Meditation Retreat in Chiang Mai: A Guide to Doi Suthep Vipassana Center

Meditation Retreats are known worldwide for it is visited by many people especially tourists. If you’ve been researching the Doi Suthep Vipassana meditation retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand, this guide covers what to know! After spending five days there (next time, I will do 10), I put together this guide on what to expect.

I became interested in Vipassana after a friend told me about his time at the Wat Pa Tam Wua Monastery in Northern Thailand. I was intrigued by the idea of being in silence and what it could do for a person. After all — the world around us is rarely quiet, and neither are our minds.

The gist of it Vipassana at Doi Suthep:

I already have practices like meditation, but a vipassana would be a whole new way of trying to quiet the mind. And not just that, but be a part of daily chanting and morning Dhamma talks (Buddhist teachings).

Aside from intensive meditation, meditators partake in Buddhist practices spent in Meditation retreats, including eating only vegetarian meals and avoiding substances like cigarettes and alcohol (simply put, no intoxication).

Finally, no books, music, dancing, yoga, or exercise are allowed. You just sit with yourself and exist.

One thing the Monk talked about was ‘purity’; after my time here, it makes sense how we must let go of so many things — from meat to entertainment, such as books.

Why Doi Suthep?

I originally planned a 10-day Vipassana, but I decided to go with 3 days (five days with arrival/departure) due to my limited time in Thailand. I was a little nervous about a 10-full day, despite wanting to do this for over a year!

At the time, Doi Suthep was flexible in letting me stay for a shorter period, although some centers require a 10-day commitment and no less!

Being in Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep was an easy choice, although there are a few centers such as  Wat Sopharam or Dhamma Simanta near the city as well.

In this Doi Suthep Vipassana guide, I’ll be sharing on:

• What to wear ( & where to buy white clothes in Chiang Mai)
• The Food
• The Schedule
• How to Get There from Chiang Mai
• The impacts of the Vipassana
• The positives and “negatives” of going to Doi Suthep

Without further ado, let’s hop into it! I’m going to start with the main pros and cons of doing a Thailand Vipassana at Doi Suthep and then dive deeper.

The Pros and Cons of Doi Suthep:

Pros:

• Later wake up time (5 am vs 4 am at other retreat centers)
• The food!
• Beautiful views from dorms and meditation hall
• Can meditate anywhere at the center
• Private rooms
• Hands-off approach (can also be a con)

Cons:

• The ants in the bathrooms
• A bit hard to understand the Dhamma talks (even for a native English speaker)
• Daily check-in with monk is very simple (but maybe it’s supposed to be this way in general, but I haven’t done another Vipassana to know)
• Facilities a bit dated (not a big deal for me, but I know some people wouldn’t like it)
• Not every shower has a working hot water heater
• Hands-off approach and less guidance (may not be suitable for complete meditation beginners)

All in all, I would probably stay here again. While the ants in the bathroom can be a bit annoying and I had to go to the other womens’ dorm to shower, the positive things at Doi Suthep make it quite nice.

If you don’t go in with high-expectations but come in open minded and ready for a few inconveniences, you’ll be fine doing your Chiang Mai Vipassana at Doi Suthep!

Making the reservation:

When planning my Vipassana and settling on Doi Suthep, I contacted them by email, which you can find on their official website. I went in November and contacted them about a month ahead of time. It’s ideal to make your reservation as soon as possible as they offer private rooms, but with the high season coming in, the spaces can fill up.

And if you make a reservation and your plans change, inform them as soon as possible so that spot can open back up to another meditator.

The admin at Doi Suthep was quite responsive and easy to organize with.

What to bring to Doi Suthep (with list below):

The essential things to bring include two pairs of white pants and white T-shirts. From my experience, if you’ll be doing ten days for your Vipassana in Chiang Mai, bringing three sets is better.

If it’s winter, you’ll also want to bring socks, a white shawl, and even a hat or gloves for chilly mornings. They didn’t mind that some people didn’t have white hats or socks, but the shawl should be white (I just bought a yard of fabric in Chiang Mai for this!)

Other items to bring include your towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, medications, soap, and general self-care products. Another thing to get would be a stopwatch to time your meditations.

