Chiang Mai Old City is my favorite area in Thailand. It is the most popular area to stay in Chiang Mai, especially for first-time visitors. This area is the historic heart of the city, packed with beautiful temples, ruins, and cultural attractions.
In this article, I will share with you some of the best places to stay in Old City Chiang Mai, the best areas and best hotels. I stayed at a few different hotels in the Old Town, so I hope to share some good recommendations based on my personal experiences.
If you’re searching for Where to stay in the Old City of Chiang Mai, keep reading!
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Where is Chiang Mai Old City?
Chiang Mai Old City is a small square shaped area in the heart of Chiang Mai. It is located inside the original moat, and is surrounded by the ruins of the old city walls.
The Old City is home to some of the city’s famous historical and cultural attractions like the Tha Phae Gate, Wat Phra Singh, Three Kings Monument, or Wat Chediluang. It is home to numerous night markets like the Chiang Gate market, Chang Phuak Market, and the Sunday Walking Street Market.
The old city is around 4 km north east of Chiang Mai International Airport, 7km from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2 & 3, and the train station. It is close to other popular neighborhoods in Chiang Mai like Nimman and Night Baaar.
Why Should You Stay in Old City Chiang Mai?
1. Central location & walkability
The old town is located in the heart of Chiang Mai, which is convenient to explore all major attractions of the city. The area is also very compact and walkable, so you can easily explore all ancient temples, ruins, and museums on foot, tuk tuk, or Grab Bike.
The Old Town has good distance to all popular points of interests such as the international airport, the long distance bus & train station, the Night Bazaar, Nimman, and Doi Suthep area.
2. Traditional atmosphere and historic attractions
The Old Town was the capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom, founded in 1296. It has traditional charm and is packed with dozens of historical sites. You will be surrounded by ancient temples, city walls, gates, ruins, and Lana style architecture wooden houses.
The city hosts many vibrant, culturally rooted festivals like Yi Peng and Loy Krathong, Songkran, and Flower Festival. It attracts more visitors to visit during these periods.
3. Wide range of restaurants, cafés, night markets
Chiang Mai has its own culinary identity, including dishes like Khao Soi, Sai Oua (northern sausage), and Nam Prik Noom (green chili dip). You can find many trendy cafes, restaurants, and street food stalls at the night markets selling authentic Northern Thai food.
The Old Town is home to many traditional night markets like the Sunday Walking Street, Chiang Mai Gate Market, Chang Phuak Market, and Wua Lai Walking Street Saturday Market. If browsing the night markets for food and souvenirs are your things, the old town is a great base.
4. Boutique accommodations
The Old Town is packed with boutique hotels and guest houses. These hotels have traditional Lanna‑style décor and are small in size, which offer a cozier atmosphere compared to big chain hotels in the Night Bazaar area or Nimman.
The Downside of staying Old City Chiang Mai
The Old City is ideal for first-timers and short‑ to medium‑term visitors (say a few days to a few weeks) who want to be in the cultural and historical core of Chiang Mai and close to all major tourist sites.
The Old Town does not have high rise luxury hotels like in the Night Bazaar and the riverside area, so if you’re after some big chain hotels, you should look somewhere else outside of the Old Town.
If you want to stay long‑term (months) or a digital nomads, it is better to get to an area like Nimman or Santitham, where you can find more coworking space, apartments style accommodations, and a wider range of restaurants serving international dishes.
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Best Areas to Stay in Old City Chiang Mai
The Old Town is quite a small area, around 1.5km long and 1.5 km width. So, no matter where you choose to stay, you can easily explore the area on foot or tuk tuk. Just make sure to book your accommodations well in advance to secure your spot.
Chiang Mai Old Town is surrounded by an ancient moat, walls, and gates, which was built to protect the city from Burmese invaders. Nowadays, you can still see the original moats, ruins of the city walls and some gates to the old city.
The central area of the Old City is Ratchadamnoen Road, dividing the area into two halves: the northern area and the southern area. This road stretches from the eastern side of the city at Tha Phae Gate all the way to Wat Phra Singh on the western side.
Ratchadamnoen becomes a pedestrian-friendly road and night market on Sunday evening. You can try street food and buy souvenirs at this market.
In my opinion, the eastern side of the Old City around Tha Phae Gate is the most central location to explore the city. It is a good distance from all tourist amenities such as Night Bazaar, Ping River, the Sunday Market, the Chiang Mai Gate Market, and Wualai Night Market.
If you want to stay close to the modern part of Chiang Mai like Nimman, you can consider staying in the western side of the old town. This area is close to some famous attractions like Suan Dok Gate, Wat Chiang Man, and Wat Phra Singh.
For a more local atmosphere, and easy access to the local bus station, you can book a stay in the northern part of the old town. This area is home to lively Chang Phuak Market and Wat Lok Moli.
The Southern part of the old town is also a good option with lots of affordable guest houses. Staying here you’ll be closer to Chiang Mai Gate Market, Wua Lai, and Wat Chediluang.
My top hotel picks in Old City Chiang Mai:
- Luxury: Chala Number6
- Mid-range: Pingviman Hotel
- Budget: At Home At Chiang Mai
10 Best Places to stay in Old City Chiang Mai
In this section, I will share with you my hand-picked of the best hotels for all budgets in Chiang Mai Old City. You can jump to the list of luxury hotels, mid-range hotels, and budget hotels.
