10 Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai for First-Time Visitors

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I first visited Chiang Mai as part of a seven-day trip around Thailand — and it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was also my first time traveling solo, ever.

I based myself in the Old City for four days, explored the temples on a Segway tour, spent day three on a long trip out to Chiang Rai, and wandered the quiet streets on my last morning.

Chiang Mai has a slower pace than Bangkok. There’s a lot to do here, and not all of it needs to be planned in advance. Some of the best moments I had in this city were unplanned.

This guide covers the best things to do in Chiang Mai for first-time visitors — a mix of what I experienced firsthand and what I’d add on a return trip, with each entry clearly noting which is which.

1) Explore Chiang Mai Old City

One of the best things to do in Chiang Mai is simply to explore the Old City. Surrounded by ancient walls and a moat, it’s the historic heart of the city — and wandering it, with or without a plan, is an experience in itself.

Tha Phae Gate, on the eastern wall, is the most recognizable landmark and a useful orientation point — from there you can walk almost anywhere in the Old City in under twenty minutes.

I explored the Old City in a few different ways. On day two I joined a Segway tour, which turned out to be one of the more enjoyable decisions of the trip — cruising through quiet streets past ancient temple walls, learning about Chiang Mai’s Lanna history from our guide without having to think about where I was going.

On my last morning, I walked the same streets alone in the soft rain, at my own pace, with nowhere to be. I picked up a postcard somewhere along the way and had my hostel mail it before I checked out.

Both versions of the Old City — the guided one and the aimless one — were worth it.

2) Visit the Temples of the Old City

Chiang Mai has over 300 temples, but you don’t need to visit them all. I visited three in a single afternoon on a Segway tour, which turned out to be the right pace. You can also explore them on foot, by tuk-tuk, or on a guided walking tour — the Old City is compact enough that any of those works.

At Wat Phra Singh, you can explore the temple complex, walk through the main hall, and observe or participate in the atmosphere of an active place of worship. I walked in without much research and stopped in my tracks — the wax figures of monks inside are unexpectedly lifelike.

What stood out to me, more than the figures, was the atmosphere. People were genuinely there to pray, and our tour group instinctively lowered their voices without anyone asking.

At Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in the city, you can walk the grounds, explore the chapel, and see the ancient Buddha images housed inside — including a small crystal Buddha that’s over 1,800 years old. I found myself just standing still for a moment.

At Wat Chedi Luang, you can walk the perimeter of the partially ruined chedi, explore the temple grounds, and on certain days join a monk chat — a program where monks practice their English and visitors can ask questions about Buddhism and daily monastic life. We stayed outside and walked the perimeter, which gave us a full sense of its scale.

3) Take a Day Trip to Chiang Rai

The Chiang Rai day trip was the longest day of my Thailand trip and one I’d most recommend. I booked it through the staff at my hostel, which took about five minutes. We left before sunrise and got back well after dark.

On a Chiang Rai day trip from Chiang Mai, you visit a series of culturally and historically significant stops, usually including the White Temple, the Golden Triangle, a brief crossing into Laos, and a Kayan village — all in one long day.

The highlights: Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple), one of the most visually distinctive temples in Southeast Asia — white, mirror-encrusted, with hundreds of sculpted hands reaching up from below the bridge you cross to enter.

The Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet at the Mekong River — quieter and more reflective than I expected. A brief boat crossing to Don Sao Island in Laos.

And a visit to a Kayan village near the Golden Triangle, where I watched a woman weave at a traditional loom and learned from our guide about the brass rings — called Karieng rings by our guide — that the women wear, and what they actually do (push the collarbone and ribcage down, not elongate the neck).

If you have at least three days in Chiang Mai, I invite you to set one aside for this. Read about my experience of Chiang Rai Day Trip from Chiang Mai and see if it’s one of the things you’d like to do when you visit Chiang Mai.

5) Spend a Day at Doi Inthanon National Park

Most visitors do Doi Inthanon as a guided day tour from Chiang Mai. It’s about 90 kilometers south of the city, so it’s a full day out.

On the tour, you can hike through cloud forests, visit twin royal pagodas, swim at or walk to multiple waterfalls, and experience temperatures cool enough that it genuinely feels like a different climate from the city.

I haven’t done this yet, but it’s high on my list for when I return.

6) Enjoy your time at an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary

The sanctuaries outside Chiang Mai are some of the most reputable in Southeast Asia — focused on rescue and rehabilitation rather than rides or shows. You can feed elephants, walk alongside them, and learn about their individual rescue stories. Most visits run half a day and include transport from the city.

