Northern Thailand: the best things to do and to see in Chiang Mai

We didn’t just work during our 5 months in Thailand! During this first digital nomad experience in Chiang Mai, we were able to explore the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom and its surroundings. So we’ve prepared a comprehensive article with all our best recommendations, practical information, activities to do… In short, everything you need to know before visiting Chiang Mai!

How to get to Chiang Mai

To get to Chiang Mai, you have 3 options, regardless of where you are in Thailand.

You can take the bus – it’s the economical way to travel around Thailand. Since this former capital is a popular destination for both Thais and tourists, several bus companies share the market. From Bangkok, the bus journey takes about 10 hours and prices start at 670 baht per person. If you’re in Chiang Rai, the ticket costs around 350 baht for a 4-hour journey.

The train is one of our favorite means of transport! It’s a lovely experience to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Thai countryside. You can find tickets for 1,200 baht per person for a 12-hour sleeper journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. That’s slow travel at its finest! Most are night trains that leave the Thai capital in the afternoon to arrive the next morning.

If you’re short on time, there’s always the plane for an express 1 hour 15 minute flight from Bangkok, with tickets around 1,600 baht. If you’re coming from outside Thailand, you can easily land at Chiang Mai International Airport instead of Bangkok, but it’s often more expensive.

Where to stay in Chiang Mai?

For digital nomads or travelers who want to stay for several months, the most economical option is to rent an apartment. Check out all our tips for renting the ideal apartment.

If you’re just passing through for a few days, hotels and hostels are definitely not lacking in Chiang Mai! Here’s our selection of establishments. Here’s a small map with the best-priced hotels and our selection of establishments below.

For budget travelers and backpackers, hostels are still the best option, whether in dorms or private rooms:

• The Common Hostel: This modern hostel is located in Chiang Mai’s old town (Old Square). Breakfast is included, the dorms and bathrooms are very well maintained, and you have access to a well-equipped communal kitchen, as well as unlimited filtered water and coffee. The bonus is the presence of double beds in the dorms! In short, it’s excellent value for money in our opinion!
• Rimnim Hostel: We stayed there for a few nights before finding our apartment and it was perfect! Located next to Maya shopping center and a 10-minute walk from downtown, this hostel is clean, and you have a small kitchenette per room.
• If your budget is really tight, we recommend booking your nights in dorms or single/double rooms at Cozy Owls or The New Normal House. These 2 establishments offer some of the cheapest beds in Chiang Mai but with good services. Low price also means quality!

For a room with more charm, you don’t need to blow your budget! You’ll find lovely double rooms with breakfast included, all within walking distance of the historic center. For this, we recommend Boutique House Nipha, Ma Guesthouse, or The Boss.

What to do in Chiang Mai?

In this former capital, we recommend spending at least 3 days. You’ll see there’s plenty to visit!

Take a Thai cooking class

We’d been saying we wanted to try a cooking class in Thailand for a while. During our RTW trip, we had already taken one of these classes in Cambodia. We loved the experience so much that we absolutely wanted to try again.

My dad came to visit us, which gave us a good excuse to go finally! It’s not necessarily easy to choose among the many cooking classes offered in Chiang Mai. We decided to follow the recommendations of Mathilde and Guillaume, whom we met over drinks a few weeks earlier! So we took our class at Mama Noi Thai Cookery School. Honestly, we left conquered with full bellies!

We decided to opt for the full day, which means we each prepared 5 Thai cuisine specialties.

The highlights of this day

• The gorgeous setting of the cooking school: We cook in an open space, in the middle of a magnificent garden filled with flowers, vegetables, and aromatic herbs.
• Our teacher was absolutely adorable! What do we remember? “The more spicy the more sexy” while wiggling their hips… Yes, the teacher was a somewhat exuberant ladyboy!
• The wide choice of dishes: For each type of dish, there were at least 4 or 5 options. So with Benoit, my dad, and his friend, we tasted 4 appetizers, 4 appetizers, 4 curries, 4 soups, and 4 desserts!
• They offer to pack leftovers! Given the quantities, it’s not humanly possible to eat everything! Since we have a kitchen in our apartment, we took the leftovers for the following days. We had enough for 3 days!
• The prepared dishes were simply delicious!

