Located in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is famous for its history and culture. The city is filled with temples and surrounded by mountains which makes it a perfect destination for a weekend getaway. I was surprised by how pretty the city was and its relaxing atmosphere. Chiang Mai wasn’t on my bucket list, but it was on my sister’s so I’ll give her credit for showing me this beautiful city. I must say that she was right, Chiang Mai is definitely worth a visit ! So let me guide you through Chiang Mai’s streets and show you how to spend 3 amazing days there !
- Where to Stay
- How to Get Around
- Discover The City with a Temple Tour
- Climb up Doi Suthep
- Spend a Relaxing time at Kalm Village
- Experience the many local street markets
- Try out Northern Thai Food
- Shop at One Nimman – วัน นิมมาน
- Experience a Local Dance show
- Loosen Up with a Relaxing Massage
Where to Stay 🏨
Chiang Mai is most famous for its old city centre. Framed by the remnants of its old brick walls, the city centre is quite small compared to the rest of the city, which spreads much further out. Still, I recommend booking a hotel in the old city centre. The streets are filled with options of things to do, so I am sure you will find one that fits your budget and your taste. Staying there is the best way to enjoy the relaxing side of Chiang Mai. You will be able to walk to all the Old City spots and find food and coffee without needing a car. Usually, everything will be within a 15-minute range of your hotel.
While my sister and I visited, we stayed at Ten Boutique Hotel. The hotel is well located, very comfortable and relaxing. The rooms were simple but perfect for what we needed, and the staff was welcoming and accommodating. However, I have to add a quick warning: there is no lift, but the staff helped us carry our luggage upstairs. They might have rooms downstairs in case you can’t walk up the stairs, but be sure to confirm with them.
How to Get Around 🧭
As explained just above, if you are staying in the old city centre, you probably won’t need a car. However, you will need one to get from the airport to the hotel and for excursions outside of the centre. In that case, you can use Grab or Bolt, depending on the location; one may work better than the other.
The city also has a bus system, but it doesn’t enter the old city, so we decided to use the taxis instead.
Finally, of course, like many other cities in Thailand, you can find tuk-tuks almost everywhere, even when you don’t need them! So if you jump up on one, verify the price beforehand and have some cash on you !
Discover The City with a Temple Tour
Chiang Mai’s old city centre has a lot of temples, and when I say a lot, I really mean it. During our first day in the city, we decided to follow an itinerary covering all the major temples to visit, and by the end of the day, we had already covered around 15 temples. Later on, I was baffled to discover one that we hadn’t come across yet – I didn’t think that was possible !
So, in order to visit the city and discover its many temples, I recommend that you start with a temple tour ! You will have the opportunity to discover each temple, but also experience the city streets as you walk from one temple to another ! Here is the list I recommend you visit :
- Wat Lok Moli
- Wat Khuan Khama
- Wat Chiang Man
- Wat Phantao
- Wat Chedi Luang
- Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan
- Wat Muen Ngoen Kong
- Wat Sri Suphan – Silver Temple
💡Quick tip for the day : if you have shoes that you can remove and wear easily, it is your time to use them ! If you visit a lot of temples, you will have to remove them every time you want to go inside, so the more convenient it is, the better !
Climb up Doi Suthep
The highlight of these 3 days in Chiang Mai was definitely Doi Suthep. This mountain, only 15km outside of Chiang Mai city centre, is where Wat Phra That Doi Suthep are located. This gold temple perched on the mountain is one of the main reasons people visit Chiang Mai. It might be the reason you are visiting as well, but if it isn’t, I highly recommend it !
People usually think of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep when they plan their trip. But there is actually another temple you can visit on your way up the hill : Wat Pha Lat. As you begin climbing the monk’s trail, you will come across a few buildings hidden by the thick vegetation. So as you climb, take some time to recover there and enjoy its peace before continuing your journey !
When we reached the top, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was even more impressive than I imagined. Its gold colour was shining so bright I had to wear sunglasses, but it was truly beautiful ! The surroundings of the temple are also well decorated with small colourful lanterns everywhere, holding wishes from people visiting. They really helped enhance the beauty of the temple. We were also lucky as the Bougainvillaeas were blooming adding another touch of colour !
Spend a Relaxing time at Kalm Village
The surprise of these 3 days in Chiang Mai was my new favourite place: Kalm Village. Hidden away from the main streets, Kalm Village is a centre of art and craftsmanship built in 2021. As an architecture lover, the first things that struck me were the buildings. It is a collection of several wooden buildings surrounding two courtyards. The style is inspired by traditional Thai architecture.
Each building holds a different purpose. For instance, one is home to a gallery on artefacts and traditional fabrics, while another one houses a coffee shop and a library.
