We meet you at the airport and bring you to the 3-star hotel nestled in the bustling city hugged by Doi Suthep Mountain. We will have a nice cold beverage for you, and give you time to rest up after your long journey. We will have dinner together at the hotel and get to know one another and go over some important information for the adventure that awaits us. Those who are up for it can enjoy an evening stroll around the area and get acclimated to life in Chiang Mai!

After a restful night and nourishing breakfast at our hotel, we will begin our three-day focus on enameling at Sinpinta Studio. Our teacher/masters will give background on the history of Thai enameling and Lanna (northern Thai) culture, and then the first demonstration of Thai sifting and watercolor enameling techniques. This workshop places a special focus on incorporating vibrant colors and intricate patterns inspired by the rich heritage of Lanna culture, infused with a contemporary twist.

After a locally-prepared lunch at the studio, you will dive right in, working on sifting and watercolor enamel on a prepared silver brooch. You will practice the techniques you have learned with a specifically local color palette. Coffee will be provided at the studio as well as a light snack to keep you fueled for the workshop.

For dinner we will head out to an open-air food market to sample the good, fresh, and clean food that Chiang Mai is famous for!

For those who wake up early we will have a walk around the area, with the opportunity to try some early-morning delicacies and breakfast at the hotel. Then we’re off to the studio where we will start learning special Thai champlevé techniques. You will then continue on your own designs using these new techniques on a prepared silver ring.

We will have lunch at the studio so you can continue your enameling with guidance from our teachers with little interruption. We will finish the day with dinner at the hotel or a local food market. If there is time we will also visit nearby Wat Jet Yot, one of the most impressive ancient temples in Chiang Mai.

After breakfast at the hotel, it’s off to the studio for the final day of the enameling workshop. There will be a morning demonstration of Thai plique-à-jour technique and then you will work on your own designs on a prepared pair of earrings before and after lunch.

This section of the trip will end with a feedback session with our teachers at Sinpinta Studio.

For the evening we will venture out into the city for dinner, sampling some of the amazing food that Chiang Mai is know for.

This excursion day between workshops will find us all over Chiang Mai, taking in the beautiful temples, luscious markets, and hip urban spots that make the city great. The morning will begin with a trip up Doi Suthep Mountain, and a visit to the famous Buddhist temple at its peak. we will tour at a few other temples and notable spots along the way while learning about the Buddhist history of the region and the specifics of life in Thai Buddhist temples.

We will have lunch at a local restaurant sampling northern Thai cuisine and then head into the ancient walled city in the lowlands. We’ll hit up some great museums, and some other impressive temples and sample some coffee grown in the area.

We will end the day with dinner at one of the evening markets, and then head back to the hotel to rest up for our next series of workshops.

For early-risers we will have an excursion to Chiang Mai’s main market to see the hustle and bustle of a sunrise market chock-a-block with fresh vegetables and snacks. Then we will begin our “salung” (traditional water-vessel) forming workshop at Wualia. We will learn about the tradition of metal raising in Chiang Mai, and the connection between this craft community and their local Buddhist temples. We will visit the Buddhist temple Wat Muen San to see first-hand the metalwork this community produces as a form of religious practice. Then we will return to the studio to cut, anneal, and prepare the copper for our future salung vessels.

A hearty hotel breakfast prepares you for our last metalsmithing workshop day. You will spend your time finishing your chased salung, polishing, melting out the pitch, and soaking in all the richness and beauty of Wat Muen San, Wat Sri Suphan, and the Wualai neighborhood. We will enjoy one final lunch provided by the good people of the Wualai neighborhood and then join in for a wrap-up session with the master metalsmiths who have led the workshop. For dinner we’ll head together to a night market and graze on all the good eats that Chiang Mai has to offer.

We will begin the day with a trip to Jing Jai Market, Chiang Mai’s premier craft marketplace featuring work from local artisans, great food, and even better locally-grown coffee.

After lunch we will head to the silversmithing community around the Buddhist temple, Wat Muen San to get into the studio for the final workshop in our adventure, learning traditional chasing and repoussé techniques to finish-off our raised salung vessels—designing and sketching the ornament for our pieces. Lastly, we will prepare the pitch needed for the chasing process. In this neighborhood we will also visit the famous “Silver Temple” (Wat Sri Suphan), where we will be honored with a welcoming ceremony from the temple’s head monk. Here we will learn about northern Thai (Lanna) temple architecture and culture.

Dinner will be on your own, and we suggest checking out the Wualia walking street where you can get great food and awesome handicrafts

After breakfast in the hotel we will head right to the workshop in the Wualai neighborhood and get in the thick of our chasing and repoussé workshop. While finishing designs and pitch preparations we will get detailed demonstrations of every step by local masters. Before lunch you will transfer your design patterns to your raised copper salung vessels.

After lunch at the studio, we will begin hammering away, chasing and repoussé(ing) our designs on the outsides of our vessels. As you work you’ll be able to see how the grounds of a famous Buddhist temple operate, and the comings and goings of monks, worshipers, tourists, craftspeople, and everyday folks. It will be excellent!

For dinner you will be on your own, and we will encourage you and direct you towards some great spots in the city, such as the Thapae walking street and the Nimmanhaemin neighborhood.

A hearty hotel breakfast prepares you for our last workshop day. You will spend your time finishing your chased salung, polishing, melting out the pitch, and soaking in all the richness and beauty of Wat Sri Suphan and the Wualai neighborhood. We will enjoy one final lunch provided by the good people of the Wualai neighborhood and then join in for a wrap-up session with your fellow craft adventurers. Then it’s off for a final party at a local restaurant. Then back to the hotel to prep for the rest of your journey, wherever that may be.

After breakfast you will pack away your last bits of things, and then we will check out of the hotel and drop you at the Chiang Mai airport—saying farewells and thanks for a great adventure!