Hiking the Monks Trail Chiang Mai to Wat Pha Lat Temple

Hiking the Monks Trail Chiang Mai to Wat Pha Lat Temple

An inspiring hiking guide to the Monks Trail in Chiang Mai. Hike a scenic jungle trail to Wat Pha Lat Temple, a tranquil Buddhist monastery on the mountainside overlooking the busy streets of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

If you're up for a quick morning adventure, hiking the Monks Trail Chiang Mai to Wat Pha Lat Temple is an incredible way to experience a piece of Chiang Mai's natural beauty. This is a relatively short and easy hike, but well worth it to escape the tourist crowds and hustle and bustle of city life.

Unfortunately, the process is no longer actually attended by monks. Instead, they carved new routes through the mountain to avoid tourists. Still, the hike is far from a tourist trap, and a visit to the hidden forest temple in Chiang Mai was one of my favorite morning trips into the city.

How to get to the Monks Trail Trailhead

To get to the Monks Trail, you need to go to the trailhead, which is near the Chiang Mai Zoo. Depending on traffic, the journey from the old town in Chiang Mai takes around 15 to 25 minutes.

There are different ways to get here:

• Mit dem Motorrad – Der Motorradverleih in Chiang Mai kostet 200 Baht pro Tag
• By Grab – Kann über 150 Baht kosten, einfache Fahrt von der Altstadt
• Songthaew – Das kostet ungefähr 70-100 Baht

I think the best way to get here is to simply rent a motorbike for the day. Since this is only a short hike, it makes sense to have one for the rest of the day. If you park your bike at the base of the mountain, you won't have to wait for another grave or songthaew after the hike.

Of course, if you plan to hike around Doi Suthep all day, parking your motorcycle near the Monks Trailhead is not the best choice. In this case I would welcome a songthaew.
alt=“HIKING THE CHIANG MAI MONK’S PATH TO WAT PHA LAT”>
Tip: Stay calm on the route. The path is used by many people as a morning meditation hike.

Monks' hiking map

On the Monks Trail map below you will find the starting point for the trail as well as the temple itself, marked as “Pha Lat Temple,” just to the west. The trail begins at the bend of this road where you can enter the forest and begin the hike.

Hiking on the Monks' Trail in Chiang Mai

Difficulty: Easy Length: Approximately 40 minutes one way Distance: 1.5 km one way

Hiking the Monks Trail in Chiang Mai is a great morning sunrise walk that anyone can do. The route gently climbs up the mountainside, with several photo-worthy stops along the way.

Along the way you will pass through lush jungle and some elegantly flowing streams. Upon reaching Wat Pha Lat temple, hikers will find a small waterfall and magnificent views over the city of Chiang Mai.
alt="CHIANG MAI MONK'S PATH">Buddhist robe tree on the Monks Trail Chiang Mai.

Are there monks on the path?

Unfortunately, hiking the Monks Trail Chiang Mai is no longer the mystical and enchanting experience it once was. The trees once draped in Buddhist robes are now bare, and the monks appear to have found new routes to Wat Pha Lat.

As mentioned, there are a few unmarked side trails, now wrapped in monks' robes, that run through the Doi Suthep mountain area. We were told that the monks now walk these new paths every day to avoid being disturbed by tourists. So if you see some winding paths leading off the trail, I would stay away from them out of respect for the monks.

In some ways this compromise has led to a good result. The monks still have trails for hiking and meditation, and tourists, expats and locals can still enjoy the monks' trail and Wat Pha Lat temple.
alt=“ZONER PHOTO STUDIO X REVIEW BEFORE AND AFTER MONK PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY”>

When is the best time to travel?

Hiking the Monks Trail Chiang Mai can be done at any time of the year. The best time to do the hike is early morning or at sunrise to avoid school and business traffic and enjoy great golden views over Chiang Mai city.
alt="Monks Trail at the Forest Temple Chiang Mai">
Tip for expats and locals: You can join the Doi Suthep Walker Facebook group to get useful and up-to-date information about hiking around Doi Suthep and Monks Trail Chiang Mai.

Wat Pha Lat – Forest Temple Chiang Mai

Wat Pha Lat is the main attraction and end point of the Monks Trail. Wat Pha Lat means “Sloping Rock Monastery” in Thai. This small monastery was built to serve as a rest and prayer stop for people and monks trekking to Doi Suthep. Since Doi Suthep is now accessible via a road, the monastery has been transformed into a monks' residence and a meditation center.

When you reach Wat Pha Lat, the forest temple, you will find that you have several areas to explore. The first thing you may notice is the long dragon bridge that leads down the mountain to the edge of the flowing river. There are also several smaller temples and stupas, as well as many statues and representations of Buddhist deities around the monastery that are worth a look.

• alt=“BUDDHISTISCHE SCHNITZEREIEN AM WALDTEMPEL CHIANG MAI, KLOSTER WAT PHA LAT“>
• alt=“WALDTEMPEL CHIANG MAI, WAT PHA LAT“>
• alt=“WANDERN AUF DEM MÖNCHSPFAD CHIANG MAI NACH WAT PHA LAT“>

Where to from here?

What's next? After the Monks Trail hike you have three options. I've outlined each of these below to help you better plan your day of hiking in the Doi Suthep Mountains above Chiang Mai.

Continuation of the hike to Wat Doi Suthep

A popular option for people wanting a longer hike is to continue on to Wat Doi Suthep. This is a larger and much more popular temple. The hike here is a little longer, but also much steeper. Expect a minimum 1.5-hour hike from Wat Pha Lat.

From the forest monastery continue following the river to the road. From here there is another narrower and unmarked path that leads to Wat Doi Suthep.

Walk back down the Monks Trail

If you have parked your motorcycle at the foot of the path, you can simply turn around and go back the way you came to Suthep Road.

Lazy Option: Hitch a songthaew off the street

This one is for the laziest hikers. On the right side of the temple you will see the main road access to the forest temple. You can walk down this street and flag down a passing songthaew that will take you back to the start of the route or all the way to Chiang Mai.

• alt=“WALDTEMPEL CHIANG MAI, WAT PHA LAT“>
• alt=“WALDTEMPEL CHIANG MAI, WAT PHA LAT“>
• alt=“MÖNCHSTATUEN IN WHAT PA LAT TEMPEL“>

After Hiking the Monks' Trail Chiang Mai: More Adventures

I hope this guide to hiking the Monks Trail Chiang Mai was informative and inspires you to take on the adventure. If you're in Chiang Mai for a few more days, why not check out some of the other articles I've written for the region below?

If you have any questions or want to say hello, leave a comment below or contact me via email!

• alt=“Wandern auf dem Mönchspfad Chiang Mai – Wat Pha Lat Tempel“>

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