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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Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai: White Temple, Blue Temple & Big Buddha DriveYou’ll ride with Jimmy from Chiang Mai up to Chiang Rai, stopping at the White Temple, Blue Temple, and Big Buddha temple — each one more surprising than the last. There’s space for four people (gas included), wheelchair access if you need it, and plenty of time for roadside snacks or quick photos along the way.
E-Bike Chiang Mai: 35-40km guided ride through hilly countrysideYou cycle 35-40km through Chiang Mai's outer hills on an electric fatbike with a guide, stopping at temples like Wat Umong and Wat Ton Kwen, villages, and viewpoints. Hotel pickup and lunch are included. The ride takes a half-day and suits anyone over 150cm tall with moderate fitness; the e-motor means age and fitness level matter less than on a regular bike.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the outer Chiang Mai landscape and temples without arranging your own transport or worrying about fitness—the e-motor and small group size mean you cover real distance and see real places without it turning into a slog.
Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Jungle Waterfall Day TripYou’ll walk with rescued elephants in Chiang Mai’s jungle, hand-feed them as guides share their stories, then cool off in a hidden waterfall where locals swim. Lunch is included at a small village spot before heading back with new memories (and probably wet shoes). This isn’t just another tour — it’s a day that actually slows you down.
Chiang Mai: Thai Cooking Class & Market Tour with GardenYou’ll wander Chiang Mai’s bustling markets with a local guide before heading to an organic garden kitchen for a hands-on Thai cooking class. Pick your own dishes, make curry paste from scratch, and share a meal outdoors—plus you’ll get recipes to take home. Expect laughter, new flavors, and memories that linger longer than the spices.
Chiang Mai: Jungle Coffee Trek, Roast & Karen Village LunchYou’ll trek deep into Chiang Mai’s shaded coffee forests with local guides, plant your own seedling beneath ancient trees, share a fresh Karen-style lunch in the village, and roast your own Arabica beans by hand before brewing them yourself. Expect muddy shoes, real conversation, and flavors you’ll remember long after you leave.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple tour by songtaew from Chiang MaiA 3-hour guided tour of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of Thailand's most sacred temples, departing from your Chiang Mai hotel in a local songtaew (open-sided pick-up truck with benches). You ride up the mountain like locals do, climb the grand staircase flanked by mythical serpents, and explore the glittering temple grounds with a licensed English-speaking guide who explains the history and symbolism. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included; temple entrance is 30 THB per person on the Small Group With Entrance Fees option, or you can skip the fee and explore the grounds on the Small Group Without Entry Fees option. The Private option includes both ticket and transfers.Is it for me?Book the Small Group With Entrance Fees if you want the full temple experience with entry included and prefer sharing the ride with other travelers; choose Without Entry Fees if you'd rather skip the ticket and save cost; pick the Private option if you're traveling with family or friends and want the songtaew and guide to yourselves.
Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall Half-Day TourYou arrive at the sanctuary, change into Karen clothing, help prepare elephant food, and watch the animals in their natural routine from a safe distance. A waterfall swim and herbal tea break follow, then you craft a Thai souvenir by hand before lunch and return to your hotel. No riding, no staged interactions — just observation in a working sanctuary.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to spend time around elephants without riding or performances, and prefer a structured half-day that doesn't consume your whole schedule. The sanctuary format and small-group observation mean you see genuine behavior rather than staged interactions.
Chiang Rai Tour: White Temple, Golden Triangle & Boat TripA full-day guided tour departing Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai's main attractions: the White Temple's intricate all-white design, the Blue Temple's vivid carvings, the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, and a boat trip along the border waters to the Karen Longneck Village. Includes round-trip air-conditioned transport from Chiang Mai's Old Town or Nimman area, English-speaking guide, lunch, water and admission fees; the long drive means an early start and a late return, but the itinerary stays flexible and the guide adjusts pacing to the group.Is it for me?The 13- to 14-hour commitment means you're committed to the road, but it's the only way to fit five distinct stops—two temples, a museum, a border boat trip and a village—without skipping any of them. If your day in Chiang Mai is flexible and you want to see the region's major sights in one trip, this tour holds them all; if you have only a few hours or prefer a slower pace, a shorter local tour would suit you better.
Chiang Mai: Jungle Flight Zipline & Roller Coaster 800mYou get picked up from your hotel, driven to a 1000-year-old rainforest near Chiang Mai, suited up by trained guides, and sent through 19 ziplines and 5 sky bridges over two hours — including an 800-meter run that covers the distance in under a minute. Lunch and return transport are included, so you only show up ready to go.Is it for me?Book this if you're fit, between 15 and 60, and want a genuine adrenaline rush without arranging transport or figuring out the safety logistics yourself — the guides and the fixed itinerary handle both, which is what makes a two-hour canopy course actually doable in a day trip from the city.
Chiang Mai Temples & Karen Village Tour: 4-Hour Small GroupA small-group tour of Chiang Mai's cultural landmarks in a traditional songtaew (open-sided pickup truck with benches), visiting Wat Sri Suphan, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, and the Karen Long Neck Village with an English-speaking guide. Groups stay under ten people. Hotel pickup and temple entry fees are included in one option; the other covers transport and guide only, letting you choose which temples to enter.Is it for me?Choose the small group option if you want to travel with other visitors and keep costs down, or the private option if your group wants to set the pace and timing. Either way, the songtaew is open-sided and unair-conditioned—authentic local transport, not a tour bus—so you're moving between stops rather than sitting still, and you see how locals actually get around Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai: Bamboo Rafting, Sticky Waterfall & Dantewada DayYou’ll wander through Dantewada Park’s gardens and statues, climb up the grippy rocks of Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall with help from your guide, and float down Mae Taeng River on a bamboo raft—all with transport and entry fees sorted. Expect laughter, a few surprises, and time to breathe in northern Thailand’s quieter side.
