59 Best Sights in Northern Thailand, Thailand

Due east of the park is one of Sukhothai's oldest monasteries. Its bell-shape pagoda, thought to have been built in the latter part of the 14th century, is of Sri Lankan influence. The pagoda is perched on a three-tier square base atop damaged elephant buttresses. In front of the chedi are a viharn and solitary pillars; the remains of nine other chedis have been found within this complex.

Near the entrance to the Historic Park, Wat Chang Lom shows strong Sri Lankan influences. The 39 elephant buttresses are in much better condition than their counterparts at the same-named temple in Sukhothai. The main chedi was completed by 1291. As you climb the stairs that run up the side, you'll come across seated images of the Buddha.

This complex to the south of Wat Chang Lom has seven rows of ruined chedis, some with lotus-bud tops that are reminiscent of the larger ones at Sukhothai. The chedis contain the ashes of members of Si Satchanalai's ruling family.

A wonderfully self-satisfied Burmese-style Buddha, the cares of the world far from his arched brow, watches over this temple from 1827, which has a fine pulpit carved with incredible precision. It's located on a small lake, right next to the equally important Wat Chong Klang.

Built in 1863, this temple, with it's multitiered wooden roof structure adorned with detailed carvings in zinc, is an excellent representation of Shan-Burmese architecture. It is also noted for housing Mae Hong Son's most celebrated Buddha image, and one of the most revered in northern Thailand, which is now the centerpiece in the main sermon hall. Its origins are clear: note the Burmese-style long earlobes, a symbol of the Buddha's omniscience. 

Small yet spectacular, the rather gaudy Wat Hua Wiang Tai has a splashy naga snake coiled along the edges of its roof and boldly colored murals painted across the viharn's exterior. Come by in the morning to experience the hustle and flow of a nearby market as well.

Phrae's oldest structure lies within the Old City walls. Although the wat was founded in the 12th century, renovations and expansions completely obscure so much of the original design that the only section visible from that time is a Lanna chedi with primitive elephant statues. A small museum on the grounds contains sacred Buddha images, swords, and texts.

With its all-white exterior Wat Ming Muang strikes a dramatic pose offset slightly by the exterior's surfeit of intricate carvings (photo ops galore). The wat contains a stone pillar erected at the founding of Nan, some 800 years ago. Don't miss the interior murals, some of which depict life here in days gone by.

To the southeast of Wat Chedi Jet Thaew, this temple has well-preserved floral reliefs on its balustrade and stucco reliefs on the viharn wall.

The name of this wat, Chiang Saen's oldest chedi, refers to the 300 ton sak (teak trees) planted in the surrounding area. The stepped temple, which narrows to a spire, is said to enshrine holy relics brought here in the 1320s, when the city was founded by King Saen Phu. The chedi itself predates that, however; it was built by Phu in 1295, right around the arrival of Lanna's first ruler—and Phu's grandfather—King Mangrai.

The Emerald Buddha, which now sits in Thailand's holiest temple, Wat Phra Keo in Bangkok, is said to have been discovered when lightning split the chedi housing it at this similarly named temple at the foot of the Doi Tong in Chiang Rai. A Chinese millionaire financed a jade replica in 1991, and though it's not the real thing, the statuette is still strikingly beautiful.

This former Khmer structure, once a Hindu shrine, was converted to a Buddhist temple. Surrounded by a moat, the sanctuary is encircled by three laterite prangs, similar to those at Wat Sri Sawai—the only one that remains intact is decorated with stucco figures. In front of the prangs are the remains of the viharn and a crumbling chedi with a seated Buddha on its pedestal. Facing these structures is the mondop, a square structure with a stepped pyramid roof, built to house religious relics.

Commonly known as Wat Yai (the Great Temple), this mid-14th century temple developed into a large monastery with typical ornamentation. Particularly noteworthy are the viharn's wooden doors, inlaid with mother-of-pearl in 1756 at the behest of King Boromkot. Behind the viharn is a 100-foot corn-cob-style prang with a vault containing Buddha relics. Many religious souvenir stands make it hard to gain a good view of the complex, but the bot, or chapel, is a fine example of the traditional three-tier roof with low sweeping eaves, designed to diminish the size of the walls, accentuate the nave, and emphasize the image of the Buddha.

