Chiang Mai Travel Guide

  Elephant trekking
by t_cinanni
  • Elephant trekking
      Elephant trekking
    by t_cinanni
  • Inside the Doi Suthep Buddhist temple
      Inside the Doi Suthep Buddhist temple
    by austarman
  •   Chiang Mai
    by Rokel
  •   Chiang Mai
    by Rokel
  •   Wat Chedi Luang - Buddhist Temple
    by tim07

Pro

SumTingWong profile photo

 Many Wats, Nice People, Amazing Northern Thailand 


Con

DarkRay profile photo

 Highly commercialized 


In a nutshell

BorderHopper profile photo

 If Bangkok is all that you will experience I feel sorry for you...go to Chiang Mai! 

 

Explore Chiang Mai

Things to Do  

Long Neck Women

Long Neck Women, Chiang Mai

 23 Reviews  I came here, wherever it was, as part of a long-necked tribe daytrip I did from Chiang Mai. We arrived after visiting an orchid farm and riding elephant at the Chok Chai Elephant Camp but things just seemed to be very touristy with lots of souvenir stalls selling tribal arts and crafts and jewellery... 

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep - Buddhist Temple

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep - Buddhist Temple, Chiang Mai

 65 Reviews  This hill top Temple is not only popular with the foreign tourists but also the locals. Many of the locals used to pay homage to the Buddha of this wat, they have strong believed that their prayers will always answered. For the foreign tourists, there are others attractive places in this route.... 

Elephant Ride

Elephant Ride, Chiang Mai

 59 Reviews  Some people limit themselves just to watch the performance of the trained elephants. I think it's wrong. This ride was different of all the other that I made with animals, due to a well chosen trail, allowing us to understand how does the animal deal with slopes, mud, and all the obstacles that... 

Jungle Trek

Jungle Trek, Chiang Mai

 30 Reviews  In all the touristic catalogs, Chiang Mai is advertised with waterfalls. Well, I don't know if we were taken to the best or not, but we were not impressed. It's only a healthy small walk in natural environment, which means a nice stop, but not a "must see" 

Massages

Massages, Chiang Mai

 25 Reviews  One of the highlights of our visit to Chiang Mai was our 2 day Thai massage course with miss Wanna . We actually found her through virtual tourist. We highly recommend her to everybody that wants to have a great thai massage course. We only folowed a 2 days massage course , but already feel like... 

Cooking School

Cooking School, Chiang Mai

 34 Reviews  My wife and I had a great experience at a cooking school in Chiang Mai. They have local pick up at your hotel. We found too that it was better for us to deal directly with the owners of the places than with a ticket agent since they will send you where they will get the greatest % of what you pay.... 

Hotels  

Rachamankha

 5 Reviews and 316 Opinions  Stunning boutique hotel hotel with a Zen-Thai Temple charm. The hotel has open, frangipani scented... 

Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi

 2 Reviews and 401 Opinions  Everything you would expect from a Mandarin Oriental plus the really spectacular design. Two... 

Restaurants  

Kantoke Palace

Kantoke Palace, Chiang Mai

 9 Reviews  It’s an experience that anyone must live. The food is good, as almost everywhere in Thailand, but distributed in small dishes, allowing you to taste everything. The greatest point, however, is the show, with the delicate Thai dances performed close to you, as you are eating. And if you saw my... 

Street Stalls and Vendors

Street Stalls and Vendors, Chiang Mai

 14 Reviews  I come here not by chance but my passion for good food lead me to this street restaurant. When I passed by I saw the huge wok fire when the cook preparing the dishes I knew that I have come to the right place for diner. No doubt, true to my instinct and feeling. The surrounding has nothing special... 

Nightlife  

Pubs and Bars

Pubs and Bars, Chiang Mai

 31 Reviews  The Lost Hut is the Best Bar in Chiang Mai! Hands down! The staff and owners were really friendly and also gave us a bunch of info about some motorcycle touring. Also the prices were good, beers were cold and the wide mix of music was awesome. Not the typical trendy stuff you usually here in bars.... 

Night bazar

Night bazar, Chiang Mai

 23 Reviews  The Night Bazaar is a huge market covering a long outdoor stretch of Chang Khlan Road between Tha Phae Road and Si Donchai Road, with the centre of the maelstrom in the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar Building, three storeys of shopping under a Thai temple-style roof. The bazaar area straddles both sides of... 

Transportation  

Train

Train, Chiang Mai

 20 Reviews  Many people miss out on a wonderful experience by flying to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. The best choice is the overnight train, which is clean, safe, comfortable and fun. If you are a couple or a family with even numbered members I recommend the 1st class cabin. If you are traveling alone and/or don’t... 

Tuc Tuc & bikes

Tuc Tuc & bikes, Chiang Mai

 37 Reviews  Pai is a beautiful small town nestled in a valley approximately 3 hours or 132 km northwest of Chiangers. It is a popular destination for those who want to enjoy the chilled atmosphere in more ways than one ... the high altitude makes it quite chilly at nights, esp November through February, and it... 

Shopping  

Night Market

Night Market, Chiang Mai

 46 Reviews  The Night Bazaar is a huge market covering a long outdoor stretch of Chang Khlan Road between Tha Phae Road and Si Donchai Road, with the centre of the maelstrom in the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar Building, three storeys of shopping under a Thai temple-style roof. The bazaar area straddles both sides of... 

Local Customs  

Correct behaviour

Correct behaviour, Chiang Mai

 21 Reviews  To take off your shoes is extremely important when visiting temples. At the massage rooms, it was also necessary to do so. It was even requested at one of the restaurant I went to. So, it is helpful to wear shoes/sandals which can easily be taken off. 

Local people

Local people, Chiang Mai

 15 Reviews  This flower market is located along the western bank of the Ping River, to the north of Nawarat Bridge. Here you can see stalls and shops selling the offering garlands that people take to temples plus ones that they hang in their cars. 

Tourist Traps  

Elephant camps

Elephant camps, Chiang Mai

 6 Reviews  We went on a tour to the temple and the driver very quietly offered his services to us as 'you only pay for the gasoline' He charged us 300 baht to go to visit the craft village. But we went to a Gem factory, Umbrella factory, Wooden furniture factory by then we had had enough but he wanted us to... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Elephants and Rafting

Elephants and Rafting, Chiang Mai

 12 Reviews  I came here as part of a long-necked tribe daytrip I did from Chiang Mai. We first rode on elephants for about 40 minutes or so alongside a river. We then transferred onto bamboo rafts and made our was back along the river so that we could get back to the camp. I have to say that the elephant camp... 

Jungle Trek

Jungle Trek, Chiang Mai

 18 Reviews  This towering waterfall, about 250m high at the top, is an awesome sight. You approach it near Doi Inthanon National Park, and as you're hiking through the jungle (about a 10 minute hike) you can hear the water pounding the rocks way before you actually see it. As you come around that last bend, the... 

Favorites  

Jungle Trek

Jungle Trek, Chiang Mai

 41 Reviews  This is another Jungle Kid, the Little-Pinky-No-Pants. He is good at asking for candies, playing with baby puppy, riding a dog while twisting its ears like riding a motorbike, and playing with knife. He chop his fingers, without crying, laughing instead! I was woundering why these kids don't cry... 

City activites and events

City activites and events, Chiang Mai

 13 Reviews  In all packed tours we have to visit a few factories clearly prepared tor tourist and guide commissions. In Chiang Mai it looked a little bit different - as we were a small group we were taken from a small workshop to another covering all the popular activities, without the pressure to buy, and... 

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Map of Chiang Mai