While we were permitted to use our phone timers, if you’re afraid of temptation, definitely get one!

Another thing to bring is your own water bottle. Plus cups, filtered water, and tea are available whenever you’d like. But since the supply is limited (& I always like to have water on me!), it’s a great idea to have your own bottle.

The rooms are spacious, so you won’t feel crammed if you bring all your luggage. But be warned, there are many steps leading to the temple, so if you can leave your main luggage with a friend or stay at a hotel in Chiang Mai, you’ll make life much easier when arriving and leaving Doi Suthep.

Doi Suthep Vipassana Checklist:

Note: Clothes for Vipassana can be found at Warorot Market

• 2-3 sets of white pants and shirts (depending on season, bring a long sleeve)
• gloves, socks, and a hat (don’t have to be white)
• white shawl/scarf
• stop watch (Vipassana centers may allow phone timer use, was allowed here)
• soap, toothbrush, medications, towel

Where to Buy White Clothes:

Some Vipassana centers offer white clothes for meditators but at Doi Suthep you’ll need to bring your own.

Pro tip: The ladies’ dorm area had a table full of leftover white clothes. From what I understand, the mens’ did not have this. Be sure to bring at least two sets of white clothes, but if the table is still there (it was in 2023), ladies may be able to get a few extra pairs of clothes left behind from others.

Where to Buy: I went to the Warorot Market to buy my white clothes. The market is quite large, and there’s so much to see; I suggest going to wander around.

I paid about $15 per set of clothes and about $2 for my shawl, which was just a thick piece of cut linen from a fabric store.

Bringing books, notebooks, and other distraction to Doi Suthep?

Some Vipassana centers in Thailand are very strict with bringing in books, cell phones, laptops, etc. Even one I considered going to states on their website they will take your phone and laptop when you arrive and lock it away for you.

At Doi Suthep, none of my stuff was searched, and I wasn’t asked if I had a phone or books or anything. I and many others often used our phones as our meditation timers (and were permitted to).

With that said, I kept my data off and rarely touched my phone other than to take some photos (the ones in this article) and use it as a timer.

So the answer is no, you won’t get in trouble if you have these things on you, but you cannot use them.

Getting to Doi Suthep from Chiang Mai:

Doi Suthep is located in the mountains east of Chiang Mai, and being a popular tourist destination with its temple and national park, there are plenty of ways to get there.

The more expensive yet easy way to arrive would be by taking a GRAB or Taxi. I think the ride runs around $20 USD, but don’t quote me on that, as I didn’t take a private vehicle there.

There are also plenty of red Songthaew trucks that go to Doi Suthep from Chaing Mai. These public-ride tucks can be found at a few locations. The only catch is unlike a Grab, you might have to wait a bit as the truck leaves once it’s full.

If you stay in the Old City, you can catch them at the Chang Phuak Gate Night Market Area. There’s a 7/11 by the corner and you’ll see the red Songthaew trucks in front — the ones going to Doi Suthep have it written right on the truck.

There was a woman there helping coordinate rides which was helpful to know I was on the right truck. I waited about 10 minutes before our ride filled up, and I think the one-way cost was about 200 baht (about $7 USD).

If you’re staying in the Nimmanhaemin area, you can take a Grab to the Chiang Mai Zoo, where red trucks are waiting bound for Doi Suthep. I haven’t done this, so perhaps double-check with others just in case!

Arriving at Doi Suthep:

Be sure to arrive a few hours early before the arranged time if possible. In this case, I had to arrive by 1 pm, but I came around noon. That will give you time to settle in and visit the temple before the opening ceremony takes place.

Once you de-board the truck or get dropped off at the base of Doi Suthep, you’ll see many vendors along the sidewalk, food, and the entrance to the temple. They’re worth a browse if you have the time. I grabbed a fresh juice because I knew I wouldn’t have access to it the next few days.

To get to the temple, you have to climb a long staircase — if you have a lot of luggage, ask if you can store it somewhere! My Airbnb let me store a few bags there, making arriving at Doi Suthep easier. Not to mention, there are also stairs going down to the center. It’s a stair-y place!

