Chiang Mai itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Chiang Mai, day by day: Wat Phra Singh, the zoo and Doi Suthep with Bhubing Palace first, then the old-city temples of Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Chiang Man with the National Museum, and the Night Safari, Wat Suan Dok and the forest temple of Wat Umong as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Chiang Mai in 1 day
Day 1
Wat Phra Singh
The old city's most revered temple, home to the Phra Singh Buddha and the finely carved Lai Kham chapel.
Chiang Mai Zoo
Large hillside zoo at the foot of Doi Suthep with a large aquarium tunnel, wide grounds and a shuttle tram.
Bhubing Palace
Royal winter residence on Doi Suthep with formal rose gardens open to visitors when the royals are away.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Mountain temple with a golden chedi reached by a 306-step naga staircase, overlooking the city.
Chiang Mai in 2 days
Day 1
Wat Phra Singh
The old city's most revered temple, home to the Phra Singh Buddha and the finely carved Lai Kham chapel.
Chiang Mai Zoo
Large hillside zoo at the foot of Doi Suthep with a large aquarium tunnel, wide grounds and a shuttle tram.
Bhubing Palace
Royal winter residence on Doi Suthep with formal rose gardens open to visitors when the royals are away.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Mountain temple with a golden chedi reached by a 306-step naga staircase, overlooking the city.
Day 2
Tribal Museum
Highland People Discovery Museum in Suan Luang Rama IX park, covering the hill tribes of northern Thailand.
Chiang Mai National Museum
Museum on the history and art of the Lanna kingdom, from prehistory to the present.
Wat Chiang Man
Chiang Mai's oldest temple, founded around 1296, with an elephant-buttressed chedi and two revered Buddha images.
Wat Chedi Luang
Temple built around a huge ruined 15th-century chedi damaged by an earthquake, in the heart of the old city.
Wat Sri Suphan
Buddhist temple known as the Silver Temple, whose ordination hall is covered in intricate silver-coloured metalwork; best seen lit up at night.
Ban Ho Mosque
Mosque of the Chinese Hui Muslim community near the Night Bazaar, with good halal Yunnanese food nearby.
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
Large evening market on Chang Khlan Road east of the old city, selling handicrafts, clothing, souvenirs and street food.
Chiang Mai in 3 days
Day 1
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Mountain temple with a golden chedi reached by a 306-step naga staircase, overlooking the city.
Bhubing Palace
Royal winter residence on Doi Suthep with formal rose gardens open to visitors when the royals are away.
Wat Suan Dok
14th-century temple with a large white chedi and rows of royal tombs, west of the old city.
Chiang Mai National Museum
Museum on the history and art of the Lanna kingdom, from prehistory to the present.
Wat Chiang Man
Chiang Mai's oldest temple, founded around 1296, with an elephant-buttressed chedi and two revered Buddha images.
Day 2
Wat Sri Suphan
Buddhist temple known as the Silver Temple, whose ordination hall is covered in intricate silver-coloured metalwork; best seen lit up at night.
Wat Chedi Luang
Temple built around a huge ruined 15th-century chedi damaged by an earthquake, in the heart of the old city.
Wat Phra Singh
The old city's most revered temple, home to the Phra Singh Buddha and the finely carved Lai Kham chapel.
Wat Umong
Forest temple with ancient meditation tunnels under a chedi and peaceful grounds near Doi Suthep.
Chiang Mai Zoo
Large hillside zoo at the foot of Doi Suthep with a large aquarium tunnel, wide grounds and a shuttle tram.
Chiang Mai Night Safari
Night zoo with tram rides among free-ranging animals and evening shows; go after dark.
Day 3
Doi Inthanon National Park
National park around Thailand's highest mountain, with waterfalls, cloud forest trails and the twin royal pagodas near the summit.
Ban Ho Mosque
Mosque of the Chinese Hui Muslim community near the Night Bazaar, with good halal Yunnanese food nearby.
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
Large evening market on Chang Khlan Road east of the old city, selling handicrafts, clothing, souvenirs and street food.
Watch: Chiang Mai
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Chiang Mai
November to February is the cool, dry season and the best time to visit, with sunny days and cool nights. March and April are hot and hazy, when farm burning often causes poor air quality, and the rainy season from about June to October brings heavy showers. The Yi Peng lantern festival coincides with Loy Krathong, usually in November.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Chiang Mai on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Chiang Mai on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Chiang Mai on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Chiang Mai with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Thailand from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Chiang Mai with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Chiang Mai
- Dress modestly for temples and the palace: shoulders and knees covered; Bhubing Palace lends or rents cover-ups at the gate.
- Use Grab or Bolt, or shared red songthaew trucks, to reach Doi Suthep; agree the fare before boarding a songthaew.
- Bhubing Palace usually admits visitors until about 15:30 and closes when the royal family is in residence; go before Doi Suthep or in the morning.
- Burning season (roughly February to April) brings heavy smoke and poor air; November to January is the coolest, driest time.
- The Sunday Walking Street on Ratchadamnoen Road and the Saturday market on Wualai Road are the best evening markets.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Ban Ho Mosque: Iceway12 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bhubing Palace: whyyan, CC BY 2.0
- Chiang Mai National Museum: Disthan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chiang Mai Night Bazaar: calflier001, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Chiang Mai Night Safari: A.Aruninta, CC BY 2.5
- Chiang Mai Zoo: User:Love Krittaya, Public domain
- Doi Inthanon National Park: Swhemma, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tribal Museum: FredTC, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Chedi Luang: Kingkidton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Chiang Man: FredTC, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Phra Singh: FredTC, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wat Sri Suphan: Michael Jenselius from Chiang Mai, Thailand, CC BY 2.0
- Wat Suan Dok: Varutinho, Public domain
- Wat Umong: Fotograf / Photographer: Heinrich Damm ( User:Hdamm , Hdamm at de.wikipedia.org ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
