Chiang Mai Travel Guide for First-Timers (14 Things To Do)

If you’re exploring Thailand, you cannot miss Chiang Mai in Thailand’s northern mountains. Chiang Mai is mostly known for its vast number of temples, bustling night markets, elephant sanctuaries, and its stunning landscapes. In this article, we’ll share all the essential information for your first time in Chiang Mai: how to get around, things to do and see, how to get there, what to eat, and much more.

Recommended reading: One-Month Thailand Itinerary

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What is Included in this Guide?

Throughout this Chiang Mai travel guide, we’ll cover the following topics. You can use the links below to quickly navigate to the sections that interest you the most.

How Many Days Should You Spend in Chiang Mai?

The number of days you’ll spend in Chiang Mai will greatly depend on your itinerary, your travel-style, and your interests. While some people just spend a couple of days, some spend one week or more. In my opinion, for first-time travelers, three to four days is enough time to get a feel of the city and see the main attractions.

If you want to explore more off-the-beaten path places or make day trips to Doi Inthanon, or Chiang Rai, for example, consider adding a couple more days.

In total, we spent 5 full days in Chiang Mai, and we felt it was the right amount of time. We explored not only the main places near the old city, but also Doi Inthanon and the Sticky Waterfalls.

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How to Get to Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is well served by different means of transportation. There are plane, train and bus routes from several places in Thailand to Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is served by Chiang Mai International airport (CNX). If you’re exploring Thailand, you’ve probably arrived at Bangkok. From Bangkok, you can get a cheap flight to Chiang Mai—there are several low-cost companies that do this route like AirAsia and Thai Vietjet Air. It will take a little more than an hour. This is the fastest and most comfortable option.

Other popular options include the bus and train. The bus can take around 10 hours and the train can take 11 to 14 hours depending on the service. Both means of transport offer overnight journeys, which can save you a precious day of exploration and money on accommodation. However, it can also be quite exhausting.

The overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is very popular among backpackers and usually solds out quite in advance. If you want to book this option, make sure you reserve your ticket in advance. You can use websites like 12GoAsia to book your transportation in advance.

Related article: Bangkok Ultimate Travel Guide for First-Timers

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How to Get From Chiang Mai Airport to the City Centre?

The easiest way to get to Chiang Mai Old City from the CNX airport is by getting an airport taxi. You can find them outside the arrivals hall as you leave the terminal from Exit 1. It has a fixed price of 150 baht.

Alternatively, you can also ask for a Grab using the app and check if the price is lower than the airport taxi.

There isn’t a direct shuttle bus like in most airports. Supposedly, there is a bus service ‘Chiang Mai City Bus’ with a route (R3) from the airport to the city centre, but we couldn’t find the bus stop, so we just used the airport taxi.

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Where to Stay in Chiang Mai For First-Timers

If this is your first time in Chiang Mai, you’ll want to stay in Chiang Mai Old City, inside the city walls. These walls create a perfect square surrounded by a moat. This area is home to many temples, night markets, hotels, restaurants, and cafes.

While anywhere in Chiang Mai Old City will be a great place to stay on your first time, we recommend giving preference to being close to the Tha Phae Gate on the east side because its within a short walking distance to Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.

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How to Get Around Chiang Mai?

To get around Chiang Mai you can walk, use Grab, Songthaews, or rent a motorbike. If you want to explore a little further from Chiang Mai Old City, you might also consider renting a car.

Within the city walls, many temples and attractions are withing walking distance from each other. It may also be convenient to ask for a Grab or use Songthaews.

Songthaews are open-back red trucks that were converted into shared-taxis or small buses. To use a songthaew, simply wave one down or approach one at designated places, hop on, and let the driver know your destination. The songthaew will start running when it has enough passengers and will leave everyone at their desired destination.

There are songthaews with fixed routes to popular destinations like Doi Suthep, for example, next to the north gate. As you walk through the old town, you’ll also find several songthaews, some with signs to popular tourist destinations.

Another convenient option to get around is to rent a motorbike. However, I don’t recommend it unless you’re an experienced driver.

Some places of interest are a bit far away from Chiang Mai. So, there’s also the option to rent a car. We rented a car for four days and explored around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The roads are in good condition and the traffic is not chaotic outside the main cities.

