Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Spiritual Sunrise Tour With An Ex-monk

Watching the sunrise at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was a wonderful experience. The golden pagoda was beautiful in the early morning light, and the peaceful atmosphere made it a special way to begin the day. What made the experience even more enjoyable was having Non as our guide. Non practiced Buddhism for six years as a monk before leaving the monastery. He was kind, knowledgeable and happy to answer my questions. I especially appreciated hearing about his personal experiences and learning about Buddhism from someone who had spent time studying and practicing it. As we walked through the temple, Non explained the significance of the different rituals and traditions. He provided us with flowers and incense and explained the meaning of making offerings as a way to practice virtue, compassion and generosity while honoring Buddha's teachings. We also visited the meditation hall to listen to the monks chanting and had the opportunity to participate in the morning alms-giving ceremony by offering food to the monks. Non also introduced us to a monk who offered blessings. I really enjoyed learning about Thai culture and Buddhism through Non's guidance. He made the experience informative, welcoming and personal without ever making it feel like a formal lesson. One of the best parts of traveling is meeting local people and learning about their culture and way of life. This was certainly one of the highlights of my trip to Thailand. Thank you, Non, for sharing your knowledge and making the morning so memorable. I highly recommend this experience!

Highly recommended. I was debating between the hike vs this tour. With this touring is not only about visiting the temples, but it is about understanding more about the culture. It is also full of little details that make the experience super meaningful. You may see other tour options. But I can tell our group tour was special.

James was a fantastic guide with a great sense of humor. It was very nice seeing doi Suthep so early in the AM with very few people around and seeing the sunrise over the city.

What a great trip. Non was so informative, patient and kind. All the temple dogs ran to him and followed until we left. So sweet. Watching the sunrise. Giving offerings to the monks. Each of us received a blessing and a bracelet. I would highly recommend booking this tour. You won't even mind the early start time. Thank you Non.

Absolutely wonderful experience! Tom is an ex-monk and his passion for Buddhism, the temples and sharing his amazing knowledge is incredible. Highly, highly, highly recommended!!

Super well organised, timed, coordinated. Not just a temple or sunrise tour- an immersion in the teachings and an impressive photographer guide (Tu) as well!

You will be there before the crowds and experience a peaceful environment! Siphon was a great guide with lots of information.

Very interesting tour and beautiful views. Tu our guide was amazing and explained all the information very well

Absolutely loved this tour! The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and explained everything. The whole experience felt special from start to finish, and he also took amazing photos throughout the morning. One of my favorite experiences in Chiang Mai—highly recommend!

Amazing experience! Yes, it is an early start but to see the sunrise over the city and get to meditate while the monks chant in the morning was a once in a lifetime experience. Participating in giving alms to the monks was also very spiritual. Our guide who used to be a monk was fantastic and taught us so much. Great experience!

It is an early morning 5 am start with over 300 steps to climb at the first temple. But what an experience. Will do it again

This experience is the highlight of my trip to Chiang Mai. I got such an intimate and profound experience of the Thai buddhism culture. Highly recommended!

James was an excellent tour guide. He was very funny and kind, and we got to learn many new things about Buddhism which made us appreciate the temples even more. This is one of our favorite things we did in Chiang Mai and I would highly recommend!

Authentic. Amazing. Knowledgeable tour guide; Tu. Thank you very. 🙏🏼 Great experience. A perfect morning.

Beautiful and enlightening tour of a temple with an ex-monk which gave fantastic explanation about Buddhism and everything related to it, explained the practices in the temple. At Doi Suthep he clearly knew everyone in that temple and treated all of them with respect - even the temple dogs who followed him up from the car park for treats! We got to participate in plenty of Buddhist traditions in the temple as well as the alms giving and receiving a blessing from a monk. Definitely recommend it even if the weather doesn't allow to see the sunrise!

There are many stairs leading up and down from the temple. Get the khao soi at breakfast! We had a great experience overall.

This is a fantastic tour - it’s an early start, but you miss all the crowds at all the stops and James the guide is outstanding. He is full of knowledge and makes the tour very fun and interesting. Recommend it highly.

A wonderful experience and a chance to learn more about the forest monks and temples. The guide was excellent and I appreciate his knowledge and stories.

We had a fantastic tour and learned so much. Our guide Tom, was so knowledgeable. I highly recommend.

