Things to do in Chiang Mai
Ziplining8 optionsGolden Triangle Tours27 optionsChiang Mai City Tour17 optionsChiang Mai Jungle Trek25 optionsDoi Inthanon National Park Tours25 optionsATV Chiang Mai7 optionsBike Tour Chiang Mai11 optionsChiang Mai Rafting Tour9 optionsElephant Tour Chiang Mai15 optionsBest Day Trips from Chiang Mai9 optionsChiang Mai Food Tour34 optionsChiang Mai Temple Tour7 options
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Doi Pui hike & downhill mountain bike 11 km trail, Chiang MaiThis Chiang Mai activity combines an 11 km uphill hike through Doi Pui National Park jungle to a Hmong Hill Tribe Village at the summit with a 2-hour downhill mountain bike descent to Huay Tung Tao Lake. Hotel pickup, professional mountain bike guide, all safety gear, two meals and water are included. You'll need moderate fitness for the climbing portion and some off-road riding experience for the descent.Is it for me?The 9-hour day leaves no room for other activities, so book this if you're ready to commit the morning and early afternoon to hiking and riding. The moderate fitness requirement and off-road descent mean it suits someone comfortable with climbing and basic bike handling, not a beginner or someone looking for a shorter outing.
Doi Inthanon Full Day Tour: Thailand's Highest PeakA full-day tour from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park—the country's highest mountain—with stops at Wachirathan and Sirithan waterfalls, the twin King and Queen Chedis surrounded by gardens, a Karen village known for coffee, and a gentle nature trail walk through lush highland forest. Hotel pickup from Chiang Mai Old Town is included; an English-speaking guide leads the group. National Park fees (THB 300) and Twin Pagodas entrance (THB 100) are paid in cash on the day, and lunch is not included. Choose between a small group without entry fees, a small group with entrance fees covered, or a private option with tickets and transfers.Is it for me?Small group tours let you pay park fees on arrival; choose the version with fees included to settle everything upfront; private tours give you dedicated transfers and advance ticket handling for the mountain and all stops.
Chiang Mai Temples Tour: Doi Suthep & Wat Chedi LuangA guided tour of three iconic Chiang Mai temples—Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Wat Pha Lat and Wat Chedi Luang—with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup within the Old City or 2 km radius, and admission fees included. You choose between a shared join tour starting at the meeting point, private tours with optional add-ons to the Gems Gallery and night market, or a meeting-point option without tickets. The tour runs 4 to 5 hours for shared departures, 7 hours for private tours, or 9 hours with add-ons.Is it for me?Choose the shared join tour if you're comfortable meeting other travelers and want the shortest timeframe; pick a private tour if you prefer a personalized pace and want to include the Gems Gallery or add cultural stops like the night market and craft village. The meeting-point option works if you're already familiar with temple entry or want to skip admission fees.
ATV and Whitewater Rafting in Chiang Mai: Class III-IV RapidsCombine a 3-hour ATV ride through Mae Taeng Valley with class III-IV whitewater rafting on the Mae Taeng River in a single day from Chiang Mai. The ATV section covers roughly 40 km of mixed on-road and off-road terrain and starts with instruction and a training course for beginners and intermediate riders. Expert guides lead the rafting portion through Thailand's best rapids, with lunch, helmets, life jackets and hotel pickup included.Is it for me?Most ATV tours in Chiang Mai end at the valley; this one continues into whitewater rapids, so a single day covers two different landscapes and two kinds of riding instead of one. The instruction at the start means you don't need experience on either vehicle.
Chiang Dao Caves & Hill Tribe Villages Day Trip from Chiang MaiYou’ll start your day meeting five hill tribe communities near Chiang Dao, sharing moments in their homes and gardens before exploring ancient caves by lantern with a local guide. Afterward, wander among orchids and butterflies before heading back to Chiang Mai — expect laughter, muddy shoes, and stories you’ll carry home.
