Chiang Mai travel guide
Lanna temples, mountains and night markets. Most people stay 2–4 nights. Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.
Highlights
- Doi Suthep
- Old City temples
- Ethical elephant sanctuaries
- Cooking classes and night markets
Things to do in Chiang Mai
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep · 3 h · about ₹300 per person. 306 steps or a small lift; go before 9am for clearer views. Price includes a shared songthaew.
- Ethical elephant sanctuary visit (no riding) · 7 h · about ₹5,000 per person. Pick a sanctuary with no riding and no shows; book ahead for Dec–Jan.
- Old City temples: Wat Chedi Luang & Wat Phra Singh · 3 h · about ₹250 per person. Wat Chedi Luang runs free monk-chat sessions most afternoons.
- Thai cooking class on a farm · 5 h · about ₹3,000 per person. Most include hotel pickup and a market visit; vegetarian menus are standard.
- Sunday Walking Street & Night Bazaar · 2.5 h · free. Sunday market on Ratchadamnoen Road from ~5pm, Saturday's on Wualai Road; the Night Bazaar runs nightly.
- Doi Inthanon National Park day trip · 9 h · about ₹3,500 per person. Thailand's highest peak; carry a jacket in Dec–Jan. Park entry ~300 THB.
- Khao soi lunch crawl · 1.5 h · about ₹400 per person
- Nimmanhaemin cafés & One Nimman · 2 h · about ₹500 per person
- Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall · 4 h · about ₹1,200 per person. Free entry; price is a shared songthaew for the ~1h drive.
- Jungle zipline course · 4 h · about ₹5,500 per person. Operators set minimum height/age limits; hotel pickup is usually included.
- Yi Peng & Loy Krathong lantern festival (November) · 3 h · free. Only around the November full moon; the paid lantern-release events sell out months ahead.
Where to stay in Chiang Mai
- Old City (inside the moat) (budget, ₹1,500–₹3,000 a night): Walk to temples and the Sunday Walking Street.
- Nimmanhaemin (mid, ₹3,000–₹6,500 a night): Cafés, malls and restaurants; 10 minutes to the Old City.
- Ping River / Night Bazaar side (mid, ₹3,500–₹7,500 a night): Walk to the Night Bazaar; riverside dining.
- Mae Rim valley resorts (premium, ₹10,000–₹25,000 a night): Rice-field and mountain-view resorts, near the elephant sanctuaries.
What to eat
- Khao soi: Old City and Nimman noodle shops
- Sai oua (northern herb sausage): Warorot Market and night markets
- Khantoke dinner: Cultural dinner-show venues
Getting there
- Flight from Bangkok ~1h10m
- Overnight sleeper train from Bangkok ~11–13h
- Grab and red songthaews around town
Good to know
- Mar–Apr burning season brings smoky haze and poor air quality.
- Book November full-moon (Yi Peng) dates months ahead.
Thailand itineraries with Chiang Mai
- Chiang Mai & Pai slow north · 7 days · 7 days, Chiang Mai → Pai · from ₹20,850 per person, base estimate before flights. Cool-season mountains, temples and a valley town, with no beach in sight.
- North culture: Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai · 8 days · 8 days, Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai · from ₹38,375 per person, base estimate before flights. Temples old and new, from the Ayutthaya ruins to Chiang Rai's White Temple, with a night-market every evening.
- Backpacker loop: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai & Koh Tao · 13 days · 13 days, Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Pai → Koh Tao · from ₹92,050 per person, base estimate before flights. Street food, mountains and a dive island on a budget, using minivans, sleeper trains and ferries where they make sense.
- Grand tour: Bangkok, the north and the Andaman coast · 15 days · 15 days, Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai → Krabi → Phi Phi → Phuket · from ₹82,100 per person, base estimate before flights. Two weeks covering the capital, the old capital, the northern temples and three Andaman bases.