1. Chala Number6
This is a beautiful luxury boutique hotel in the central area of Chiang Mai Old City. This hotel is located in the south eastern part of the old town, so it is very convenient to get to some major sights, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques on foot.
You will be within a short walk from popular points of interest like Wat Chediluang, Tha Phae Gate, Sunday Walking Street, Chiang Mai Gate and Wualai Night Markets. It is only around 1km away from the nightlife hub, the Night Bazaar, so you can walk there if you enjoy walking.
The hotel has beautiful Thai architecture, an outdoor pool with many sunbeds and umbrellas, an onsite restaurant, and nicely decorated rooms.
2. The Inside House
This is a good upscale hotel in the central area of the old city. It is set in the south western part of the area, close to the famous Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai Gate Night Market, and Sunday Walking Street.
You can walk to Buak Hard Public Park, which is the only park in the old town, where you can relax, exercise, and have some picnic.
The hotel has a beautiful design, and like many other hotels in Chiang Mai, it has an outdoor pool, which is a nice place to swim on a sunny day. They offer delicious breakfast, comfortable rooms, and airport pickup with additional fee.
3. The Chiang Mai Old Town
This 5-star hotel is located in the central area of Chiang Mai Old Town. It is set in the south western part of the area, close to Suan Dok Gate and Wat Phra Singh. It is a good overall base to explore the city on foot or tuk tuk.
The hotel has good size rooms for families and couples. Other amenities include an onsite spa, a pool, a gym, and gardens. Breakfast has good choices.
4. Rachamankha Hotel
This upscale hotel is located in the western part of Chiang Mai Old Town near Wat Phra Singh, Suan Dok Gate, and Sunday Market. You can find many restaurants, cafes within walking distance from the hotel.
The hotel has a peaceful atmosphere with a lovely pool, and spacious well appointed rooms. There are lots of art and antiques on the hotel grounds.
5. Smile Lanna Hotel
The hotel has a range of 4-5 star hotels, so if you are looking for a mid-upscale hotel, you can consider Smile Lanna. It is quite a popular hotel booking website, with more than 2000 bookings.
It is located on the southern edge of the ancient city, and you can walk to Chiang Gate Night Market, or Wualai Saturday Night Market. It is also close to Buak Hard Public Park, which is a good place to relax.
The hotel offers spacious rooms, with beautiful decoration. They offer free airport transfers, happy hour, and complimentary snacks and drinks inside the room. There is a pool and breakfast available at the hotel.
7. Aksara Heritage
This 4-star mid-range hotel is located in the prime location of Chiang Mai Old Town. It is set on Rachadamnoen Road, close to the eastern gate of the city- Tha Phae Gate. You can easily walk to major sights like the Sunday Market, and the Night Bazaar area.
It has beautiful ground with a green, outdoor pool, sunbeds, and umbrellas. The hotel is spotless and the rooms have all necessary amenities for a comfortable stay.
8. Pingviman Hotel
This popular 4-star hotel is located on the southern end of Chiang Mai Old Town, next to Buak Hard Public Park. It is also a walking distance to Chiang gate night market and Wat Phra Singh.
The hotel has spacious rooms beautifully decorated in traditional Thai decor. They also have an outdoor pool and gym facilities.
9. All In 1 Guest House
I had a good experience staying at this hotel. It was a really good value for money budget stay in the old town for those who have a private room. The owner is very warm and welcoming as well.
My room is on the 3rd floor. It was spacious with a comfortable bed, clean bathroom and big windows with good views of the city. The hotel has a tour desk so you can book a tour with them easily. There is also a nice bar on the ground floor.
There are a range of good restaurants and bars on the alleys where the hotel is located. My room is still quiet for a good night’s sleep.
The hotel has a pretty good location in the south eastern part of the old town. I can easily walk to Chiang Mai Gate Night Market for street food. The Night Bazaar is also nearby, which is convenient to walk to the nightlife area.
This hotel is very popular, and good value for money, so if you’re looking for something on a budget, make sure to book in advance because it is booked out very quickly in the high season.
10. Chiang Mai Gate House
I stayed in this guest house for one night for transiting between Chiang Rai and Bangkok. It is a small family-run hotel on the south eastern end of the old town, very close to Chiang Mai Gate Market.
I booked a double bed room. My room was clean and spacious with a comfortable bed and good bathroom with all basic amenities like TV, mini fridge, clothes hangers, table, and chair.
There is a small garden courtyard in front of my room, with greens, statues, and arts. You can book tours from them. They let me store the suitcase the next day when I checked out, which gave me some good times to explore the city before getting to the train station to get to Bangkok.
See more:
- Best Hotels in Nimmanhaemin
- Best Hotels in Night Bazaar Chiang Mai
- Best Hotels in Riverside Chiang Mai
- Things to Do in Chiang Mai
- My 4-5 Days In Chiang Mai Itinerary
So you have it, my recommendations on the best places to stay in the Old City of Chiang Mai. Overall, The Old City is the best area to stay in Chiang Mai for first-timers, and for those who want to be close to famous traditional and historical attractions of the city.