The Moated Square

Best Time to Visit

Early morning, from about seven to ten, is the sweetest window: the temples are open, the light is soft on the chedi, and the heat has not yet built. A late-afternoon start from around four also works well as the sun drops and the gate square comes alive. Avoid the midday hours of roughly eleven to three, when the heat and sun on the open moat and monument square are punishing. If you can time your visit to the annual Inthakhin festival around the pillar, usually falling in May or June, you will see the city pillar surrounded by offerings, though the temple grounds will be far busier.

Pro Tips

• •Carry small baht notes for entry: the great chedi is about forty baht for foreigners, the main hall at Wat Phra Singh about forty baht, while Wat Chiang Man, the gate, the moat, and the monument square are free.
• •Dress for temples before you set out: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, and shoes that slip off easily, since you remove them before entering any assembly hall.
• •Bring a refillable water bottle and refill often. Northern heat and humidity dehydrate you faster than you expect, especially on the open stretches by the moat.
• •Walk the square in the shade of the inner lanes rather than the exposed moat road when you can. The old-city side streets are cooler, quieter, and easier on the feet.
• •Move at your own pace and skip freely. If the monument square feels too hot or too busy, press on to the shaded temple grounds and circle back another time.
• •Keep a light scarf or sarong in your bag. It doubles as sun cover on the open square and as a quick shoulder wrap when you step into a hall.