Within the viharn is what many consider the world's most beautiful image of the Buddha, Phra Buddha Chinnarat. It was probably cast in the 14th century, during the late Sukhothai period. Its mesmerizing beauty and the mystical powers ascribed to it draw streams of pilgrims—among the most notable of them was the Sukhothai's King Eka Thossarot, who journeyed here in 1631. According to folklore, the king applied with his own hands the gold leaf that covers the Buddha. Many copies of the image have been made, the best-known one residing in Bangkok's Marble Temple.

This 14th-century temple is worth visiting for its viharn, distinguished by some remarkably delicate wood carving and for colorful frescoes depicting the life of Lord Buddha. A sacred Indian Bhodhi tree stands in the peaceful temple grounds.

One of Nan's oldest and most historically significant wats, Wat Chang was built at the turn of the 15th century, right across from what is now a National Museum. True to its title, the "elephant temple," its large chedi is propped up by 24 stone pachyderms, protecting the country's largest ho trai (scripture library) and a rare solid gold Buddha image from the Sukhothai period.

In a woodland setting about 2 km (1 mile) east of the more famous Wat Phra That Cho Hae, this smaller wat has a chedi said to contain a strand of Lord Buddha's hair. A large standing Buddha stands watch over the gate, and the grounds contain an enormous reclining Buddha.

On the top of Doi Kong Mu, this temple has a remarkable view, especially at sunset, of the surrounding mountains. The temple's two chedis contain the ashes of two major 19th-century monks, Phra Moggallana (one of the Buddha's closest disciples) and Phaya Singhanat Racha (Mae Hong Son's first governor, who built the building).

For the best view across the river into Myanmar, climb up to Wat Phra That Doi Wao—the 207-step staircase starts behind the Top North Hotel.

Some scholars attribute this imposing octagonal wat inside Chiang Saen's city walls to its founder and namesake, King Saen Phu (1325–34), though others speculate that it predates him. Regardless of where its roots lie, Wat Phra That Luang is the tallest religious building in the Chiang Rai region, reaching towards the heavens at 88 meters high right next to the National Museum.

Near the summit of Doi Tong, this temple overlooks the Mae Kok River. The ancient pillar that stands here once symbolized the center of the universe for devout Buddhists. The sunset view is worth the trip.

This pretty wat is reached by following a slate pathway and climbing a 200-meter (656-foot) hill. An amazing standing Buddha, nearly 12 meters (40 feet) tall, gazes down on the mere mortals who complete the climb.

This peaceful temple sits on two connected islands within a lotus-filled lake that supplied the monks with water and served as a boundary for the sacred area. A Sri Lankan–style chedi dominates six smaller chedis, and a large stucco seated Buddha looks down a row of columns, past the chedis, and over the lake to the horizon.

Especially notable is the walking Buddha beside the Sri Lankan–style chedi. The walking Buddha is a Sukhothai innovation, and the most ethereal of Thailand's artistic styles. The depiction of the Buddha is often a reflection of political authority, and is modeled after the ruler. Under the Khmers, authority was hierarchical, but the kings of Sukhothai represented the ideals of serenity, happiness, and justice. The walking Buddha is the epitome of Sukhothai's art; he appears to be floating in air, neither rooted on Earth nor placed on a pedestal above the reach of the common people.

Sukhothai's oldest structure may be this Khmer-style one with three prangs—similar to those found in Lopburi—surrounded by a laterite wall. The many stucco Hindu images and scenes suggest that Sri Sawai was probably first a Hindu temple, later converted to a Buddhist monastery.

As you leave the park, stop at this wat to see a Si Satchanalai image of Lord Buddha, one of the few still remaining.

The square mondop of Wat Traphang Thong Lang is the main sanctuary, the outer walls of which contain beautiful stucco figures in niches—some of Sukhothai's finest art. The north side depicts the Buddha returning to preach to his wife. On the west side he preaches to his father and relatives. Note the figures on the south wall, where the story of the Buddha is accompanied by an angel descending from heaven.