Chiang Mai, a bustling hot spot of digital nomads, is the largest city in the northern part of Thailand. Boasting a varied range of options to suit different tastes, the city features rich historical sites and Buddhist temples, breathtaking natural landscapes in its surroundings, as well as cafes and restaurants (with strong Wifi connections!). Additionally, Chiang Mai hosts vibrant festivals and a plethora of other attractions to explore.
We stayed in Chiang Mai for around 2 weeks during our 7-month journey through Asia, and it served as the starting point for many of our adventures and breathtaking excursions. Read below our comprehensive guide to learn about the optimal times for the most exciting festivals, top-notch accommodations, where to eat local and authentic food, and must-visit attractions in Chiang Mai!
How to get to Chiang Mai
The easiest way to reach Chiang Mai is from the capital Bangkok. Trains and buses from Bangkok reach Chiang Mai several times a day. Train tickets can be bought for as little as 7 euros, but the journey takes 12-13 hours and can sometimes be uncomfortable. Our advice is to take a sleeper train or a sleeper bus, which can be booked for 15-25 euros. These leave in the afternoon and you arrive early in the morning in Chiang Mai.
Thailand is a very touristic destination, and you risk running out of tickets if you don’t book in time (it happened to us!). We recommend booking your ticket in advance with 12go.asia. On the site you will find all available buses and trains to buy online for a small extra fee, and it is really convenient.
Note: Travel insurance is a must for any travel abroad, especially in South-East Asia. Although problems rarely occur, it is better to be covered in case they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it to anyone travelling the world.
Things to see and do, in and around Chiang Mai
Interactive Map
Temples
The majority of the temples (“Wat”) in Chiang Mai are located in the city’s old town. The old town is surrounded by a moat and ancient city walls, featuring a lot of historical buildings. We recommend you to stroll around and get lost in its beautiful streets, perfumes and colours!
This is our list of unmissable temples in Chiang Mai:
- Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan: This temple has a stunning shiny gold stupa and architecture. Don’t miss the chance to encounter the grace of the revered Phra Singh Buddha image and soak in the spiritual ambiance of this cultural gem!
- Wat Chedi Luang: In the heart of the city, this temple boasts an impressive towering pagoda. It is not unusual to find monks here, engaged in their daily rituals. If you approach them politely, you can have an enriching conversation with them.
- Wat Tung Yu: Beautiful temple and experience! At the temple you will find “V”, the nicest Buddhist volunteer. He works there, and will answer all your questions and curiosities! Meditation practice with him is included (it is recommended to leave a donation for its great effort).
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: This is a breathtaking mountaintop temple near Chiang Mai, offering panoramic views of the city and surrounding landscapes. Its golden chedi and decorations are a must-visit destination.
The Monk’s Trail
Top Tip: The best way to reach Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is by taking the monk’s trail. This trek takes you from the outskirts of Chiang Mai up the mountain of Doi Suthep, and takes around 3 hours. On your way you will discover Wat Pha Lat, a hidden gem surrounded by lush nature. Appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and admire the ancient structures!
Where to eat
Chiang Mai is renowned for its delicious and diverse cuisine. The city’s street food scene is vibrant, offering a wide range of local dishes.
These are our suggestions on where to eat local and authentic food (on a budget!):
- Walking streets and night markets: One of the most well-known night markets in Chiang Mai is the Sunday Walking Street Market. This bustling market takes place on Ratchadamnoen Road in the heart of the Old City every Sunday evening. Don’t miss it if you are in Chiang Mai on a Sunday! However, Chiang Mai is full of other night markets that operate throughout the week, like the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, the Kalare Night Bazaar and Anusarn Market.
- Aroy Dee restaurant: Open at lunch and dinner, this place offers incredible and cheap local food on the east side of the old town.
- Its Good Kitchen: The perfect lunch stop in the middle of your exploration of the town. We had a very cheap and delicious Pad Thai!
- Grazie Thai Local Food: Thai local restaurant with an incredible array of options, all absolutely delicious! We usually like to change restaurants to discover new places, but we couldn’t resist coming back here to try more plates!
