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Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a walled temple city in the mountains of northern Thailand, slower and greener than Bangkok and very easy to settle into.

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Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Mangrai as the capital of the Lanna kingdom, and it still feels like the capital of somewhere different from the rest of Thailand. The old city is a square ringed by a moat and the remains of brick walls, with more than thirty temples inside it, and the forested mountain of Doi Suthep rises directly to the west with a golden temple near its summit. The north has its own dialect, its own food and its own calmer pace, and the city lives at street level: monks collecting alms at dawn, markets that open as the heat fades, and evenings spent at long tables outside. For a visitor the appeal is how easily the days arrange themselves. The centre is small enough to cycle, food is cheap and very good, and the city has long been a base for backpackers, retirees and remote workers, so there is an unusually large, friendly community of people passing through. Most travellers plan to stay a few days and end up staying a few weeks.

Places to visit

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

The temple that watches over the city stands on the slopes of Doi Suthep, around half an hour's drive up a winding mountain road from the centre. A long staircase of around three hundred steps, lined with naga serpents, leads to a terrace around a gleaming gold chedi said to hold a relic of the Buddha, with a view across the whole valley on a clear day. Shared red trucks go up from near Chiang Mai University. Cover your shoulders and knees, go early before the tour groups arrive, and stay for the view.

Wat Chedi Luang

In the middle of the old city stands the huge brick chedi of Wat Chedi Luang, partly ruined by an earthquake in the sixteenth century and still impressive even in its broken state. For a time in the fifteenth century it housed the Emerald Buddha, now in Bangkok. The grounds are calm, there are elephant sculptures around the base, and the temple runs informal monk chats where you can sit down and talk with young monks practising their English — one of the most memorable conversations many visitors have in Thailand.

Wat Phra Singh and the old city

Wat Phra Singh, at the western end of Ratchadamnoen Road, is the city's most revered temple, with a small chapel of classic Lanna woodwork and murals of northern life. Around it, the quiet lanes inside the moat are full of smaller temples, guesthouses, coffee shops and massage parlours. Rent a bicycle and spend a morning crossing the square from gate to gate; nowhere inside is more than about twenty minutes away.

Nimmanhaemin Road

West of the old city, near the university, Nimman and its numbered side lanes are the modern face of Chiang Mai: specialty coffee, design shops, small galleries, rooftop bars and shopping malls. It is where students, young Thais and remote workers spend their evenings, and the neighbourhood to come to when you want a cold brew, fast Wi-Fi or a busy terrace rather than a temple.

Warorot Market and the Ping River

Warorot, known locally as Kad Luang, is the big everyday market east of the old city, full of dried chillies, northern sausage, sticky rice, fabrics and household goods, with a flower market along the river beside it. It is where locals actually shop. Walk south from there along the Ping River, where old wooden houses, riverside restaurants and footbridges make for an easy late-afternoon stroll.

Doi Inthanon National Park

Thailand's highest mountain lies a long day trip south-west of the city. The road climbs through forest past waterfalls to the summit area, where two royal pagodas stand in landscaped gardens and the air is cool even in the hot season. Short nature trails lead through cloud forest, and hill-tribe villages grow coffee and vegetables on the slopes. Go with a driver or a small group, and bring a warm layer for the top.

Where to go out

The Sunday and Saturday walking streets

On Sunday afternoons Ratchadamnoen Road, from Tha Phae Gate across the old city, closes to traffic and turns into a long market of handicrafts, street food and buskers, spilling into temple courtyards along the way. On Saturdays a smaller version fills Wua Lai Road, the silversmiths' street south of the moat. Both are crowded, cheap and cheerful, and the best evenings in the city for simply walking and eating among people.

The Night Bazaar

Every evening the area around Chang Khlan Road, between the old city and the river, fills with stalls, shopping arcades and food courts. It is aimed at visitors and prices need gentle bargaining, but the open-air food areas with live music are relaxed places to sit for a while, and it is an easy plan for a first night in town.

Live music and jazz bars

Chiang Mai has a lively small-venue music scene. The bars around the northern gate of the old city are known for jam sessions where local and visiting musicians play late into the night, the crowd spilling onto the pavement. Nimman and the riverside have bars with acoustic sets, reggae and indie bands. Evenings are unhurried and rarely loud, and talking to strangers between sets is completely normal.

Muay Thai and khantoke dinners

Several stadiums in the city hold Muay Thai boxing nights for visitors, with a run of bouts that build to the main fight. For something gentler, a khantoke dinner serves northern dishes on low round trays, followed by traditional Lanna dancing. Both are touristic, but they are shared experiences that give you something to talk about afterwards.

Yi Peng, Loy Krathong and Songkran

Chiang Mai is known for two of Thailand's most beautiful festivals. In November, on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, the city celebrates Yi Peng and Loy Krathong together: candlelit floats drift on the river and lanterns hang across the streets. In mid-April, Songkran, the Thai New Year, becomes a city-wide water fight around the moat that lasts for days. Both are joyful, crowded and the easiest times of year to meet people.

