Chiang Mai is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand along with Bangkok and Phuket. It is the capital city of the northern region of Thailand and is known for its historic old town, beautiful temples, devilicious food, and vibrant nightlife scene.
In this article, I will cover the best things to do and see in Chiang Mai. These include popular temples, historical attractions, night markets, and top day trips from Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. The city was officially annexed by the kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) in 1558.
It was under control of the Burmese in the 18th century for a period of time, but later recaptured by Siam in the late 18th century. During the reign of King Rama V in the late 19th century, Chiang Mai underwent modernization.
Chiang Mai old town is home to many historic attractions and ruins such as the ancient walls, the gates, and moats. There are many beautiful temples to explore such as Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Chiang Man, Wat Phra Singh, and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
If you need help with itinerary and getting around Chiang Mai, you can check:
- Where to Stay in Chiang Mai (6 best areas)
- My 4-5 Days In Chiang Mai Itinerary
- How to get to Chiang Mai & Get Around
You can explore the vibrant nightlife scene with lots of bars, restaurants, and night markets. Popular places to go for nightlife are the Night Bazaar, Nimman, Chiang Mai Gate Market, Sunday Walking Street Market, and WuaLai Walking Street.
There are many other activities such as joining cooking classes, visiting elephant sanctuaries, trekking, or taking day trips to nearby attractions such as Doi Inthanon, Sticky Waterfalls, and Chiang Rai.
Here are the top attractions and activities in Chiang Mai:
23 Best Things to Do and See in Chiang Mai
Temples
There are hundreds of temples in Chiang Mai. You can easily explore temples in the old town on foot and use Grab Taxi or tuk tuk to see other temples outside of the city walls. Most temples are open from early morning until late afternoon.
You need to pay a small entrance fee (30-50 baht) to visit popular temples such as Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. All smaller temples are free to visit. When walking around the old town visiting main temples, you’ll likely come across many lesser-known ones.
#1. Wat Phra Singh
This is a major temple in Chiang Mai located in the heart of the old city at the end of Rachadamnoen Street. The temple dates back to the 14th century and is known for its Lana style wooden halls and the shining golden chedis (bell-shaped temple’s tower).
You can spend 30 minutes exploring the temple grounds. It has clean toilets and a shaded area with chairs to sit in. The temple is open daily and the ticket is 50 baht for foreigners.
#2. Wat Chiang Man
This is a large temple complex located in the north east part of Chiang Mai Old Town. This is one of the oldest temples in Chiang Mai dating back to the foundation of the city (the 13th century). It is known for the ancient chedi with 15 elephants, the beautiful main hall, and many Buddha statues.
I visited Wat Chiang Man in the early morning and enjoyed the leisure walk around the temple with just a few other people. The entrance is free.
#3. Wat Chedi Luang
Wat Chedi Luang is a popular temple located in the central location of Chiang Mai Old City. This complex is home to the ancient stupa and the City Pillar (San Lak Mueang).
The stupa was originally built in the 14th century and was rebuilt and renovated several times in the past due to natural disasters such as the earthquake in 1551. The entrance is 50 baht and only men can go inside the city pillar.
#4. Wat Pha Lat
This is a peaceful and beautiful temple located 10 km west of Chiang Mai Old City. The temple is tucked away in a jungle setting with lush greenery and waterfalls, making it a perfect place for meditation, reflection, or simply enjoying nature.
You can easily reach this temple by car, motorbike, songthaews, or even by hiking. I used Grab Bike to get to the trailhead of the Monk’s trail then hike to the temple. If you love hiking, you can consider taking the Monk’s trail to visit not only Wat Pha Lat but also Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
I spent one hour at Wat Pha Lat walking around, taking photos, resting, and enjoying the views of the city. There are toilets, and souvenir shops at the temple.
#5. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a beautiful 14t century temple located on the top of Doi Suthep, 15km outside of Chiang Mai Old City. This temple has stunning golden chedis, white elephant statues, and many other Buddha statues. It has several viewing platform areas that have stunning views of the city.
You can get to this temple by Grab Bike/taxi, shared songthaews, or even hiking the Monk’s trail. I used Grab to get to the trailhead then hike to Wat Pha Lat and Wat Doi Suthep. It is a steep hike from Wat Pha Lat to Wat Doi Suthep. I stopped many times on the trail and made it to the top after a 1 hour hike.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is an active temple with monks living and practicing there. At the foot of the temple, you can hike up the 300 step dragon staircase or use a cable car to reach the top for a 20 baht round trip. The entrance fee is 30 baht.
