Thailand / Northern Thailand / Chiang MaiChiang Mai
Old Lanna Capital of Temples, Night Markets and Hills
The north's cultural capital: a moated old city with more than 300 temples, Doi Suthep's golden chedi above it, cooking schools, ethical elephant sanctuaries and Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest peak. Cooler and calmer than Bangkok from November to February; avoid March and April, when crop burning fills the valley with smoke. Plenty of vegetarian food, and a handful of Indian restaurants in the old city and Nimman.
Highlights
- Doi Suthep golden chedi and city view
- Wat Chedi Luang ruined chedi
- Ethical elephant sanctuary day
- Thai cooking class with market visit
- Sunday Walking Street market
- Doi Inthanon summit and twin pagodas
- Night Bazaar
- Khao soi curry noodles
- Nimman cafés
- Mae Kampong mountain village
- Bua Tong "sticky" waterfall climb
- Vegetarian and Indian restaurants in the old city
Things to do
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at sunriseMorning · 2h 30m
- Old City temple walk (Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh)Morning · 3h
- Ethical elephant sanctuary (observe & feed, no riding)Morning · 6h
- Thai cooking class with market tourAfternoon · 4h
- Doi Inthanon National Park day tripMorning · 8h
- Sunday Walking Street / Night BazaarEvening · 2h 30m
- Bua Tong sticky waterfall climbAfternoon · 3h
- Khantoke dinner & Lanna dance showEvening · 2h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: November – February
Worth knowing
Burning Season Smoke
⚠️ Crop and forest burning fills the northern valleys with smoke from February to April, worst in March: PM2.5 often reaches several times the safe level and mountain views disappear. Not a good time for children, the elderly or anyone with asthma. Check AQI before booking, carry N95 masks, or move this leg to November–January.
Heads up
Haze Starting
Smoke from crop burning usually begins in February. Early in the month is usually fine; by the end, check the daily AQI.
Worth knowing
Yi Peng Crowds
For Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (24–25 November 2026) the old city is packed, hotel prices double and the lantern-release events sell out months ahead. Book rooms by August.
- Songkran (Thai New Year water festival) — Three days of nationwide water fights, biggest around Chiang Mai's old-city moat, Bangkok's Silom and Khao San Road, and Pattaya, where it runs on to about 19 April. Expect to be soaked anywhere outdoors: carry phones and passports in a dry bag. Buses, trains and flights sell out as Thais travel home; book two months ahead.
- Loy Krathong · 24 Nov — On the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, people float candle-lit krathong baskets on rivers and ponds. Sukhothai's historical park holds the oldest celebration, with light shows over the ruins; Bangkok's riverside piers get very crowded. Hotels in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai fill weeks ahead.
- Yi Peng lantern festival · 24–25 Nov — Chiang Mai's lantern festival, alongside Loy Krathong. Mass sky-lantern releases now happen only at ticketed events outside the city (several thousand baht a person, sold out months ahead); free lanterns are restricted near the airport. The old city is packed and hotel prices double, so book by August.
- Chiang Mai Flower Festival — First weekend of February: a parade of flower-covered floats from Nawarat Bridge to Suan Buak Haad park, in the cool, clear end of the season before the smoke months.
- Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.
Part of a longer route
Chiang Mai is a stop on a curated circuit through Thailand.