Last Updated on seventh March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Located within the northern space of Thailand, Chiang Mai is a really inexpensive vacation spot and a improbable place to go to throughout a visit to Southeast Asia. Here’s your good 3 days in Chiang Mai itinerary that will help you plan your subsequent Thailand journey!
Egypt is simple to achieve from the capital Bangkok in addition to from a number of of the unimaginable islands in southern Thailand. Moreover, you can even simply fly to Chiang Mai from different Asiatic international locations.
Home to millennial traditions and symbolic festivals, life in Chiang Mai is easy, inexpensive, and laid again. In sheer distinction, Chiang Mai has just lately develop into the place to be for digital nomads searching for an inexpensive way of life.
In reality, Chiang Mai is full of improbable co-working areas, handy lodging, nice climate, and tremendous high-speed web. All the stuff you want for a profitable distant work profession.
If you’re visiting this beautiful metropolis throughout your longer Thailand journey, don’t miss all you are able to do in Chiang Mai in three days for a improbable time!
This 3-day Chiang Mai itinerary begins with a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai worldwide airport. Even although additionally it is doable to reach on the town by practice or bus, the journey takes for much longer and it’s fairly tiring. Several native low-cost airways provide the route Bangkok-Chiang Mai at fairly inexpensive charges.
Is 3 days sufficient time in Chiang Mai?
If you take pleasure in seeing numerous sights at a reasonably quick tempo, sampling native delicacies, and attending to know the native nightlife, then 3 days is the proper period of time to see the town.
Spend any much less time and also you’ll threat leaving feeling such as you want you had opted to spend somewhat extra time within the largest metropolis in northern Thailand. If you’re planning an extended journey to Thailand, take a look at our strategies for methods to spend 3 days in Bangkok.
Where to remain in Chiang Mai
To higher discover the town and its many sights, it’s a good suggestion to remain throughout the limits of Chiang Mai Old City. These are the locations I like to recommend.
- Vieng Mantra Hotel: Boutique lodging in Chiang Mai, solely a 5-minute stroll to Thapae Gate. The resort provides an out of doors pool and a restaurant whereas the rooms are snug and have a personal balcony. Check costs and availability right here.
- OYO 899 Villa De Hun: This a fairly an inexpensive place to remain in Chiang Mai lower than 1 km from Three Kings Monument. The place is a three-star resort that includes a bar and easy however well-appointed rooms solely meters from the middle of the outdated metropolis. Check costs and availability right here.
What to Do in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 3 Days
Day 1: Tour of the Local Temples
There are over 300 temples scattered round Chiang Mai whereas among the most stunning or well-known are contained in the outdated metropolis.
Going temple-hoping generally is a tiring expertise so we are going to restrict our journey to a few totally different temples you could discover in the course of the morning, don’t plan a lot for the afternoon because the go to typically extends greater than you think about and you may additionally use a part of the afternoon to discover these fascinating spiritual websites.
Important tip: Not each temple provides the likelihood to borrow or lease a cover-up (sarong or scarf). Even when the climate tends to be extraordinarily scorching in northern Thailand, don’t forget that protecting ought to and legs beneath the knee is a should when visiting a Buddhist temple, so do respect the traditions and hold a pair of sunshine lengthy pants and a shawl on your shoulders rolled inside your daypack.
Start by heading to Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple within the metropolis and one of the crucial enticing with its spectacular gold stupa with historic elephants carved on its floor. The temple is surrounded by Buddha statues certainly one of which is the native’s place of prayer when asking for rain earlier than the Songkran pageant.
The second must-visit temple is Wat Chedi Luang, a conventional pilgrimage place for vacationers as it’s the greatest temple in Chiang Mai. Its most spectacular function is a big staircase with water serpent statues on either side.
If you’ve been to Bangkok, you have got most likely seen the statue of the Emerald Buddha within the Grand Palace. That small however fascinating jade statue comes from this temple up to now.
After a fast cease for lunch within the heart, the following monastery you’ll be able to go to is the Monastery of the Lion Buddha, or – based on its official identify – Wat Phra Singh. This monastic advanced dates again to the fourteenth century and it options a number of Buddha statues that provide improbable photograph alternatives.
Coffee Shops
Why not attempt to delve into the native tradition by doing one of many favourite issues each locals and guests take pleasure in? Go for a espresso!
In the final years, espresso retailers have popped up just like the plague all around the metropolis. They are good assembly locations and must-visit stops for digital nomads.
For simply an inexpensive cup of espresso, these working remotely will be capable of spend hours having fun with the perks of extremely quick Internet, but additionally networking and assembly folks from all around the world!
Prices are so inexpensive that you simply won’t simply take pleasure in one (or two) cups of refreshing iced espresso. You can bask in scrumptious waffles, pancakes, ice cream, and muffins for extremely low-cost charges.
Chiang Mai’s Night Market
No go to to Thailand is full with out exploring a avenue market. And it s an evening market, even higher! In Chiang Mai, aside from purchasing at extremely low costs something from meals to garments and souvenirs, these are one of the best place to seek out scrumptious Thai avenue meals.
Just like in different cities within the nation, there may be a couple of extra evening market to discover… you’ll be able to even go to a unique one daily of your keep and… dinner is solved!
My favourite evening market on the town is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, though it’s typically very busy and overcrowded, it’s nonetheless certainly one of my favourite markets within the metropolis. And because the locals wish to say, you haven’t been to Chiang Mai in the event you haven’t seen the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.
