In September, I had my Mum visit me for a month. Whilst she was very good about spending some of the time sitting in cafes and working on our new personal and professional development website (now here), she was also keen to experience as much of Chiang Mai as possible.
This led me to do quite a bit of research – I’ve lived in Chiang Mai on and off for 6 months now, but there are still plenty of things I haven’t done. We had a great time, and we managed to visit a lot of Chiang Mai’s best activities. As quite a few friends have asked for recommendations based on our experiences, I thought I would pull together a list with comments on the good, the bad and the ugly. And both Mum and I have rated them (out of 5) so you can get a feel for whether they might suit you. She’s added a couple of comments in italics too!
Restaurants and cafes in another post…
Out of town
1. Elephant Nature Park : I’ve described my amazing experiences here in a previous post, as for most visitors to Thailand, seeing elephants is high on their list. Whilst, of course, the right place for elephants is protected in the wild, the best of the places where you can see elephants in Chiang Mai is ENP. You don’t ride the elephants here (as this can really damage them) but you can feed them, and wash them in the river, and generally spend a day hanging out with them. This was a highlight for Mum, and even though it was my second visit, I still loved it.
Cost: 2500baht (includes transport to and from the Park, a huge veggie buffet lunch, and a full day at the Park – expensive for Chiang Mai, but totally worth it)
My Rating: 5 stars
Mum’s Rating: 5 stars
2. Thai Farm Cooking School: Another very popular activity in Chiang Mai is learning Thai cooking. I’d already done this at another cooking school, and I would say the Thai Farm Cooking school was much better. You get a choice of dishes (including veggie or meat options, which was good for us), to visit the market and an organic farm and see many of the ingredients growing. It’s a whole day, and you get to cook 6 dishes, eat half of them and take the rest home. The staff were really friendly, helpful and attentive. They also put their recipes on their website (some schools are very protective), and give you them to take home.
Cost: 1150 baht each
My rating: 5 stars
Mum’s rating: 5 stars (and I’ve cooked some of the recipes back in the UK!)
3. Day trip out of Chiang Mai: If you walk into any travel agent in Chiang Mai, you’ll be offered various day trips or trips out of town. We did a day trip which included: the white temple; the Mekong river; the golden triangle; the long neck-tribes and hilltribes; various markets and the hot spring. We travelled in an air conditioned mini-bus, and I think the white temple was probably the highlight for us – it’s beautifully constructed and we could have explored for a lot longer. Visiting the tribes was very interesting, but also ethically challenging – we just weren’t sure whether it was better to visit and contribute financially to their communities, or if it was contributing to practices (like the long-necked women) which we really didn’t support. I did manage to get a visa extension by nipping over the Myanmar border while we visited it though!
Cost: 1500baht
My Rating: 4 stars
Mum’s rating: 4 stars (The White Temple is a must-see, but I was also very taken with the fact that I was in a boat on the Mekong – not something I ever thought I would get to do)
Nightime activities
4. Sunday Walking Street Market: This is a personal highlight for me of Chiang Mai, and I’ve written about it previously. Starting at 4pm, it goes on well into the night. Mum also loved it, and we went more than once. It’s a fabulous mix of colours, smells and sounds – and we even got an on-street Thai massage for less than 200 baht each. The quality of the products on sale is very high – the best place for souvenir shopping here.
Cost: Free, although it’s easy to buy a lot of items (though it’s also great value for money!)
My rating: 5 stars
Mum’s rating: 5 stars (Really loved it, could go again and again! Had to buy an extra suitcase to get everything home . . .)
5. Khum Khantoke – Lanna Dancing and Dinner: Whilst this is definitely tourist central, if you’ve never seen Thai dancing before then this is a good experience. The food is generous and varied, and the costumes and make up of the dancers is very well done. Mum liked this more than me (and even got up to dance at the end with the professional dancers – well, ok, I made her, but still!), but I’ve previously seen traditional Cambodian and Chinese dancing which it feels similar to.
Cost: 650baht each (includes dinner and dancing, doesn’t include drinks)
My rating: 2 stars
Mum’s rating: 4 stars (in spite of Ellen’s machinations to get me onto that stage. I really enjoyed the evening, and the dancing was beautiful. Way too much food though!)
