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Chiang Mai's rooftops with the forested Doi Suthep mountain behind
The gold-plated chedi of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep against a blue sky
The tiered chedi and white guardian figures of Wat Pha Lat in the forest of Doi Suthep
Water running over the white mineral rock of the Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall in the forest
Stalls of food and produce on the ground floor of Warorot Market seen from above

Things to do in Chiang Mai: 13 experiences

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Photo: Blowing Puffer Fish, CC BY 2.0

Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Climb the naga stairway to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Check dates and prices

Photo: เทวประภาส มากคล้าย, CC BY 3.0

Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Walk the Monk's Trail to the forest temple of Wat Pha Lat

Check dates and prices

Photo: Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai

Climb barefoot up the Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall

Check dates and prices

Photo: chootrong, CC BY 3.0

Ping River, Chiang Mai

Shop Warorot Market by morning and its flower market by night

Check dates and prices

Photo: Department of Tourism Thailand…, CC BY-SA 3.0

Chiang Mai is the hub of northern Thailand, a city on a plain 316 metres up, ringed by mountains. It was the capital of the Lanna kingdom, and its square moated Old City still holds dozens of temples.

West of the moat, Suthep Road leads to the forest temples of Wat Suan Dok and Wat Umong and to the foot of Doi Suthep, where the Monk's Trail climbs to Wat Pha Lat and the golden chedi above the city. Warorot Market and the Ping River lie east of the walls, and day trips run north to waterfalls, elephant parks and Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest peak.

13 things to do in Chiang Mai

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The gold-plated chedi of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep against a blue sky

Climb the naga stairway to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Half a dayGo alone or with a tour

Chiang Mai's holiest temple sits on a ridge 1,073 metres up, at the top of a 306-step stairway flanked by serpents.

Check dates and pricesMonk's Trail, Wat Pha Lat and Doi Suthep chanting
Been there?
The tiered chedi and white guardian figures of Wat Pha Lat in the forest of Doi Suthep

Walk the Monk's Trail to the forest temple of Wat Pha Lat

Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

3 to 4 hours with both templesGo alone or with a tour

The old pilgrims' path up Doi Suthep climbs through forest to a quiet temple where a stream runs between mossy chedis.

Check dates and pricesMonk's Trail to Wat Pha Lat and Doi Suthep
Been there?
The brick mound and tunnel entrance of Wat Umong under the trees

Walk the tunnels of Wat Umong, Chiang Mai's forest temple

Suthep Road, Chiang Mai

1 to 2 hoursFree

Brick tunnels lined with Buddha niches, a field of broken statues and trees hung with proverbs, on the city's western edge.

Been there?
The golden chedi of Wat Suan Dok among the white mausoleums of Chiang Mai's royal family

See the royal chedis of Wat Suan Dok and talk with a monk

Suthep Road, Chiang Mai

1 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

A 14th-century temple whose great chedi rises over a field of white royal tombs, with a Buddhist university inside its walls.

Been there?
Stalls of food and produce on the ground floor of Warorot Market seen from above

Shop Warorot Market by morning and its flower market by night

Ping River, Chiang Mai

1 to 2 hours, twiceFree

Chiang Mai's oldest market, by the Ping River, sells to locals first: northern snacks, spices, hill-tribe textiles and flowers.

Check dates and pricesStreet food walk ending at Warorot Market
Been there?
Water running over the white mineral rock of the Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall in the forest

Climb barefoot up the Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall

Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai

Half a dayGo alone or with a tour

Mineral-rich spring water coats the rock in rough limestone, so you can walk straight up a waterfall without slipping.

Check dates and pricesHalf day at the Sticky Waterfall with transfers
Been there?
The Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre behind the Three Kings Monument

Learn Lanna history at the museums behind the Three Kings Monument

Old City, Chiang Mai

2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed

Three small museums on one Old City square explain the Lanna kingdom before you tour its temples.

Been there?

Breakfast at the Jing Jai weekend farmers' market

Atsadathon Road, Chiang Mai

A weekend morningFree

Chiang Mai's weekend organic market, where locals arrive at dawn for pesticide-free vegetables, northern sausage and fresh roti.

Been there?
People preparing to launch sky lanterns during Yi Peng in Chiang Mai

Time Chiang Mai for the Yi Peng full moon

Chiang Mai

Two or three eveningsBook ahead

Be in Chiang Mai for the Lanna festival of lights, when krathongs float on the water and lanterns light the temples under the full moon.

Tours in Chiang Mai
Been there?
Students at their cooking stations during a Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai

Cook a Thai meal at a farm school outside Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Half a day in town, a full day on a farmBook ahead

Pick ingredients in an organic garden, pound your own curry paste and eat lunch on a terrace over the fields outside Chiang Mai.

Tours in Chiang Mai
Been there?
A rescued Asian elephant at Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai

Watch rescued elephants at Elephant Nature Park

Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai

Half a day or a full day, with transfersBook ahead

Watch rescued elephants forage and bathe in the Mae Taeng River at a park with no riding, no show and no bullhook.

Tours in Chiang Mai
Been there?
The two royal chedis on the slopes of Doi Inthanon

Drive up Doi Inthanon and walk the Kew Mae Pan trail

Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai

A full day from Chiang MaiNo booking needed

Drive up to 2,565 metres, walk the Kew Mae Pan trail near the summit and stop at waterfalls on the way.

Tours in Chiang Mai
Been there?
The broken brick chedi of Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai's old city

Walk the Old City temples of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Half a dayNo booking needed

Walk between two temples inside the moat: a huge brick chedi broken by an earthquake in 1545, and murals of Lanna life.

Tours in Chiang Mai
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Chiang Mai yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) is only 3 km south-west of the centre; registered taxis charge a flat 150 baht. Long-distance buses use the Arcade bus station, and sleeper trains run from Bangkok.

  • Getting around

    The Old City is walkable. For anything further, shared red songthaews, tuk-tuks and ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Bolt cover the city. A hired driver or a day tour is simpler for the waterfalls and Doi Inthanon.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, four days fits it well: one for the Old City temples and museums, one for the Monk's Trail and Doi Suthep, one for an elephant park or the Sticky Waterfall, and one for Doi Inthanon. Add a weekend morning for the markets.

  • When to go

    The cool season, November to February, is the most comfortable. From February to April the burning season brings severe smog from agricultural fires, often at hazardous levels, and hides the mountains. The rains come from about May to October.

  • Where to base yourself

    Inside the Old City moat to walk between temples and the Sunday Walking Street. West towards Suthep Road for Wat Suan Dok, Wat Umong and the trail. East near the Ping River for Warorot Market and the night markets.

Questions travellers ask

Should I walk up to Doi Suthep or take a songthaew?

The Monk's Trail is worth walking as far as Wat Pha Lat, 30 to 60 minutes. The upper section to Doi Suthep is steeper, so many walkers take a songthaew or Grab for the rest and save their legs for the 306 steps.

When is the burning season in Chiang Mai?

Roughly February to April, when agricultural fires bring severe smog that often reaches hazardous levels. If you are sensitive to air pollution, aim for November to January.

Do Chiang Mai temples charge entry?

Many are free. Doi Suthep charges foreigners about 30 baht, and Wat Chedi Luang a small fee at the foreigners' entrance. Wat Umong and Wat Pha Lat are free, with donations welcome.

More places in this region

Things to do in Thailand

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