Chiang MaiTravel Guide

The areas and addresses our writers put first

• Zitihayath Worawatthanachai

  Nimman

  West of the old city near the university, Nimmanhaemin is the modern quarter — speciality coffee, design shops, co-working spaces, stylish small hotels.

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• The Old City

  Chiang Mai

  Inside the square moat lies the historic heart — dozens of temples, teak houses, lane after quiet lane.

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• Riverside

  Chiang Mai

  Anantara Chiang Mai Resort, built around a historic riverside compound, is the area's best-known address.

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• Mae Rim and the countryside

  Chiang Mai

  North of town, the Mae Rim valley is where Chiang Mai's most famous resorts sit among rice paddies and jungle hills — led by the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, whose pavilions overlook working rice terraces.

  Where to Stay in Chiang Mai: The Neighborhoods That Decide Your TripCheck prices

Tables worth crossing the city for

• Khao Soi Khun Yai

  Chiang Mai

  Long-standing family shops such as Khao Soi Khun Yai, near the Old City's northern moat, typically sell out by mid-afternoon — lunch, not dinner.

  Chiang Mai: temples, night markets and the slow northSee on the map

The things that justify the trip

• YingChu Chen

  Wat Chedi Luang

  Chiang Mai: temples, night markets and the slow northSee on the map
• Nat Weerawong

  Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

  Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the golden hilltop shrine watching over the city from about 1,000 metres, is reached by a 306-step naga staircase and delivers a valley-wide view.

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• Vishal Chokkala

  Doi Inthanon National Park

  Doi Inthanon National Park, around two hours' drive southwest, holds Thailand's highest summit (2,565 m), cloud forest, waterfalls and the twin royal pagodas that stand above the ridgeline like sentinels.

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• Wat Phra Singh

  Chiang Mai

  Wat Phra Singh houses the north's most venerated Buddha image in a gilded Lanna hall; Wat Chedi Luang is dominated by a massive brick chedi, partially ruined by an earthquake centuries ago and all the more moving for it.

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• Wat Pha Lat

  Chiang Mai

  Better still, walk the Monk's Trail through the forest to Wat Pha Lat, a mossy, waterfall-side monastery partway up the mountain that most tour buses skip entirely.

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• Warorot Market

  Chiang Mai

  For everyday local life, Warorot Market near the Ping River sells northern sausage, dried fruit and textiles without a souvenir in sight.

  Chiang Mai: temples, night markets and the slow northSee on the map