A Bike Tour Through Chiang Mai’s Historic Old City

For our first Field Trip Friday in Thailand we went on a bike tour through Chiang Mia’s historic Old City. The Old City is a quick 15 minute Grab ride from our Airbnb and a popular spot for tourists. The tour took us on a guided bike ride through the city, stopping at historic monuments, ancient temples, and a local market. The last time we were all on a bike was at the start of our gap year, when we rode our bikes to my mom’s house. As we rode down the streets of Chiang Mai today, Alexis looked back at me and said “Wahoo, family gap year!”, quoting the exact line she said the day we rode to my mom’s. It’s hard to believe that was 7 months ago. This was a fun way to explore the city and Braxton was beyond excited to ride a bike again!

Tha Phae Gate and Three Kings Monument

The Old City was originally built in the 13th century. Ancient walls and a moat that forms a perfect square (roughly 1.5 km on each side) define the city. We got to see portions of the original walls and gates that still stand today. The tour started at the Tha Phae Gate, which was once the main trading entrance to Chiang Mai.

Next up was the Three Kings Monument. This monument features bronze statues of three legendary kings who are credited with founding Chiang Mai.

Pedaling Through Sacred Streets

The tour then took us through streets and back alleyways, on our way to visit two of Chiang Mai’s famous temples and a local market. Riding through the city was so fun! I loved seeing all the different architecture and was surprised at how quiet and peaceful the city felt. With Chiang Mai being home to over 300 temples, we passed different beautiful temples constantly. It was almost impossible to take pictures while on a bike. The memories of what we rode past will have to live in our minds.

Wat Chiang Man Temple

The first temple we visited was the Wat Chiang Man Temple. This was built in 1297 and is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. There is a beautiful mural along the walls inside the main hall that tells the story of Budha’s life, which our tour guide briefly went over.

One of the temples most distinctive features is its chedi (pagoda). Rows of elephants support the chedi, and it was stunning. The temple grounds were very quiet and peaceful, with very few people around.

Wat Chedi Luang Temple

The Wat Chedi Luang is the largest temple in Chiang Mai. The temple features a massive ruined chedi and the ancient City Pillar. This is a very popular tourist spot and did not have the calm, peaceful feeling of the previous temple.

An enormous chedi built in 1391 is the centerpiece of the temple. In 1545, an earthquake caused the upper portion to collapse. What remains is truly spectacular. It is one of my favorite structures I’ve seen so far this year. Twenty-eight elephants originally surrounded it, but the earthquake destroyed all but six.

The temple grounds are home to Chiang Mai’s City Pillar. The City Pillar is considered the spiritual heart and protective talisman of the city. Temple rules prohibit women from entering the City Pillar. Why you ask? Because we menstruate (see sign below). Alexis and I took an angry picture in front of the building and she spent the next hour of our tour being super pissed off about this. Everything is a learning experience. Dave and Braxton went inside simply because they could. Afterwards, Dave jokingly told her it was the coolest thing he’s seen so far this year.

Walking Through the Local Market

We stopped at a local market which is always interesting. There were various meats with flies on them (pretty standard we are realizing), and tables full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. We sampled some Thai sausage and pork rinds. Not what I would have picked to sample, but it came with the tour. Regardless, it was delicious and the pork rinds made me think of my dad.

The tour ended with a 20 minute ride back through the city to our starting point. Our tour guide gave us fresh orange juice that was delicious and refreshing. This was a great way to wrap up our first week in Thailand!