The downsides

In the end, we don’t have much to complain about! Except perhaps the market tour which we found a bit superficial with especially few explanations. When we took the class in Cambodia, we really toured the stalls with our teacher who explained everything to us. Here, it’s more of a self-guided tour.

Note: find all the addresses of our best restaurants in Chiang Mai on the map ;).

Get a massage by former prisoners

We’re going to make a confession: we didn’t get a Thai massage. Honestly, we hate it! We know, we’re weird… Personally, I hate being touched by strangers’ hands, especially if it’s going to hurt. My back still remembers the Thai massage in Koh Chang!

So why do we recommend going for a massage at the Women Correctional Institution Vocational Training Center in Chiang Mai? Well, simply because we know not everyone is as squeamish as us and we know plenty of people who got massages there. Every time, they came out with that same blissful smile and totally thrilled! Tempted? It’s 200 baht for 1 hour of massage and you need to go there in person to make an appointment.

However, while I may not know massages, I do know cha lee la well, a little café located right in front, since I’ve accompanied quite a few friends who went to get massaged by the ex-prisoners! Their iced coffee is really good and not too expensive, ideal for passing time while friends get tortured… I mean, massaged.

You’ll find plenty of other establishments and spas offering Thai massages lasting an hour or more. To book online, click here.

Stroll and eat in a Chiang Mai market

A true institution in Thailand, night markets are legion throughout the country. In Chiang Mai, you’ll find plenty of day and night markets. Here’s our selection!

Night Market at Chiang Mai University (CMU)

This was right next to our place! As we explained in our budget article, this is where we often had our meals during those 5 months. It’s open every day from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday Night Market

Every Sunday, a large part of Chiang Mai’s old town becomes pedestrian-only and you can experience the Sunday Night Market. It takes place roughly in the entire eastern part of the old town, near Wat Phan On and on Rachadamnoen Rd, the street that leads to Tha Phae Gate.

We really like this market because the street food stalls are packed with good eats. In addition to the traditional tourist trinkets, there are also some streets where you find lots of local crafts. Yes, I said local, not made in China!

And for enthusiasts, there’s even a massage option! Keep in mind that if I don’t like massages in institutes, you won’t see me lying down in the middle of the street anytime soon!

However, we warn you: in the late afternoon, it’s relatively peaceful to walk around this market, but from 7 p.m., it really becomes a madhouse! We elbow our way through, sweat, and curse the Chinese tourists who step on us without warning…

Saturday Night Market

This market takes place every Saturday on Wua Lai Street, which becomes pedestrian-only, just south of the square.

Warorot Market

Warorot Market is the market in Chiang Mai’s Chinatown. There, you’ll find absolutely everything! Souvenirs, clothes, Thai specialties, spices… Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s worth wandering between the stalls! It’s open every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jing Jai Market

Further from downtown, Jing Jai Market is decidedly different from the others. Here, producers and artisans sell directly to consumers. In short, you’ll see unique artisanal products! It’s open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., but most stalls are closed on weekdays, so we recommend going on weekends instead.

Kham Thiang Garden Market

Next to Jing Jai Market, don’t miss the plant and flower market! We recommend taking a little tour, especially if you haven’t been to Bangkok’s huge Pak Khlong Talat.

Visit Chiang Mai’s temples

Chiang Mai is a fortified city with a canal and wall (of which not much remains) that delimits the old town. The latter is often referred to as “the square” (Old Square) because the fortifications delimit a perfect square (logical). In short, strolling around the square and discovering the numerous Buddhist temples is really nice. I warn you: Chiang Mai has more than 300 temples, so you’ll need to get up early if you want to see them all!

Here are our favorite temples in the old town that deserve a visit:

Wat Chedi Luang

Built during the 15^th century, Wat Chedi Luang is the biggest and most imposing temple in Chiang Mai! It’s a place frequented by Thais daily, but also during Buddhist celebrations. Entrance is 50 baht. Its grounds are also worth seeing, notably the city pillar (Sao Inthakin), Chiang Mai’s benevolent protector. Tip: come early in the morning to avoid crowds!

Wat Phan Tao

Located right next to Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phan Tao houses a residence for monks within its grounds. Originally, it was a throne room. Today, this 19^th-century teak structure is considered the oldest in the city. Although it’s much smaller than its neighbor, it has that certain something that makes me really love it! Entry is free.