6. Night Market: Another big Chiang Mai attraction, this is a market on every night, to the East of the old city. There’s lots to look at, and the stalls are tightly packed into the area. There’s plenty of small food stalls to keep you going (we recommend the fresh juices or fruit shakes), and you can literally wander for hours. The quality of the goods here isn’t as high as the Sunday Walking Market, but there’s more variety (knock off goods for example if that’s an interest!).
My rating: 3 stars
Mum’s rating: 3 stars (but that’s only in comparison with the Sunday Walking Street Market. I wouldn’t want to have missed this one.)
7. North Gate Jazz Bar: This is a Jazz co-op that has live jazz and bands on most nights, but on a Tuesday night has a jam night that anyone can join in with their ‘house’ group. It’s always packed though, so if you want a seat, come about 8.30pm – usually starts about 9/9.30pm and goes on till midnight or so.
Cost: Free entry, pay for drinks
My rating: 4 stars
Mum’s rating: 3 stars
8. Airport Plaza Cinema: A great activity for when it’s raining, this luxurious and cheap cinema is located in the Airport Plaza, which is probably Chiang Mai’s biggest shopping mall. The mall itself is unremarkable (although interesting to have a wander), but the cinema is great. Watch out for the Thai national anthem at the start of each film – you do need to stand up for this!
Cost: 180 baht per person
My rating: 5 stars
Mum’s rating: 3 stars (a good cinema (and cheap!) but not really a holiday-type activity for me. The film was in English with Thai subtitles – which was great for us, but meant the audience often laughed before we did . . .)
Update: Since I wrote this post, there are three new HUGE malls in CM, all of which have great cinemas. These are Maya (near Niamman, the one I tend to go to, which also has the co-working space CAMP in the mall); Promenada, to the South West of the city, and Central Festival, to the North East of the city. All of the cinemas in these are shiny, new, and well priced – Wednesday night is often cheap night too.
Daytime activities
9. Peak Spa: Spas are a great activity in Thailand in general, where you can experience being pampered and looked after at a very reasonable rate. And massage is wonderful here. I took Mum here for her birthday, and we had a package which includes several different types of massage – we then started adding on extras and in the end were there most of a day.
Cost: Varies, see here (includes transport there and back)
My rating: 5 stars
Mum’s rating: 5 stars (complete luxury, which included a three hour massage, a manicure, and a haircut!)
Update: I’m super excited to share that I have negotiated a 15% discount on any Spa Packages booked online. Decide what you want from the Packages HERE, and then book through this form, and make sure you mention either ‘Ellen’ or ‘Whereverthewindtakeme.com’. Let me know what you think!
10. Monk Chat: This is an unusual activity, where you can go and ask Buddhist Monks questions. They get to practise their English, you get to find out more about Buddhism and Thai culture. The Monks were very gentle, despite some of our more probing questions. Plus this Monk Chat is in a very beautiful Chiang Mai temple, Wat Suan Dokm with a great veggie restaurant, Pun Pun behind it.
Cost: Free
My rating: 4 stars
Mum’s rating: 5 stars (this was a highlight for me. I was seriously impressed by the two monks we chatted with – if not by their answers, especially on women-related questions. They were both postgrads, studying at the University, and their English was very good. They were very open and happy to answer all the (probing!) questions we asked, and maintained a Buddhist-like calm, serenity and friendliness throughout.)
11. Warorot Market: More of a market for the locals this one, you can get great bargains and there’s also a wonderful flower market here. I like this market better than the Night Market myself.
Cost: Free
My rating: 4 stars
Mum’s rating: 4 stars (I went to this one several times on my own. I bought spices, a hand-made hill tribe jacket, and a metre of black velvet (don’t ask) among many other things here. No wonder I needed that extra suitcase . . . )
13. Chiang Mai Arts and Culture Centre Museum: This museum, right in the centre of the old city, is a great introduction to the history of the Thai people in the area. It’s well done, with tableaus that really bring the history to life. And most of the captions are in English…
Cost: 180 baht gets you into their three exhibitions (all close by)
My rating: 4 stars
Mum’s rating: 4 stars (all really interesting, but the one on Lanna life and culture is the best)
14. Walking
Thais don’t tend to walk much (to be fair, it is *very* hot here), and if you do walk around the city, you will find tuk tuks and Songthaews constantly stop and offer you a ride. But, especially within the walls of the old city, there is a great deal to see when you walk around rather than travel on wheels. The best map to use is the Nancy Chandler map [*updated link June 2017 – there is now a new, digital collection of Chiang Mai maps which are awesome, I highly recommend!) which gives you lots of suggestions and highlights (and is a great souvenir too).
