Chiang Mai, the “Rose of the North,” is Thailand’s second-largest city and the cultural heart of the ancient Lanna Kingdom, a distinct civilization that flourished in northern Thailand for centuries before incorporated into the Thai state. Located in a valley on the Ping River and surrounded by mountains, Chiang Mai preserves a cultural identity, architectural heritage, and way of life significantly different from Bangkok’s and southern Thailand.
Chiang Mai Old City is the historical and spiritual center of the city, enclosed within a 1.5 square km area and partially preserved ancient walls. Stroll the old city streets to admire its magnificent Lanna-style temples, to enjoy the local markets and to experience the local culture.
There are more than 30 active Buddhist temples in the old city including the highly impressive and magnificent Wat Phra Singh and it’s Phra Singh Buddha statue and interior murals, Wat Chedi Luang with its jade replica of the Emerald Buddha, the Wat Phan Tao considered Chiang Mai’s most beautiful temple home to an impressive seated Buddha statue, and many more.
Chiang Mai’s markets and craft traditions make the city one of Thailand’s premier shopping destinations for authentic handicrafts, textiles, and artworks. Explore the Sunday Walking Street Market with its hundreds of vendors selling high quality handmade crafts, traditional textiles, woodcarvings, and more, and enjoy street musicians’ performances, and excellent northern Thai street food. Other must visit markets are Saturday Night Market specializing in silver ornaments, and the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar with its indoor and outdoor stalls, shops and shopping centers.
To understand and experience the origins of the local culture, the Lanna art and traditions, visit Chiang Mai National Museum and the Lanna Folklife Museum.
Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai
Night Bazar, Chiang Mai
Wat Lok Molee Temple
Outside of the old city Chiang Mai has expanded considerably but retains its pleasant, livable and relaxed character. The Ping River that flows along the eastern edge, is lined with wooden houses, riverside restaurants, and morning markets. The Nimman neighborhood west of the Old City has emerged as Chiang Mai’s creative and cosmopolitan district, where specialty coffee shops, design boutiques, contemporary art galleries, and international restaurants cluster along tree-lined streets.
Make sure to experience the Khao soi, northern Thailand’s signature dish and Chiang Mai’s culinary icon made of coconut curry noodle soup topped with crispy noodles.
Families with children have numerous unique and fun attractions to explore including the Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium and the Night Safari, and in the city’s surroundings the highly popular Flight of the Gibbon and Zipline Adventures, the various Elephant Experiences, and the National Parks with their numerous family friendly experiences.
To experience local and traditional culture, take a Thai cooking class and have a Traditional Lanna khantoke dinner of northern Thai cuisine, and have a Traditional Thai massage.
Participate in a Monk Chat program in one of the temples, exploring the insights of Buddhism, Thai culture, and monastic life.
The Ping River flowing through Chiang Mai’s eastern edge offers peaceful boat trips past traditional wooden houses, temples, and rural life. For the outdoors enthusiastic, mountain biking, hiking, ATV tours exploring forested hills and hill tribe villages, and white water rafting on the Mae Taeng River, are all available.
If you visit Chiang Mai in November, you will enjoy the Yi Peng festival when thousands of illuminated sky lanterns are released into the night sky, beautifully crafted lanterns float on the Ping River, and temples hold candlelit processions.
Wat Chaiang Man
Bo Sang Craft village
Buatong ‘Sticky' Waterfall
In the city’s surroundings the nearby Doi Suthep-Pui Mountain Range rises west of the city, with its forested slopes home to Chiang Mai’s most sacred temple, hill tribe villages, waterfalls, and magnificent scenery.
Chiang Mai enjoys a cooler climate than the central plains, making it particularly pleasant between November and February when temperatures can drop to 15°C at night.
To reach the city fly into its International Airport, or take the overnight train or a bus from Bangkok (10-13 hours). Within Chiang Mai take the songthaews red pickup truck taxi for shared transport, use rented Bicycle or motorbike rental, or for a longer day trips drive a rented car or take an organized tour.
Spend 2-3 days in Chiang Mai and several more days, part of 1-2 Day Trips, enjoying its beautiful, interesting, and rewarding surroundings including visiting the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most sacred Buddhist site in northern Thailand, Hill Tribes Villages, the nearby National Parks of Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep-Pui, and much more.
If time allows use the city as a hub for traveling northern Thailand. Spend longer periods visiting Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle in the north, travel northwest to the mountain town of Pai and its region, or travel east following the loop road trip to Mae Hong Son. Further away, head south to the magnificent ancient city of Sukhothai and its Historical Park.
Another option is to visit Chiang Mai and its surroundings, drive north, enjoy the attractions on the way, visit Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle and its surroundings, and fly out of northern Thailand from Chiang Rai.