Chiang Mai: Private Car Hire & English-Speaking Driver Full DayYou get a private car with a local English-speaking driver for the full day, hotel pickup and drop-off, and fuel included. Choose your own stops—temples, sanctuaries, national parks, or markets—and set your own pace. The driver knows Chiang Mai and can suggest routes and insider details. Groups max out at nine people, and if you run past nine hours, it's 300 Thai Baht per extra hour.Is it for me?This works best if you want to move at your own pace and skip the group-tour schedule—you pick the stops and the driver handles the roads and local knowledge. It's also the practical choice if you're traveling with luggage or a small group and don't want to rely on taxis or public transport between sites.
Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon Day Trip with Karen Village & LunchYou’ll feel cool mountain air at Doi Inthanon’s peak, walk quiet forest trails with your local guide, visit vibrant pagodas and gardens, share lunch near Hmong Market, then sip fresh Karen village coffee overlooking rice terraces before hearing the roar of Vachiratharn Waterfall—a day that lingers long after you’re back in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai Private Tour: Temples & Local Secrets with GuideYou'll walk through Chiang Mai's main temples and hidden corners with a local guide who lives here, covering Wat Phra Singh, city walls, and lesser-known spots. Temple entry and a local drink are included, and the route adapts to what your guide thinks you should experience that day. It's just you and the guide — no group, no rushing, no separate ticket lines.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Chiang Mai's main temples and hidden corners without navigating a big group or arranging tickets and transport separately — the private format and local guide are what make it possible to move at your own pace and actually talk about what you're seeing.
Private Chiang Mai Old City Tuk Tuk Tour: Temples and marketsA private half-day tuk tuk tour of Chiang Mai's Old City takes you to five temples and a market in four hours, with hotel pickup and drop-off included. You ride in a comfortable tuk tuk built for two travelers (or a third child under 12), stopping at Wat Chedi Luang, the Three Kings Monument, Wat Sri Suphan, Wat Phra Singh Waramahawihan and Warorot Market. An English-speaking guide is available; dress with shoulders and legs covered for temple entry.Is it for me?Book the English-speaking guide option if you want commentary on what you're seeing—the history of each temple, the significance of the monuments and the stories behind the market. Without it, you travel the same route but navigate the stops on your own.
Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai: Market Tour & Farm KitchenA five-hour Thai cooking class at an organic farm outside Chiang Mai combines a market tour at Somphet Market with hands-on instruction in an open-air kitchen where you cook at your own station. The farm grows many of the herbs and spices used in the class, van pickup from Chiang Mai is included, and you take home a colored recipe book.Is it for me?You cook at your own station instead of watching a chef work, which means you're learning by doing and taking home the skills, not just the meal. This suits anyone who wants to actually make Thai food rather than observe it, and who has five hours to spend in a farm kitchen outside the city.
Chiang Mai: Blue Temple, Dantewada & Sticky Waterfall Day TripYou visit a man-made waterfall park with botanical gardens, stop at the ornate Blue Temple for views and craftsmanship, then climb Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall barefoot and swim in the pool below. Lunch, bottled water, all entry fees, and hotel pickup are included. The whole day takes eight to nine hours with a small group and AC transport between stops.Is it for me?Pick this if you want the main Chiang Mai waterfall and temple experiences in one day without arranging separate trips or hiring a driver — the small group and fixed schedule fit all three stops into a single afternoon.
Chiang Mai: Thai Cooking Class & Market Tour with PickupYou’ll join a small group in Chiang Mai for an evening cooking class starting with a lively market visit led by your local teacher. Learn to prepare four classic Thai dishes of your choice using fresh ingredients you pick out yourself, then share dinner with new friends in a cozy kitchen. Expect laughter, hands-on lessons, hotel pickup included—and flavors you’ll remember long after you’ve left Thailand.
Chiang Mai: Thai Cooking Class, Market & Organic Farm TourYou’ll wander a lively Chiang Mai market with a local guide, pick fresh herbs and eggs on an organic farm, then cook classic Thai dishes at your own station—ending with sweet mango sticky rice and new friends around the table. Expect laughter, real flavors, and memories that linger long after you leave.
