This list of places to see in Chiang Mai It will help you not to miss anything from one of the most incredible cities in northern Thailand that we are sure, will not leave you indifferent.
And it is that in Chiang Mai you can run out of breath in one of the treks that are made by its great natural environment of high mountains and waterfalls, know its great cultural heritage, in which its beautiful temples stand out, get lost in its endless markets or enjoy of one of the best gastronomies in the world, are just some of the Top things to do in Chiang Mai.
To reach Chiang Mai from Bangkok, located 700 kilometers away, you can choose the plane or take a train and bus route, stopping in the impressive historic cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai.
In case of opting for the bus on any of the routes, we advise you to book it in advance on the 12Go platform to secure the place in the day and time you need.
Based on the experience of the time we spent in the city during our trip to Thailand for free and the six days we spent in the city, on our last trip, during which we wrote this travel guide to Thailand, we have prepared this list of what we think are the 10 essential places to visit in Chiang Mai. We start!
1. Historic center
The ancient city, located in a square area of 2 × 2 km long and surrounded by a wall with a large water moat, is one of the most essential places to see in Chiang Mai. Its narrow streets full of restaurants, massage and yoga centers, clothing and souvenir shops, designer cafes and accommodations for all budgets, can be walked perfectly on foot or by bike.
Also among its walls are some of the most important temples of the city such as the ancient Wat Phra Singh and the Wat Chedi Luang, which you can not miss, as they are a symbol of the city.
One of the special moments of the ancient city is Sunday afternoons, when on Ratchadamnoen street and its adjacent ones they close to traffic to set up a huge night market, full of local craft and food stalls.
Chiang Mai Historic Center
2. Doi Suthep
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple, located on the mountain of Doi Suthep, is one of the most revered places to visit in Thailand and one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centers.
To get to the temple, one of the Top things to do in Chiang Mai, you will have to climb the 309 steps of a huge staircase flanked by two sacred snakes. Once you reach the top you will see the figure of a white elephant that has a great legend behind, several buildings and temples, Buddhist statues, prayer bells and a terrace with good views of Chiang Mai and surroundings.
Do not forget that to enter the most sacred part of the temple, where there is an impressive gold-plated chedi, you will have to take off your shoes.
Other places that are close to Doi Suthep and worth seeing are the Wat Pha Lat temple surrounded by a magnificent natural landscape, the Bhubing Palace gardens and the Huay Kaew waterfall.
To get to Doi Suthep, if you don't want to rent a motorcycle, you can take a Songthaew, a kind of van that acts as a shared taxi, for about 80 baths per person from the walled area of Chiang Mai.
Another more comfortable option is to book this tour that includes a visit to a village of the Hmong tribe.
Doi Suthep
3. Night Market
Night Bazaar, located along Chang Khlan Road, is the most famous market and one of the places to see in Chiang Mai With more atmosphere. This endless market is transformed between 6 pm and 12 pm, when the lights of thousands of stalls are turned on, and it is filled with tourists looking for bargains.
Besides being able to buy all kinds of handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes, jewelry and imitations, this night market has several areas or food courts to try the best street food and listen to live music. Our favorite place to eat is the food trucks area of Ploen Ruedee, where you can try some amazing chicken skewers at the Bamboo Restaurant stand.
On the way to the night market do not miss the impressive temple Wat Bupparam, one of the most beautiful in the city, which at night looks impressive.
Chiang Mai Night Market
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
4. Wat Phra Singh, one of the places to see in Chiang Mai
Among the more than 300 sanctuaries in the city, the Wat Phra Singh, is for us, the temple to see in Chiang Mai prettier. Located in the heart of the historic city, this Buddhist temple built in 1345 has the statue of the Buddha Phra Singh located in the Wiham Lai Kham building, his main claim.
In addition to the statue, it has other prominent places such as the huge golden chedi, the Wihan Luang with a large Buddha sitting inside, the prayer room where a copy of the Emerald Buddha is located, the beautiful monastic library and the area of Gardens that has a small temple with a reclining Buddha inside.
Wat Phra Singh, one of the places to see in Chiang Mai
5. Restaurants
One of the Top things to do in Chiang Mai It is to try the delicious dishes and local specialties, in some of the best restaurants in the city. Our favorite restaurants in Chiang Mai are:
- Reform Kafé: This vegetarian and vegan restaurant, where we tried the best Khao Soi in Thailand, is our favorite in Chiang Mai.
- The FACES Gallery & Gastro Bar: Located in a beautiful garden, it was another of the restaurants that we repeated several times to eat their delicious curries with crab accompanied by mango shakes.
- Ugo Restaurant & Thai Craft Beer Bar: It is a perfect place to try several typical dishes of northern Thailand in the form of small tapas when ordering the chef's entree. Also prepare one of the best massaman curry we have tried in Thailand.
