Things to Do in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, one of the towns of Thailand, was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. However, this location has become a very attractive destination to different types of travellers and backpackers. Tourists visit here repeatedly due to the enchanting beauty of the place. Basically, the energy in the town captivates people to visit here, especially those who love trekking adventures. So, let's dig into the article to know the top things to do in Chiang mai.

Best things to Do in Chiang Mai:

These are some of the unique things to do in Chiang Mai:-

• Chiang Mai Night Safari, 
• Play with Elephants at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, 
• Adventure at Doi Inthanon National Park, 
• A Whitewater Rafting on the Mae Taeng River, 
• Soak yourself in the Charm of Sunday Walking Street Market, 
• Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep,

The place has its own magic that allows you to enjoy a heritage tour of the city, seek blessings at the temple, do adventure sports, enjoy the nightlife culture, and so on. You should know that there are many modern as well as traditional things to do in Chiang Mai. Are you a seeker of the contemporary world? Then, the vast range of things to do in Chiang Mai will give the correct flavor.

You can enjoy beautiful slides at Tube Trek Water Park or attend an informative cooking class. In addition, there are a few traditional things to do, like paying homage at Wat Phra Singh and taking a Segway Ride in the Old Town in Chiang Mai. Boat riding and shopping in the night market in Chiang mai, Thailand can make your trip more enjoyable.

Top Things To Do In Chiang Mai Thailand:

Visit the Divine Wat Phra That Doi Suthep:

If you plan to explore any cultural place here, you must spend some hours at Wat Phra Doi Suthep. While this one is a sacred temple in the area, people believe it was founded in 1383 by King Keu Naone. Its aim was to treasure a bone shard of Buddha.

People need to climb a staircase with 306 steps because the temple is situated on the mountain. The marvellous architectural brilliance and stunning design of the statues will make you mesmerized. The unmatched scenic beauty of the landscape will allow you to have an aesthetic experience.

Chiang Mai Night Safari:

If you want to enjoy a nail-biting experience, the combination of thrilling wildlife exploration and the darkness of night will make your dream fulfilled. The night safari zoo in the city allows the tourists to get the opportunity of viewing glimpses of rare nocturnal beasts. The Safari tour covers more than three different zones, including Savanna Safari, jaguar Trail, and Predator Prowl.

Tourists can ride on a tram to enjoy the safari or walk their way via these zones. Giraffes, zebras, rhinos, tigers, jaguars, pumas, and lions are a few animals you can watch during this journey. Whereas the laser light show, a dancing fountain in the park will make your trip more imposing.

Grand Canyon Water Park Tickets Chiang Mai:

Professional lifeguards supervise the entire area with standard marine life jackets to ensure safety. It is an outdoor natural Water Park located on the north side of the town with an area of over 35 acres. Wakeboarding, Kayaking, Ziplining, and Canoeing are some outdoor activities you can experience here. You can find the famous 'The Grill Restaurant' here, where you can taste delicious Thai and Western dishes. The 'Caramleo Cafe' is famous for desserts & cold drinks.

Play with Elephants at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary:

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, located near the city, is a must-visit place for you if you haven't played with elephants before. There are several exciting things to do in Chiang Mai city, allowing the tourists to spend the time with the elephants. Tourists can feed elephants and bathe them also along with getting a chance to click pictures with them.

You can find An English-speaking guide who will let you know about the history of the elephants. If you love spending time here, you can have an overnight stay option.

Know the Culture of the Karen Hill Tribe:

We all know about the Tribals who put on brass rings on their necks. You can have an interactive session with the people of the Karen Hill Tribe. Thus, you can get a chance to learn about their history, and customs. If you want, reserve one day to explore Chiang Dao to meet those long-neck tribals.

If you are eager to know about the tribal culture of the location, you must try to have an interactive session with the Karen Hill Tribe. Moreover, you can purchase handicrafts sold by the tribals.

Discover Doi Pui Village:

Although this small Hmong village is more tourist oriented compared to authentic. You will get to see a little bit of information on the history of several groups that lived in the Thai mountains in earlier generations.

Are you feeling touristy? Then, wear ethnic dresses for a photo shoot. You will get to see small stores here selling hand-woven textiles, handmade jewellery, tea, and other goods. In addition, there is a large garden adorned with several plants. You can have lunch at any small restaurant along with enjoying the breathtaking scenic beauty of this place. Hence, you can order a hot bowl of khao soi.

Adventure at Doi Inthanon National Park:

Visiting this national park may be the best memorable experience you can have on your Chiang Mai trip. This park is adorned with numerous waterfalls located in the mid-area of forests. Besides, there are traditional villages, picturesque hills with viewpoints. In addition, tourists can enjoy a pleasant climate throughout the year. Many photographers admire this park for its mesmerizing scenic beauty. It is an excellent destination for hiking and camping.

A Rafting on the Mae Taeng River:

You can add the thrilling experience of Mae Taeng River rafting to the to-do list in Chiang Mai. Hence, an English-speaking instructor gives you all the instructions to ensure safety. The experienced guide can make sure that you will enjoy the best whitewater rafting here.

You can feel your heartbeat going wild when you are on a raft and pass through the rapid. Visiting here between July and March can allow you to have a memorable journey in your life.