My daughter and I went on this tour as we wanted the opportunity of experiencing something quite authentic and we feel that we did. It was an early start but it was good to beat the crowds and experience the start of the temple day. Having a guide who could explain so much about the history of the temples and the differences between monks from various countries along with his own experiences as a monk from the age of 11 was fascinating. We didn't see the sun rise as it was too cloudy, but the views, nevertheless, were spectacular. Breakfast was excellent and it was good to be in a small group all from different countries, which just added to the experience.

James was an amazing guide with a great sense of humor! Meditating with the monks and seeing the Hidden Temple was really special. I’d recommend 100%!

Would highly recommend. Don’t let the cost or early start time deter you. James was so friendly, easy to understand and informative. It was so interesting hearing from an ex-monk.

Incredibly moving. Guide was amazing - funny and very knowledgeable. Worth waking up early for! Great value for money

Had a wonderful experience. Non was a great guide. He gave lots of insight into Buddhism and the history of the temples.

Wonderful experience with a very knowledgeable and kind guide. You visit 3 temples and enjoy a Thai breakfast. Highly recommend!

The tour is truly amazing. Our guide James was so knowledgeable, kind and friendly. He shared so much with us about buddhism. You can clearly see through his tour how much he loves his culture and how he enjoys sharing it with others.

A very well organized tour. Our tour guide (Arnon) was exceptional. He was knowledgeable and funny. He communicated quite well in English. The experience overall was moving. You will definitely come away with a solid view of Buddhism.

This was an amazing sunrise tour and one of the highlights of my trip. Our guide, Blue, was fantastic and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the morning. His energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm made the experience even more enjoyable. There is no better time to visit these temples than early in the morning. The sites were peaceful and uncrowded, allowing us to truly appreciate the beautiful atmosphere and serene surroundings. One of the most memorable parts of the tour was meditating and listening to the monks' chants, which created a very special and authentic experience. The tour was perfectly paced and never felt rushed. We had plenty of time at each temple to explore, take photos, and soak in the atmosphere. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. Thank you, Blue, for making it such a wonderful and memorable morning!

I cannot recommend this enough. Even with the early wake up call you will not regret it. You will get to see a breathtaking sunrise if the weather cooperates. And experience a typical morning for the monks. All while beating the heat. You aren’t just seeing the architecture. You’re living it for a morning. The steps in the mountain air were no joke but not too bad. And the other two temples were nestled in the mountains and the trees and were beautiful in their own right. But Doi Suthep was the highlight. Thom was an incredible guide. Sharing history and facts the entire time. And offering insight you can only get from an ex monk. Taking pictures for me as a solo traveler. Don’t hesitate. Get up early and enjoy. The Khoa Soi was really good and it’s included! (You will eat after leaving Doi Suthep around 7:30 or 8). Bring money if you want an iced coffee.

This was a great tour and a wonderful introduction to the temples outside the Old City. It's an early start but so worth it to see the sunrise on Doi Suthep and how the monks go about their morning rituals. Tom was a great guide. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic informative must do experience! Perfect time to visit the temples, was so special and very informative

Absolutely fantastic. A must for all visiting Chiang Mai 🙏🏼 Being guided by a former monk of over 25 years is a treat. He is kind, wise and made the experience very enjoyable.

Beautiful way to spend our morning in Chiang Mae. James was a wonderful tour guide, giving us all the information about the temples and the monks. We didn’t get the best sunrise but listening to the monks chant first thing in the morning made up for the clouds hiding the sun. The Alms giving was super cool. My husband lovingly called it tricker treating for monks but really we both found it very rewarding to give food to them and receive a blessing in return. James brought all the food we gave to the monks but we also brought some fruit given to us at our hotel. Highly recommend this experience.

Had such an amazing and fun time with James and everyone else who was in our party...seeing that we were all together very early in the morning, and lucky enough to see the sunrise :)

My 13yr old daughter, 10yr old son, and I had a beautiful morning with Tom as our tour guide. Sunrise at Wat Phra Tha Doi Suthep was stunning! It was an honour to offer alms to the monks, and receiving blessings from the monks was beautiful. Tom was funny and full of information about all three temples we visited. He even offered to take us to the Thailand Birthday celebrations, but unfortunately it was extremely hot and the kids needed to get to water to cool off. Thank you Tom for an awesome morning!

We were picked up at hotel at exactly the time planned-5 am ! I learned throughout the trip about the culture and history of the temples and surrounding area. A wonderful morning with a great teacher and kind human.