Ziplining in Chiang Mai: 14 Lines Through Jungle CanopyZiplining in Chiang Mai at Skyline Jungle Luge puts you on 14 ziplines strung through mountain rainforest, including Thailand's longest line at 1000 meters. Hotel pickup and drop-off, safety training with a professional guide, a five-minute nature walk, and buffet lunch with tea and fruit are included. The course takes six hours and suits families and groups looking for an outdoor adventure without arranging transport or logistics.Is it for me?Book the EXPRESS package for a straightforward half-day adventure, or choose EXTREME if you want the full six-hour immersion with more time on the platforms and lines. Either way, the guide and the fixed schedule mean you show up at your hotel lobby and the rest is arranged—no transport to negotiate, no timing to coordinate, no safety decisions to make.
Chiang Mai: Evening Cooking Class & Market Tour with PickupYou’ll wander through Chiang Mai’s lively Kom Market with a local guide before learning Thai recipes at your own cooking station. Expect laughter over woks, hands-on help from your instructor, and new flavors you’ll remember long after you leave. Includes hotel pickup and drop-off so you can relax into the evening.
Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai: Learn 6 DishesA half-day Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai where you learn to prepare six dishes across different categories at a local home, starting with a market visit to source ingredients and meet vendors. The class runs five hours in your choice of morning or evening; you get your own wok, an English-speaking instructor, all ingredients, a cookbook and certificate, plus free pickup and drop-off within 3 km of downtown Chiang Mai. Suitable for all cooking levels, and children under 120 cm can attend as visitors (THB300 per child) to enjoy two free dishes without cooking.Is it for me?Book the morning class if you want to shop the market when it's busiest and cook while the day is fresh; the evening option works better if you're sleeping in or prefer to cook after exploring the city. Either way, you're cooking yourself rather than watching a demonstration, so you leave with actual techniques in your hands, not just a meal eaten.
Chiang Mai E-bike Tour: Countryside, Rice Paddies & TemplesA half-day guided e-bike ride through the countryside south of Chiang Mai old city, covering 35-40 km on flat paved roads past rice paddies, villages, orchards and four temples including Wat Ton Kwen. The electric fatbikes handle bumpy terrain better than standard bikes and let you cover more ground with less effort in the Thai heat. Hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch or snack, water, helmet, gloves and insurance are included; groups stay under eight riders.Is it for me?You'll cover 35-40 km of countryside in four hours without the strain of a standard bike in the heat—the electric motor and flat terrain make it possible to see temples, rice fields and villages without arriving exhausted. The fixed pickup time and included lunch mean you're not managing logistics on top of the ride itself.
Doi Inthanon: Private Day Trip Waterfalls, Karen Village & PickupYou’ll feel mountain air on your face at Doi Inthanon’s peak before wandering under waterfalls and through cloud forests with a local guide. Taste pad thai at Thailand’s highest point and share smiles with Karen villagers in Sobhad before browsing Hmong market stalls for wild fruit or handwoven scarves. This day trip leaves you with memories that linger long after you’re back in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai Day Tour: Temples & Golden TriangleA guided day tour from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai covering the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), Blue Temple (Wat Rong Seua Ten), Black House (Baan Dam) and the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. The tour includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide (Mandarin available), entrance fees, Thai lunch and insurance; you travel by road and boat, starting early and returning to Chiang Mai the same day. A Karen Long Neck village visit and Mae Kachan hot spring stop are part of the route.Is it for me?This is a shared guided tour with a set itinerary and fixed schedule, so all the stops—the temples, the Black House, the hot spring, the village visit and the river—fit into one day without you arranging transport, entry fees or timing. It suits travelers with limited time in northern Thailand who want to see the major Chiang Rai temples and the Golden Triangle without managing logistics themselves.
Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Sticky Waterfall Day TripYou’ll spend your day meeting rescued elephants near Chiang Mai—feeding them by hand and learning from their mahouts—before heading out for a swim and climb at the Sticky Waterfall. Includes private hotel pickup, group sanctuary visit, all entry fees, and a simple Thai lunch. Expect muddy hands, laughter, and moments that stick with you long after.
Chiang Mai Food Tour: 15+ Tastings with Local GuideA 4-hour food tour of Chiang Mai led by a professional foodie guide in a private songtheaw truck, stopping at street vendors and fresh markets to taste 15+ regional dishes. Groups stay under 8 people. The tour covers Northern Thai specialties—khao soi curry, grilled chicken, som tum papaya salad, sai oua sausage and more—that most travelers miss on their own, and ends in the Nimmanhaemin district. Bottled water is included; the tour operates in all weather and is suitable for all fitness levels, though it is not suitable for vegetarians, pescatarians, no-pork diets, or severe shellfish, peanut or gluten allergies due to the nature of street food vendors.Is it for me?The 4-hour commitment leaves your morning or afternoon intact, so you can fit this around hotel check-in, a rest day or other plans. Book it if you want to understand Northern Thai food instead of guessing at the menu, and if you're willing to eat meat—the street vendors' limited options mean vegetarians and no-pork diets will miss most of the dishes.
Chiang Mai: Jungle Kayak Adventure in Chiang Dao ValleyYou’ll paddle through Chiang Dao’s tangled jungle rivers with an expert local guide, ducking under bamboo branches and spotting flashes of wildlife along the way. Includes hotel pickup from Chiang Mai, a riverside lunch with veggie options, all gear provided—and plenty of small moments you’ll remember long after you dry off.