Wat Phan On

Wat Phan On temple is simply magnificent with its golden stupa! Personally, I like it also because it’s always very calm within its grounds. Plus, it’s free! So it’s a place to discover if you want to retreat a bit from the ambient hustle and bustle of downtown Chiang Mai.

Other temples

As I said above, it’s impossible to visit all of Chiang Mai’s temples (unless you only come to do that for several weeks). Here are other temples we haven’t seen but that deserve a look:

• Wat Chiang Man, Chiang Mai’s oldest temple (free);
• Wat Phra Singh, one of the city’s most famous temples with its large golden chedi (free in the grounds but paid temple entrance, 50 baht);
• Wat Suan Dok, a beautiful stupa with a completely white cemetery with beautiful sepulchers (20 baht per person);
• Wat Lok Moli (free);
• Wat Jed Yod (free);
• Wat Buppharam (30 baht each).

Outside the square, there are also some temples we found nice:

• Wat Sri Suphan: Also called the “silver temple,” this temple is definitely worth seeing. As its name suggests, this temple is made entirely of silver! If you go, pay particular attention to the engravings on the temple: you might be surprised by what you find there! Entry is 50 baht and women are not allowed to enter the temple.
• Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham: This lovely temple is located not far from the airport. Its particularity? You access the main stupa by passing through an entire system of tunnels containing numerous small prayer areas. Entry is 20 baht.
• Wat Phra Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat: We already talked about them extensively in our article about climbing Doi Suthep, but Wat Pha Lat temple remains to this day our favorite temple in Thailand!

Attend Chiang Mai events and festivals

Flower Festival

We couldn’t attend but the flower festival is a major event in Chiang Mai. The first weekend of February, the whole city is buzzing! Floats covered with flowers, flower queen election, flower and plant stands… In short, flowers are in the spotlight!

Loy Krathong

As during our time in Bangkok, we were able to attend the Festival of Lights or Loy Krathong in November. Plus, Chiang Mai is famous for its own lantern festival, Yi Peng, which takes place at the same time as Loy Krathong.

Find all the major festivals in Thailand.

Map of the city

To help you find your way around, we’ve prepared a highly detailed map of Chiang Mai with all our best addresses: restaurants, temples and even a dentist (ouch)!

What to do around Chiang Mai?

Visit Doi Suthep-Pui National Park

It’s impossible to visit Chiang Mai without going to Mount Doi Suthep! Located about fifteen kilometers from downtown, it’s well known for its magnificent Wat Phrathat temple. But the highlight isn’t this temple perched on Chiang Mai’s heights, but a lesser-known temple that completely enchanted us. For full details, see our article on how to visit Doi Suthep.

Take the Mae Hong Son Loop

If there’s one thing we recommend if you come to Chiang Mai and have a few days ahead of you, it’s this magnificent loop! It will take you on winding mountain roads to discover Pai, Mae Hong Son, and Mae Chaem while passing through sublime landscapes! Plus, this road trip can be done by motorcycle, scooter, or in a pinch by bus.

To find out more, we’ve written 2 articles specifically about this loop:

• an article with all our must-sees and the itinerary;
• a practical article on how to organize your motorbike trip (budget, motorbike rental, accommodation, etc.).

And to whet your appetite, you can also watch our video of this loop:

Visit Doi Inthanon National Park

When my dad visited us, we took the opportunity to discover Doi Inthanon National Park. We had already passed through during our Mae Hong Son loop but hadn’t dared to climb to the summit after 600 km by motorbike! Yes, I do mean to the summit!

Park presentation

In addition to being a national park with plenty of waterfalls, it’s also Thailand’s highest peak! Well, let’s put things in perspective – we’re not talking about Everest here! Thailand’s highest peak rises to… wait for it… 2,565 m!

Walking around Doi Inthanon Park is a great opportunity to get back into nature a bit, but also to escape the sometimes quite stifling heat of Chiang Mai. Because yes, when the thermometer goes crazy in the city and shows over 30°C, it rarely exceeds 15°C at the mountain summit!

The highlights of this national park surrounding Thailand’s roof are the waterfalls, hikes, sublime landscapes, royal pagodas, and proximity to Thai culture with villages of Karen and Hmong ethnicities.

