Chiang Mai City Culture Half-Day Cycling Tour

Meet at a central Chiang Mai meeting point in the morning. During this 16 mile (25km) ride, you'll bike as much as possible over quiet roads and small lanes, passing beautiful temples and colorful markets while seeing local people continue their daily activities. Ride through small back roads and alleyways around and through the center of Chiang Mai.

Stop at a silversmith that fabricates beautiful jewelry in different shapes and sizes (no shopping) then visit the adjacent Silver Temple to see the monks keeping themselves busy making decorations of alloy used for the renovation of this temple.

Continue the ride through narrow alleys and small lanes to the center of the city where you'll visit the 14th century Wat Chedi Luang. Thailand’s most revered Buddha statue, the Emerald Buddha, used to reside in this temple until the Laotian took it to Luang Prabang (Laos) in 1545. Nowadays, this Buddha statue can be found in Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew.

After shooting pictures of this remarkable Chedi, stop for refreshments at the Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institution. The aim of this institution is to reform and rehabilitate inmates who have almost done their sentences. The residents are serving light sentences for minor crimes and come from poor backgrounds, with many being hill-tribe women.

Next, stop at the most visited temple of Chiang Mai, the beautiful Wat Phra Singh. The temple is very impressive and very picturesque with plenty of photo opportunities. The grounds are well maintained with multiple structures within, including the Wiharm Lai Kam assembly hall, Ho Trai library, Ubosot ordination hall and the main prayer hall.

The journey continues to the outer circle of the center, passing through a fresh flower market where you will see the most beautiful flowers of the North. This area is called “China Town of Chiang Mai”.

Ride across the river and stop for more refreshments at a local market where your guide will have more time to examine some local exotic fruits and snacks with you. After this stop, take a surprising route back to the starting point.