Wat Chedi Luang, just outside the west wall of the Old City, was once 90 meters - more than 300 feet - high. It lost much of its height during an earthquake in 1554, but is still an impressive sight. Its rough stone and brick construction contrasts sharply with the gold and marble of Doi Suthep and the intricate carvings of Bangkok’s Grand Palace.

We noticed another contrast. The Buddhists of Bangkok use rather benign figures to guard the gates of their temples - grinning man/monkey figures or round-faced, pixie-hatted creatures looking for all the world like oversized Munchkins. Chiang Mai Buddhists preferred temple guardians with more bite; rampant lions and shark-toothed serpents were their favorites. The railings for the 301 steps at Wat Doi Suthep were long, golden serpents. It appears that the concrete along the entry steps to Wat Chedi Luang was also intended to depict serpents; with imagination, one could interpret the sculpures at the bottom as the heads of very angry cobras.

My favorite temple guardian was the guy in the third picture below. THIS is a sentry to be afraid of.

During our temple visits, my guide encouraged me to accompany her into the chapel while she said her noon-hour prayers. It would be cool and relaxing, she said, and I could study the artwork along the walls. It was, and I did. The usual rules applied: shoes off and, when seated in the presence of a Buddha figure, never allow your feet to point toward him.

Adding one or more of these in-city temples and a swing through the Old City after an excursion to Wat Doi Suthep will return you to your hotel with plenty of time for independent sight-seeing.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, perched on a mountaintop 3,300 feet above sea level, looks down on Chiang Mai like a benevolent God looking down over His subjects. Had it been a clear day, one could have had a superb panoramic view of the city and river valley below.

My pre-tour briefing book called Doi Suthep "possibly the most beautiful temple in Thailand."

Not long ago, the faithful had to climb 301 marble steps to worship here. Now, there’s a short funicular railway to the top (don’t expect a view though; it’s covered, to avoid distracting from the temple itself).

Like the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Wat Doi Suthep is actually a collection of several shrines and chapels. Though some of the shrines within Doi Suthep resemble those in the Grand Palace, the emphasis here is more on graceful curves than on sharp angles and vertical lines - a gentler, more flowing design. And the interior courtyard is dominated by a tall, golden stupa, a circular structure that begins as a cylinder but morphs first into a dome and then into a tall, slender spire - in this case, a golden spire. Stupas are a staple of the Buddhism practiced in regions like northern Thailand, Myanamar, and Nepal.

There’s a nominal admission fee for access to the funicular and temple. Shoes are permitted in the first of the two courtyards, but you’ll need to remove them to view the inner courtyard and stupa. As in most Buddhist temples I’ve visited, worshippers here had no objection to being photographed as they prayed or meditated.

The curving, climbing drive up the mountain is reason enough to visit Doi Suthep. Allow at least three hours for your visit, counting drive time from mid-city Chiang Mai. And on a clear day, you may feel like staying forever.