Things to do

Take a Thai cooking class

Cooking schools are one of the great pleasures of Chiang Mai. Most start with a visit to a local market to buy ingredients, then move to a kitchen in town or on a farm outside it, where you cook several dishes — curry paste pounded by hand, a soup, a stir-fry — and eat everything at a shared table. Classes are small and mixed, and they are a natural way to meet other travellers.

Visit an ethical elephant sanctuary

Many elephant camps around Chiang Mai now present themselves as sanctuaries. Choose one that does not offer riding or shows, keeps group sizes small and lets the animals move freely. A day there usually means watching the elephants feed, walk and bathe in the river, and learning how they were rescued. Read recent reviews before booking.

Eat khao soi and northern food

Khao soi, the city's signature dish, is a bowl of egg noodles in a rich curry broth with chicken or beef, topped with crispy noodles and served with pickled mustard greens, shallots and lime. Look also for sai ua, a herb-packed northern sausage, nam prik ong, a tomato and pork chilli dip, and sticky rice eaten with the fingers. Small family shops do it best and cheapest.

Hike the Monk's Trail

A forest path starts at the edge of the city near the university and climbs Doi Suthep to Wat Pha Lat, a small, mossy temple beside a waterfall, with a view back over Chiang Mai. It takes around an hour at an easy pace. Strong walkers continue up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Start early, bring water and wear proper shoes.

Spend an afternoon at Wat Umong

At the foot of the mountain, Wat Umong is a forest temple with brick tunnels dating back centuries, a lake with turtles and quiet paths under old trees. Nearby, the small artists' village of Baan Kang Wat has studios, craft workshops and a café. Together they make a slow, shaded afternoon away from the traffic.

Great first-date spots

Good to know

Best season

The cool season, from November to February, is the best time: dry, sunny days, comfortable temperatures and chilly mornings in the mountains. It is also the busiest season and includes Yi Peng and Loy Krathong. From March to May it gets very hot, and from roughly February to April the burning season brings smoke from crop and forest fires, which can make air quality poor for weeks — check before you travel if you are sensitive to it. The rainy season from June to October is green and quieter, with heavy afternoon showers rather than all-day rain.

Getting around

There is no metro. The old city is easy to walk or cycle, and bicycles and scooters are widely rented; only ride a scooter if you are experienced and have the right licence and insurance. The red shared trucks called songthaews or rot daeng are the classic local transport — agree the price before getting in. Ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Bolt are inexpensive and widely used. The airport is just south-west of the centre, around fifteen minutes away by car.

Language & meeting people

Thai is the national language, and locals also speak the northern dialect, Kham Mueang. English is common in guesthouses, cafés and anywhere used to visitors, less so in markets and outside the city. A few words of Thai — sawasdee for hello and khop khun for thank you, with kha or khrap at the end — are warmly received. Thais value calm, politeness and saving face: raising your voice or public displays of anger go down badly. Dress modestly at temples, take your shoes off where others do, and never touch a monk if you are a woman.

Where travelers & expats meet

Chiang Mai is one of the best-known bases in the world for digital nomads, with a large community of remote workers concentrated around Nimman and Santitham, full of co-working spaces and cafés. Backpackers tend to stay inside the old city, especially around Tha Phae Gate. Language exchanges, yoga and meditation courses, climbing gyms, running groups and weekend motorbike trips to Pai and the mountains are common ways to meet people, and social groups for newcomers are active and easy to find.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chiang Mai a good city to visit alone?

Very. It is relaxed, affordable and generally considered safe, and it is full of other solo travellers, remote workers and long-stay visitors. Cooking classes, day trips, walking streets and hostel or co-working events make it easy to meet people without any effort.

How many days do I need in Chiang Mai?

Three or four days covers the old city, Doi Suthep, a market and a cooking class. Add a day or two for Doi Inthanon or an elephant sanctuary. Many people stay much longer, because the city is comfortable for slow travel.

Is Chiang Mai expensive?

It is one of the most affordable cities in Asia for visitors. Street food, local restaurants, massages and transport are inexpensive, and there is accommodation for every budget. Imported drinks, western food and upmarket hotels cost more, but still less than in most western cities.

When is the smoky season?

The burning season usually runs from around February to April, when agricultural and forest fires cover the north in haze. Air quality can be very poor, especially in March. If you have breathing problems, plan your visit for another time of year or check air quality reports before you go.

How should I dress for the temples?

Cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before entering temple buildings and avoid pointing your feet at Buddha images. A light scarf and loose trousers are enough. Some temples lend or rent sarongs at the entrance.

Is it safe to meet someone from an app in Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is generally a safe and easy-going city, and the usual simple rules apply: meet in a busy public place the first time, tell a friend where you are going and arrange your own transport, for example with a ride-hailing app. Cafés, walking streets and the riverside are lively into the evening, which makes them natural first meeting places.

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