Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai are beautiful places to visit in Thailand. Kanchanaburi is known for its historic site related to WWII and stunning natural attractions. Chiang Mai is the capital city of North Thailand, known for its ancient temples, wide range of outdoor activities, great food and nightlife.
In this article, I will compare Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi, focusing on their location, accommodations, temples, attractions, nightlife, shopping, and food.
I’ve been traveling around Thailand, visiting many places, including Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai. So, I hope to give you some useful information based on my first-hand experiences. If you’re searching for whether to visit Chiang Mai or Kanchanaburi, keep reading.
Is it better to visit Kanchanaburi or Chiang Mai?
I personally enjoyed my visit to both Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai. Both cities have a good mix of cultural and natural attractions. Kanchanaburi has an advantage of being closer to Bangkok, while Chiang Mai has a wider range of tourist amenities and activities with better food and nightlife.
Generally speaking, Kanchanaburi is better than Chiang Mai if you’re looking to stay near Bangkok, explore Thailand’s WWII history, and visit the iconic Erawan Falls. It’s smaller and less developed than Chiang Mai, which is ideal for those looking for a peaceful retreat near nature.
Chiang Mai is better than Kanchanaburi if you want to explore Northern Thailand while enjoying the convenience of big city life. Chiang Mai has better food, nightlife, night markets, ancient temples, and outdoor activities. It’s an excellent base to visit Pai, Chiang Rai, or Golden Triangle.
In Kanchanaburi, I enjoyed visiting the historic sites such as Hellfire Pass and the River Kwai Bridge. It’s also home to beautiful temples like Wat Ban Tham and Wat Tham Suea, as well as stunning waterfalls like the Erawan and Sai Yok Noi Falls.
In Chiang Mai, I like to walk around the old town, exploring different ancient temples, ruins, trendy cafes, restaurants and night markets. Outside of the old town, I had a good time hiking on the Monk’s trail, visiting Doi Inthanon national park, and Sticky Waterfalls.
Chiang Mai also has a better shopping and nightlife scene. There are dozens of markets around the city, as well as big modern shopping malls, bars, music venues, and nightclubs. The city has a wide range of amenities, which is ideal for long term travelers, digital nomads, and expats.
My recommend hotels in Kanchanaburi:
- Budget: Good Times Resort
- Mid-range: Natee The Riverfront Hotel
- Luxury: Dheva Mantra Resort
My top hotel picks in Chiang Mai:
- Luxury: InterContinental
- Mid-range: The Wing Boutique Hotel
- Budget: BaanBooLoo Village
Location & How to Get There
Kanchanaburi is located in Central Thailand, around 120 km north west of Bangkok. The train ride is around 2-3 hours. It’s a popular day trip destination from Bangkok, along with Ayutthaya, and Pattaya.
Chiang Mai is located in Northern Thailand, around 780km north of Bangkok. The train ride is around 10 hours. You can also take a flight which is around 1.5 hours from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai has an airport, so it’s easier to reach by air. Additionally, there are also bus stations and train stations, where you can take road transports to other parts of Thailand. You won’t find an airport in Kanchanaburi, but it’s well-connected by road, train, and bus.
To get from Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai, you can take a direct bus or get back to Bangkok, then take a sleeper train or flight to Chiang Mai.
Accommodations
Both cities have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. As a larger, older, and more popular city, Chiang Mai offers more luxury and boutique hotels. In both places, you can find small family-run hotels which offer homey experiences.
Like all parts of Thailand, it’s recommended to book accommodations well in advance especially if you’re traveling in the high season from November to May or during festivals. Accommodations are often in high demand in this period.
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Nightlife
Both cities have good nightlife scenes, but as a more popular tourist city, Chiang Mai has better nightlife. You can find night markets, bars, and restaurants in both places.
The nightlife in Chiang Mai is centered around the old town, the night bazaar, and Nimman. The Night Bazaar is the nightlife hub of Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai is home to many trendy restaurants, bars, night markets, and good music venues. Popular night markets in the city are the Sunday Walking Street, Chiang Mai Gate Night Market, Chang Phuak Market, Saturday Walking Street, and Anusarn Market.
Kanchanaburi’s nightlife is centered around the main street stretching from the night market to the River Kwai Bridge. There are also several night markets including JJ night market, and the Saturday Walking Street near the Skywalk. It’s a smaller town but still has enough nightlife.
Shopping
Chiang Mai is a better place to go shopping. It has several modern malls as well as many markets. Kanchanaburi doesn’t have any big malls, but there are 7-Elven, independent shops, and night markets.
You can find typical Thai souvenirs in both cities, but Chiang Mai offers a broader variety of goods. You can shop for everything from clothing and jewelry to handicrafts and artworks.
Famous shopping malls in Chiang Mai are Maya, Nimman One, and Central Chiang Mai. If you want bargain products, you can head to the markets such as Night Bazaar, Sunday Walking Street Market, Warorot Market, or the White Market.