Historical Attractions
#6. Tha Phae Gate
Tha Phae Gate is one of several ancient gates to Chiang Mai Old Town. This is the eastern gate of the old town, other gates are Chiang Mai Gate, Saen Pung Gate, Suan Dok Gate, and Chang Phueak Gate.
Tha Phae Gate was built during the reign of King Mengrai in the 14th century and was reconstructed in the 1980s. It has a large, wooden archway that stands in stark contrast to the surrounding stone walls.
The gate is always bustling with locals and tourists. It is the starting point of the Sunday Night Market. The area has lots of pigeons and is surrounded by many restaurants, cafes, and shops. There are several stalls selling street food and souvenirs on the square behind the gate.
#7. Three Kings Monument
These statues are located in the central area of Chiang Mai Old Town. They honor the founders of the city, King Mengrai, King Ramkhamhaeng, and King Ngam Muang. It is a great place to visit and take photos.
The square in front of Three Kings Monument is quite large and is a popular meeting point and hangout of locals. It is more lively on Sunday night where the night walking street is held nearby.
You can visit the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre and the Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang located right next to the statues.
Night Markets
#8. Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is one of the top areas to go for nightlife. This area is located between the old town and the Ping River. It is packed with restaurants, bars, shops, and massage shops. You will find many stalls selling souvenirs on the Chang Klan Road and lots of food complexes.
You can find a foot court at Kalare Night Bazaar, Pavilion Night Bazaar, and Phaploen Market. All places have many stalls selling different kinds of food, and drinks. There are tables and chairs and live music performances at these markets and foot centers.
#9. Anusarn Market
Anusarn Market is a popular night market located near Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. It is a huge market with lots of clothing and souvenir shops and a foot court. You can find some nice handicraft items and try some local street food such as son tom, pad thai, or mango smoothies.
If you are tired of walking around, there are several massage shops inside the market that offer good foot/body massage with reasonable prices. You can buy a ticket and watch the Ladyboy cabaret and Muay Thai shows in the same area.
#10. Chiang Mai Gate Night Market
This is one of the bustling night markets in Chiang Mai, located at the southern gate of the old city. This market is open every night and is a great place to try Northern Thai street food. The stalls are set on the side of the road along the moat and next to the ancient gate.
You can order food and sit at the chair and table to eat. I recommend trying grilled chicken with sticky rice, khao soi, Chiang Mai sausage, and mango sticky rice.
#11. Chang Puak Gate Night Market
This is another food night market located near the north gate of Chiang Mai. This market is very popular with locals. There are several places where you can see people queuing to order the food.
You can try the pork leg rice of the lady cowboy, the noodles at the famous Suki noodles stall, meat skewers, or northern Thai cuisine such as khao soi. This market is open every night and also offers reasonable prices.
#12. Sunday Walking Street Market
This is the weekly night market, only open on Sunday. It is held in the heart of the old town, on Rachadamnoen Street, connecting the Tha Phae to Wat Phra Singh.
You can spend a few hours exploring the night market (one of the biggest night markets in Thailand). It is lined with many souvenirs, clothes, accessories, and food stands. If you are in Chiang Mai on Sunday, you must check this lively night market from around 6pm.
#13. WuaLai Walking Street
WuaLai is the Saturday night market located next to Chiang Mai South Gate. Like many other markets in Thailand and Chiang Mai, this is another option for shopping and eating. The market has a variety of street food, clothes, and handicrafts. If you are in town on Saturday, you must check it.
#14. Warorot Market
Warorot Market is the day market located close to the Ping River. It is a huge and vibrant market selling fabric, clothes, jewelries, spices, dry fruits, and lots of food. The decoration of the surrounding areas and the appearance of a Chinese temple at the market make me feel like visiting Chinatown in Chiang Mai.
Day Trips
#15. Doi Inthanon National Park
Doi Inthanon National Park is a popular place to visit in Thailand, located 90 km from Chiang Mai Old Town. This park is home to the highest point of Thailand, the Twin temple, and beautiful trekking routes.