- Kanomwan Chang Moi: Don’t miss this place to taste the traditional desserts of the north of Thailand!
- Grasp 1981 Espresso Bar: If you are a coffee lover, or you need a couple of hours to work on your laptop, this is the place for you! They are specialised in Thai coffee, and the bar is really nice.
Where to sleep in Chiang Mai (Old Town)
These are our top suggestions for places to sleep in Chiang Mai for all budgets. This is based on our experiences and recommendations from friends and other travellers.
Hotels in Chiang Mai View all
Excursions from Chiang Mai
Surrounded by mountains and lush greenery, Chiang Mai offers stunning natural landscapes, including mountains, rivers, waterfalls and much more. Planning a few extra days to explore the surroundings is really advisable to fully enjoy what Chiang Mai region has to offer.
Doi Inthanon National Park
Doi Inthanon is Thailand’s highest mountain and a stunning natural gem near Chiang Mai. With only around 8 euros you can get the ticket to visit the National Park for 5 days, doing trekking, exploring the waterfalls and hill tribe villages, the famous sacred pagodas, and scenic viewpoints. You can sleep inside the National Park, or organise a daily trip to visit it.
There are many tour operators offering day trips from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon. You can check tours and prices online here.
Wat Chalermprakiat
Wat Chalermprakiat, the “Sky Temple”, is a spectacular mountaintop temple located in Lampang. Easily reached in around 1.5 hours from Chiang Mai, this temple is perched on top of a limestone mountain. The temple offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Visiting the temple costs around 350 thai baht, or 10 euros, and includes a truck ride most of the way up the mountain. Once near the top you take the staircase of over 1,200 steps to reach the temple complex at the summit!
You can book this excursion as part of a day trip tour from Chiang Mai here.
Jungle Trek
There are many tour operators in Chiang Mai offering overnight jungle trekking and excursions in the jungle. We did one of these trekkings during our stay here and it was one of our highlights. You will be collected by the tour operators from your hotel / hostel on the morning of the trek, and first taken to a local market to buy food and supplies for the journey. After around an hour in the back of a truck you will reach the start of the trek. We trekked for around 3 hours in the jungle to a remote town not connected to roads, and along the way our guides taught us many things about the flora and fauna of the jungle.
Once you arrive at the town you will have a roaring open fire to keep warm, hot tea and coffee and a buffet dinner where you can replenish your energy reserves. The following morning you have a tour of the village before rafting out of the jungle on bamboo boats where you will return to Chiang Mai. Our tour also included a visit to an elephant rescue sanctuary on the way back.
In total the tour costs us around 80 euros a person, including all meals and drinking water, and we highly recommend it. You can view jungle trek tour prices and options online here.
Mok Fa Waterfall
This waterfall is an hour from Chiang Mai, and it is a wonderful excursion you can do by renting a motorbike or with organised buses. The walk to reach the waterfall is only 10/15 minutes. Remember to bring your swimsuit!
Note: the Mok Fa Waterfall and the Doi Inthanon National Park can be stops along the astonishing Mae Hong Son Loop with the motorbikes. Check our guide to know more about the most incredible motorbike loop that you can do in the northern part of Thailand!
Experiences in Chiang Mai
Sak Yant tattoos
If you want to get your traditional hand-poked tattoo and blessing, in Chiang Mai you can find many skilled Sak Yant practitioners! A friend of ours got a traditional dragon tattoo in this studio: Sak Yant Chiang Mai, and she was really satisfied with the result!
Traditional Thai massage
Don’t leave Chiang Mai before trying a traditional Thai massage! We recommend “Aiyaret Massage” place for an incredible therapeutic experience. You will feel regenerated after it!
Meditation / yoga
If you are seeking meditation and mindfulness experiences, the city offers a range of places, including meditation centres, temples, and retreats, like the Mahasiddha Yoga centre. For a real meditation retreat experience, however, we suggest you to go to Wat Pa Tam Wua monastery, in the most extreme north part of Thailand. Read our article about my experience at the monastery!