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Best Time to Go to Chiang Mai

Like Bangkok, for the most pleasant weather, visit Chiang Mai during the cold and dry season, which is typically from November to early February.

However, if you want to participate in specific festivities, like the Songkran, or the Lantern festival, check the specific dates of those events.

We went in middle of October and it was extremely hot and humid, which made sightseeing a bit uncomfortable.

Another factor to take into consideration is the burning season. This is the period when farmers burn their crops after the harvest season, and usually takes place from February to April. This results in extremely bad air quality, which may be an issue, specially if you have respiratory issues.

You may also like: How to Spend Two Days in Kanchanaburi: Itinerary and Tips

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Things to Do In Chiang Mai

There are no shortage of things to do in Chiang Mai, but there are two things you absolutely must do: going to Wat Phra That at Doi Suthep and eating Khao Soi.

1. Temple Hopping

In Chiang Mai City and the whole province there are more than 300 temples. You can spend an entire day just exploring temples inside Chiang Mai Old Town gates. You don’t need to search for temples, just hanging around Chiang Mai, you’ll come across a temple almost in every corner.

Some of the most famous temples are: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Suan Dok, Wat Phan Tao, Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang, Wat Chiang Man, Wat Sri Suphan, and much more.

Just open Google Maps, and you’ll see the numerous temples that you can visit. We’ll just show you a quick summary of the temples we visited in Chiang Mai.

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang, means “Temple of the Big Stupa”. It stands out for its massive chedi, which was once one of the tallest structures in ancient Chiang Mai. Wat Chedi Luang also hosts monk chats every day. Visitors can come talk with Monks about Buddhism, their way of life, and Thai culture.

Wat Phan Tao

Wat Phan Tao sits right next to Wat Chedi Luang. It is known for its remarkable Lanna-style ordination hall and is crafted entirely from teakwood. It also features a beautiful golden pagoda.

This temple was once the house of the revered Emerald Buddha (Thailand’s most sacred religious icon), that is nowadays in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok Grand Palace.

The Lanna Style is considered the dominant architectural style in Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand. A temple in Lanna style features intricate wooden structures with elaborately carved details and steeply sloping multi-tiered roofs. The temple facade, doors and window panels are usually adorned with detailed motifs inspired by nature, Buddhist icons, and local folklore.

Wat Chiang Man

Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai and it stands out for its unique chedi supported by elephant sculptures.

Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang

Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang, also in Lanna style is a very ornate dark wooden building with details in golden colors. It’s a quite small temple, but its worth a stop if you’re passing by. We’ve accidently stumbled upon this temple on our way to Wat Sri Suphan.

Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh stands out for its amazing Lanna architecture with golden details and a big golden stupa. At the entrance to the main temple stands a Naga staircase.

Wat Sri Suphan

In our opinion, the most impressive temple in Chiang Mai Old Town is definitely the Wat Sri Suphan, also known as the Silver temple. This place has an entrance fee of 50 baht per person. Even though men and women can go inside the temple complex, only men can go inside the silver temple. Nonetheless, just admiring the carved silver details on the outside is totally worth it. If you only have time to visit one temple in Chiang Mai Old Town, this has to be it.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Outside Chiang Mai Gates, the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the most famous Chiang Mai temple that will required at least half a day to visit (see the next section).

2. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep is a mountain not far from downtown Chiang Mai and it offers stunning views of the city. At its summit lies Wat Phra That, a beautiful golden temple and one of the most popular pilgrimage sites among locals in Chiang Mai. The temple is also popular for its unique Naga staircase at the main entrance.

How to get to the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep?

• Catch a red songthaew – these depart from Huay Kaew Road, near Chiang Mai Zoo. They wait until they have enough passengers, usually ten to eight.
• Arrange a round-trip with a Songthaew driver – a convenient choice, especially for group travel.
• Book a Grab taxi through the app – the most comfortable option for a hassle-free journey.
• You can hike all the way up and also visit Wat Pha Lat Temple in the middle of the forest along the way via the Monk’s trail—this is what we did and we absolutely recommend it (see the next section).

To get back to Chiang Mai Downtown, don’t worry, there are plenty of songthaews next to the Naga staircase that will take you to Chiang Mai North Gate.