This is an incredible sunrise tour that should not be missed! Non, our tour guide, is an ex monk and incredibly knowledgeable and sensitive to Buddhist culture. He had a way of explaining things that made it so easy to understand. He made a point to have offerings for us to give at the morning alms tradition. We were able to offer prayers and wishes for a family member by writing their name on a heart and hanging it at the central part of the temple grounds, then he led us in the ritual of walking around that temple three times in a walking meditation, and making the offering a flower and lighting a candle. It was very moving. The grounds of the temple are quite special and the view at sunrise is incredible. He knew all the best spots to get photographs and made a point of taking our photographs if we wanted. He also included two other temples on our tour and was clearly loved by all who know him at those locations too; including the dogs and children. He arranged for us to have a private ceremony with one of the monks who gave us a teaching and individual blessings as he tied the traditional bracelet around each person’s wrist. I’m so grateful Non was our guide. His insightfulness, I his joy and playfulness, and his deep reverence with a monks and Buddhism, made this a deeply special experience.

A wonderful way to experience the temple. It was moving to be able to join meditation, see the sunrise and then give alms to the monks. Seeing the additional two temples on the way back down the mountain was an added bonus.

This experience was truly one of a kind and a wonderful way to learn more about Monks, and Thailand’s culture. It was an amazing day and the sunrise was so worth it.

Non was a very friendly guide! The sunrise at Doi Suthep is a must-do in Chiang Mai! Non's explanations of Buddhist beliefs and practices provided an enriching experience.

What an amazing experience in the early morning: Our guide James picked us up on time to an extraordinary tour of three different temples in the Chiang Mai area, among others the wonderful Doi Suthep Temple. After a climb of 306 steps (or a short cable-car ride), we arrived at the temple, watched the beautiful sunrise and the impressive monk chanting. Afterwards, we visited two other very beautiful temples in the middle of the forest. In the meantime, James shared with us very informative and highly entertaining stories from his former life as a monk which made this tour an remarkable experience that I will never forget. For such an amazing tour, it was absolutely worth getting up so early in the morning. Thanks a lot, James!

Incredible experience. Both cultural and spiritual. Amazing guide who explained the monk life. Very immersive. Will remember for ever. Highly recommended

Non's tour was incredible! This was not your average temple tour -- felt like we really experienced a morning through the eyes of a monk who has lived it. Non explained each step of the tour and how to respectfully participate. We learned so much and it was truly one of my favorite experiences so far in Thailand. Words cannot describe the feeling of being in the moment circling the temple in the early morning hours to the sounds of chanting, then feeding the monks of all ages, being followed by temple dogs, just enjoying the daily rhythms and way of life. Non was so kind, gentle and patient -- he really cared about all of us having the best experience and it shows. The Khao Soi was also one of the best I had in Chiang Mai. Will cherish this experience!

This was by far my BEST organized activity in Thailand. Our guide, James, was extremely knowledgeable having been a monk from ages 11-23, and provided SO much knowledge throughout the morning! The Bat were all beautiful and spiritual in different ways. An amazing morning I took SO much from!

This experience cannot adequately be described in a brief review. Every detail was so well thought out. Our guide, Tu, took time to explain the significance behind everything we saw while also providing an immersive experience that made us feel like VIP’s. Being at Doi Suthep Temple at sunrise is so incredibly peaceful and a stark difference to the crowds that began to arrive as we moved on to the next temple. We travelled Southeast Asia for 3 weeks, and this was our favorite and most memorable day!

We adored our guide Non! He warmed our hearts with his kindness and generosity towards children, animals and everyone around him. He emanated love. It was evident he was very knowledgeable and had a way of providing information that made it easy to digest and appreciate. His humor was engaging! Non knew the best photo spots too.

This was an incredible tour. First, it's amazing to visit Doi Suthep at dawn, watching the sun come up and listening to the monks' morning chant. It felt like such a privilege to be guided by two ex-monks (Non and Blue). who could explain everything that was happening and help us participate in the experience in a way that was culturally/religiously appropriate. I had a lot of questions about Buddhism by this point in my travels in Thailand, and both men were really patient and thoughtful in answering all of them. The other two temples we visited were also amazing, particularly the forest temple. Highly recommend this tour!

Non is delightful and informative. We were steps in front of all the crowds and were able to roam the grounds in peace listening g to birds and waterfalls and chants rolling over the hills while being lifted up by the small of incense and flowers. You just might compare your future tour guides to Non from now on.

James was a wonderful guide and very informative. He did not rush us and answered any questions we had. We enjoyed the morning with him and the other people in the group from other parts of the world. He took the time to allow a group to Italy to translate the information with each other and continued to clarify so all understood. If you get carsick easily, take some meds before going up to the first temple.