Cooking classes
Numerous cooking schools and classes in Chiang Mai cater to both beginners and experienced cooks. Here are two well-regarded options:
Thai Farm Cooking School: Located outside Chiang Mai, this school offers a unique experience with a visit to a local farm to pick fresh ingredients before the cooking class;
A Lot of Thai Home Cooking School: provides a hands-on experience in a home setting.
Elephant sanctuary
Visiting an elephant sanctuary provides an ethical and responsible way for visitors to interact with elephants while promoting their well-being and conservation. It’s important to choose sanctuaries that prioritise the welfare of the elephants and refrain from activities that could harm them. For example: Elephant Nature Park is well-known for its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, rescuing and caring for elephants that have been abused or mistreated.
Best time to visit Chiang Mai
Climate
November to March is the dry season and the best time to visit Chiang Mai and the north of Thailand in general. The weather is cool and the amount of rainfall is low. You will need a jacket and some warm clothes for some of the mountainous areas if you intend to do any trekking or sometimes just during the evenings after the sun goes down.
Note: In northern Thailand from late January to March it is the burning season, where farmers burn their fields to prepare for the next planting. Air quality and pollution in this time makes northern Thailand one of the worst polluted places on the planet and is very dangerous to breathe in for extended periods. We suggest to arrive in Chiang Mai by January.
April to June is when Thailand is its hottest and most humid. Unless you are completely accustomed to tropical heat, you will find the humidity utterly draining. If you can bear it, however, rainfall is minimal, so this can be a good time to visit Chiang Mai.
July to October is the rainy season in the north of Thailand, so not the ideal time to visit. The rains in the first few months are heavy but inconsistent (lasting just a few hours), whereas towards the end they become more persistent.
Festivals
Chiang Mai is a very lively city, full of festivities and festivals that take place throughout the year. We’ve highlighted here the three festivals that fascinated us the most. If you’re fortunate enough to be in Chiang Mai during these celebrations or can plan your trip accordingly, be sure to participate!
November: Yi Peng and Loy Krathong
The Yi Ping festival, with its evocative swarm of paper lanterns floating in the night sky, and the Loy Krathong festival, with traditional baskets of lotus flower-shaped leaves lit by candles floating in rivers all over Thailand, are Thailand’s most magical festivals. The two lantern festivals usually take place during the full moon days in November. In downtown Chiang Mai, lanterns have recently been abolished, so to see them you either have to participate in a private event (paying a hefty fee!), or travel to the nearby village of Choeng Doi, where you can fly one for a mere 50 bath and the atmosphere is really intimate.
In the city centre of Chiang Mai, however, noisy firecrackers and celebrations are on for the full 2 nights, with a lot of people attending the event, and beautiful colourful decorations all over the old town, especially in the temples.
April: Songkran festival
Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year, celebrated in April, and is widely known for its exuberant water festival. During this celebration, massive water fights take place across Thailand, Chiang Mai not excluded! People joyfully splash water on each other, symbolising the washing away of the past year’s misfortunes and the purification of the soul for the upcoming year. What could be better than a water fight during the hottest month of the year? If you come here during this period, be sure to buy a water pistol!
February: Shambhala In Your Heart, Chiang Dao
For all the free spirits out there, you can immerse yourself in nature and a welcoming community at the Shambhala In Your Heart Festival, a 10-day Japanese-French-Thai event held every February in Chiang Dao, just two hours from Chiang Mai. Days are filled with relaxation, hot springs, hiking, and delicious food, while evenings come alive with diverse performances on the main stage from 6pm to 10pm. This festival is a celebration of open-mindedness and unity, offering donation-based activities like yoga, meditation, and workshops during the day.
What to do next
Heading north you can reach the splendid little town of Pai. Pai offers not only the most picturesque nature, with its verdant rice fields, hills, waterfalls and canyons, but also an energetic and vibrant atmosphere. Have a look at our complete guide on what to see and experience in Pai! Buses take around 3-4 hours and cost about 6 euros. Check the prices here on 12go.asia.
If you have any suggestions or comments, don’t hesitate to let us know by leaving a comment!
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