Visiting Doi Suthep on a Tour

Additionally, various agencies offer tours to Doi Suthep, some combining visits to Wat Phra That and Wat Pha Lat temples with other activities such as Elephant Sanctuaries, the Sticky Waterfalls, or other points of interest.

3. Hike to Wat Pha Lat Temple (The Monk’s Trail)

Doing the Monks Trail was one of my favorite activities in Chiang Mai. If you like hiking, you’ll surely like to hike to Wat Pha Lat.

Wat Pha Lat, also called Wat Skathadami, is a kind of an hidden gem of a temple nestled in the lush mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. What makes Wat Pha Lat unique is its tranquil setting, away from the bustling city, and the hike required to reach it—the so called Monk’s Trail.

The Monk’s trail is a historic path used by monks to travel between Wat Pha Lat and Wat Phra Singh in the city. The trailhead is located near the Chiang Mai Zoo. To find it type “Wat Pha Lat Hike (Monk’s trail)“on Google Maps.

It will take you 30 to 45 minutes to reach Wat Pha Lat, depending on your pace. Upon reaching Wat Pha Lat, you’ll find ancient ruins, moss-covered structures, and a peaceful courtyard.

The temple also offers panoramic views of Chiang Mai and the surrounding mountains. Once you reach Wat Pha Lat, you can continue the hike to reach Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

You can also get to Wat Pha Lat Temple by Taxi or Songthaew as it is close to the road that goes to the top of Doi Suthep.

Hiking from Wat Pha Lat to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

After reaching Wat Pha Lat, you can continue the trail until you find the road that goes to the top of Doi Suthep. Then, just walk for about 5 minutes and find the trail track to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at the other side of the road. This part of the trail was not that well maintained as the other one, it was a bit slippery and there was really nothing much special about it… just the good feeling of reaching the top.

4. Explore Nimmahaemin Trendy Neighborhood

Nimmahaemin is a trendy neighborhood with a contemporary atmosphere and features a diverse range of shops, stylish cafes, and unique boutiques.

It’s a great place for handcrafted souvenirs and unique clothing that you won’t find elsewhere. I loved all the clothes I saw at the One Nimman shopping mall. They were extremely affordable compared with something similar in Europe. Unfortunately, I was backpacking with just a small backpack, so I hadn’t much space to do a lot of shopping.

It was also in this place that we went to have lunch at Kiew-Kai-Ka, a Michelin selected restaurant.

5. Eat and Shop at the Night Markets

There is no shortage of night markets in Chiang Mai. You’ll find lots of souvenirs, artwork, handicrafts, clothes, imitations of well-now luxury brands, and of course, lots of street food stalls.

One of the most famous is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar that runs every evening from 5 PM. You cannot miss it.

6. Explore Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon was definitely my favorite place in Chiang Mai. Doi Inthanon is the highest point in Thailand and it is part of the Doi Inthanon National Park. It is about a 1h30 ride from Chiang Mai City and there’s plenty of things to do and see there. Reserve about one day to properly explore Doi Inthanon.

The entrance to Doi Inthanon requires a fee of 300 baht per person plus 30 baht for the car. If you want to visit the King and Queen pagodas (you absolutely have to), you need to pay more 100 baht per person.

How to Get to Doi Inthanon?

The easiest way to get there is to go on an organized tour. This is the best choice if you don’t have any other options to get there. You can see several tour options below.

However, these tours are always very rushed, and I wanted to have the freedom and time to explore the park on our own. Additionally, they tend to be rather expensive. So, we decided to rent a car for four days—it was almos the same cost of the price of the tour for the two of us and it gave us more freedom to explore other places on our own. It was the best decision.

Even though we had never driven on the left side of the road before, we quickly get used to it. The roads are in good condition, the traffic is not chaotic, the Thais always use the blinkers and there are parking spots in all places of interest throughout the National Park.

What to See in Doi Inthanon?

There are plenty of interesting things to see in Doi Inthanon. The picture below shows a map of the Doi Inthanon National Park showing the main places of interest.

Highest Spot in Thailand

We suggest by start going to the highest point and walk the small trail to the “Highest Spot in Thailand” landmark, it won’t take you more than three minutes.

After that, you can go to the Thai National Observatory and see the panoramic views if you’re lucky. It was foggy, so we couldn’t see the views.

