watch the dawn break over its glittering temple.

You’ll also see orange-clad monks collecting alms in the misty morning light.

Once you’ve soaked up panoramic views and feasted on a traditional northern Thai breakfast of either pad thai or *khai soi* coconut noodles, you’ll continue to Wat Umong and Wat Pha Lat temples, which are both shrouded by jungle.

Your tour concludes with drop-off back at your hotel.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Wat Pha Lat

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Wat Umong

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infant seats available
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult

Stroller accessible
Dress code is formal ( Must be long pants or long skirt for temple visit in Thailand )
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

533 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 533 reviews

Fantastic temple tour

Bhavesh_P, May 2024

Our guide was informative and friendly. We learned a lot and saw different aspects of Buddhist temples we would not have seen otherwise.

Exceptional Tour

Ervns_J, May 2024

Exceptional tour thanks to an amazing and friendly guide! A lot of new experiences and being able to be at such a magnificent and popular temple so early gives you an opportunity to enjoy it in peace and quite. Also, for me, as a dog lover - seeing tour guide being very good friends with dogs at the temple made my day <3 I went to quite a few tours while in Chiang Mai and this one was right there at the top :)

Worth getting up early for

Sharon_D, May 2024

Doing this tour was so worth it! We got to Doi Supthep before anyone else was there and saw the monks doing their morning prayers. Our guide as an ex-monk and really told us about the life and beliefs involved. So interesting and engaging, without the hordes of tourists later in the day. Everything else we did and breakfast was great as well.

Sunrise with the Monks and Non is a MUST!!

Bethany_H, May 2024

Non, our guide, was the kindest human! He stated our tour with joy and never let it slip. He was extremely knowledgeable about the temples, monk life, and Thai culture. He ensured all our many questions were answered, our breakfast was delicious, and our time chatting with a monk was unforgettable. HIGHLY recommend this tour, especially with Non! Also, I forgot a bag in the car and he returned it to me when I realized my mistake.

Fantastic tour with a great guide

Alex_M, May 2024

My wife and were lucky enough to do the tour with James as our guide. James was very knowledgeable about everything and shared his own personal experience, which added to the tour. Highly recommended, especially if you can have James as your guide.

Incredible morning

Brian_A, Apr 2024

What an amazing morning we had with Anon…he made everything so special and taught us so much about Buddhism and Thai history. We loved it! Highly recommend!

Amazing sunrise and unbelievable temples!

Chris_H, Apr 2024

What an amazing experience! James was the best guide you could ask for. He was informative, funny and accommodating. I was hoping for a good time, but this trip surpassed all expectations! Wow.

Highly recommend!

Liz_S, Mar 2024

We would leave 6 stars if we could! This was a great tour with Tom (a former monk), who was very generous with information and time with us. He took us through three very different temples with a ton of insider info. We were able to experience the chanting services at the temple very early in the morning, donate to the monks, enjoy lunch, see the sun begin to rise, and see 2 other temples before 11am! Wear athletic shoes as we did do some walking! We were lucky enough to have Tom all to ourselves! Definitely a treat!

A Great Way to Start the Day!

Marilyn_H, Mar 2024

It was definitely worth it to get up at 4:30 am on a Saturday morning. Our guide (Nom?) was on time to pick us up and there was only one other person on the tour. First we went to a local temple where we sat and listened to the monks chant. It was lovely and peaceful. Then as we headed ot Wat Phra, Nom gave us some history of the area and the temple, as well as his own experience of being a monk, which was very interesting. Unfortunately on this particular day the monks were not chanting, however Nom made up for this by showing us around the temple and receiving a blessing from a monk. We saw the sunrise over Chaing Mai, a beautiful site. We had coffee and a traditional breakfast (included) at the temple, which was nice. After that Nom took us to see some other temples that were architecturally different. As we viewed the sights, Nom explained a bit about buddism and Thai life. It was educational and fun. We were back at our hotel by about 10am. What a great way to start the day!

Beautiful and tranquil temples with an amazing guide

Katie_F, Mar 2024

Definitely worth getting up at 5am to see these temples without the tourists. Its was so peaceful. Our guide was amazingly helpful and knowledgeable. If I ever come back with my family I will book it again in a heart beat!

Great experience worth waking up early for

Michelle_B, Mar 2024

This was one of my nicest tours and well worth the early morning wake up. As a solo traveller it was informative and humorous. The sights were beautiful and our guide knew all of the temples and areas and most of the animals too. Definitely a highlight for me. The guide really made the tour for me.

Great timing

Robert_V, Mar 2024

Timed perfectly for monk ceremonies and sunrise. Guide explained the sights well. Felt like I saw more than any tourists who go on their own

Wonderful experience in Chiang Mai

Alexina_T, Feb 2024

We had a great time visiting the three different temples, seeing magical landscapes and learning more about the daily life of monks in Thailand. Our guide, James, was fun and had a great sense of humour, making our experience even more memorable. If you're hesitating to do this tour because of the early hour, go for it as it'll be your best memory in Chiang Mai.

Tranquil, Spiritual, Special

Rina_R, Feb 2024

I loved this experience so much. So serene to be at the temple so early and so special to witness and be a part of the morning rituals with the monks. Our guide, Non, (sorry if the spelling is wrong), was an ex monk and had so many interesting facts. The meal afterwards and the other 2 temples were also so enjoyable. I also loved that it was a small group (they don’t go beyond 5 pax). Thank you!

Spectacular Tour Experience

SYVILAY_S, Feb 2024

We really enjoyed the entire experience on this tour! James, our Tour Guide, was amazing. He was a major factor that made the experience memorable. He was so informative about the places we visited and he introduced activities for us to do in the tour, which we’re so blessed to be a part of. Overall, we had such a great time on this tour! Maybe in future tours we will get James as our Tour Guide again, he’s the best!!!

Spiritual experience

Lawrence_P, Feb 2024

A was a magical experience watching the sunrise, plus visiting the Temples, but what made the experience even better, was our guide Tu, the knowledge and information he provided, made the tour a real spiritual experience. And the pictures he took of me during the sunrise were just incredible. Would highly recommend this tour.

5 stars is not enough

Tara_B, Feb 2024

Amazing trip. 5 stars is not enough! Our guide spoke very good English and was a monk for 7 years so was able to share lots of insight into what we were seeing. He was also able to bring us into the rituals in a very authentic way.

Wonderful and memorable experience

Jo_L, Feb 2024

James was a great tour guide, very knowledgeable and he made it a memorable experience-seeing the temples in the early morning and watching the sun rise was really beautiful. I would certainly recommend this trip

morning tempke visit

Lilian_N, Feb 2024

I am thankful for the amazing trip. Beatiful view and interesting places. Recomended on clear days since you will see better the town from the temple

A morning we will never forget

Dan_L, Feb 2024

Our guide James was absolutely wonderful!! Knowledgeable. Friendly. Such a perfect host to show us these beautiful locations, and convey the history and respect they deserve. Thank you for the memories.

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