Sunday 30 November 2025
Returning to hike the Monks Trail to Wat Phalad

The Monks Trail is a hiking trail from a little west of Chiang Mai University to Wat Phalad. The trail continues from Wat Phalad to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The first section to Wat Phalad takes 45 minutes to an hour, and is definitely uphill, but not terribly difficult. The second section from Wat Phalad to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is much steeper and much more difficult. That second section takes an hour to 90 minutes or more if stopping to rest occasionally (which I suggest).

I first found the Monks Trail in 2012 my first winter in Chiang Mai. The trailhead was not well-known. I was given some obscure directions and told to head that way and I would find the trailhead. I had no clue how to follow those directions. Instead, I hired a driver to take me to the entrance to Wat Phalad on the main road to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. I then wandered around the temple grounds, and saw some people coming out of the jungle/forest. I went to where I saw them, found a trail, and hiked down. And I found the trailhead. I continued down the road and passed Wat Fai Hin. This became a landmark for getting a ride close to the Monks Trail trailhead – I just got a ride to Wat Fai Hin and walked up the hill from there.

I came to love hiking up the Monks Trail. Being in the jungle/forest is quiet and meditative. Over the years have made the hike many, many times both to Wat Phalad and to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. And sometimes I walked all the way from The 3-Sis to the Monks Trail (5 kilometers), up the Monks Trail, back down, and then all the way back into the old city to The 3-Sis, a very, very long day. Whew! I do not have nearly that much energy today.

Today, the Monks Trail trailhead is on all social media as well as Google Maps, so many people now enjoy the hike in the forest to a very peaceful temple, getting the same experience I came to love. Starting this year, the trail is under the auspices of the National Park System, so there is a charge of 100 baht for foreigners (about $3). Not so bad – trail maintenance does cost something. The place to pay the fee is about 200-250 meters before the trailhead. The trailhead has been dramatically improved, as shown in the following photo. The Thai on the left says, “Ecological and Cultural Path, Doi Suthep Pui National Park.” On the right is, “There is a way to Study Nature. Pha Lad.”

For the first time this winter, I started up the Monks Trail. I have posted many, many photos of this hike over the years, so I’ll keep the photos to a minimum this time. Past the trailhead, one is immediately in the forest/jungle and it envelopes you with quiet and only the sounds of insects and birds coming through.

The trail is rocky, moreso than in previous years. This is likely due to the longer and more intense rainy season this year washing away some of the dirt. Here are a couple of photos showing the rocky path ahead of me.

Sometimes there are beams across the path to prevent erosion that almost become stairs. And sometimes the path is just uphill over the roots and through the forest/jungle.

Soon I was approaching Wat Phalad and I could hear the creek flowing over the several small waterfalls near the temple. Because of the lengthy and intense rainy season, much water is still flowing down the mountain.

A little closer to the actual temple, another waterfall with a good bit of water flowing.

And one of my favorite views, crossing the bridge into the actual temple grounds looking downstream above the largest waterfall.

Wat Phalad

The Wat Phalad temple has undergone significant upgrades in the last 5 or 6 years. One change is that the rickety (and unsafe) bamboo bridge from which I took the previous photo is now a concrete bridge, firm and safe. Another change is that this smaller viharn (assembly or worship hall), once dark and gloomy, is now bright and inviting.

Just up the hill is an area that used to have what I call an open-air viharn, basically a viharn with a roof and roof supports, but no walls. This “open-air viharn” is gone, having been replaced with a three-sided structure, similar to a cloister in a European church or monestary. I have seen these at other Buddhist temples in Bangkok, and in those, there are many, many Buddha images. At Wat Phalad, this similar structure has only one Buddha image. The photo on the left shows a close-up of that Buddha statue, and the photo on the right an overview of the courtyard.

Beside the new open courtyard, is the tall, seated Buddha statue. This has been here for all the years I have visited. The pavilion in which it sits had been in a dreary, old and dirty state. Recently, it has been cleaned and restored, leaving the statues very clean and white.

Slightly up the hill and to the left, this standing Buddha statue also has been cleaned and restored. So it is now clean and white. I always loved this Buddha image, standing in the forest.

Given all the cleaning and restoration in the immediate area at Wat Phalad, I wonder why the chedi is left in such a deteriorated state. It is a beautiful, old, rustic chedi, and (in my opinion) deserves a restoration, giving it the respect it deserves. Every year, the deterioration continues, and every year I keep hoping that a restoration is planned and coming soon. (At least pull all the weeds and foliage.)

Something new that caught my eye was the side of the viharn down below the chedi. I am positive it is not “new,” but I had never noticed it as I did today. (Maybe it was cleaned and/or restored recently, so more noticeable now.) There are three large, carved thewada (angelic beings that live in the heavenly realms) carved on stucco on the side wall. Very striking, and very elegant.

With that and a short sit for a meditation, I crossed over the creek one more time and started the hike down the Monks Trail. One last look at the largest waterfall by the temple before I make my way down the trail.

Hiking the Monks Trail always makes for a good day. I think the next time I make this hike, I’ll go all the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Next: ??? Another adventure? A visit to Thai Mueang (Turtle Beach)?