Climbing Pai’s Big White Buddha: 353 Sacred Steps for Sunrise

One of the most famous attractions in town, a trip to the Big White Buddha entails hiking up 353 steps to visit its temple. Every morning you will see fitness enthusiasts jogging in from Pai and monks doing their daily pilgrimage up the steep hill to the Buddha. I recommend going for sunrise or sunset to see the Buddha’s white stone exterior illuminated by the sky’s colors.

History of the Buddha on the Hill

While there’s been a Buddhist temple on the mountainside overlooking Pai since the 19th century, the Big White Buddha as we know it today is only around 30 years old. The iconic white color of the Buddha’s marble and concrete exterior was chosen due to white signifying purity in Buddhism, and it also makes the temple stand out beautifully against the lush, green countryside. 

What to Wear 

Pai’s Big White Buddha is both a tourist attraction and an active Buddhist Temple. When visiting temples, you’re supposed to have your knees and shoulders covered. This goes for men and women! 

The 353 Steps 

There are precisely 353 white-painted concrete steps from the parking lot to the Buddha’s platform. While this sounds like a lot, the climb can be completed in 10 minutes or less. If the heat is an issue, you can bring water and limit your visits to early in the morning, or later in the evening, when the sun won’t be as intense. 

My Top Tips for Visiting  

• Cover-Up: You can rent sarongs on the temple site, but it’s probably better to dress respectfully with your shoulders and knees covered from the get-go (for women and men).
• Know to Take Your Shoes Off: There’s no policing at the top of the Buddha, but you’re supposed to take your shoes off before stepping onto the platform. 
• Visit for Sunrise or Sunset: The White Buddha looks best when illuminated by the colors of sunrise and sunset. 
• Take a Stop at Earth Tone Cafe: One of my favorite cafes in Pai, Earth Tone, is at the base of the Buddha and makes for a great post-temple stop. 

How to Get There

• 🏃 Tons of people walk to the Big White Buddha, and it’s a popular jogging path. Walking to the Buddha from the center of town should take around 45 minutes, depending on your pace. 

• 🛕 There’s a path Buddha is also known as the “Monk’s Trail” because it’s the route Buddhist monks take daily for their pilgrimage. If you arrive at the temple early enough in the morning, you will see Thai Buddhist Monks draped in their signature orange cloaks walking to and from the temple. 

• 🛵 If you prefer to drive, There’s a large parking lot at the Buddha to accommodate scooters and cars. The drive to the Buddha temple site from the center of Pai town should take less than 5 minutes.