How do you get from Chiang Mai University to Doi Suthep temple?

Shared songthaews wait at Chiang Mai University's north gate on Huay Kaew Road, charging from 50 baht one way to 180 baht for a round trip. On foot, the Monk's Trail runs from near the campus through forest to Wat Pha Lat in about an hour, then continues to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where 309 steps lead from the car park.

When is Wat Umong open, and where is it in Chiang Mai's Suthep area?

Wat Umong, the "tunnel temple", opens 08:30–16:00 and lies in woodland about 1 km south of Chiang Mai University's main campus, off Suthep Road. King Mangrai founded it in 1297 for monks from Sri Lanka. Walking tunnels run beneath the chedi, and English-language dharma talks are held on Sundays at 15:00.

What time do cafés near Chiang Mai University and Suthep Road close?

Most cafés in the Suthep and CMU area close early, by 18:00. BM DIARY coffee on Suthep Road stays open until 19:30. The late openers are dessert places, including D-Milk until 23:00 and Ice Skate's Crepe and Kanom-Mae until 22:00. Suthep Road's food carts run from about 17:00 to 22:00.

Cafés in Suthep & CMU, Chiang Mai: Hours and Map

West of Nimman, Suthep Road (ถนนสุเทพ) runs out past Chiang Mai University toward the forested foot of Doi Suthep (ดอยสุเทพ, Mount Suthep). The university opened on 18 June 1964, its main campus lies between the city and the mountain, and it had 38,269 students in 2023.¹

Many of its cafés are in the student lanes behind the campus or on the roads toward the forest temples. It is a daytime neighborhood: most close by 18:00, and the busiest evening spots are dessert and milk bars.

Local tip: Wat Umong closes at 16:00 and most cafés here by 18:00, so pair the temple with a late-morning coffee and keep the Suthep Road food carts, which start around 17:00, for dinner.

At a glance

147Cafés listed

31With opening hours

07:00Earliest opening

00:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: Basecamp trail cafe, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–17:00).

Closes latest: The Coffee Ritch, until 00:00 (Daily 09:00–00:00).

Most listed streets: ถนน สุเทพ (13), ถนน คันคลองชลประทาน (3), ถนนสุเทพ (2).

Most common features: wi-fi (12%), bakery café (4%), outdoor seating (3%).

Two old temples off Suthep Road

Wat Suan Dok (วัดสวนดอก, "flower garden temple") stands on Suthep Road about 1 km west of Suan Dok Gate. King Kue Na founded it in 1370 on the site of his flower garden; whitewashed mausoleums in the grounds hold the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family, and the compound houses a campus of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya, a Buddhist university.²

Wat Umong (วัดอุโมงค์, "tunnel temple") was founded in 1297 by King Mangrai for monks invited from Sri Lanka, and sits in 37.5 rai (about 6 ha) of woodland some 1 km south of the main campus, with walking tunnels beneath its chedi.³ It opens 08:30–16:00, and gives English-language dharma talks on Sundays at 15:00.⁴

Getting up Doi Suthep

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep dates from 1383; legend says a white elephant carrying a relic climbed the mountain, trumpeted three times and died where the temple now stands.⁵ The first road up was built in 1935 under the monk Khruba Siwichai, and from the car park there are 309 steps to the top.⁵

Shared songthaews wait at the university's north gate on Huay Kaew Road, from 50฿ one way to 180฿ for a round-trip tour, and those from Chang Phueak Gate should cost 80฿ or less as of 2025.⁴ Many sites in the national park have charged a 100฿ entry fee since December 2025.⁴ The Monk's Trail, an easy-to-moderate forest path, climbs from near the campus to Wat Pha Lat in about an hour and continues to Doi Suthep.⁴

Cafés behind the university

Several cafés sit in Ban Mai Lang Mo (บ้านใหม่หลังมอ, roughly "new village behind the university"): Milk on the Rock at 144/1 Soi 7 and Ice Skate's Crepe at 84 Soi 5, open 12:00–22:00. On Suthep Road itself, LAW COFF & CO is at number 35 (Monday to Saturday, 08:00–18:00) and BM DIARY coffee at 7/2 Moo 8 (08:00–19:30).

Toward the forest, More Craft is at 13/5 Ban Ram Poeng (08:30–16:00), Munchies Café at 168 Ubosot Soi 9 (Tuesday to Sunday, 09:30–18:00), and Valentan, a bakery café, opens Tuesday to Sunday at 08:00.

Evenings near the campus

The Ang Kaew reservoir on the main campus was built to supply the university with water and doubles as a recreation area for students and neighbors.¹ After dark, the Suthep Road food carts set up from about 17:00 until about 22:00, with tables along the pavement.⁴

The places here that stay open late tend to be sweet rather than caffeinated: D-Milk ไมโลดิบ (11:00–23:00), Kanom-Mae (ขนมแม่, "mother's sweets", 12:00–22:00) and Ice Skate's Crepe.

Cafés in Suthep & CMU

At a glance

Asama

BM DIARY coffee

Chom Cafe and Restaurant

Corner Coff

Dadam K Bistro Café

Fernpresso

LAW COFF & CO

MaliPai

Minimal Coffee Maker

More Craft

Munchies Café

Obchoei Original Homemade

Phuping Coffee

The Coffee Ritch

Trial Not Error

Valentan

ขนมแม่

บีซู คาเฟ่

แมวมอธ แคทคาเฟ่

๑Coffee

Ice Skate’s Crepe - เครปไอติมหลัง มช.

All ma friends

Also Cafe Chiangmai

Bart Coffee - Up Avenue

Blue Coffee

Brick Bistro

Bubble home

CHA B-CHU

Cheese day ชีสเดย์ ชาผลไม้ครีมชีส

Coffice Coffee Roaster

Commune Malai เวิ้งมาลัย

Eastouti

Elite Cafe

FAV Coffee Roaster

Fresh & Mild

FULO Cafe

Coffee chains in Suthep & CMU

Café Amazon

Roastniyom Coffee

Mingmitr Coffee

The Baristro

Two old temples off Suthep Road

Getting up Doi Suthep

Cafés behind the university

Evenings near the campus

Sources

More of Chiang Mai

Old City

Nimman

Santitham

Tha Phae & Night Bazaar

Riverside & Wat Ket

Chang Phueak & north

South Chiang Mai

Suthep & CMU cafés: questions

How do you get from Chiang Mai University to Doi Suthep temple?

When is Wat Umong open, and where is it in Chiang Mai's Suthep area?

What time do cafés near Chiang Mai University and Suthep Road close?

Own a café in Suthep & CMU?