Chiang Mai
The old capital of the Lanna kingdom sits in a mountain-ringed valley 700 kilometres north of Bangkok, and it moves at its own pace. Inside the moated Old City, 700-year-old temples share lanes with coffee roasters; outside it, forest monasteries, khao soi kitchens and Thailand's highest mountain wait within an hour's drive.
November–February (cool season)
Budget
Typical cost profile for visitors
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Finding Chiang Mai
Reading Chiang Mai
01Chiang Mai at Dawn and After Dark: The City Before and After the Tour Groups
Between 9am and 5pm, Chiang Mai belongs to the day-trippers. Before and after, it belongs to monks, market vendors and anyone wise enough to set an alarm.
02Chiang Mai on a Budget: How to Do It Well for Less
Thailand's northern capital may be the best-value great city in Asia. Street food, songthaews and free temple wandering — a practical guide to spending little and missing nothing.
03Chiang Mai: temples, night markets and the slow north
Thailand's northern capital trades beaches for mountains, monasteries and the country's best noodle soup. How to do it slowly, the way it deserves.
04Three Days in Chiang Mai: The Complete Route
Temples inside the old moat, a mountain monastery above the city, and a national park among the clouds — a three-day route through Thailand's northern capital.
05Where to Stay in Chiang Mai: The Neighborhoods That Decide Your Trip
Inside the moat, along the river, among the cafes of Nimman or out in the rice fields — a straight-talking guide to Chiang Mai's sleeping quarters.
Chiang Mai, framed