CD
Claire D.Australia · July 2026
★★★★★
“Travelled with a 7 and a 10 year old. Boat timings changed twice and they still met us at the pier with cold water and a smile.”
Private tour
Chiang Rai: White Temple & Golden Triangle
The three temples worth the drive north, plus the Mekong at the point where three countries meet.
A private full day from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai covering the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Golden Triangle, from $95 per person. It is 12 hours from Chiang Mai and 8 from Chiang Rai.
Duration1 days / 0 nights
From$95 pp
GroupPrivate · 2–6 travellers
StylePrivate tour
The three temples worth the drive north, plus the Mekong at the point where three countries meet.
Best for: A day trip from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. The route runs Chiang Rai. Everything below is a starting point: hotels can be upgraded or simplified, days can be added, and any element can be removed.
The White Temple is the headline and it deserves it, but the murals inside — superheroes, the Twin Towers, a Starbucks cup among the demons — are the actual art, and most coach tours give you 40 minutes which is not enough to see them properly. The Blue Temple, twenty minutes away, is free, quieter and arguably more beautiful inside.
The afternoon runs north to the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet across the Mekong. The viewpoint is a photograph; the Hall of Opium museum is the part that stays with you, and it is why we build two hours for it rather than thirty minutes.
What happens
- Wat Rong Khun before the coaches
- The blue temple's interior
- Doi Tung gardens
- Mekong boat at Sop Ruak
7:30am depart Chiang Mai or meet in Chiang Rai, three temples, Mekong, back by 7pm.
How the days are paced
Twelve hours from Chiang Mai including 3.5 hours of driving each way. White Temple 90 minutes, Blue Temple 40, Golden Triangle and museum 2.5 hours.
What changes the price
$95 per person is based on private · 2–6 travellers sharing a room for 1 days, with mid-range four-star hotels as standard. Nothing is added locally: the entrance fees, boats and guiding are already in the number.
Deposit is 20% to confirm, balance 30 days before arrival. Free changes up to 45 days out.
What’s included
Included
- Guide
- Private car
- Entrance fees
- Mekong boat
Not included
- Lunch
- Drinks
- Tips
Good to know
From $95 per person, based on private · 2–6 travellers, 1 days. The quote includes the hotels, guiding and transport listed under “What’s included”; international flights and travel insurance are not included.
Yes. Every itinerary on this site is a starting point. Days can be added or removed, hotels upgraded or simplified, and the route reordered around your dates — we re-cost it as many times as you need before you commit.
Not included: lunch, drinks. Everything else listed under “What’s included” is in the quote, and we do not add local payments on arrival.
Three to six months ahead for the best hotels, and by September for travel over Christmas and New Year. Green-season trips can usually be arranged with six weeks’ notice.
It is a long day — 12 hours. Most people do it from Chiang Rai instead, which halves the driving.
Yes — the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Hall of Opium are all in the price.
What you will see
Temple
Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
Chalermchai Kositpipat's white, mirror-studded temple outside Chiang Rai — part sacred site, part contemporary a…
Chiang Rai · 1.5 hoursTHB 200
Temple
Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple)
A deep-blue and gold temple with a huge white seated Buddha, built by a student of the White Temple's artist.…
Chiang Rai · 45 minutesFree
Garden
Doi Tung Royal Villa & Gardens
A Swiss-style royal villa and hillside flower gardens on the Myanmar border, built by the late Princess Mother.…
Chiang Rai · 2–3 hoursTHB 220
Experiences on this trip
What travellers say about trips like this
EM
Élodie M.France · November 2025
★★★★★
“One person in Bangkok from the first email to the last transfer. She had actually stayed in the hotel she recommended.”
JW
James W.United Kingdom · January 2026
★★★★★
“No hidden extras. The price we agreed in November was the price we paid, entrance fees and all. Rare enough to mention.”
Reviews are from travellers on comparable itineraries, not this exact departure. All 2,400 are on the reviews page.
