21 things to do in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is Thailand’s northern capital, a city ringed by a moat and surrounded by mountains, with more temples than you could visit in a month. You’ll split your time between the walled Old City (temples, markets, food), the Nimman neighbourhood (cafes, coworking, modern Chiang Mai) and day trips into the mountains.
Most people give it three to five days, which is about right. Two days covers the Old City temples, a market and Doi Suthep. Three adds a cooking class or the elephants, and five lets you fit in a day trip to Doi Inthanon or Chiang Dao without rushing. Below is what we think is worth your time, a few things we’d skip, and why you absolutely should not come in March.
1. Doi Suthep - the one thing you can’t skip
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the golden temple on the mountain, sitting high above Chiang Mai since 1383, and it’s the one non-negotiable thing to do here. The 306-step Naga staircase, the golden chedi covered in mirrors and bells, and the views over the city make it worth every baht of the 30 THB entrance fee.
Get there by shared songthaew from in front of Chiang Mai Zoo (40 THB one-way, once about ten passengers turn up) or from Chang Phuak Gate (about 60 THB). A little funicular from the car park saves you the stairs for 20 THB extra. Open 6 AM to 8 PM daily.
Avoid 10 AM to 2 PM, when the tour buses arrive. Early morning or late afternoon gives you the place almost to yourself.
2. Wat Phra Singh - the best temple inside the Old City
The most impressive temple inside the moat. The gilded stupa with elephant sculptures at its base and the Lanna-style murals inside Viharn Lai Kham, the small chapel behind the main hall, are some of the best in northern Thailand. Viharn Lai Kham costs 40 THB (the grounds are free), and the halls are open 8 AM to 5 PM.
It’s the most visited temple in the Old City and packed by mid-morning, so go early or after 4 PM. It’s a 15-minute walk from Tha Phae Gate, or flag down any red songthaew heading west. Cover your knees and shoulders (more in our guide to Thai temple etiquette).
3. Wat Chedi Luang and the Monk Chat
A 14th-century temple with a jade replica of the Emerald Buddha (the original moved to Bangkok centuries ago). The central stupa is 270 feet tall - or it was, before a 1545 earthquake knocked the top off. What you see today is a partial restoration, and it’s still massive.
The real draw is the Monk Chat programme. Every day from 9 AM to 6 PM you can sit down with monks and ask them anything, about Buddhism, their daily life or whatever you like. It’s one of the more memorable things you can do in any temple in Thailand. Entrance: 50 THB.
Right next door is Wat Phan Tao, a small temple with a main hall built entirely from teak. It’s free, rarely crowded and unlike anything else in the Old City, and on Yi Peng nights it’s decorated with thousands of lanterns. Don’t walk past it.
4. Wat Pha Lat - the jungle temple most people miss
Wat Pha Lat is hidden in the forest halfway up Doi Suthep. Most people drive straight to the main temple and never know it’s there. It’s a small, atmospheric complex with waterfall cascades, moss-covered stupas and barely any tourists.
You can hike up on the Monk’s Trail from Chiang Mai University (about 40 minutes up; foreigners pay 100 THB at the trailhead) or stop on the drive up to Doi Suthep. The temple is free, and it’s worth the detour if you find the main temples too polished or too crowded.
5. Wat Chiang Man - Chiang Mai’s oldest temple
The oldest temple in the city, founded in 1296 - the same year Chiang Mai was established. The elephant-buttressed stupa and two ancient Buddha images are worth seeing (though the hall with the Buddha images is often locked), and it’s free. It’s at the northern end of the Old City, away from the busier temples, so if you want a quiet one, this is it.
6. Elephant Nature Park - the only elephant experience we recommend
We’ve written about why elephant riding is harmful, about the case for banning it entirely and about how to book an ethical sanctuary. If you’re going to visit elephants in Chiang Mai, the place to go is Elephant Nature Park.
Founded by Lek Chailert, it rescues injured and abused elephants from logging camps and tourist operations. You watch them roam freely, feed them and see them bathe in the river. No riding, no hooks, no performing.
It’s about 60 km from the city (roughly 90 minutes by road). A half-day visit is 2,500 THB, a full day 3,500 THB and an overnight stay 5,800 THB. It sells out in high season, so book weeks ahead on Elephant Nature Park’s own site.
Many places in Chiang Mai now call themselves “sanctuaries” but still use hooks and offer riding. If a place lets you ride, offers bathing combined with riding, or runs shows, it isn’t ethical, whatever it calls itself.
7. A Thai cooking class
The best classes start at a local market where you pick your ingredients, then move to a farm or countryside kitchen where you cook five or six dishes. You leave with a recipe book and skills you’ll actually use at home. Two schools we’d point you to:
Zabb-E-Lee - 1,200 THB, in an open-air garden kitchen in the countryside, with morning or evening sessions.
Thai Farm Cooking School - 1,500 THB, on an organic farm, a full day and six dishes.
Both include hotel pickup and the market visit, and the countryside settings make them feel like a day out rather than a tourist activity. Popular classes fill up, so book ahead (there are more options on Viator).
