Chiang Mai
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
Must-see attractions in Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai
Wat Chedi Luang isn't as grand as Wat Phra Singh, but its towering, ruined Lanna-style chedi (built in 1441) is much taller and the sprawling compound…
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai's most revered temple, Wat Phra Singh is dominated by an enormous, mosaic-inlaid wí·hăhn (sanctuary). Its prosperity is plain to see from the…
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai's oldest public market, Warorot (also spelt Waroros) is a great place to connect with the city's Thai soul. Alongside souvenir vendors you'll…
Chiang Mai
Without doubt the most atmospheric wát in the old city, this teak marvel sits in the shadow of Wat Chedi Luang. Set in a compound full of fluttering…
Chiang Mai
Set inside the former Provincial Court, dating from 1935, this imaginative museum re-creates Lanna village life in a series of life-size dioramas that…
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Burm and Emily's Elephant Sanctuary
Chiang Mai Province
At this community-based, elephant retirement and small animal rescue sanctuary, humans work for the elephants (not the other way around). Just three…
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Nam Tok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfall)
Si Lanna National Park
Ever walked up a waterfall? An increasingly popular day trip from Chiang Mai to Si Lanna National Park's 'Sticky Waterfall' allows visitors (with no magic…
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Chiang Mai
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
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Chiang Mai Province
Thailand’s highest peak is Doi Inthanon (often abbreviated to Doi In), 2565m above sea level, which is impressive for the kingdom, but a tad diminutive…
Chiang Mai
Often bearing a crown of clouds, sultry Doi Suthep (1676m) and Doi Pui (1685m) are two of northern Thailand's most sacred peaks. A dense cloak of jungle…
Chiang Mai
The first attempt at founding a city on the banks of Mae Ping, Wiang Kum Kam served as the Lanna capital for 10 years from 1286, but the city was…
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai's oldest temple was established by the city's founder, Phaya Mengrai, sometime around 1296. In front of the ubosot (ordination hall), a stone…
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Zoo is better than many zoos in the region when it comes to animal welfare, but it's still quite depressing. In addition to animals from across…
Chiang Mai
Not to be confused with the small Wat Umong in the old city, this historic forest wát is famed for its sylvan setting and its ancient chedi, above a brick…
Chiang Mai Province
An agricultural wonderland at 1400m, Mon Cham draws mostly domestic tourists for its crisp air, camping opportunities and jaw-dropping views of…
Chiang Mai
This highly ornate temple shows the clear influence of the Burmese teak merchants who immigrated to Chiang Mai during the 19th century. The eye-catching…
Chiang Mai
The serene grounds of the royal family's winter palace are open to the public (when the royals aren't visiting). The unusually strict dress code requires…
Chiang Mai
Tucked to the side of the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre, this was the original location of the Làk Meuang (city pillar). Marooned in the middle…
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Chiang Mai Province
About 10km west of Fang at Ban Meuang Chom, near the agricultural station, this serene retreat is part national park and part public spa, with a gorgeous…
Chiang Mai
Among the most handsome wát outside the old city, Wat Mahawan shows the obvious influence of the Burmese teak traders who used to worship here. The…
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Chiang Mai Province
Sprawling out from the village of Ban Khum, this Royal Project was founded to provide local hill-tribe villagers with an alternative source of income to…
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Chiang Mai
It should come as no surprise that the silversmiths along Th Wualai have decorated their patron monastery with the same fine artisanship shown in their…
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Chiang Mai Province
Just south of the bridge, this intriguing and popular monastery complex sprawls west from Tha Ton over a series of forested hills. The wát buildings are…
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Chiang Mai
Adjacent to Talat Warorot, Talat Ton Lam Yai morphs from a covered household market into an animated flower market (gàht dòrk mái), flanking the river on…
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Chiang Mai
This expansive animal park is open day and night, but the real action happens after dark, when you can view all sorts of critters from the back of an open…
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Chiang Mai
Built on a former flower garden in 1373, this important monastery enshrines one half of a sacred Buddha relic; the other half was transported by white…
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Chiang Mai Province
After working with World Animal Protection for nearly two years, ChangChill became the only elephant reserve in Northern Thailand to be designated…
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Chiang Mai
This wát was established by King Tilokarat in 1455 as part of an effort to prevent a predicted decline in Buddhism. It still has much of its original…
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Chiang Mai
The area dominated by the Warorot and Ton Lam Yai markets doubles as the city's small Chinatown, marked by a flamboyant Chinese welcome gate across Th…
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Chiang Mai
Housed in a striking stucco chapel resembling a mon·dòp (a spire representing a Thai adaptation of a Hindu shrine) at Wat Chedi Luang, the Làk Meuang was…
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Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon & Naphapholphumisiri
Doi Inthanon National Park
About 3km before the summit, set amid lush tropical gardens, the twin stupas of Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphapholphumisiri were…
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Maiiam Contemporary Art Museum
Chiang Mai
Located on the 'handicraft highway' between Chiang Mai and San Kamphaeng, this museum showcases the only standalone collection of Thai and Southeast Asian…
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Anusawari Sam Kasat (Three Kings Monument)
Chiang Mai
Marking the centrepoint of the old administrative quarter of Chiang Mai, the bronze Three Kings Monument commemorates the alliance forged between Phaya…
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Chiang Mai Province
For Thais, a reservoir is not just a water store, it's a place for some serious R&R. At this expansive body of water just west of Mae Rim, families gather…
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Chiang Mai Province
At this crafty, eco-friendly little park to the north of Chiang Mai, visitors are walked through the fascinating art of converting elephant dung fibers…
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Chiang Mai Province
Declared the 60th national park in Thailand in 1989, Si Lanna is 1406 sq km of natural beauty (along with a few unnatural things here and there, such as a…
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Chiang Mai
A remnant from when Chiang Mai was a detour on the Silk Road, the largest Thai-Muslim mosque in the city is attended by a small, prosperous community of…
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Chiang Mai Province
Dara Rasmee, the last princess of the Lanna kingdom, lived out her days in this handsome 19th-century residence, built in classic Thai-colonial style,…
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Chiang Mai
Reached via a steep naga stairway through the forest, this handsome wát looms above the city from the hillside above Royal Park Rajapruek. With its gilded…