Cost: Map is $11.95 for the full set of PDFs but walking is free!
My rating: 4 stars
Mum’s rating: (apart from crossing the moat road(!), I always felt safe and comfortable (if hot) walking around the city. Highly recommended.)
15. Chiang Mai Municipal Sport Stadium
I live slightly North of the city, in Puri Piman. It’s slightly less touristy, and is right next to this local stadium. It’s an amazing place, open very early till about 9pm, and despite the heat has people doing activities all day. These include: running; walking; dance; boules; Thai Chi; aerobics; weight lifting; Muay Thai; athletics and many more.
Cost: Free
My rating: 5 stars
Mum’s rating: 5 stars (endlessly fascinating. As we walked we watched teenagers practising dance moves, all ages doing aerobics together, boys working out in an open-air gym, and older people walking slowly around the perimeter.)
16. Ratchaphruek Flower Gardens
This was a strange one. An absolutely huge place, with numerous (100s of) differently themed or sponsored gardens. Many of which are beautiful and/or interesting – such as the smallholding. Plus one huge temple built for the King which is stunning. And when we went, in September, there were fewer than 30 people there, in the whole place. Although you could spend a day there, in September there were very limited refreshments available, so take this into account (ice creams and drinks basically). You can get a Thai massage though! It could also be quite hot in the middle of the day, as there’s not much shade, so go early. Oh – and make sure you have return transport booked as unusually there are no waiting tuk tuk drivers to take you home!
Cost: 100 baht plus 20 baht for the (needed!) tram
My rating: 3 stars
Mum’s rating: 6 stars (I know I’m only allowed 5 stars, but (apart from the public transport problem) this place is wonderful. If you like gardens, you have to visit.)
NB – photos of the gardens by Mary Bard
17. TedxChiang Mai
Bit unfair including this one, as it’s not exactly something you can visit every day. We happened upon this occurring in September while Mum was here, and it was amazing to be involved in a Tedx event. I’m a big fan of Ted already so this was really inspiring. We saw many different and wide ranging talks – this was our favourite: Poetry, accounting and maintenance by Boaz Zipper – recommended!
Cost: 900 baht each
My rating: 5 stars
Mum’s rating: 5 stars
If you enjoyed this and found it helpful, you’ll probably love my post 22 Great Places to Eat and Drink Coffee in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Have a read and see what you think!
You might also find my Chiang Mai Resources useful.
Find more of my writing at my personal and professional development site EllenBard.com. There’s cool free stuff too! 🙂
Chiang Mai is a wonderful place to live and visit, and there are many more things to do than the list above. Have you visited? What’s your favourite activity? Share it with us in the comments.
marybard1 says
Thanks for inviting me to contribute. It was great to be reminded of what a great time we had!
ellenmbard says
My pleasure on both counts! x
John G. says
Hi Ellen
Enjoyed your post.
Been in Chiang Mai twice now in the last 6 months.
Going back the end of April 2015.
If you are back in Chiang Mai again and would like an excellent message go to
Lavender @
38/1 Ratchadumnern Rd. Soi 1
Chiang Mai
The owners name is Toy. Tell her that John from Canada suggested you go there.
Regards,
John
Ellen Bard says
Thanks for the suggestion John, I’ll check it out in May – I’ve just swung over to Malaysia at the moment, then have the UK, US and Saudi Arabia on the list in the next month – I’m keeping busy! Always good to hear other people love Chiang Mai as much as me 🙂
Anu says
Hi , really enjoyed reading your blog …. Have a question ;
What would you suggest as must do things if you had only 4 days ?
Thanks .