Avoid the cheap cooking “classes” near Tha Phae Gate that cram 30 people into a hotel restaurant kitchen. The farm schools are worth the extra cost.
8. Sunday Walking Street - the best market in Chiang Mai
Every Sunday from about 4 PM, Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Phae Gate turns into a kilometre of stalls spilling down the side streets: handicrafts, indigo clothing, silver jewellery, street food and 100-baht foot massages. The handmade goods are miles ahead of the Night Bazaar’s.
It gets extremely busy, so arrive early (5 to 6 PM) or late (after 8 PM) to dodge the worst of the crush. At 6 PM the national anthem plays and the whole market freezes for about a minute. It’s free to walk around, and 300 to 1,000 THB covers food and shopping.
9. Saturday Night Market - Wua Lai Walking Street
The Saturday version is smaller, calmer and less touristy than Sunday’s, and arguably better. It runs down Wua Lai Road, south of the Old City, from around 5 PM, and it’s where Chiang Mai’s silverwork tradition comes alive - you can watch craftsmen working in the shophouses along the street.
Wat Sri Suphan (the Silver Temple) is right here. The whole building is covered in silver and aluminium panels, which is striking at any time but especially at night when it’s lit up. Foreigners pay 50 THB, and only men are allowed inside the silver ordination hall. The Chiang Mai Gate area nearby has some of the best late-night street food in the city.
10. Night Bazaar - fine, but not for bargains
The Night Bazaar on Chang Klan Road is open every night, which is convenient, but the same souvenirs, clothes and bags are noticeably cheaper at the Saturday and Sunday walking streets. Walk through if you’re in the area, or use it as a fallback if you’ve missed the walking streets, but we wouldn’t plan an evening around it. The attached Anusarn Night Market has slightly better food, and the Ping River area nearby is better for drinks and live music.
11. Warorot Market - where Chiang Mai locals actually shop
A covered market near the river where residents do their shopping, not a tourist market. Dried fruit, Northern Thai snacks, local spices, hill tribe textiles, ceramics and flowers come with zero tourist markup, and it’s a great place for edible souvenirs. It’s open every day from early morning, and the nearby MuangMai fresh market is worth a walk-through too if you’re into produce and local food.
12. Nimman neighbourhood - cafes and the digital nomad scene
Nimmanhaemin Road and the sois around it are the hip, modern side of Chiang Mai, with indie cafes, boutique restaurants, art galleries and coworking spaces, and a completely different vibe to the Old City. Get here by songthaew from the Old City or Grab. Coffee runs 80 to 180 THB and meals start at 100 THB. Three cafes to start with:
Ristr8to - Award-winning espresso.
Graph - For creative ambiance.
CAMP at Maya Mall - Buy a drink and you get two hours of WiFi, so it’s popular with remote workers.
Chiang Mai is arguably the top digital nomad base in Southeast Asia, with fast WiFi, cheap coworking spaces, a massive expat community and a cost of living that makes Bangkok look expensive. If you’re thinking about staying longer, look at the DTV digital nomad visa and our cost of living guide.
13. Sticky Waterfall - walk straight up a waterfall
Calcium-rich spring water coats the limestone here, making it grippy enough to walk straight up barefoot. There are three tiers you can climb without slipping, and it’s one of the most unusual things to do near Chiang Mai.
It’s free, open 8 AM to 5 PM daily, and about 60 km north of the city (roughly 1.5 hours). Go by motorbike if you’re comfortable riding (200 to 300 THB per day rental), otherwise arrange a taxi (1,000 to 1,500 THB return). We’ve written a full guide to Sticky Waterfall near Chiang Mai.
14. Train Muay Thai
Chiang Mai has some of Thailand’s best Muay Thai gyms, and most accept total beginners for single sessions. You’re wrapping your hands, hitting pads and learning technique, and a single morning or afternoon session is more interesting and more memorable than watching a show.
Santai Muay Thai - Out in San Kamphaeng, about 13 km east of the city. 700 THB for a day’s training, or 3,500 THB for a week if you’re serious.
Lanna Muay Thai - Just north-west of the Old City, with beginner classes too.
15. Doi Inthanon National Park - Thailand’s highest peak
Doi Inthanon is Thailand’s highest point at 2,565 metres. The Twin Royal Pagodas (built for the King and Queen’s 60th birthdays) are worth the trip alone, and the misty Kew Mae Pan nature trail is one of the best short hikes in the country (it’s open November to May, and you’ll need a local guide). There are several waterfalls along the way too.
The park fee is 300 THB for foreigners, cash only, plus about 100 THB for the pagodas. It’s about 90 minutes by car to the park gate and another hour to the summit. Most people go on a guided day tour via Viator, or rent a motorbike if you’re confident - the road is paved but long.
Take a jacket. The summit can be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the city, and from December to February it can drop below 10 degrees at night.
