Chiang Mai Temple & Meditation Walking Tour With A Former Monk 2

I had the walking tour with Katoon October 2026. It was informative and such a meaningful experience. I learned about Katoon, a previous monk himself, Buddhism, and any questions I had. He was extremely patient and there was ample time to see the temples. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Thailand. This is a memorable experience. So worth it! Much gratitude for the tour and Katoon!

We loved our guide. He was so nice and answered all of our questions we really appreciated him. I wish we had more time.

We had a great time on this tour. We learned a lot about the different temples in the old city. Our guide was so patient with all our questions. This tour exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend!!

Our guide Katoon was really good, informative and knowledgeable, keen on answering all of our family’s questions (and we had a lot) about the monestries, Buddha religion and his former life as a monk. Will highly recommend this tour for families to gain information about the visiting places, beautiful temples, statues and the monk living area.

Had a great time with Katoon, an interesting and informative guide. I learnt a lot and saw some great temples. Katoon also took the time to answer additional questions.

We had an amazing time. We had ample opportunity to ask questions. We learnt about Buddhism. There was even time for a meditation too! Would highly recommend!

While part 1 was really interesting, I loved part 2 even more because we went to temples I would otherwise never have gone to. It was interesting to learn how the burmese overtook the region and influenced the temples. We also passed through the burmese part of town. Katoon, the tour guide, is super friendly and was ready to answer all the questions I had. Him being a former monk made for interesting insights and discussions. He always gave time to take pictures & walk around, and the tour wasn't rushed. Overall a very nice experience I don't regret! Nathalie (CH)

The Guide Katoon was a Buddhist monk for 18 years who is very knowledgeable about Buddhism and history of the temples. It was very interesting to hear the stories about everyday life as a monk and he answered all questions. He has left the monastery to look after his aging parents and works as a Guide to support the family…highly recommend this tour!

Katoon, a former monk with 18 years of monastic experience, started his own tour company last year to offer visitors, a unique, alternative perspective to the typical architectural or historic temple tour - and he absolutely succeeds. When I arrived in Thailand, I had only a basic understanding of the country, its culture, and Buddhism. To be honest, it all felt quite foreign and even a bit intimidating. I didn’t know how the monk system worked, how to behave properly in temples, or how to approach the monks respectfully-so I had been hesitant to fully immerse myself in this part of the culture. That change completely after spending the day with Katoon. He is intelligent articulate and deeply compassionate: qualities that reflect his years as a monk. He also has a rare gift for taking complex, spiritual and cultural concepts, and explaining them in a way that’s easy for western visitors to relate to. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who desires and authentic and transformative experience.

We had a great three hour tour with our guide Katoon. An ex monk who monk of 18 years, so very knowledgeable and patient with his audience (including inquisitive kids!). We walked and talked around 4 temples, got to practice some Meditation and meet some practicing Buddhists. A great informative tour here in Chiang Mai.

We were a group of 2adults and 3children and Katoon was amazing. Explained everything we wanted to know and more, answered and even encouraged questions. He taught us how ‘pray’ (although it’s not a prayer Buddhism) and we even meditated. Truly amazing tour to give you a full insight into Buddhism. 100% recommend. He even took photos and sent them to us and recommended other things to do in the area.

This was a really great tour and I was able to learn a lot about Buddhism and the temples overall! The tour guide was more than happy to answer any questions while also providing lots of interesting and valuable information. Would definitely recommend doing this tour!

I did this tour with my wife and two children 7&2. We loved the fact it was vastly different to your standard ‘temple tour’. Our guide Katoon(probably spelt wrong) was incredibly informative and friendly. He never failed to answer our questions, even the constant stream coming from my eldest child. We learnt about the proper practice of prayer and meditation and got an in-depth insight into the life of a monk in Thailand. Katoon truly enjoyed his role as guide and that was reflected in how kind and considerate he was through the walk. The highlight for me was hearing/learning about the karmic cycle and beliefs of Buddhism and Buddha’s teachings. This was especially profound for me because I recently lost both my parents to illness and have struggled with the aftermath of that. Katoon always had another lesson of story to share from his life or the life of Buddha and Buddhism in Thailand, and his smile and caring nature made the experience all the nicer. I would certainly recommend this tour for anyone wanting something different to the standard/repetitive “temple tour”.

We had a really nice visit through Chiang Mai, with Katoon, an ex Monk who taught us everything about temples, Buddhism and answered all your questions about his past life being a Monk. He was very caring and patient with us.