I took a guided day trip which included a visit to Doi Inthanon National Park and the Elephant Sanctuary. We spent half an afternoon at the park, visiting the summit point, the King and Queen Temple, and hiking on Pha Dok Sieo Nature Trail.
Within 2 hours hiking, we visited several waterfalls, rice fields, and coffee tree areas. At the end, we visited a hill tribe village, and tried local coffee and tea. I bought rice crackers and some special tea to bring home.
#16. Elephant Sanctuary
If you want to visit an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, Chiang Mai is the best place to do it. I visited a family-run Mae Win Elephant Sanctuary on a guided tour. We spent half a day at the site, preparing the food for elephants, feeding them, taking photos, and bathing with them.
#17. Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is a popular city located 200 km north of Chiang Mai Old Town. Chiang Rai has lots of attractions and trekking opportunities to explore, it is really worth staying for a couple of nights. But, if you don’t have much time, taking a day trip from Chiang Mai is possible.
There are many tour agencies that offer a full day trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. On this day tour, you will visit the most famous attractions in the region. These include the white temple, blue temple, black house, Karen Long Neck Village, and the Golden Triangle.
Just be mindful that it will involve a lot of driving on the road.
#18. Sticky Waterfall
Sticky Waterfall is a unique waterfall located one hour by car from Chiang mai. It has four different levels and you can climb the waterfalls against the stream to reach the top from the bottom levels.
I reached this waterfall by hiring a private songthaew driver. I asked him the price and negotiated with him. He drove me to the waterfall, waited for me to explore it, then drove me back to the old town. I spent around 2 hours at the waterfall.
There are restaurants at the parking area serving nice food but the waiting is very long. You can keep your belongings at the lock area and there are toilets onsite.
More detail at Visiting Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall from Chiang Mai
Other Attractions and Activities
#19. Cooking Class
I traveled all around Thailand, and chose Chiang Mai as the place to join a cooking class. This is because The city has a nice atmosphere and doesn’t feel hassle like in bigger cities like Bangkok.
I booked a half day cooking tour in the afternoon. The driver picked me up at my hotel around 3pm, then we headed to a local market to learn how Thai people buy groceries for their cooking.
The chef introduced Thai essential ingredients such as fish sauce, chilli sauce, Galangal, Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime Leaves, tamarind, and palm sugar.
Later we headed to a cooking school located in the countryside, outside of the old town. The cooking school is surrounded by rice fields. It had beautiful views at sunset.
We learned to cook curry, mango sticky rice, pad thai, and chicken cashew stir fry. We had it for dinner which was delicious, authentic, and cheap.
#21. Thai Massage
Thai massage in Chiang mai is quite cheap compared to other parts of Thailand. This is because it has lots of massage shops and the price is very competitive. A one hour traditional Thai massage is around 200 baht.
I did a foot, shoulder, and head massage a few times at a massage shop in Anusarn Market and highly recommend it. It’s cheap and good. If you fancy a nice shop with air conditioning, you can also find many on the main roads of Chiang Mai.
#21. Nimman
Nimman is a trendy area located just a few minutes drive west of Chiang Mai Old City. This area is known for its hip cafes, boutique shops, indie fashion stores, street art, and co-working spaces. It is also home to a big shopping center. MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center, and European-style architecture One Nimman.
This area is popular with young people, remote workers and digital nomads. You will see lots of students around because it is located close to Chiang Mai University.
#22. Maya Shopping Center
Maya Shopping Center is a big shopping mall located in the Nimman area of Chiang Mai. It has lots of shops, a supermarket, a foot cour, a cinema, and a rooftop bar.
The mall is open everyday from 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM. You can shop for almost everything here. It has a mix of international brands and Thai boutiques.
#23. Ping river, Iron Bridge and Nawarat Bridge
The Ping River (Mae Ping) flows through Chiang Mai and adds a peaceful, natural contrast to the city’s hustle. You can take leisure walks along the river in the morning and evening. There are many cafes, restaurants, and bars with river views.
Khua Lek (Iron Bridge) and Nawarat Bridge are some of the bridges on the Ping river. It connected the lively old town and the night bazaar with the quieter Wat Ket neighborhood on the east side. You can take a walk on these bridges and have beautiful views of the river.
These are the 23 top things to do and see in Chiang Mai. I hope you have a great time in the northern capital city of Thailand.