Ellen Bard says
Depends…
*If it includes a Sunday, then definitely the Sunday Walking Market.
*The Elephant Nature Park was awe inspiring, so that would be on my personal list. (that is a full day)
*You should get a massage somewhere, as it’s a very Chiang mai thing to do, either at Peak spa or at a more low key place (there are plenty of walk in places).
*One of the cooking schools would also be a fun thing to do and a great thing to take home (mum is still cooking thai stir fry!). (probably also most of a day)
*Then just have a walk around inside the moat, and go to some coffee shops and temples.
So those would be my personal picks!
Aransas Savas says
Do you have a link to the day trip you took? We are having a hard time finding one that offers all of this in a single day.
Ellen Bard says
Hi Aransas, we just pitched up at the travel agent that I tried to describe below. However, if I was doing it again now, I would probably go into one of the small travel agents and hire a car for the day and a driver, and get them to take us round. It’s not too expensive and means you can make things exactly as you want them. Good luck!
El D says
Interesting to be reminded of that wonderful month. Any chance of giving us an idea of baht to pound so we can compare prices?
ellenmbard says
Yes, of course, 1000baht is about £20, or 100baht is about £2. Thanks for reading! x
Bronwyn Joy @ Journeys Of The Fabulist says
Thanks! Very useful. This is one of the places we “really should” head to before too long 😉 so it’s nice to know where to look for ideas.
ellenmbard says
Thank you – I recommend it here, definitely. It’s a very easy place to spend time, with a nice variety of activities. And the weather’s good too of course! Appreciate you reading.
Ian N says
Hey Ells, really liked this one – you ought to try and do some freelance for the Lonely Planet!
ellenmbard says
Thanks Ian! 🙂 Very kind indeed.
Chris says
A beautiful and informative piece, with pictures to match.
I only wish I had included it in my places to visit when we had the opportunity.
I award you and your Mum 5 points each.
ellenmbard says
Thanks Grandad! You managed to get around quite a bit in your time though – I’ve a way to go to catch up! x
Julie Bourdillon says
This is really good value – have done a few of the visits but the rest are a must see! Thank you!
ellenmbard says
Thanks for reading! There will be a cafes and food one in the next couple of weeks…look out for it…and do share your own thoughts if I missed anything!
Annette says
Such a great list! When I only did about half when I was in Chiang Mai, which means that I need to make a trip back!
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks! Yes, there is plenty to do there, it’s worth coming back to! 🙂
Brian Dennis says
Ellen, I found your link to this post through the Chiang Mai Digital Nomads spreadsheet. I loved this post, because it just reminds me of all the reasons why I love Chiang Mai so much! I may write about that on my blog eventually. CM is not perfect by any means, but the cost of living is low and there is so much to do!! Unfortunately, I am back in the states(Florida) and it has been very difficult re-adjusting. All I think about is returning and doing all of the things I missed while I was there. I made so many friends in CM too! Thai and Expat. (Deep sigh) Ugh! I hope to return next year. I wonder if you will still be around? Thanks to you and your mum! – Brian
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks Brian – yes, I love Chiang Mai too (as you can tell from my rhapsodising about it in these posts!), I’m heading back there in a few weeks, and may well be there when you come back. It’s funny you stayed in the same place, we probably did run into each other a few times as I was there for about 6 months in all at the start and the end of 2013. Hope you manage to save enough to get back to CM soon, it’s a great place. Thanks for reading and hope to meet you in 2015!
canadagurl says
Thanks for this amazing list (so helpful with the pics and prices)!! Can’t wait to visit.
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks! Appreciate you commenting, and I hope you love CM as much as me 🙂
Kristina says
Thanks for the awesome list! I’m planning to go in January, so this really helps out <3
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks kristina, I really appreciate your comment- and you’ll have an awesome time!
jef says
you say: the best place where you can see elephants is…. so i guess you visited all places? Why is this the best, because they told you, or its just a nice place to come?
You say a map is 250 baht, to be honest you can get a free map on every corner. But if you like to pay 250 its ok. Dont let other think they have to pay this
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks Jef – you’re right, of course, you can get a free map in many places. I’ve used lots of the maps, and my personal opinion (which is what the blog is 🙂 ) is that the Nancy Chandler one is worth paying for as it has lots of the kinds of places I like to visit on it.