Even though the trails are easily accessible, a guide is mandatory to explore Kew Mae Pan (3 km, 180 m positive elevation gain) – it’s the park’s most popular trail with mountain viewpoints, and Pha Dok Siew (5.3 km, 270 m positive elevation gain), renowned for its terraced rice fields and eponymous waterfall. At the end of the path, you’ll reach the Karen village, Mae Klang Luang. The only walk possible without a guide is An Ka Luang at Doi Inthanon’s summit (everything is signposted). In total, it’s a 300-meter loop walk and you’ll move on a wooden walkway through an ancient forest.

If you don’t want to take a guide for the other trails, you can just wander along the roads and see the freely accessible waterfalls: Wachirathan, Sirithan (only during the dry season), Siriphum, Mae Ya and Mae Pan.

Practical information for Doi Inthanon Park

Park entrance costs 300 baht per person, plus 30 baht per car (or 20 baht per bike). Access to Noppamethanedon and Nopphonphusiri, the 2 pagodas located at the summit, is paid (100 baht per person).

Doi Inthanon Park is located 1.5-2 hours drive from Chiang Mai and to get there:

• Rent a motorbike in Chiang Mai: it’s the most economical and independent means of transport! The road is beautiful but it climbs steeply to get to the top! So think about taking a powerful enough scooter (125cc). Scooter rental costs between 200 and 250 baht for a day trip of wandering.
• Rent a car: it’s more comfortable than the motorbike, but obviously more expensive. Count between 1,000 and 1,500 baht for a day’s rental.
• Take an organized tour: among all the guided visits from Chiang Mai, we recommend this one. It includes round-trip transport, guide, park entrance, entrance to the 2 chedis as well as lunch.

Other activities around Chiang Mai

There’s a lot to do around Chiang Mai and we couldn’t discover everything! Here’s a complement of activities you can do in the surroundings:

• Visit Wat Phrathat Haripunchai Woramahawihan temple, a Buddhist high place located in Lamphun, 35 minutes south of Chiang Mai (50 baht per person);
• If you’re traveling with family, Grand Canyon Chiang Mai water park is a good activity idea for children, with plenty of activities offered. The park is located 25 minutes south of downtown and entrance costs 950 baht per adult and 750 baht for children.
• Relax in San Kamphaeng hot springs, 1-hour drive east of the historic center (100 baht for entrance and access to springs);
• Spend a day by Huay Tueng Thao Lake, as Thais usually do on weekends. We recommend going only if you’re staying more than 3-4 days in Chiang Mai. It’s worth it to change from the city, enjoy huts by the water, go to Huai Tueng Thao waterfall and walk among giant straw animals.
• Visit Chiang Rai: the neighboring city is a bit less frequented than northern Thailand’s capital but it’s a destination of choice. We won’t mention the mythical White Temple again, which deserves a look!

Should you visit an elephant sanctuary?

One of Chiang Mai’s best-known activities is probably visiting an elephant sanctuary. We admit we hesitated to go. Well, mainly me: Benoit and elephants aren’t his thing. In the end, I decided to skip this must-do that isn’t really a must-do after all.

Here are our reasons for not going to see elephants in a Thai sanctuary:

• Where there’s a trendy activity, there’s good business. Elephants are serious business in northern Thailand! There are some ethical sanctuaries that are apparently good and treat elephants properly. Unfortunately, there are the others… Not going to see elephants at all was kind of my way of not contributing to the craze around this activity.
• Let’s not kid ourselves, elephant excursions are expensive, very expensive! There are less expensive ones, but often these are exactly the places where elephants are mistreated. In short, if you’re going, I recommend paying the price (between 1,500 and 2,500 baht per day) to favor centers that protect them.
• Popular means crowded! The Elephant Nature Park, one of the places that apparently really respects elephants, is sold out several weeks in advance. One thing is certain: you definitely won’t be in a small group to admire the large pachyderms.

Another option to see them is to go with a guide to meet wild elephants in Khao Yai National Park, in eastern Thailand. After such an encounter, you can never look at a domesticated elephant the same way again…

Well, that’s it for this article that sums up everything there is to do in Chiang Mai! In the next episode of the life of digital nomads in Thailand, we’ll give you all the details on our budget for living in Chiang Mai if you’re planning to stay there for a few months 😉. In any case, we loved spending those 5 months in this city that has so much to offer! If you have any other suggestions for things to do, don’t hesitate to leave a comment! comment