Food, Restaurants, and Cafes
You can find local Thai food in both Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi. As a more touristy city, Chiang Mai has a wider range of food, including both Thai, international, and vegan options. Chiang Mai also offers more and higher-quality cooking class options than Kanchanaburi.
Chiang Mai is one of the best places to go in Thailand for foodies. The city is famous for its unique northern Thai dishes such as Khao Soi. You can try street food at the night markets, inside shopping malls, or at trendy local restaurants and cafes.
In Kanchanaburi, you can find some good local food at the JJ Night Market. There are some nice restaurants along the main road.
Temples
Both cities have beautiful temples to explore. The temples in Chiang Mai have a more ancient feel with unique Lana architecture. The temples in Kanchanaburi are more modern, but also offer a peaceful atmosphere and great hiking destinations.
Chiang Mai is packed with temples. There are dozens of temples in the old town itself. Famous temples in Chiang Mai are the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Suan Dok.
Some popular temples in Kanchanaburi include Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave Temple), Wat Ban Tham, and Wat Tham Khao Pun. If you like hiking, if you check out the top of Wat Ban Tham. For stunning views of Wat Tham Sua, you can visit the beautiful Meena Cafe nearby.
Historical Attractions
If you’re interested in the history of WWII in Thailand, Kanchanaburi is a better place to visit. It was the key point of the Death Railway connecting Thailand and Burma built by the Japanese during WWII.
Thousands of allied prisoners of war and forced Asian laborers built the railway died from harsh conditions. The Bridge on the River Kwai is the most famous landmark from this period. Other historical sites are the Tham Krasae Bridge, Hellfire Pass, and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
Chiang Mai was the capital city of the Lanna Kingdom, founded in the 13th century. Chiang Mai Old City is surrounded by ancient city walls, moats, and gates that date back to the foundations. You can also explore many ancient temples, traditional houses, and remnants of the Lanna kingdom.
Waterfalls and Hiking
Both cities have some great waterfalls and hiking trails. Kanchanaburi is home to Erawan Waterfall, which is one of the most famous waterfalls in Thailand. It’s seven levels of waterfalls within a lush jungle environment and clear turquoise pools for swimming in each level.
The region is also home to Sai Yok National Park, featuring several beautiful waterfalls. Sai Yok Noi Waterfall is a good stop when visiting Hellfire pass by train from Kanchanaburi to Namtok.
Chiang Mai is home to Doi Inthanon National Park, featuring many waterfalls, trails, and is home to the highest point of Thailand. If you want some trail close to the old town, you can check out the Monk’s trail to Wat Pha Lat and Wat Doi Suthep. If you want unique waterfalls, check out Sticky Waterfalls.
Day trips
Popular day trips from Kanchanaburi are to Hellfire Pass and Erawan Falls. Hellfire Pass is a great place to visit for those interested in the Death Rail Way connecting Thailand and Burma during WWII. Erawan Falls is one of the best waterfalls in Thailand, ideal for nature lovers and hikers.
Traveling by train and bus from Kanchanaburi to Hellfire Pass is a common and scenic way to get there. It’s ideal for solo travelers, those on the budget, and just simply want to experience local train rides.
Popular day trips from Chiang Mai are to Doi Inthanon National Park, Sticky Waterfalls, Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Rai, and Golden Triangle. These trips are best experienced with a guided tour, as the drive is long and some of the roads to the destinations are steep and winding.
Getting Around
Both Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai have ride share services such as Grab. As a more popular city, there are more options in Chiang Mai including Bolt and InDrive apps. Additionally, local transport such as tuk tuks, songthaews are widely available in both places.
In Kanchanaburi, I can visit the major sights in the city center such as JJ Night Market, River Kwai Bridge, Walking Street, by walking or taking a short Grab Bike.
For the attractions a little bit outside of the city center, I hire a private driver. He took me to Wat Ban Tham, Wat Tham Suea, Giant Raintree, and Meena Café.
With the attractions further away (within a couple of hours drive), I took local buses and trains. These public transports took me to Erawan Falls, and Hellfire Pass.
In Chiang Mai, I visited major temples and night markets in the old town and the night bazaar on foot. I used a Grab Bike to get to Nimman and the Mon’s trail. I hired a private driver to get to Sticky Waterfall. I took a guided tour to Elephant Sanctuary and Doi Inthanon national park.
If you hire a private driver, you can bargain the price with the driver. Do some research before making a deal so you can get a fair price.
See more:
- Kanchanaburi or Khao Yai National Park
- Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi?
- Chiang Mai or Pattaya
- Sukhothai or Chiang Mai
- Chiang Mai or Koh Samui
- Chiang Mai or Krabi
So, you have it, my comparison between Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai. Overall, Chiang Mai is a better place to visit if you want to explore North Thailand, and easy access to a wider range of tourist amenities and activities. The city has dozens of ancient temples, beautiful waterfalls, hiking trails, as well as cooking classes, great Northern Thai food, and good nightlife.
Kanchanaburi is a better option if you want close to Bangkok, and a good mix of cultural and natural attractions. Most famous attractions in the region are the Erawan Falls and historic sites related to WWII such as The River Kwai Bridge.