Ang Ka Nature Trail

From there, you can also quickly access the trailhead of the Ang Ka Nature Trail. This is a small trail on boardwalks and wooden paths that goes through the rain forest with mossy vegetation, ferns, and vibrant moss-covered rocks. This is an easy trail and it won’t take you more than 30 minutes to complete.

Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail

Start descending the mountain and eventually, you’ll find a parking spot for the Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail.

This is probably the most popular trail in Doi Inthanon. It takes about two to three hours to complete and you’ll find some of most beautiful panoramic views of the mountains and valleys. This hike can only be done accompanied by a local guide at the site.

Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the trail was closed (from June to October).

King and Queen Pagodas

Continue descending, and you’ll encounter the entrance to the King and Queen Pagodas (Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphaphon Phum). Despite having already paid the entrance fee to the National Park, an additional fee is required to enter the Pagodas.

These pagodas are located on a beautiful setting in the mountains surrounded by beautiful gardens with flowers and an artificial lake. The gardens are so beautiful and well-mantained, and the colors of the flowers are so vivid that it reminded me of the gardens at Disney.

The purple pagoda is the Queen’s pagoda and the brown one is the King’s. The pagodas are different in the details and colors but equally beautiful from the inside and outside.

We created a quick video showing how beautiful this place is.

Chasing Waterfalls

At Doi Inthanon National Park, there are several waterfalls to see. One of the most famous is Wachirathan Waterfall. It’s really big and powerful, especially when we visited in mid-October. The water splashes a lot, creating a mist that can soak you if you get too close.

8. Climb the Sticky Waterfalls

The Sticky Waterfalls, also know as Bua Tong Waterfalls is known for its non-slippery surface on the rocks created by limestone deposits that allows you to climb it up and down without slipping. It’s actually an interesting and funny experience, but I was expecting the waterfalls to be a bit bigger. It has four different levels that you can hike up and/or down while the water runs down through your feet.

Tip: the sticky waterfalls have a non-slippery surface. However, avoid placing your feet on rocks covered in moss, as they can be slippery and pose a risk of injury.

In this place there is also a sacred well and a small nature trail. The sacred well, as the name suggests is a sacred place, so avoid visiting on your swimwear or on inappropriate clothing. The small nature trail seemed interesting but was closed at the time of our visit.

This place is free to enter and has great facilities: bathrooms, changing rooms, lockers, and a restaurant. We spent a great morning there.

How to get to the Sticky Waterfalls?

The sticky waterfalls are approximately one hour’s drive from Chiang Mai city. You can get there by rented motorbike, or hire a songthaew or taxi to take you there and back. We had a rented car and it was pretty easy to get there.

Alternatively, you can also go on an organized tour. Usually, the your will combine the sticky waterfalls with other places of interest.

9. Soak your Feet at Chiang Mai Hot Springs

Since we had a rented car, we had the opportunity to explore places a bit far from Chiang Mai city, and a bit out of the usually itinerary. We stumbled upon several Hot Springs, and we decided to try them out. We went to the Sankamphaeng Hot Springs.

This place features thermal pools at different temperatures where you can soak your feet. However, the water is extremely hot, which may not be enjoyable given the typical hot and humid weather in Thailand.

A popular activity here is buying a basket of eggs and cooking them in the boiling water from the hot springs – definitely a weird, but unique experience.

We enjoyed coming to this place because it was a bit different from all the other activities, but I don’t think it’s worth going there on purpose.

10. Visit an Elephant Sanctuary

Chiang Mai is home to several elephant sanctuaries that have gained recognition for their ethical and responsible approach to elephant care. These places usual offer visitors the opportunity to observe and interact with the elephants. In some places, you can prepare the food for the elephants and feed them.

Please note that ethical elephant sanctuaries don’t allow riding. However, just because a sanctuary doesn’t allow riding, doesn’t mean it’s ethical too. In my opinion, I don’t think that places that allow tourists to bathe elephants are ethical, and you’ll see many of those. So, make sure you make your research before engaging in such activities.

We didn’t visit any Sanctuary because I’m very skeptic about those places. However, I’ve heard very good things about Elephant Nature Park.

11. Chiang Mai Canyon

Chiang Mai Canyon is getting famous because lots of cool pictures and videos are being shared on Instagram. It used to be known for its nice views, but now it’s turned into a waterpark.