In terms of the Elephant Nature Park, I believe very strongly in animal welfare, and my understanding is that the ENP is the only park in Chiang Mai which doesn’t let tourists ride the elephants, and in addition to that, takes elephants in from all over as a sanctuary. So that’s why it gets my vote. But there are plenty of other opinions out there and I hope readers take time to make their own minds up.
Thanks for commenting, and hope you continue to enjoy Chiang Mai as much as me 🙂
Ian Ord - Where Sidewalks End says
Love this list, and how you had your mom give her own review to everything as well! It shows not only how age can affect perception, but generally just different tastes as well, and that there’s truly something for everyone in travel! I spent 5 weeks travelling with my mom last year and it would have made a cool article talking about all those different things comparatively with her in blog posts! nice one 🙂 (also glad you chose Elephant Nature Park as opposed to riding! Very good choice!)
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks Ian, and yes, it was fun to write as Mum and I are coming from different perspectives. Chiang Mai has something for everyone though! Thanks for reading 🙂
Chelsey says
This is perfect. I’ve been working in Bankok for about 6 months now (emphasis on the working), and haven’t been able to do much exploring. Now my mother is coming to visit for a Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Island vacation, and I was lost. This helped big time for the Chaing Mai portion. Excellent piece. and being plant based myself, I look forward to reading your 22 places to eat and drink. Thanks so much!
Ellen Uma Bard says
How lovely! Thanks so much for the comment, and I hope you love it. And let me know where else you find – I’m building up a new list of places and when I have enough I’ll write a new one!
Pedro says
Very useful suggestions! Thank you very much for the help. We are on a round the world trip ourselves, about to arrive at Chiang Mai after a week or so in Bangkok and Krabi. This is our sixth month of travel altready, and if you are interested you can check some of our pictures at http://www.pedrocadeaju.com.br, at Facebook (Pedro, Cadê a Ju?) or at instagram @pedrocadeaju. Hope all is well with you!
Ellen Uma Bard says
Thanks – Chiang Mai is a great place, sure you’ll love it. It’ll feel like a very chilled out city after bangkok! I’ll check out your photos. Have a great trip 🙂
Mandy says
Ellen, this has been by far the most helpful site planning my trip to Thailand. Thank you for all of your suggestions!
Ellen Bard says
Aw, so glad Mandy, thanks! Let me know how you find Thailand – I recommend it highly as you’ll have seen 🙂
Anu says
Thanks for the places mentioned. Planning a trip in June and looking for things to do in Chiang Mai!
Ellen Bard says
Thanks! Have a great time – let me know if you find any other interesting places I and other readers should check out. 🙂
V says
Thank you for this post. My mum’s coming to Thailand this year and I am thinking Chiang Mai would be a good place to visit with her. We’re there only for about 3 days, so this list is really helpful with planning.
Ellen Bard says
Thanks V, it’s a lovely place – I hope you have a wonderful time!
Jess says
Hey,
Thabks for the useful tips. 🙂 Me and my bf are in chiang Mai for about two weeks. I would like to do the tour you did and was wondering how did you manage to ‘jump’ over the border and back and got your visa extension? (We need one because we’re in Thailand for a total of six weeks on a one month visa). Was it easy? The tour guide was ok with it? Would save a lot of money so hope you can answer my question. Thanks!
Ellen Bard says
On the trip I did, we visited the border at Mae Sai, and I asked my guide if I could go over and back – when I did it it took about 45 minutes to do and could be done when everyone else was shopping. However, that was before last year’s changes so I’m not sure you could guarantee doing it now. But if you put “border run Chiang Mai 2015” into google you will get a few places that do this specific service, so you could discuss with them and make sure you have all the right documentation. Good luck!
Kluk says
Wow what a great list! The Kids and I have been here for a few weeks now and we’ve still got a lot of things to try, but we all love the Sunday Market (in their case, mainly for the chicken kebab. In my case, it’s the culture). I’ll try to persuade them to take me to the jazz club, had no idea there was one here and I LOVE jazz!