Chiang Mai: Thai Cooking Class & Grand Canyon Lake SwimYou’ll wander Chiang Mai’s local market with a friendly guide before learning to cook seven classic Thai dishes by the lake at Grand Canyon. After lunch (your own creations), cool off with a swim or kayak on the water. Expect laughter, new flavors, and little surprises that stick with you long after you leave.
Chiang Mai: 60km Countryside Bike Tour & Train to LamphunYou ride 60 kilometers through Chiang Mai's countryside in a single day, starting with a train ride to Lamphun and a temple visit, then pedaling through orchards, villages, and rice paddies to the wood carving village of Ban Tawai. Lunch and snacks are included, as is all your gear and an English-speaking guide. The return journey avoids peak-hour traffic by vehicle, so you finish the day without a long ride back into the city.Is it for me?Book this if you want a full-day countryside experience without arranging your own transport, finding lunch stops, or navigating back roads—the train ride, guide, and fixed itinerary handle all of that, and the moderate pace means you see the landscape instead of racing through it.
Chiang Mai Tuk Tuk Driving and Bamboo Rafting: 10 hoursA 10-hour small-group activity in Chiang Mai where you drive your own tuk tuk through the Mae Wang region, stop at a remote mountain temple and an elephant home, and finish with bamboo rafting on the local river. A professional guide leads throughout; groups stay under 18. Pickup from your hotel or a designated meeting point is included, and lunch with a vegetarian option is provided.Is it for me?You're driving the tuk tuk yourself the whole day, not sitting as a passenger—this suits anyone who wants hands-on control and the novelty of operating Thailand's most iconic vehicle. Groups stay under 18, which keeps the pace manageable and the stops less crowded than larger tours.
Chiang Mai Food Tour with Local Foodies: Warorot Market & TemplesA food tour of Chiang Mai's Old City led by a local guide in English, starting at the Three Kings Monument or Warorot Market depending on your choice of morning or evening departure. You taste six to eight stops of authentic Northern Thai dishes — Kao Man Gai, Kao Soi, Sai Oua, mango sticky rice — while walking through temples, markets and street stalls that have served the same food for decades. Water and all tastings are included; the tour runs four hours in the morning or four to five hours in the evening.Is it for me?The morning tour takes you through quiet temples and markets, wrapping by lunch; the evening tour starts later with a sit-down meal and night markets covered partly by vehicle, running longer.
Chiang Mai: Night Tuk Tuk Tour Temples & Bazaar FoodYou’ll ride a tuk tuk through Chiang Mai as temples glow after sunset and markets buzz with life. Taste street food at the Night Bazaar, share laughs with your guide, and catch quiet moments among ancient chedis. This tour lets you feel both the pulse and calm of Chiang Mai at night—something you won’t forget soon.
Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & White Water RaftingYou spend the morning walking with rescued elephants and feeding them by hand at a small sanctuary in Mae Taeng, then eat lunch at a local restaurant before paddling white water rapids on the Mae Taeng River in the afternoon. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, as are all entry fees, safety gear, and a meal with vegetarian options. The whole day runs about six hours.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to spend time with elephants in a setting that prioritizes their welfare over spectacle, and you're comfortable with a full day that mixes quiet sanctuary time with river activity — the small-group format and locally-run camp are what make both parts feel genuine rather than rushed.
Sunset Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai: Farm to TableA 3.5-hour evening Thai cooking class on an organic farm outside Chiang Mai where you prepare 5 authentic dishes in an open-air kitchen at sunset. After hotel pickup, you explore the farm—collecting eggs, picking mushrooms, and gathering fresh herbs—then cook with your own station and personal guidance from instructors, finishing by sharing your meal together before returning to your hotel.Is it for me?The evening session is built for travelers who want the farm and cooking experience without rushing—the sunset timing and farm-first structure give you time to explore and relax before you cook, which the morning class does not. Book this one if you'd rather spend the evening learning and eating than navigating a crowded daytime schedule.
