Wat Pha Lat Hike (Monk's trail) — Attraction in Chiang Mai Province

This trail comes in two, distinct sections. The easy part up to Wat Pha Lat, and the brutal slog, up to Doi Suthep; though it was still worth it.

The best way to start this hike is right from the University. This will add a little mileage, but it's pleasant enough on the road for a bit and not too dissimilar from the first part of the trail.

Heading west from the Clock Tower, you will soon come to a large, metal gate. It will appear locked, but if you're under 300 pounds, you should be able to slide through. Head 90 degrees to the left, or south for about 150 metres then turn up the hill and continue upwards for almost the next kilometre until you come to the trailhead.

There is a large wooden sign with a map that seems representative of the area, but it is map of something else, or drawn by someone who has never actually taken the trail, so just ignore it.

You'll cross a dry stream on a board and head upwards through dry forest on a scree trail for the first 800 metres. At that point you'll have a view of the city through the trees. Continue on and you will hear a river to your right, then the trail makes a left turn and levels off as you head into denser forest.

Duck under a large vine and turn right up hill until you come to an eroded embankment with a small river in a gully. This area has denser forest, bamboo trees and is more jungly than anything previously.

Then the trail turns right and continues steeply for the next 150 metres until you reach a sign that says coffee and tea and a wooden bridge over a stream.

This is Wat Pha Lat, a scenic little wat astride a series of open cascades through the forest, overlooking the city of Chiang Mai.

From here you can either continue steeply up along the stream, or turn right through the Wat and follow the road past a herd of dogs up 200 metres until you get to the road.

Here you can either take a ride back down, or hike along the road for another 150 metres until you come to the trailhead on the opposite side of the road, just before the river. If the trail goes straight up an embankment, you've found the entrance to the second, and by far the most difficult section of the trail.

The trail ascends steeply up a series of dirt footholds or steps and turns left towards the wat, easing up a bit. Then the trail continues along some powerlines and almost starts to level out for another kilometre before taking a right turn at another river and heading steeply upwards again. The last section of steepness lasts for about 400 metres before you get to the road, and unless you're an Olympic athlete, you will be huffing and puffing by the time you reach the road.

From there it is another 400 metres along the road before you reach the steps of Doi Suthep. Alternatively we took a right and continued up what looked like a driveway until we reached the backside of Doi Suthep and walked up onto the deck to join all the tourists who had gotten a ride up.

The view from the top is very nice, and at 2,375 vertical feet, definitely very well earned.

Total distance from university gate: 3.5 miles. Total...

Context: female, 27, 63 kg, I walk fairly enough but haven’t been to the gym in 2 months 😅

The first part of the trail, to the Wat Pha Lat, was quite ok, I did get tired but it was definitely manageable and everyone should be able to do it. At the end of the trail is a beautiful temple with a little waterfall. I would recommend seeing it and doing some exercise this way. But as this wasn’t my first temple in Thailand, it wasn’t anything WOW. We arrived at this temple around 11 and it wasn’t too busy. You can also take a taxi to this point.

The second part of the hike though…to the Wat Doi Suthep - brace yourselves, as it is a proper climb at some points. I was doing lunges all the way and really struggled 😅😂 Took us nearly 2 hours to get to the temple and after seeing so many beautiful temples in Bangkok and other places - this was really nothing unusual and not worth the effort 😅 burned 1k calories though 😂 You can also take a taxi to this point, but for us it wouldn’t be worth the taxi neither 😅 It was also very busy and crowded, I think lots of people drove or took a taxi there.

Verdict: If these are your first or only temples to see in Thailand and you want to put in some exercise - definitely go for it, but come prepared. Otherwise I would probably recommend just hiking to the Wat Pha Lat.

What to bring: Plenty of water - I recommend having a good water bottle that can keep the water cold (this was a lifesaver for me)

Comfy shoes with good grip - some places on the path are slippery or have a sharp incline and you will need a good grip there

Insect repellent

Dress appropriately for the hike and temples - would recommend wearing sports shorts for the hike and have a cover/skirts/trousers to put on when you reach the temples (especially if you’re doing the second part)

If u are a girlie with long hair - definitely put it up

A mini fan or a hand fan won’t hurt, to escape...

Amazing experience. I think the hike is very easy, but the heat is crazy (we are visiting in May). We had to go slowly because of it, but it’s not a long hike. I think it took us 30 minutes and if you booked it you could probably make it in 20. But the scenery is so nice that it’s great to just relax and enjoy.

The top is unbelievable. You get a nice view of Chiang Mai, and the temple there is so peaceful. You can get refreshments there as well (we got fresh coconut water which I definitely recommend to replenish electrolytes). I felt so calm there. People like to sit by the stream and put their feet in the water.

My partner and I hiked aaaaall the way to the top to the road. This is very steep and I wouldn’t recommend it if the ground is slippery. Though we didn’t do this, our grab driver told us you can cross that road and access a second trailhead that takes you to another famous temple in Chiang Mai. Apparently it takes about an hour. We were planning on it but we didn’t have enough water.

Finally, do remember to dress respectfully! I saw a lot of people not respecting the dress code but it’s still a temple. I wore a long-sleeved sunshirt which cooled me down during the hike and...