And there are TED talks here? Really?! This is exciting… I will investigate further.
Keep up the great work 🙂
Kluk
Ellen Bard says
Ha, what fun your blog is Kluk, and it looks like you have done a few things in your time here already! Hope you continue to enjoy your time here 🙂
Maxime says
Thanks a lot for these suggestions, it is helping me to plan my christmas trip to Chiang Mai this year. Will definitely go for the cooking class in the farm, I have also found it in this other article giving some additional insider tips: http://blog.eoasia.com/things-to-do-chiang-mai/
Almost ready for my trip now 🙂
Ellen Bard says
Thanks Maxine, glad you enjoyed it and found it useful, and that’s a nice article, you’re right, more for people to look up and do! A friend is trying to get me to go to the climbing wall at the moment…we’ll see! 🙂 Have a great christmas in Chiang Mai, it’s wonderful place to visit 🙂
Magda says
Dear Ellen,
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences – you have already given us a few program ideas and places to visit in Chiang Mai! (I fell in love with spa treatments here, I think I’ll treat myself with that as a birthday present…) It is going to be our first time in Thailand, and we will start our journey in Chiang Mai. You mentioned a day-long program outside of CM, which sounds interesting, could you tell me which travel agency did you book that trip with? (We’re just a bit afraid of tourist scams as we are not familiar with prices or places…)
Thank you again! Hope you’re still exploring wonderful places these days…
Magda
Ellen Bard says
Hi Magda,
Thanks for reading and so glad you’re looking forward to your time here. It’s such a lovely city 🙂 Definitely go for a spa treatment, it’s such an affordable luxury here.
In terms of which company I went to, I can’t actually remember the name, it was a little place just north of blue diamond on Sri Poom Rd, Lane (soi) 1, on the right hand side as you walk up to the moat, a couple along from the blind massage place. It’s family run and friendly, but I haven’t needed them for anything for a while.
There are plenty of places here that do these kind of tours, and the best thing is to wait till you get here and if you can’t find that one, walk around and find one that you like that look of and that seems busy. I would probably try and negotiate a bit on whatever price you’re offered, and if there’s more than one of you that’s even easier, but it’s high season now so less likely to be a lot of give in the prices unlike low season when there’s not so many tourists around.
Hope that helps, have a wonderful time! Ellen
Kitu says
Thank you ma’am.
Rachel says
Hello! We are here in Chiang Mai and have loved your suggestions! Just had breakfast at free bird and enjoyed blue diamond yesterday.
We wanted to go to ENP but they are all full :(. So we may do the white temple day trip that you mentioned. Do you know which company you went through?
Thank you!
Ellen Bard says
Haha, you might have seen me in Free Bird today as I was sitting at the back table working! Glad you’re enjoying it. In term of the agent, see the other comment above, in reply to Magda – it’s somewhere near Blue Diamond but I don’t really remember what it’s called. Good luck – I think the white temple is amazing, definitely worth seeing 🙂
ploypluem says
Nice Trips.
I think chiangmai is really good place to explore by foot. Good histories, Temples, cafe, relaxing, massage, environment, people etc.
I would like to do cooking class too !! #Escapehuntcnx
santosh m nevgi says
Hai Ellen v good post sure I will visit in April 2017 with my family and children once again I thxs u and ur mama
Felicity says
Thanks for your awesome list – I am visiting Chiang Mai soon, and I can’t wait. Almost all of your suggestions are now on my list 😀
Josh D says
Awesome article Ellen. We found this article helpful when travelling in Chiang Mai. We also blogged about our own experience in Chiang Mai here – http://www.maplesunset.com/chiang-mai/ . Check it out!
Ellen Bard says
Thanks Josh, and your blog looks great, nice article on Chiang Mai. I’ve shared on twitter 🙂
charles says
usefull and often funny comments. All to take into account apparently 🙂 Thanks Ellen 🙂
Now we are going to ‘impletment’ as we just arrived
all the best
charles
Ellen Bard says
Great! Hope you had a fab time charles 🙂
Phong from Dalattrip says
Hi Ellen, Thank you so much for your shared experience. I think you miss the Loy Krathong festival here