- Cat House Restaurant: A good vegetarian option for breakfast or lunch. Among its most recommended dishes are falafel, hummus, cheese sandwiches and burritos.
- By Hand Pizza Cafe: If you are tired of Thai food, we recommend the baked pizzas of this central restaurant.
If you are interested in preparing your own dishes we recommend you book this kind of Thai cuisine.
The FACES Gallery & Gastro Bar
Our recommended hotel in Chiang Mai
Our recommended accommodation in Chiang Mai is the BB Mantra Boutique and Budget, located in one of the most charming and most serviced streets of the historic center. In addition to its excellent location, it has spacious rooms, a good buffet breakfast, very attentive staff, excellent Wi-Fi signal and a large pool.
6. Wat Chedi Luang
The 14th century Wat Chedi Luang temple is another of the most important temples to see in Chiang Mai And revered. Located in the old town, this temple had a huge stupa of more than 80 meters in its time of maximum splendor, which today is just under 50 meters, as a result of an earthquake.
Also for a while it housed the Emerald Buddha, the most important in Thailand.
The complex has other interesting places such as the main temple where there is a magnificent golden standing Buddha, another small temple with a reclining Buddha, the library and a sacred tree.
Wat Chedi Luang
7. Have a massage, one of the best things to do in Chiang Mai
After a day of visits or a trekking, one of the Top things to do in Chiang Mai It is a refreshing Thai or foot massage in a spa or local city. Although there are many places to give you a good massage, such as the recommended Zira Spa or the Orn Healing Hands, our favorite is the Sense Massage and Spa. In this design and clean place, you will find a relaxed atmosphere and such a pleasant and professional staff, that you will have them repeat several times during your stay in the city.
The Spa has a wide variety of massages and treatments, although after our experience, we recommend you try the one-foot feet first and reserve another more complete one such as the Thai one the next day.
Other good option is to book the massage here in advance in two of the most recommended Spas: Fah Lanna Spa Old Town and Fah Lanna Spa Nimman.
Having a massage, one of the best things to do in Chiang Mai
8. Other temples Chiang Mai
Among the many temples to see in Chiang Mai, these are our favorites:
- Wat Chiang Man: the oldest temple in the city, in which the Chedi Chang Lom Pagoda stands out with its elephant statues and the main temple.
- Wat Sri Suphan: This temple completely built in silver, with spectacular carvings on all its walls, especially in the back, is simply spectacular. Keep in mind that if you are a woman you are not allowed to enter inside, although you can continue to see the outside that is really incredible.
- Wat Umong: Located in a natural forest environment on the outskirts of the city, this temple impresses with its tunnels and caves with different Buddha images and a large stupa.
- Wat Ched Yot: inspired by a Hindu temple, this temple with 7 chedis is one of the least tourist, but most interesting in the city.
- Wat Suan Dok: another of the temples located outside the old town that stands out for its 48-meter high golden chedi and its royal cemetery full of small white chedis.
- Wat Lok Molee: temple located next to the wall that has in its main building and its old stupa of the fourteenth century its most interesting places.
A good option to visit and learn about the history of the most important temples in Chiang Mai is to book this guided tour or this private tour, both with a guide in Spanish.
Wat Sri Suphan
9. Loy Krathong Festival
When the monsoon ends in November, the most important celebration in all of Thailand begins, the Loi Krathong. If your trip matches these dates, as was our case the first time we traveled to country of smilesOne of the best places to celebrate it is in Chiang Mai, where its rivers and canals are filled with small boats, made with banana leaves and loaded with incense, a candle and an offering to the gods.
In addition, in Chiang Mai this day coincides with Yi Peng, the day the famous ones are launched flashlights, which flood the sky like small fires, making this day one of the most incredible visual spectacles in the world.
These two celebrations symbolize for the locals the purification and renewal of spirit, freeing themselves from all the bad and thanking the good, to start a new life.
The party is accompanied with live music, float parades, traditional dances and all kinds of celebrations with the best food and local specialties.
Loi Krathong
10. Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon National Park, is one of the best excursions and another one of the places to see in Chiang Mai. This park, located almost two hours from Chiang Mai, has the highest place in Thailand on Mount Inthanon of 2565 meters. Near the top are two modern twin pagodas, surrounded by beautiful gardens, from where you have magnificent views of the surroundings.
In the park you can also do several trekking routes such as the Kew Mae Pan Trail or a small path called Michaels Path, where you can enjoy nature to the fullest.
Other things to do in the parks visit the impressive Wachirathan and Mae Klang waterfalls.
To get to Doi Inthanon, if you don't want to rent a car or motorcycle, you can take a taxi or Grab, or book this tour with a guide in Spanish.
Wachirathan waterfall in Doi Inthanon
How to have internet in Thailand?If you want to have internet in thailand a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several GB of data, keeping your WhatsApp number and support service in Spanish.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 places to see in Chiang Mai essential, add yours in the comments.