Soak in the Charm of Sunday Walking Street Market:

Wanna feel the pulse of the town? Then, you must not complete your trip without exploring the Sunday Walking Street Market. The market's atmosphere on Sunday invites many tourists and creates the desire for shopping and dining fun.

You will get to see a large market there from where you can purchase several things like handbags, clothes, massages, and street food. You will get the opportunity to enjoy the nightlife as the market remains open till midnight.

Explore the Knowledge Treasure of Lanna Folklife Museum:

We recommend you to explore the Lanna Folklife Museum to learn about the culture and history of this region. The museum contains endless information which is divided into eighteen various galleries.

Costumes, artifacts, objects of daily use- all of these can give you an idea about the lifestyle and culture of the local people. Having a tour of the museum will allow you to view an excellent collection of significant religious statues, paintings, and specimens of temple architecture.

Try Street Food at the Chiang Mai Gate Market:

The Chiang Mai Gate Market is the location where you can enjoy mouthwatering street foods. Here, vendors sell a savoury dish made of spicy meat and basil dishes, called pad kra pow. In addition, you can have a palatable dessert of fresh mango.

Ziplining:

If you want to make your trip more exciting, you must have a zipline experience or the Flight of the Gibbon which is a great zipline operator allowing you to zip through dense rainforest.

Besides, tourists will get an opportunity to enjoy glimpses of wild gibbons. However, the highest safety standards are maintained along with professional sky rangers for the safety purposes.

Check out Art and Craft in Bor Sang Umbrella Village:

Bor Sang Umbrella Village is a must-visit location if you want to know about Chiang Mai handicrafts and purchase items from there. The craft village, located 9 km far from the main town, is renowned for colorful paper umbrellas crafting made from sa paper produced from mulberry tree's bark. Moreover, tourists will get the opportunity to learn about traditional art from locals and interact with them.

End Your Day at the Night Bazaar:

If you are ready to do haggling, come here as it is a great location for shopping. As Night Bazaar brings the most traffic of tourism, you must be safe against getting ripped off. However, clothes, carvings, scarves, and housewares are a few great finds in the place.

After completing shopping, tourists may take in a muay Thai boxing fight, a significant part of local culture. Generally, the entrance to the fights remains between 200 to 400 THB.

'No Bar' Experience with Tigers at Tiger Kingdom:

Visiting the Tiger Kingdom must be one of the interesting things to do in Chiang Mai. It is a tiger centre with grown tigers and tiger cubs. You can't find something more energetic than interaction with tigers & coming closer to them without the involvement of chains or bars.

It is why the place is a must-visit one. Moreover, you can capture your fun moments, like playing with the animals to make your trip memorable. Trainers supervise the enclosures. So, there will not be any probability of misadventures.

Take a Thai Cooking class to Become a Thai Cuisine Expert: We can ensure that after tasting authentic Thai food in this town, you must have the desire to cook it when you return home. But how to do that? It is possible only by taking a Thai cooking class. Thus, you can learn how to add Thai flavors to the culinary skills. The class lets you know everything like selecting the right ingredients for any recipe, cooking a Thai dish like experts, and so on. Therefore, you can work as a professional. A few hours of detailed guidance will let you learn how to prepare the famous Thai main course dishes and desserts.

Enjoy Songkran Festival:

This holiday destination can add a festive touch to your trip during the Songkran Festival which people used to celebrate over 3 days from 13th to 15th April for indicating the start of Thai New Year. During this festival, different traditional activities can be performed and water fight is one of these.

You can experience hordes of locals and foreigners who unload water stock on random targets. You can get a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the cultural function of this city. Thus, you can create beautiful lifelong memories.

Where to Stay in Chiang Mai for Sightseeing:

Have you planned to visit Chiang Mai and enjoy all the tourist attractions? Then, you should go near the walled Old City. People planning to explore any spot on foot must come here. Here, you can see Buddhist temples, bookstores, antique shops, and cafés and enjoy the Night Bazaar buzzing near the Old City's Tha Phae Gate, a famous sightseeing place.

Let's see the names of different high rated hotels:

Luxury Hotels:

• Anantara Chiang Mai Resort 
• Ping Nakara Boutique Hotel & Spa 
• 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai

Mid-Range Hotels:

•  Golden Bell Hotel ( adjacent to Sunday Walking Street market) 
• Rimping Village 
• Shewe Wana Boutique Resort and Spa

Budget Hotels:

• Varada Place 
• Amora Resort Tapae Chiangmai 
• Rustic River Boutique

Conclusion:

There are several mind blowing things to see in Thailand, like world-class beaches in the South, mountain forests in the North, and so on. This article has covered all the different ways through which you can have fun and explore Chiang Mai. You can visit the temples of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Wat Chedi Luang to enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the place. Besides, you can have a tour of the national parks like Doi Inthanon or Doi Suthep-Pui to make your trip memorable. Moreover, you can keep yourself busy in Chiang Mai's markets along with having palatable street food in the old city.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. What is Chiang Mai popular for?

It is mainly renowned for its ancient temples, but it is not the only thing that you can explore here. The outstanding view of the parks and night buzzes will mesmerize you.

Q. How many days do you need in Chiang Mai?

You need four nights and five days to explore the place.

Q. What is the best month to visit Chiang Mai?

The best month to visit this place is between October and April. At this time, you can enjoy cool & pleasant weather with a light breeze.