A half-day visit was completely within reach on my trip. My hostel roommates invited me to join them, but I chose the Chiang Rai day trip instead. If I had stayed just for one day longer, I would have loved to do this on my last visit.

7) Explore Chiang Mai’s Markets

Chiang Mai has markets worth building your evenings — and mornings — around.

The Sunday Walking Street on Wualai Road transforms the street into a sprawling night market every Sunday evening — local vendors, handmade crafts, traditional textiles, and street food stalls. By most accounts, it has a more local feel than most night markets in Southeast Asia. The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar along Chang Khlan Road runs nightly and is more commercial, but convenient if you’re in the area after dark.

For daytime, Warorot Market (Kad Luang) — Chiang Mai’s oldest market — runs daily near the Ping River. According to seasoned travelers, you can find textiles there, local snacks, fresh produce, and a crowd that’s mostly locals rather than tourists, giving you a more honest picture of daily life in the city.

I missed all of them — my introvertedness got the best of me, and I spent my evenings closer to the hostel. It’s one of the things I’d do differently — at least going on a local street food market tour — on a return trip.

8) Experience Chiang Mai Nightlife

In the Old City, you can bar hop between small pubs, find live music venues, and stumble into the kind of jazz bar that doesn’t announce itself — you just end up there. That’s exactly what happened on my first evening.

A group of people I’d just met at my hostel and I went out, moved between a few pubs, and found a small jazz bar with a laid-back, unpretentious atmosphere. We stayed longer than we planned. It was one of the better evenings of the trip.

9) Take a Thai Cooking Class

Most Thai cooking classes in Chiang Mai start with a visit to a local market — you’ll learn to identify ingredients before you cook with them, which adds a lot of context to what ends up on your plate. From there, you move into the kitchen and work through a menu that typically includes Northern Thai dishes like khao soi, curry paste, and mango sticky rice.

Chiang Mai is considered one of the best places in Thailand to take one of these classes, and I walked past cooking school signs every day of my visit without signing up. I’m not into cooking, but who knows — maybe next time.

10) Enjoy a Traditional Thai Massage

Walk into almost any street in the Old City, and you’ll find a Thai massage shop. You don’t need a booking. You don’t need to plan ahead. You just walk in, pick a duration, and let someone work out everything the temples and day trips have done to your legs. But if you have limited time and need to pre-book a traditional Thai massage, you can do that too.

It’s simple, accessible, and affordable. After long days of walking and exploring, it’s one of the most practical things you can do for yourself. Leave space for at least one.

🛌 Where to Stay in Chiang Mai

For first-time visitors, I recommend staying in or near the Old City. You’ll be within walking distance of the main temples, the Sunday Walking Street, and most of the cafés and restaurants that come up in any Chiang Mai recommendation. Read my full guide on Where to Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for First-Time Visitors.

But if you have limited time, here are some of the highly-rated Chiang Mai accommodations you can consider:

• Budget: Hostel One Art & Gallery
• Mid-range: Phra Singh Village
• Luxury: The Inside House

📝 Plan Your Chiang Mai Trip

Best Time to Visit Chiang Mai

• November to February is the most comfortable time to visit — cooler temperatures, clearer skies, and the Yi Peng lantern festival in November. It’s also peak season, so accommodation fills up fast.
• March to May is burning season. Check AQI levels before visiting if you have respiratory sensitivities. Songkran (Thai New Year, mid-April) brings crowds and festivities if that’s your thing.
• June to October is the rainy season — afternoon downpours, greener landscapes, fewer tourists, lower prices. I visited during this period. Pack a light rain jacket and don’t let it put you off.

Getting Around Chiang Mai

• The Old City is walkable. From there, you can reach most temples and cafés on foot.
• Grab is also widely available and easy to use.
• Tuk-tuks are available but agree on a price before you get in.
• Songthaews (red shared truck taxis) run fixed routes and are the most local way to get around, but take a bit more local knowledge to navigate.
• For day trips, a group tour booked through your accommodation is the most practical option.

Tips for First-Time Visitors

• Leave room in your itinerary for slow travel. Chiang Mai isn’t a city to rush. The best moments here often happen between planned activities — slow mornings, a café you walked into on a whim, a temple you passed on the way to somewhere else, and other spontaneous discoveries.
• Go to at least one night market. I didn’t, and I regret it.
• Book the Chiang Rai day trip and the elephant sanctuary in advance, especially in peak season. Both fill up.
• Dress modestly for temples. Most temples have sarongs available at the entrance if you need one.
• If you’re staying at a hostel, let the staff help you with bookings. It’s one of the most underrated resources in a new city.

💭 FAQs: Things to Do in Chiang Mai

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about things to do in Chiang Mai.