I also paid entry into the temple, although I heard mixed reviews about people having to pay or not. Best thing to do when arriving would be to ask where the meditation center is and they’ll guide you to the signs that you can follow from there on.

The Rooms & Facilities:

The rooms at Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai were way beyond my expectations. It’s a donation-based stay, so I was grateful for how big they were.

They’re simple: a twin-sized bed (a bit hard), a window, a pillow, and a blanket. There are also screens so you can open the windows without bugs welcoming themselves in.

The view from the building was also very green and peaceful. There were also lines to hang dry clothes and towels.

Unfortunately, ants had somewhat taken over the bathrooms. Hopefully, it’s been solved by this time because while there are many toilets and showers, but it’s not so comfortable with ants invading.

There’s also hot water in the showers, but not each water heater works. I stuck to a few showers where the hot water worked.

The Food:

Just writing about this makes me want the food here again! If I do another Vipassana, the food would be a big reason to choose Doi Suthep again.

If you like Asian-style food, you’ll probably like it as much as I did. Some meals included rice and vegetables, soups, and there was always a little snack bar for dessert.

There was quite a variety, even though it was rotating, but the flavor was nice and they have some spices you can add.

Throughout the day you can have tea and water at any time. If you have a favorite tea, bring some!

Can you bring you own food? I’ve heard mixed reviews on people bringing their own food to Vipassanas in Thailand, although I brought some dried mangos and oranges and only ate them between breakfast and lunch times. After lunch, there’s no more eating allowed until the next day.

The Schedule:

The Doi Suthep Vipassana schedule here reflects the first and last-day schedules and the daily “during your stay” schedule.

Another reason I decided to practice at Doi Suthep is the starting time. While at other centers in Thailand, meditators need to wake up at four or 4:30, you can squeeze a bit more sleep here.

The Experience of Vipassana at Doi Suthep:

The First Day: Arrival

Arriving at Doi Suthep was relatively smooth, from getting checked in to attending the opening ceremony. I was excited and pretty nervous. I spent a whole year waiting for this moment and it felt unreal I was really going to do this.

Be sure you had a big lunch before arriving to make your first day easier as you’ll eat on the second day.

At the opening ceremony we were introduced to meditation, including sitting and standing meditations. Once we were free, we could get more settled and start meditating that afternoon.

Our instructions were to do sitting meditation for 10 minutes and then walking for 10 minutes — and each day more time and steps get added.

At 6:00 pm evening chatting began and this happens every day. It’s actually quite nice, especially after you start spending so much time in silence.

After chanting, I went back to the meditation hall, meditated and went to bed around 9.

On the first day, I meditated probably about 2-3 hours and as time would go on, I’d learn that pacing yourself is okay because this isn’t easy (& I only did three days!)

Days 2-4:

The following days the Doi Suthep Vipassana schedule went like this:

5:00 am: Wake – Up

5:30 am: Dhamma Talk

7:00 am: Breakfast

8:00 am: Morning Meditation

11:00 am: Lunch

11:30 am: Mediation Report

12:30 pm: Afternoon Meditation

6:00 pm: Chanting

7:00 pm: Evening Meditation

9:00 pm: Bed

Dhama Talks:

Each day started the same: with a Dhamma Talk. The monk is a bit of a fast speaker with a thick accent, but I loved his energy. Having an accent is fine, but if you don’t understand English well, you’ll have to pay extra attention.

I felt the talks could have been more in-depth, but this is also my first time attending them so I don’t, have others to compare it to.

Breakfast and Lunch:

The food always brought me a bit of joy with Thai-style noodles, rice, soups, and more. Plus, the spice they offer! As I felt more present at the Vipassana and drained by my brain of dopamine from external sources, I felt more gratitude, and the flavor tasted even better.

One of the biggest rules is no eating after noon, so I’d be sure to fill my plate and my belly at both meals. Yes, it seems a bit much eating two huge meals almost back to back, but trust me, you’ll be grateful you did once 7 pm rolls around.

Afternoon Meditation Report:

After eating lunch, every day we have to report to the monk who would share with us our next steps in meditation progression.

It’s pretty simple really, with him adding an extra step each day and some extra time to meditate.

For example: add 5 minutes to your sitting meditation.