With over 100 stalls, the place is an thrilling journey. Most guests ignore that this can be a really historic spot, because it stands on the junction of a historic commerce route linking Myanmar, Laos, and China.
In reality, it’s believed that the market originated as a hub for caravans dealing priced merchandise, comparable to jewels, silk, and wooden, but additionally cigarettes and opium.
Day 2: Doi Suthep, the Temple, and the Mountain
Set up your alarm clock early to spend a protracted day exploring one of the crucial unimaginable locations in Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep. Considered an unmissable vacation spot inside any Chiang Mai itinerary, the improbable temple often called Was Phra That Doi Suthep stands on the highest of Doi Suthep Mountain at a powerful 5,400 meters above the ocean.
Looking down over Chiang Mai, that is one of the best place for probably the most unimaginable views of the town and close by lush forests. Built again within the thirteenth century, the temple is among the many oldest within the nation. The place can be thought of a really holy web site in Thailand.
The finest strategy to go to the temple is with a day journey that additionally consists of different actions on the best way or again from the temple, probably the most handy ones are these:
- Doi Suthep & Hmong Hill Tribe Village: This is a really inexpensive tour that features additionally an fascinating additional go to. During the day, you’ll go to the sacred temple and climb up the mountain for panoramic views from the stupa. Right after, additionally, you will discover the Baan Dog Put village contained in the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Here you’ll go to the Hmong hill tribe and study their colourful costumes and handicraft traditions. Check costs and availability right here.
- Doi Suthep, Wat Umong & Wat Pha Lat Sunrise Small-Group Tour: This is an interesting expertise that you simply don’t need to miss. Starting very early within the morning, you will notice the solar rising from the golden pagoda at Doi Suthep and discover the 700-year-old temple of Wat U-Mong. Check costs and availability right here.
Thai Massage
After a protracted day visiting temples, mountain climbing, and exploring a excessive mountain, you’ll actually be exhausted as soon as again at your resort. Well, this implies the time has arrived to take pleasure in an genuine Thai therapeutic massage!
Massages in Chiang Mai are extraordinarily inexpensive and completely skilled, whereas most therapeutic massage homes in Chiang Mai additionally donate a part of their earnings to close by charities or communities, and on this means, in addition they help small native causes.
Finish this exhausting day at a cool rooftop bar sipping a neighborhood beer or a elaborate cocktail whereas assembly the locals. Just as with espresso retailers, fancy pubs and bars flourish all around the metropolis and are open till fairly late at evening
Day 3: Thai Food
Legendary flavors, spicy and pungent sauces, and extremely scrumptious, are among the traits of Thai meals. And nothing appears to be totally different relating to Chiang Mai delicacies.
One of the issues you need to strive throughout your go to is Khao Soi, an iconic spicy cooked throughout Northern Thailand that mixes noodles, meat, and herbs simmered in a coconut milk broth and which are then topped with crispy noodles, a squeeze of lime, or pickled cabbage.
The finest strategy to be taught to arrange this delicacy is by signing up for a neighborhood cooking class that, to make it much more enjoyable, additionally features a market tour to buy the components earlier than hitting the kitchen.
However, if cooking isn’t your precedence and nonetheless need to strive the dish, be happy to order it in any restaurant contained in the outdated metropolis. Locals swear by the Khao Soi served at Khao Soi Khun Yai, a small eatery on the north facet of the Old Town.
Learning to Cook Authentic Thai
The place has restricted serving hours (from 10 am to 2 pm), so why not strive Khao Soi for breakfast earlier than heading to your cooking class?
This Authentic Thai Cooking Class and Farm Visit is the proper strategy to spend your final afternoon on the town. Other than studying about the most well-liked dishes of northern Thai delicacies, the category covers the preparation of different dishes well-known all around the nation.
This consists of Tom Yum Koong, and Pad Thai, in addition to standard curries and all the go to takes 4-6 hours. Check costs and availability right here.
Instead, in the event you choose a extra eclectic exercise, this tour provides nothing however an unmissable expertise. Known because the Lanna Food Tour by Songthaew Truck, this unimaginable afternoon tour consists of over 15 tastings across the streets and the markets of Chiang Mai on a personal songthaew truck tour.
During the expertise, you’ll be taken on a yummy culinary expertise by your foodie information whereas additionally studying concerning the components that go into Northern Thai delicacies. In the meantime, you’ll snack on loads of Northern Thai classics.
The dishes you’ll strive embrace khao soi curry with crispy noodles, chili jam, pickled greens, spatchcocked rooster cooked on scorching charcoal, som tum papaya salads and sticky rice, and lemongrass-stuffed sausages, and much more!
The improbable meals expertise ends within the stylish Nimmanhaemin district the place you’ll be able to go for a drink and a few music after the tour and end your Chiang Mai expertise the identical means the locals do.
So there you have got it, three full days in Chiang Mai with probably the most iconic components of its wealthy traditions: a tremendous outdated metropolis, historic temples, improbable markets, hip espresso tradition, and distinctive delicacies. Do you want the rest?
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Gabi Ancarola is a journalist and journey author who has lived over 20 years in Italy, and has been dwelling in Crete for the final 5 years. She hosts culinary excursions, interprets and writes for her Crete journey weblog The Tiny Book. She’s written for Greek Reporter and printed a number of journey guides about Greece.