PlanoPlanoChiang Mai's moat-ringed old city, mountain backdrop, and deeply rooted Lanna culture create a pace of life distinct from anywhere else in Thailand. Things to do in Chiang Mai include temple-hopping through 30 wats inside the old walls, mastering northern Thai cuisine in hands-on classes, and trekking into hill-tribe villages above the cloud line.
Read the full Chiang Mai travel guide →4 days
November, December, January
10
Wat Umong
A 14th-century forest temple west of the old city has meditation tunnels beneath a crumbling chedi, a fasting Buddha statue, and a resident population of monks practising vipassana.
Lanna Folklife Museum
Housed in a 1920s colonial court building on Phra Pokklao Road, the museum documents northern Thai traditions from textile weaving to Lanna-era governance through interactive displays.
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum
A private museum 15 minutes east of the city in San Kamphaeng covered in mirrored mosaic tiles, showing contemporary Thai and Southeast Asian art with rotating exhibitions.
Khao soi at Khao Soi Khun Yai
The small shop on Charoen Rat Road serves what many consider the definitive bowl of Chiang Mai's signature curry noodle soup, for under 50 baht, open until early afternoon.
Doi Pui Hmong Village hike
A trail from the Doi Suthep temple continues 4 km uphill to a Hmong hill-tribe village at 1,685 metres, where residents sell hand-embroidered textiles and poppy-flower honey.
Nimmanhaemin Soi 1 cafe strip
The university-adjacent neighbourhood's first soi concentrates speciality coffee roasters, design shops, and co-working spaces that define Chiang Mai's digital-nomad culture.
Santitham neighbourhood
The residential area northwest of the old city moat has a growing number of vegan restaurants, Burmese tea shops, and live music bars popular with local university students.
Doi Angkhang day trip
A mountain research station 160 km north near the Myanmar border has temperate flower gardens, strawberry farms, and dawn mist that rolls through tea plantations.
Warorot Market (Kad Luang)
Chiang Mai's largest indoor market, operating since 1910, sells northern Thai sausage (sai oua), dried longan, Lanna textiles, and hill-tribe silver jewellery across three floors.
North Gate Jazz Co-Op
A corner bar outside the old city's north gate hosts a free jazz jam session every Tuesday and Thursday from 21:00, drawing both professional musicians and enthusiastic amateurs.
The best months to enjoy things to do in Chiang Mai are November, December, January, February. Plan around these months for the best weather and fewer crowds.
Tell Plano your dates and pace — get a personalised Chiang Mai itinerary with all the best activities, timing, and routes in 60 seconds.
Plan my Chiang Mai trip