Experience the many local street markets
One of Chiang Mai’s highlights is its many street markets. The largest one is held on the weekend, within the old city centre. There, you can probably find almost anything you need. From souvenirs to local foods, you can find trinkets to bring home, clothes and snacks ! The number of stalls is truly impressive, but it still gets quite crowded. It’s so fun to have a look at all the stalls and find inspiration for souvenirs. The atmosphere is also really enjoyable as you feel the collective energy bustling through the streets.
💡Small Tip : Watch out for the temples in the streets nearby; some might be open at night with beautiful lighting, you might want to stop by !
Taste Northern Thai Food
Thai food is amazing and even better when freshly made. The best way to experience it is to visit local street markets for cheap and delicious options !! But other very good restaurants are scattered around the city. If you want to try traditional NorthernThai food, you can visit this address : Euang Kam Sai Northern Thai Cuisine. It is referenced as a Michelin recommendation.
Try out all the Cafes
Cafes in Chiang Mai are the best way to avoid the afternoon heat. As a cafe lover, I had no idea that Chiang Mai had so many of them ! Yet each corner you turn, you will find one ! Each has its own unique style, architecture and identity, which I found very nice, you never see two places that look the same !
My two favourite ones were Akha Ama Phrasingh & Sorasora Cafe.
Akha Ama Phrasingh is very popular and often crowded but understandably so. The cafe’s design is inspired by brutalist and industrial architecture, using bricks and concrete. It is truly impressive, I couldn’t stop taking pictures ! Even if it gets busy, I still found it nice to stay and chill whenever we had some free time. I was also impressed by its effort to use local coffee beans. The coffee shop partners with nearby farms to get locally-produced coffee beans and serve it directly to you ! They also sell beans and capsules if you want to bring some home with you !
Sora Sora Cafe is almost the opposite of Akha Ama. The café is tiny, with only a few chairs and tables and a cosy and relaxing atmosphere. The owner was very nice and attentive to our orders, preparing each one with care. The menu offers breakfast and desserts. I also tried out the cakes, and they were delicious ! The café has its own little mascot, which you can buy cards and stickers of. I found it adorable, so I had to buy some !
I feel like all the places I recommended so far are enough if you want to spend 3 days in Chang Mai without running around too much. Still, if you have more time in the city or you are already done with everyhting, here are some activities I would like to add :
Shop at One Nimman – วัน นิมมาน
It is a trendy Shopping mall of Chiang Mai, unlike most malls I have been to in Singapore, or other countries I have visited. The mall is partly open with a courtyard and brick buildings. A block tower oversees the mall, and it feels more relaxing than usual malls. Inside, the shops offer a lot of souvenir ideas like skincare, perfumes, trinkets, cards,… for you to bring home ! One Nimman also has an area with a lot of food stalls, so you can stay inside to eat or you can also explore the nearby lanes like Nimmana Haeminda Road Lanes for more shops. The whole neighbourhood felt relaxing to stroll through, with some greenery and small houses instead of tall buildings. I highly recommend it if you have a bit more than 3 days in Chiang Mai.
Experience a Local Dance show
At the Old Chiangmai Cultural Center, you can attend traditional music and dance performances. It takes place at night and you can either decide to just watch the show or have a traditional Northern Thai dinner at the same time. We opted for the first option to focus more on the performance,s but regretted it a bit while watching everyone else enjoying their meal. Still, we enjoyed watching the different performances on stage. The show was a combination of multiple performances illustrating various styles of dance and music. It was really interesting to see and we enjoyed discovering this part of the local culture.
Loosen Up with a Relaxing Massage
Thailand is famous for its massages, so it is not specific to Chiang Mai. However, I found that it really matched the atmosphere of the city. The vibe is calmer and more relaxing than Bangkok, so taking your time and enjoying a massage in Chiang Mai will keep you in the overall atmosphere of the city.
I went to Calm Massage and Spa (Fern Forest branch) for a back and face treatment. The staff welcomed me with a refreshing drink and a small questionnaire to get some insight into what I expected (any pain, pressure to be used…). Then, I got a foot massage before heading upstairs for my main massage. The place was really cozy and the whole experience was very relaxing. The masseuse was attentive to my needs and often asked if the pressure was ok, so truly a 10 out of 10 experience ! The massage also ended with a hot drink and a little snack, which is always a plus !
💡Quick tip n°1 : Quick tip n°1 : if you are not used to Thai massages, ask for the lightest pressure. Thai massage is quite vigorous, so if you are sensitive, don’t hesitate to emphasise it to the masseuse taking care of you.
💡Quick tip n°2 : you may feel quite tired after the massage, so choose an evening rather than a morning slot if you want to enjoy your day fully !
You have reached the end of these 3 days in Chiang Mai, hope you found everything you need for your trip ! You can check out my other posts here :
