Things to do in Chiang Mai

Half Day Mae Sa Elephants at Work

We drive 30 kms north of the Chiang Mai city to visit the Mae Sa Elephant Camp - the biggest and the most popular camp. Enjoy a variety of fabulous shows of Elephants who love to show off their skills, abilities and intelligence. Observe the elephants bathing in a stream before moving to the performance site. About 20 Elephants will parade to welcome you; they'll showcase their football and painting skills. Visit an Orchid Nursery which houses more than 50 varieties of gorgeous orchid blooms and superb collection of butterflies.
Chiang Mai Elephant Riding & Bamboo Rafting tour

The Elephant Safari and Bamboo Rafting is a full day tour beginning with an early morning show where visitors get to watch Elephants bathe in the Mae Taeng River. This is followed by a rare insight into the timber industry as the elephants drag and roll logs at the comments of their mahouts. An elephant ride across the river and up the hills ensued by an equally thrilling ox-ride back to the riverside camp. The day ends with an array of dazzling colors in the form of colorful butterflies and orchids that bloom beauty.
Chiang Mai Half Day City & Temples tour

On this tour, you'll visit the 4 glorious temples constructed during the Lanna period. Each temple reflects the glory, splendours and nobility of a rich historical era. Later, drive around the old city to see the moat surrounding the Wat Chiang Man and the ruins of the city gates. Then visit the largest central market, Worarot Market, alive with its daily hustle and bustle. You can shop for exotic fresh fruits, preserved food, local delicacies, clothes galore, flowers and other nick knacks, all at reasonable prices.
Chiang Mai Night Safari Tour

The Chiang Mai Night Safari is the world’s second night safari that allows visitors to get a close look at various Asian and African animals. Despite the name, Chiang Mai offers both night as well as afternoon tours. Tram rides take you around the zoo, as you marvel at exotic animal species. If you’re the kind that enjoys a good walk, then the Jaguar Trail Walking Zone is where you should be! It’s a 1.2 kilometres long stretch situated around a beautiful Swan Lake and allows the visitor to experience the safari at his own pace. Enjoy amazing fountain show accompanied by synchronised music.
Full Day Chiang Rai & Golden Triangle tour

Visit the famous Golden Triangle, where borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. The scenic vistas offer perfect photo opportunities. The area has a fascinating history for being one of the most prolific areas of production for opium! We will visit one of the traditional Opium Houses, situated on the bend of the Mekong River. Also, experience some of the most wonderful sights around the Chiang Rai area on this exciting, action packed tour! Visit Wat Chedi Luang and the ancient city of Chiang Saen; the capital of the Lanna kingdom until the 13th century. Visit Akha & Yao hill tribe village.
Full day Doi Inthanon National Park tour

Doi Inthanon, 8,500 feet above sea level, is the highest summit in the country. Doi Inthanon is designated as a national park and is is a paradise for nature fanatics as it has over 400 species of birds, animals and flora & fauna. See the remains of Chao Inthawichayanon, the last independent ruler of Chiang Mai who died in 1897 after Lanna Kingdom was made a part of Siam. Enjoy exploring the Ang-Kha Nature Trail. Visit the Twin Pagodas built by the Thai Air force. Stop at Hmong tribal market. Enjoy local lunch, Visit Wachiratarn Waterfall.
Half Day Chiang Mai Home Industries tour

Welcome onboard for a slightly different take on Thailand. This is the Industry Tour! Surprised? Well yes, Thailand has much more to offer than what you know of. Right from gem production, to the making of Thai silk and the intricately made paper umbrellas – you will have a hectic day on your agenda as you explore Thailand’s industries like never before. The local craftsmanship is enchanting indeed, and for those of you who are shopaholics, you might hit upon a fantastic deal with the manufacturers! Your guide will be authorized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This isn’t a tour to miss.
Half Day Doi Suthep & White Hmong Hilltribe tour

