Chiang Mai Sacred Experience

 

 

Item	Details
Meeting Point	A designated point near the Chiang Mai gate
End Point	Wat Lok Molee (morning) or near the River (evening)
Duration	Up to 5-7 hours
Physical Level	Moderate - this experience involves short-distance walking around sites in the sun
Cultural Rating	Moderate - a good balance of cultural interactions, history and site-seeing
Ages	18+ (younger must be accompanied by an adult - babies 2 years old or younger may join for free)
Group Size	Private - Max 6 people per booking

 

Itinerary for visiting the Ancient Empires, Secret Gardens, and Buddhist Monks

There are two different itineraries for this experience. They have very similar inclusions, only slightly adjusted to fit the activities possible during each time of day.

The Morning Itinerary

07:00 am - meet around Chiang Mai gate (South Gate) early in the morning and witness monks doing alm collections. Guests can make an offering to a monk and get a blessing, something that is common for Thai people to do to start their day off right and get good luck for the day. While in the market, you will get to eat some local Thai snacks being served in the market, as it’s probably too early for breakfast, but energy will be needed for the day ahead.

After our early morning market wanders, we will head over to the Silver Street (Wua Lai road), and learn about the history of silver here (the first King of the Lanna Chiang Mai kingdom made an agreement with the Kingdom of Bagan, Myanmar, to send over some of their silversmiths to teach the art. It’s something that has lasted right up until now, for hundreds of years, since the foundation of the city! You will have the opportunity to buy some silver handicrafts made in the ancient hand moulded technique while observing the artist who crafted them!

From here, we make our way up to Wat Sri Suphan (the silver temple), which is a new temple made from all the silversmiths' contributions to explore the amazing silverwork that went into it. While here, you will learn the proper way to Wai (bow) in respect to the Buddha, something you will see in every temple around Thailand.

Now we will head back past the Chiang Mai Gate to the Terracotta Secret Garden. Here you will learn about the history of the terracotta designs that are replicated here. It also has a cafe set up inside, so a good spot to try a famous Thai Iced Tea!

It’s not too far from here to Wat Chedi Luang. We will make our way over to the historic landmark and can learn about the important Chedi (stupa), as well as participate in a monk chat for 15 mins or so.

Now for a mini-adventure, we will take a short tuk-tuk ride to Wat Lok Molee, a gorgeous temple just on the edge of the old city, which has a strong focus on the Chinese zodiac signs. You will learn how these signs have played a role in Thai Buddhism, and see various temples around Asia each which are associated with their own zodiac sign.

Finally, we will cross the moat to one of the most famous Khao Soi restaurants in Chiang Mai, Khun Yai Khao Soi where we will finish our tour with a delicious bowl of the famous Lanna noodle curry dish! The Chiang Mai Sacred Experience ends here.

The Afternoon Itinerary

13:00 pm - We meet at Chiang Mai gate just after lunchtime.

From here, we will go to the silver temple and street, similar to above.

Once finished with the silver-smiths and Wai prayer teachings, we will head down to the terracotta garden for an afternoon Thai Iced Tea break.

We will make our way to Wat Chedi Luang by about 4:30 pm. We will take a quick tour around the famous temple, and have a quick monk chat starting no later than 5 pm.

Now for some magic to happen. At 5:20 pm all the monks start converging on the temple for evening prayer (about 50-80 monks do this nightly). We will join the monks to listen to the prayers and chants. You may also take a try at reciting some of the prayers in unison with the monks while learning what some of the prayers mean and their significance to Thai culture.

After sitting in on some of the Thai prayers, we will travel back to Chiang Mai gate for dinner.

Seasonal (November Only):
By around 6:30 pm, it should be getting dark by now... to finish our tour off, we will head up to the river, and learn about Thai floating lanterns (famously seen during the Yi Peng lantern festival) and release a lantern into the sky. A perfect, beautiful end to a fun day together.

*some activities will be weather permitting and itineraries may be adjusted accordingly.

