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Things to do in Chiang MaiGateway to the active NorthAlmost all travellers head to the North for an active experience during their Thailand holiday. Walking, hiking, elephant riding and rafting in the mountainous wilderness- you can do it all with our Chiang Mai tours.Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, with a wealth of cultural delights to be experienced. Take a Thai cookery lesson, visit the surrounding villages on a bike with a guide, and of course try a traditional Thai massage - there are so many interesting things to do in Chiang Mai. It's less chaotic and has a milder climate compared to Bangkok, with temples and colourful markets as well as a laid-back atmosphere, making it a great place to relax on your Thailand trip. You'll usually arrive into Chiang Mai on the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok - a memorable experience and easy on the wallet too. The train travels from Bangkok through Ayutthaya, the old royal capital, which you can visit at the beginning of your Thailand tour. You can also fly to/from Chiang Mai directly from Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Samui in southern Thailand, Luang Prabang in Laos, and Siem Reap in Cambodia. Our Thailand travel specialists will be able to help you build your own trip using our bite-sized Thailand tours. If you need a little more inspiration take a look at our suggested Thailand holidays. |
Things to do in Chiang Mai: AccommodationChiang Mai has an old city wall and a moat around the town centre, which makes it easy to find your way around the city. The accommodation Thailand Travel Plan uses as standard is in the old town centre at a comfortable hotel with a large swimming pool. If you want more comfort luxury, we can arrange for you to stay in a cosy boutique hotel just outside the city walls, which also has a swimming pool.During the evening, if you step through the city gates and venture outside the city walls, you'll find many inviting restaurants along the moat. After dinner it's great to stroll back to your hotel enjoying the warm evening. Inside the city walls you'll find your way to the night market. It's a great place to eat, drink, shop or just have a nose around for hours, it's a very lively area after dark. Our experience is that in Chiang Mai you're able to haggle and bartering more over the price than in Bangkok. The market is aimed at tourists, if you want a more authentic market experience try heading to the local Warorot market, where you'll find an assortment of fruit and vegetables, dried fish, buffalo meat and even pigs heads. |
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Things to do in Chiang Mai: Tours
If you're staying in Chiang Mai for a few days and would like something really interesting to do for a day, we can suggest the following short Chiang Mai tours (around about £24 per person each):- A Thai cookery course. The chef will take you to the local market to gather your supplies, and then you'll learn how to make traditional Thai meals, such as the famous Thai curries, sweet and sour vegetables and curried dried fish with basil. - A half-day biking through the countryside around Chiang Mai. You'll cycle with other travellers along the River Ping, through temple ruins and small villages. |
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Things to do in Chiang Mai: Temple Town Of course there are cars, modern shops and offices, but there are also over 300 temples in and around Chiang Mai. These date from the 16th century, when this was the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom. You can still see beautiful wood carvings and frescoes from that era in almost every temple. There are two which we particularly recommend:- 'Wat Phra Sing', has a wonderful wihara (a Great Hall, where monks and ordinary believers listen to sermons). The steps are guarded by nagas, mythical snakes with dragon heads. The wall paintings give a good idea of life in Thailand at the beginning of the 19th century. - 'Wat Chiang Man' is the oldest temple. It was built in 1296 and is typical of the Northern Thai temple architecture. Inside you'll find massive teak pillars and a collection of bronze Buddha statues. In the wihaan (a separate place for holy icons) there’s a 10cm-high sitting Buddha made from crystal, and the Phra Sila, a standing Buddha of marble, both of which are over 2500 thousand years old. |
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Things to do in Chiang Mai: Climate Good weather? The weather in Chiang Mai is at its best in winter, when it's dry with a daytime temperature about 20°C, and night temperature of 12°C. In March, it can be somewhat hazy due to the farmers burning off stubble in the fields to make way for new crops. During this period it rarely rains, and it's very hot. During the summer months it rains more frequently, but this also means that the landscape is at its visual best. Travelling here during the rainy season is generally fine, as the rain comes in the late afternoon and in short sharp outbursts, giving way to more sunny periods. If there is a particulaly bad period of thunderstorms, some of the hiking trips may have to be cancelled, but you'll check the situation with the operator the day before. For more information about treks in Northern Thailand, take a look at our trekking in Thailand information page. |
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Things to do in Chiang Mai: Public Holidays Chiang Mai and Khao San Road in Bangkok are the places to be in Thailand to welcome in the New Year: |
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