Explore the marvelous historic culture of Thailand by visiting the most important and famous temple in Chiang Mai - "Wat Prathat Doi Suthep" Your excursion begins as you make your way up the mountain for this magnificent temple. Admire the truly spectacular panoramic views of the city from the temple ground. Tour also includes the scenic drive to White Hmong Hill Tribe Village where you can have a taste of the cultural essence of Thailand!
Khantoke Dinner Chiang Mai

The Khantoke Dinner at the Chiang Mai, a little mountainous city in Northern Thailand, is the perfect place to explore the Thai culture via an exotic, traditional Thai dinner in the presence of some of the most talented performers and members of local hill tribes. The food is served on a ‘khantoke’ – a pedestal – while the guests sit cross-legged on the floor, consuming both, the food and the dances, at his/her leisure. A decades-old traditional show, Khantoke Dinner has evolved over the years but continues to remain reminiscent and informative for foreign tourists, especially.

Adventure
Historical
Shopping
Food & Drinks
Attractions

Adventure

Chiang Mai may be a quiet city but it still has its fair share of adventure spots. Even those will have a special twist to it, just for you to experience how different this city is.

Tourists can pick up all the souvenirs they want but how do they transport an experience home, something like a world-famous Thai massage? The only way to do that is to learn the massage, which is why you go to the Thai Massage School. They offer a comprehensive course on massage techniques that combine the full range of Thai medicine, science and spirituality.
Food is another important aspect of Thai culture and instead of watching cooking tutorials, head over to 137 Pillars House or Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School. A hands-on, personal session that includes, not just cooking, but making the food. This means actually going to the markets and farms and picking out the fruits and vegetables yourselves, and a crash course in Thai cooking culture.
Chiang Mai brings you as close to nature as humanly possible with the Elephant Nature Park. A 200-acre habitat just for feeding, walking and swimming with calm and graceful elephants. More so, you can stay for an entire week just like the local hill tribes, feeding elephants, learning agriculture from the community and teaching local school-children. In essence, it is truly living the life of another tribe, with full cultural experiences.
No vacation is complete without a trek and Chiang Mai offers an irresistible lure into the jungle. The unique part is that a Chiang Mai trek is not just about hiking in a jungle or up a mountain. It involves developing relationships with the hill tribes and local communities, participating in the traditions and rituals. It is the only true and authentic experience of immersing in a foreign culture.
And finally, there is Thailand’s original Zipline Canopy tour. You rappel down from a tree-house constructed in dense jungles, literally surrounded by all kinds of wildlife. As you zipline down 5 kilometres from a height of 50 metres, you can spot nature blooming and living around you. In addition to this, you are accompanied by wildlife experts who will guide you through the flora and fauna of the forest. Merging adventure and wildlife, this is the ultimate jungle experience.

Historical

The 800 year plus history of Chiang Mai is documented, not just in museums, but in its very air. The city breathes out the legacy of its ancestors for tourists to inhale and experience.

The Chiang Mai National Museum highlights the history of the Kingdom of Lanna. It shows how the city has developed over several centuries using video dioramas, and engages the viewer in such a way that it feels alive. An overview of the city’s trade and economic activities is particularly illuminating.
Chiang Mai is host to a Tribal Musuem that features the ethnicities of all of Thailand’s hill tribes. There is an exhibition of tribal clothes, jewellery and artefacts accompanied by a video presentation. They have also recreated a typical tribal village, complete with huts and streams. Moreover, the Museum organises a monthly tribal market to sell handmade goods, clothes and food, representing a different hill tribe each time.
The Bank of Thailand Museum has 14 rooms to display the history of Thai currency and the Bank of Thailand. It starts from whence coins were first manufactured and mined in the 1^st You follow the progress of coin designs and values, the signs and symbols over centuries. The Bank of Thailand Museum is a truly memorable experience of how the currency of an entire culture was shaped.

Chiang Mai has the honour of being Thailand’s main handicraft centre and has plenty of factories, plants and workshops. More than simply shopping, you can, and should, watch the product being made live and even learn how to make it yourself.