16. Chiang Dao caves and mountain
Chiang Dao is about 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai and much quieter than Doi Inthanon. The cave complex (Tham Chiang Dao) runs for around 10 km through the limestone, though only part of it is open to visitors. Entry is 40 THB for foreigners, and a guide with a lantern for the unlit inner chambers costs about 200 THB per group.
The mountain (Doi Luang Chiang Dao, 2,175 metres) is an overnight trek for serious hikers, only open from November to January, with a permit, a guide and a daily cap on numbers. For most people the caves and a meal in town make a good half-day trip, and you can add one of the organic coffee farms in the valley.
Buses and minivans leave from Chang Phuak Bus Station (about 40 THB on the fan bus, 150 THB by air-conditioned minivan).
17. Chiang Rai - stay the night if you can
Chiang Rai is 3 to 3.5 hours from Chiang Mai by road. The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), all white and mirror mosaic, is extraordinary. The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) is just as striking, and the Black House (Baan Daam) is fascinatingly macabre.
On a group day trip you’ll share them with every other tour bus, get about 30 minutes at each and spend most of the day in a van. Day tours run about 1,300 to 1,900 THB including transport and a guide (see Viator for options).
If you stay the night, you can be at the White Temple when it opens at 8 AM, before the crowds. Entry is 200 THB for foreigners. It’s worth doing either way, but overnight is better if you’ve got the time.
18. Thai massage in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is famous for good Thai massage, and the prices are hard to beat. Expect 250 to 400 THB an hour at a good local shop, or from around 100 THB for a foot massage at the Sunday Walking Street. Avoid places with neon signs and photos of blondes being massaged - those are the tourist-price joints.
19. Meditation at Wat Suan Dok
Wat Suan Dok runs meditation for visitors several days a week, with a half-day introduction on Mondays and one-day retreats on Wednesdays and Fridays. You sit with monks and learn basic breath meditation, and complete beginners are welcome. Two-day retreats run regularly midweek, and there’s a four-day course if you want to go deeper. The temple is easy to reach by songthaew or bicycle from the Old City.
20. Cycling around the Old City
Chiang Mai is one of the most cyclable cities in northern Thailand. The square moat around the Old City makes a perfect 6 km loop, and bike hire costs 50 to 200 THB a day from shops near Tha Phae Gate. For a longer ride, the countryside south and east of the city along the Ping River is flat and pleasant, and several operators run half-day guided cycling tours out there.
21. Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Centre
The Three Kings Monument, a bronze statue of the three kings who founded the city in 1296, is the historical heart of Chiang Mai. The Arts and Cultural Centre next to it (90 THB entrance, usually closed on Mondays) has well-produced exhibits on Lanna Kingdom history, and it’s in the same group as the Chiang Mai Historical Centre and the Lanna Folklife Museum. Give it an hour if you want some context for all the temples you’re visiting.
Things we’d skip (or approach with caution)
These are the ones we’d leave out, or at least do carefully.
Long-Neck Karen Village tours - Most are commercial setups, with women in traditional costume in a market-stall situation rather than actual village life, and it can feel more like a zoo than a village. We’d skip it unless you can verify the operator has a genuine community partnership.
The Night Bazaar for bargains - Fine for a walk, terrible for value. The Sunday Walking Street beats it in every way.
Any “elephant sanctuary” that offers riding - If they let you ride, they use hooks. See number 6.
When to visit (and when not to)
November to February is the best time: cool, dry and clear. December and January nights can actually be chilly by Thai standards, so bring a light layer.
Avoid March and early April, which is the burning season. From roughly February to April, farmers across northern Thailand burn crop fields and forest, the smoke settles in Chiang Mai’s valley, and March is typically the worst month. On bad days the air quality index tops 200 across the city, more than ten times the WHO’s safe level for fine dust, and outdoor activities become miserable. If you have any flexibility in your dates, don’t come in March. Our guide to the best time to visit Thailand has region-by-region timing.
Songkran (April 13 to 15) falls at the tail end of burning season, but Chiang Mai is one of the biggest celebration cities in Thailand. If the smoke has cleared, it’s chaos in the best way.
Getting around Chiang Mai
Grab works well for most journeys. Songthaews (the red pickup trucks) work like shared taxis: flag one down, say where you’re going, and it’s a flat 30 THB per person around town. For day trips to Doi Suthep, Sticky Waterfall or Doi Inthanon, rent a motorbike (200 to 300 THB per day from shops near Tha Phae Gate) or hire a private songthaew.
The Old City itself is walkable. Most temples, restaurants and guesthouses inside the moat are within a 20-minute walk of each other.
Where to stay
There are three areas to consider.
Old City - Best for first-timers, within walking distance of temples, markets and restaurants. Most of the budget and mid-range options are here.
Nimman - Best for digital nomads, cafe lovers and anyone who wants modern Chiang Mai. More upscale.
Riverside / Night Bazaar area - Central and convenient, but the Night Bazaar area can be noisy.
Find rooms on Booking.com or compare prices on Agoda.
Before you come, read our beginner tips for Thailand and make sure you’ve got travel insurance sorted. We recommend SafetyWing for short-term trips.