Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai balances centuries-old Lanna religious architecture with misty mountain forests and one of Thailand's most distinctive regional cuisines. Plan your days so you visit upland temples in the cool morning hours and save night markets and cafés for the afternoon and evening.

1. Stand below the giant brick stupa of Wat Chedi Luang. Built in the fifteenth century at the exact centre of the Old City, this monumental ruined chedi still displays carved stone elephant buttresses and houses Chiang Mai's sacred City Pillar (Sao Inthakhin).
2. Admire Lanna woodcarving at Wat Phra Singh. Walk west down Ratchadamnoen Road to see the jewel-like Viharn Lai Kham, whose ochre murals and gilded Lion Buddha represent the pinnacle of classic northern craftsmanship.
3. Climb the 306 naga steps to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Ride a red songthaew up the winding forested mountain road to the gleaming copper-plated golden stupa overlooking the entire Chiang Mai valley.
4. Follow the Monk's Trail through the forest to Wat Pha Lat. Hike forty-five minutes up a shaded stream trail marked by saffron cloth tied around tree trunks to reach a serene stone-and-teak woodland monastery hidden halfway up Doi Suthep.
5. Slurp a bowl of khao soi curry noodles at lunch. Taste northern Thailand's signature comfort bowl: flat egg noodles in fragrant spiced coconut broth topped with crispy fried noodles, pickled mustard greens, shallots and lime.
6. Stroll the Sunday Tha Phae Walking Street (or Saturday Wua Lai Market). Every Sunday from late afternoon, Ratchadamnoen Road closes to traffic and transforms into a kilometre-long artisan fair of hand-stamped textiles, woodblock prints, Lanna lanterns and street snacks.
7. Explore Warorot Market (Kad Luang) and the Ping River flower stalls. Wander through the three-storey market hall near the river for dried northern chillies, fermented tea leaves, crispy pork rinds and garlands of jasmine and marigold.
8. Coffee-hop through Nimmanhaemin and Baan Kang Wat. Sample single-origin northern Thai pour-overs along the tree-lined lanes of Nimman and browse ceramic studios in the leafy craft village of Baan Kang Wat.
9. Spend a responsible day at an ethical elephant sanctuary. Visit a verified observation-first valley where rescued elephants forage freely in the forest without riding, chains or circus tricks.
10. Stand on the roof of Thailand in Doi Inthanon National Park. Walk the cloud-forest boardwalks, visit the twin Royal Pagodas and follow the Kew Mae Pan ridge trail above the mist.