Chiang Mai’s shopping scene is best experienced walking. In fact, Chiang Mai needs two Walking Street markets, on Saturday and Sunday. Both markets are made of the best things. It has everything you could possibly think of, and then some. And there are food stalls intermingled in the market to keep your energy and spirits up. The traders make the merchandise themselves over the week and then sell it in one single day, making the market an important contributor to their livelihood.
However, even this cannot beat the gargantuan Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, which takes place every night after 6 PM. The Night Bazaar is so huge that one cannot even specify where it begins and where it ends. And again, while you get everything here, the best deal is on clothes. Hand-tailored silk and fashion knock-offs sit side by side. Every vendor will have an extensive range and many of them even keep small showrooms with further stock that is not on display. While some of the stock may be of dubious quality, it definitely value for money. Moreover, the Night Bazaar is an experience unto itself.
Bor Sang Village is nine kilometres away from the city but its fame is spread far and wide for its beautiful paper umbrellas. The quality is outstanding and the designs are brilliant. The umbrella has evolved from simple weather protection to a design element, from floral to abstract patterns. You must visit the factory at Bor Sang and witness how the umbrellas are made, from scratch. Where else will you see umbrellas in such a way?

Food & Drinks

Traditional Thai dining isn’t just about eating the food; it is an entire visual experience that soothes and calms the stomach and the soul. Khantoke dinner is symbolic of this. It is a sumptuous lunch/dinner offered by a host to her/his guests at ceremonies, festivals or occasions. Chiang Mai celebrates this truly northern tradition and Khantoke dinners are available every day.

For the best chicken in Chiang Mai, head to SP Chicken. There, each chicken is personally cooked to make sure it has the best taste. Every piece is meticulously examined to ensure perfection. And the fresh twist to the chicken is the Thai experience, local seasoning, papaya salad and special sauces. It will be chicken that you have never had before.
Farm Story House is this quaint, converted teak house that provides delicious comfort food. The entire place is designed to raise your spirits, from the ambience to the food. Moreover, the food is made from farm-fresh organic produce.
The most exquisitely decorated restaurant is Huen Phen. The place is filled with antiques and other historical items, from Buddha statues to plants. The place is not just decked up in appearance; it serves honest northern Thai traditional food. At Huen Phen, you can try out different kinds of food in case you are indecisive and want to try out everything. The food is inexpensive and comes in small bowls, thus encouraging you to sample their extensive menu.
La Fourchette is a French restaurant in Chiang Mai. You might feel that French cuisine is out of place amidst the cultural centre that is Chiang Mai, but it would be wrong to miss out on this place. It is styled like 1920s living room, with jazz and bass playing as you are served with Thai and French fusion food. The place is reminiscent of the bygone-French eras, yet it still lives strong in this place. The blend of French and Thai food, and culture, is why you should definitely visit this place.

Attractions

Chiang Mai is the cultural hotspot of Northern Thailand and that distinction doesn’t come easily. It is because of the numerous sights and locations that provide an un-disturbed glimpse into the past and present of Thailand.

Chiang Mai’s most revered temple is the Wat Phra Singh. And the reason is its massive, mosaic-tiled sanctorum. It details the origin of the temple in each miniscule multi-coloured tile. The statue of the Lion Buddha, or Phra Singh, is magnificent and ornately decorated, and its chapel is similar with gilded gold-pattern stencilling inside. The temple provides a serene experience surrounded by huge monastic buildings and neat grounds.
Thailand’s two most sacred peaks are Doi Suthep and Doi Pui. They are surrounded by dense forests. All of this makes up the 265 square-kilometre Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. This park is easily recognizable for the ring of clouds that surrounds it, even at tree level. You can even use the age-old hunting and trading routes as mountain biking trails. There is the Nam Tok Monthathon, a gigantic waterfall that leaves you with hundreds of pools that you can swim in. Doi Suthep-Pui is a mountain unlike any other, with hallowed ground around it all.
A visit to the Wat Chedi Luang is a must in order to appreciate the grandiose allure of Chiang Mai’s most sacred temple. It was once the largest structure in Chiang Mai at 84 metres tall. The temple complex is sprawling and the main stupa radiates energy and power. Wat Chedi Luang was taken up as a UNESCO project, along with the Japanese government, to restore it to its full glory.

Best Things to do in Chiang Mai