Please note: There is a Dress Code! There is a required dress code for visiting the temples in Thailand. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temples. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves - no sleeveless tops. Wearing sandals or flip-flops is ok, and possibly preferred, as you must remove your footwear every time you enter a temple. Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, no bare shoulders, knees covered, etc. It is also recommended to avoid wearing bright colours, though this is less strictly enforced.

What is included with the Chiang Mai Sacred Experience?

Your sacred experience includes:
- Information provided before your experience to educate you and properly prepare you
- a specially trained and licensed English-speaking guide who will facilitate your experience
- transportation during the tour (tuk-tuk, songtaews)
- translations with a monk
- lunch (includes a basic meal and non-alcoholic beverage)
- Entrance Fees to Wat Chedi Luang
- Thai Iced Tea (or similar) from the terracotta garden
- A special souvenir from the tour
- Lantern (afternoon tour only)

What is not included during your Sacred Chiang Mai Experience?

- Travel Insurance (Compulsory)
- International flights or transportation to/from the itinerary's start point
– Accommodation in Chiang Mai (we suggest Agoda for the best hotel rates)
- Alcoholic beverages (not recommended before entering sacred places)
- Transportation (getting to and from the meeting and endpoints)
- Gratuities and tips
- Spending Money if you wish to purchase additional souvenirs or items.

Supporting Local Projects with our TRiP Foundation

For every TRiP that you go on with WSE Travel, we will donate 2% of the total sales price to an environmental or community-based project in the country you're visiting. We want to ensure that every guest we help, in turn, helps support and preserve the destination we're experiencing together as a direct result. We live by an ethos to Travel Responsibly & Impact Positively (TRiP).

For more information on the projects supported by this experience, please visit our Thailand TRIP projects.

Cancellation & Rebooking Policy

All tours, services, and experiences booked through WSE Travel are bound to our Terms and Conditions, which were modeled after most other travel services such as flights, hotels, and other tour operators.

At Where Sidewalks End, your reservation is more than a transaction — it’s a direct contract with local professionals who rely on this work as a primary source of income. As such, we are obligated to honor the livelihoods of our local partners — including guides, Ajarns (masters), and drivers — who dedicate their time exclusively to your experience.

In many of the destinations where we operate, labor protections and fair wage commitments are upheld by local laws — and we are both ethically and contractually required to adhere to them. Once a booking is confirmed, the service providers committed to your experience are financially compensated for reserving their time — even in the event of cancellation. This ensures fair and dignified treatment for all involved in delivering your experience.

If You Need to Cancel or Reschedule

All bookings are subject to the following terms:

More than 14 Days' Notice

Your payment will be placed into a Lifetime Deposit (Safety Deposit Box). This can be:

• Used for a future date
• Transferred to a friend or family member

Refunds are not available unless WSE Travel cancels your booking due to reasons beyond your control.

7–14 Days' Notice

A 50% rebooking fee will apply. This helps offset the compensation obligations to your dedicated team of local guides and service providers, who have reserved their day exclusively for your private tour and may not be able to secure alternate work with us or others on short notice.

Less than 7 Days' Notice

The full cost of the tour is retained to pay the locals contracted in full. As this is a private experience, your local team’s time is fully dedicated to your session. A new team will be hired for any future rebooking.

These policies are a compassionate extension of our official Terms & Conditions, designed to support both our guests and the ethical standards of responsible tourism.

Travel Insurance or Liability Waiver Required

Because life can be unpredictable — and because we are required to uphold our commitments to local partners — all guests must either:

• Provide proof of comprehensive travel insurance, or
• Sign a Liability Waiver Form at the start of their trip

We highly recommend SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — trusted by global travelers for its flexible, affordable coverage and very competitive rates.

Travel insurance can help protect you from financial losses related to:

• Illness
• Missed flights
• Emergency cancellations
• Non-refundable bookings

If you choose to travel without Travel Insurance, you will be required to fill out a Liability Waiver Form at the beginning of your trip. 

Thank You for Traveling Responsibly

We deeply appreciate your understanding and support of ethical tourism. Your booking directly sustains local communities and helps preserve cultural traditions in a meaningful and lasting way.

If you have any questions or need help rescheduling, please contact us — we're always happy to assist.