He wraps it up pretty quick so there’s no discussion on how you feel or time for questions. But if you come with that expectation, it’s all good.

If you are a first timer to meditation though, it may be a better idea to check other retreat centers in Chaing Mai where you’ll receive more guidance.

Meditating:

With so much time to spend meditating doing a Doi Suthep Vipassana, two things are essential: make yourself comfortable and pace yourself (if needed).

Every meditator is different. I would see some meditating almost every second outside of meal, Dhamma, and chanting times. Other people took longer breaks or would even leave to go to the shops outside the temple just to get away (these people were usually on 10 or 21-day retreats).

You could meditate anywhere in the center, including your room or outside. While I usually stayed in the meditation hall, sometimes I would stay on the terrace of the dorms.

There are also plenty of pillows and cushions to sit comfortably (& for longer times). I always used two or three pillows, placing them at the top of the mat to sit and meditate.

There are even pillars in the meditation hall so sometimes I’d sit back against the pillar for an easier sitting meditation. My back, in particular, would be tired at the end of the day, which helped so much!

I probably meditated between 4 to 6 hours a day, which is a lot for me! Some can do upwards of 8, but if you want to do this for days on end, you also need to be in touch with your body and find that balance in being comfortable with the uncomfortable.

“Purifying” the Mind

As the days passed I went through a few periods, from thinking “Let’s goooo!” on my arrival day, to wondering why I was doing this to myself on day 3. And I only did a short Vipassana!

I know that when people do 10 or even 21 days, go through some intense periods. If you’re planning for a 10-day retreat, I recommend reading more on peoples’ experiences to prepare yourself!

Anyways, the Monk talked about purity quite a bit, and while I didn’t quite understand it at first, it was happening when I wasn’t even aware.

I realized by removing social media and TVs, noises, books, music, and human interaction, the sense of freedom from external influences impacted me. I realized how much energy we give and take from our environments whether we want it or not. I felt the “purity” he was talking about and loved it. Like truly, what a privilege it was to understand and feel this.

Day 5 (Leaving Day):

After the final Dhamma talk, I went to meditate a bit more before breakfast.

From the meditation hall, the sunrise was stunning. While many meditators avoid eye contact, a few of us couldn’t help but smile at each other, sharing the simple fascination and joy in the stunning sunrise.

Having cleared myself of so much external influence and detoxing from society, watching a simple sunrise felt like pure joy. After all, I had nothing else to entertain me these days.

After my final sitting and walking meditations, we had breakfast, and ended with a closing ceremony.

After, I collected my things and headed out of the temple and back to society, taking a red truck from Doi Suthep back to Chiang Mai.

I recommend taking it super easy for the final day after you return because returning to society with all its noise can be overwhelming.

Donations:

Be sure to bring enough cash to make a donation for your Doi Suthep Vipassana. They only can accept bank transfers from Thai Bank accounts. Assuming you don’t have a Thai bank account, you’ll need cash!

You make the donation on your last day during check out and can leave whatever you want, although I recommend $10/day.

The Results (Was it Worth it?)

I can say with 100% confidence it was worth doing a Vipassana in Chiang Mai at Doi Suthep.

Despite having experience in meditation, this was a full-on mental clearing and multi-day challenge. I felt as if my brain chemistry was changing (and it probably was, at least temporarily).

One of the most significant changes was that I hated social media afterward. While it’s my job, I refused to scroll for almost a whole month afterward. My relationship with my phone and the online world consumed me more than I knew, and clearing my head those days made me realize how much time and emotional energy I was wasting on something that offered little value.

Today, though, I’m back to scrolling, but I always keep this in mind and am much more aware of what I’m doing (even if I know it’s not good).

Other lessons I brought back were not being so reactionary to things, so having more patience, not taking things less personally, and so forth. Once again, this didn’t stick forever, but knowing I could maintain this state for a while was impactful.

The world is hectic; we can’t control our environments, temptation is everywhere, and it’s easy to let our ego take the wheel. So, even while still meditating, I fall for many things that don’t serve me.

With that said, though, I want to do another Vipassana for 10 days to learn more, reset my mind, and hopefully, be a better person for myself and others when I leave again.