It used to be an old limestone quarry that got filled with rainwater, and now it was transformed into a waterpark with things to do like jumping off cliffs, going on a zipline, and sliding down water slides.

Initially, I wanted to visit this place, but it now appears to be too commercialized. So, we’ve decided to skip it and explore other places instead.

12. Day Trip to Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai is about a 3-hour drive from Chiang Mai and has some of the most beautiful and unique temples in Thailand. You’ve probably seen awesome pictures of the White Temple and Wat Huay Pla Kang with a cool dragon staircase and the Goddess of Mercy. Even though we’d already seen a lot of temples on our trip, these ones were totally worth it—everything you need to know is explained in this Chiang Rai Travel Guide.

Related article: How to Spend one Day in Chiang Rai, Thailand: Things to Do and Tips

We suggest staying at least one night in Chiang Rai to enjoy it fully. But if you’re short on time, you can also do a day trip from Chiang Mai to check out these amazing temples.

13. Thai Massage

When in Thailand, you must do a Thai Massage. You’ll find plenty of places in Chiang Mai, almost in every corner, and with very affordable prices.

We skipped this in Chiang Mai, and we truly regret it because it was one of the cheapest places to do it. There’s a popular place in Chiang Mai were you can get a massage by ex-prisioners, the place is called “Women’s Massage Center By Ex-Prisoner”.

14. Thai Cooking Class

Taking a Thai cooking class is a popular activity in Chiang Mai among tourists. Unfortunately, we didn’t do any. But, now that I’m at home and I miss the flavors of Thai food, I wish I had done it. One of our friends did a Thai cooking class and he really enjoy it. In some, you even go to the market to choose the best fresh ingredients.

What to Eat in Chiang Mai?

The most famous dish that you cannot miss in Chiang Mai is Khao Soi. This northern Thai dish features a coconut-based curry soup with a choice of meats (usually pork or chicken), served with egg noodles and topped with crispy fried noodles.

It usually comes with pickles served on the side like shallots, mustard greens and lime. We loved this dish since the first time, and we had it multiple times during our stay in Thailand. It’s one of the dishes we miss the most.

Where to Go from Chiang Mai?

If you’re backpacking Thailand, many people choose to visit the northern part before heading to the south and explore its beautiful beaches.

With this in mind, many people choose to proceed their itinerary to:

• Phuket (by flight): to start your island-hopping journey.
• Krabi (by flight): another great starting point to explore Thailand’s beautiful islands—check out our Krabi Travel Guide.
• Phi Phi Islands: one of the most famous and beautiful places in Thailand (accessible from Phuket and Krabi).
• Koh Samui (by flight): a great base to start exploring the islands of the gulf

If you want to continue exploring northern Thailand, you can get on a bus, or rented car to:

• Chiang Rai: best known for the most beautiful temples in Thailand—check out our Chiang Rai Travel Guide;
• Pai: famous for its backpacking community, it is a great place to base yourself before crossing to Laos by boat (our friends describe in great detail how to cross the border to Laos by boat in this article).

Or you can catch a flight to another nearby country like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia or Philippines. In our case, we caught a flight to Hanoi, to start exploring Vietnam from North to South before returning to Thailand to start exploring the southern part. We detailed our 2-month itinerary in Southeast Asia in the following article:

Related article: Two Months Traveling in Southeast Asia: Our Itinerary

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More Thailand Travel Guides

Finally, if you’re planning a trip to Thailand, make sure you take a look at all our other Thailand travel guides.

• How to Spend one Day in Chiang Rai, Thailand: Things to Do and Tips
• Krabi Travel Guide for First Timers (Ao Nang)
• Koh Phi Phi: Things to Do and Tips for First-Timers
• Koh Lanta Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary and 10 Best Things to Do
• Koh Lipe: Best Things to Do and Tips for First-Timers
• Bangkok Ultimate Travel Guide for First-Timers
• Ayutthaya Travel Guide: Visit on Your Own from Bangkok
• Maeklong Railway and Damnoen Floating Markets – What to Expect
• How to Spend Two Days in Kanchanaburi: Itinerary and Tips
• One-Month Thailand Itinerary

We hope you find our Chiang Mai Travel Guide useful and that it helps you plan your time in Thailand.

Preparing a Trip o Thailand? Take a look at our One-Month Thailand Itinerary.

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