Popular Chiang Mai Attractions

Airports

Chiang Mai International Airport: Chiang Mai's airport is rather small, but very busy, since Chiang Mai is a popular destination for both Thai and foreign tourists. The airport is on just two levels. The arrivals hall and check-in fo...

Attraction

Restaurant

Chiang Mai Old City

Chiang Mai City Art & Culture Center

The Art and Culture Center occupies the old provincial administration hall, built in 1924 when the former kingdom of 'Lanna' came under the direct rule of Bangkok. The governor's reception room has be...

Lanna Architecture Center

The Lanna Architecture Center is dedicated to documenting and preserving the unique architectural heritage of Northern Thailand, a region that was formerly an independent Thai kingdom called Lanna. T...

OTOP Center

"OTOP" - One Tambon (village) One Product - was a Thai government initiative to help rural communities supplement incomes by producing handicrafts that were specific to the area. The government then ...

Silver Village

Silver is one of the many traditional crafts found around Chiang Mai. The quality is generally very good, as is the price. Most jewelry items are sterling silver, or "925" as most of the locals call...

Somphet Market

Chiang Mai is the center of a rich agricultural region, with rice, garlic and other staple crops grown in the wide flat valleys, while the mountains produce cool-weather crops like cabbage, carrots an...

Sunday Walking Street

While Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar has been a fixture for many years, for some people, it lacks much interest, since shops there tend to all sell the same thing and no longer represent a broad spectrum o...

Tapae Gate

Chiang Mai's original old city was once completely surrounded by high brick walls. These were mostly dismantled during World War II so the bricks could be used to pave streets. Only the corner rampa...

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang is the largest of the temples within the old city. "Chedi Luang" translates roughly to "Royal Pagoda" and derives from the giant stupa that once soared high above the surrounding city...

Wat Chiang Man

The oldest of many temples in Chiang Mai's old city is Wat Chiang Man. The temple was built in 1297 on the spot where, according to a stone tablet found here, King Mengrai set up camp to plan his new ...

Wat Pan Tao

This small temple next to the larger and more well-known Chedi Luang temple is worth a stop for the beautiful wooden chapel it contains. The chapel (wiharn) was once part of a royal palace, but it wa...

Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh houses one of the most revered Buddha images in Chiang Mai, as well as all of Thailand. The Phra Singh Buddha image is displayed in its own small beautifully decorated chapel called th...

Doi Suthep

Wat Prathat Doi Suthep

One of the most important temples around Chiang Mai is this mountain-top place of pilgrimage. The temple was founded near the end of the 14th century, and there's quite a legend around why this locat...

Huay Kaew - Nimanhimen Road

Chiang Mai Zoo

The Chiang Mai zoo is among the best in Thailand. Although it can't even be compared to world class zoos like Singapore or San Diego, it's still a very pleasant place to spend at least half a day. T...

Nimanhemin Road Shopping

In recent years, Nimanhemin Road has become the place to be for trendy design shops and cafes. In fact, the road now sports so many coffee shops that locals now call it "Coffee Street." In addition ...

Oasis Spa

Chiang Mai is full of spas, and practically every hotel has spa services, but to try something really special, Oasis is one of the more respected names about town. Their signature "Lanna" package com...

Wat Umong

This forest temple, which lay abandoned for several hundred years, is a great retreat from the city, especially when it's hot. Wat Umong is a "cave temple", although in this case the caves are man-ma...

Mae Rim

Kao Hom Thai Cooking School

Kao Hom is a very highly regarded cooking school specializing in courses for foreigners. Classes are limited to a maximum of eight people, ensuring individual attention and a casual atmosphere. The sc...

Maesa Elephant Camp

If time in Chiang Mai is limited, and you want see, or even ride, some elephants at work, then the Maesa camp is the best bet. The camp puts on daily performances showing how elephants used to work...

Night Bazaar

Anusarn Night Market

The Anusarn night market used to be a popular place to buy local products like fried pork skin and green chili paste, two local specialties. While there still are a few stalls selling these items, mo...

Factory Row

San Kamphaeng Road west of Chiang Mai is lined with many traditional handicraft "factories". For the most part, the factories are for show and most of the real work is done elsewhere, but the show ca...

Night Bazaar

The place to browse for local handicrafts, clothes, luggage, silver, spices and much, much more. You can find most anything here, but the "big" products that most stalls offer tend to follow trends. F...

Wat Gate

Ping River Shops

The area along Charoenrat Road used to be the main docks and warehouses back when commerce between Chiang Mai and the south was by river. When the railroad came to town, the area fell into disuse, an...

Scorpion Boat Ride

Until the railroad came to town 100 years ago, almost all commerce with Bangkok and the rest of the south was carried out by boat on the Ping River. Chiang Mai had its own distinctive style of boats,...

Wat Gate

Wat Gatekaram, commonly known as Wat Gate, doesn't appear in a lot of guidebooks, but it is among the more charming small temples in Chiang Mai. The temple was founded around 1428, when the area alon...

Wororot Market

One of Chiang Mai's biggest markets is located right on the river not far from the Night Bazaar. While the Night Bazaar is mostly for tourists, Wororot is where a lot of the local residents shop. It...

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