Chiang Mai Handicrafts Tour by samlor

Chiang Mai Handicrafts Tour by samlor

Kamphaeng Din, the former outer wall of Chiang Mai

This is a private tour. You will have to arrange the transfer from the hotel to Wat Loi Kroh yourself. Here your guide and samlor drivers will be waiting for you at 0830. After short introductions and briefing, hop on your samlor and start your Chiang Mai Handicrafts Tour.  We leave the temple and head for Kamphaeng Din road. Kamphaeng Din means “earthen wall” in the Thai language. Chiang Mai used to have an outer city wall on the east and south of the city. Kamphaeng Din road follows this outer city wall and moat. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Wat Nantharam and a Lacquerware workshop

After a short while, you will arrive at the Pradtoo Korm Market, named after one of the gates of the former outer wall. This market comes alive in the afternoon but is also worth a short visit in the morning. We‘ll stroll through the market before we get back in our samlors to continue to Wat Nantaram. This temple used to be at the center of the lacquerware industry. We’ll pedal through the temple on our way to one of the oldest and still working home factories where they still traditionally produce lacquerware. Migrants from Shan State in Burma (now Myanmar) settled in this area about two hundred years ago. They brought their lacquerware skills with them.

The Silver Temples of  Wualai

After this, we will continue to the Wualai neighborhood, known as the “silver quarter” of Chiang Mai. Silver artisans from Shan State settled here in the early 19th century. Our first stop is Wat Muen San, the lesser-known “silver temple.” During World War Two, the temple grounds served as a field hospital for Japanese soldiers. The temple has a small museum with photographs and military paraphernalia.

After this temple, we will visit a workshop where silver jewelry and ornaments are handmade. We’ll continue to the opulent Wat Sri Suphan with its silver assembly hall. On the temple grounds is a silver workshop where monks learn to make silverware.

The Chiang Mai Gate Market

We cross the moat and enter the Old City through the Suan Prung Gate. Then we head for the Chiang Mai Gate Market, one of Chiang Mai’s most popular and interesting markets. We taste local delicacies before pedaling to our last stop: the quiet but fascinating Wat Sai Moon Myanmar. This is the main temple for the Burmese (Myanmar) community in Chiang Mai. The architecture and atmosphere are different from Thai temples. Few outsiders visit Wat Sai Moon Myanmar. Here we meet up with one of the Burmese monks for a chat before heading for our end destination, Thapae Gate.

Say goodbye to the drivers. Thanks very much for joining this tour and supporting the samlor community of Chiang Mai. More things to do in Chiang Mai you will find here.

We also offer a full-day Old Handicrafts Tour