3 Days in Chiang Mai & The Best Way to Spend Them
Of everywhere I’ve travelled in Thailand, Chiang Mai was my favourite. It’s a slower pace than high-energy Bangkok, yet it’s still an active city with plenty to see and do. The Old City is incredibly walkable, filled with temples, world-class coffee shops, and outstanding food. If you’ve only got 3 days in Chiang Mai, then this guide is for you.
It’s a popular destination for travellers, especially those taking the sleeper train from Bangkok, and it absolutely deserves a spot on your itinerary.
I have a real frustration with travel guides that advertise “3 days in [Place]”, but neglect to tell you that you need an extra day either side for arrival or departure. I’ve written this travel guide assuming you may well only have 3 days in Chiang Mai, arriving and leaving on days 1 and 3.
How Long Do You Need in Chiang Mai?
So is 3 days in Chiang Mai enough? Honestly, it’s the minimum I’d suggest. When I visited Chiang Mai, I spent just shy of a week there and I could have easily stayed for 2 or 3. It was by far my favourite place in Thailand, and a great place to just…exist for awhile.
If you’re on holiday from a stressful job, into slow travel, or have the time to spare, I’d really recommend more than 3 days in Chiang Mai. However, if you’re trying to see as much of Thailand as your annual leave will allow, then 3 days in Chiang Mai is enough to scratch the surface, introduce you to the city, and leave you wanting more.
I’ve written this guide with that time constraint in mind, and what I’d recommend to anyone who only has three days to spare – I’m not going to give you a checklist that you’ll burn yourself out completing, it’s how I’d spend 3 days in Chiang Mai myself and actually leave enough breathing room to enjoy it.
Day 1: Arrival and Chiang Mai Introduction
Arrival
If you’re taking the sleeper train up from Bangkok, you’ll be arriving early in the morning, usually between 6-7am. Your first stop should be your hotel. You’ll be too early to check in unless you arranged a super early check in or booked the night before, but you can leave your bags at reception and head out to enjoy your first day in the city.
Morning
After you’ve dropped your bags off, head out into the Old City. If your energy levels are running low, find a coffee shop and get perked up for the day. I like Akha Ama in the Old City, but there are over 500 places to choose from dotted around the city, most of them independent businesses.
Get a good breakfast into you once places start to open. You might find something that looks good in a coffee shop, but my first Chiang Mai meal was at Pure Vegan Heaven, and if you’re plant based like me, then it’s the ideal brunch-y type spot.
Once you’re refuelled, the best thing you can do to to kick off your 3 days in Chiang Mai is a walking tour. You’ll get to meet the city with a local guide, learn more about the history, the culture, and make a note of spots you want to come back to.
Walking Tours in Chiang Mai
This is the walking tour that we did on our first morning in Chiang Mai, and I highly recommend it. It ended up being just me, my husband, and our guide Jen. The tour focused on the temples around the Old City, and we were lucky enough to be there on the day of the Chiang Mai flower festival.
If you’re more of a foodie, pick a food tour of the city – you’ll still get an introduction to the city, but with the added flavours of northern Thailand.
Note: If the tour you choose involves temples, you’ll need to have your shoulders and knees covered. A scarf in your backpack can be handy to cover up. You’ll also need to take your shoes off when you enter temples, so easy on/off shoes are encouraged.
Lunch
After the walking tour, it’s time to pause for lunch. Chiang Mai is an incredibly easy place to find a good meal. If you’re a fellow vegan, I’ve got my top picks in this post.
If you’re not hungry, or the travel tiredness is hitting you, then there’s nothing wrong with heading back to your hotel for a shower and a nap. If you’ve only got 3 days in Chiang Mai, it can be tempting to try cram everything in, and if you’ve got the energy for that, then more power to you. But the most important thing is that you actually enjoy your holiday, and if that means taking a few hours out to recharge, go for it.
Afternoon
This is where I’d advise you to keep it slow. When I took the overnight train, I was kept up most of the night by people scrolling Tiktok loudly and a cacophony of snoring. I was grateful for a slow afternoon because it meant I had enough energy to enjoy the evening.
Chiang Mai is also the perfect city to go slow. At this point, you could:
- Find another coffee shop
- Go get a massage
- Explore more of the Old City and get some great photos of the temples
- Chill by your hotel pool
Evening
Southeast Asia truly comes alive at night. The days can get intensely hot, so it’s after dark that the cities truly shine, and Chiang Mai is no exception. The sun goes down, the bars open, the night market sellers set up their stalls, and the streets are bustling and alive.
Tonight, for your first night in Chiang Mai, you’re going to visit one of the night markets.
There are a couple of different types, and two I loved were:
- The regular night market: Chiang Mai Night Bazaar on Chang Khlan Road running every night from 5:00 PM to midnight.
- Weekend night markets: The Saturday Walking Street is one of the biggest, on Wua Lai Road every Saturday from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. This is where you’ll find local crafts, silverwork, gifts, on-street massage, snacks, and a great atmosphere.
If your day 1 is on a Saturday, choose the Walking Street market on Wua Lai Road, as it’ll be your only chance to visit. Otherwise, the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is my top recommendation. The streets are lined with stalls, and you can easily spend an hour wandering through them all.
Also around the Night Bazaar, you’ll find plenty of bars and restaurants. Our favourite was The Kalae Bar, a simple local place overlooking the market and the streets. We sat there sipping Chang, playing Connect-4, and watching the market and all the bustle around us – and it’s one of my favourite Chiang Mai memories.
Day 2: Temples & Tastebuds
Morning: Visit Doi Suthep
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is probably the most famous temple in Chiang Mai, and it’s the one I’d prioritise if you have three days in the area. The temple sits on the slopes of Doi Suthep mountain, around 15km from central Chiang Mai, at roughly 1,000m above sea level.
Make this your morning activity on your second day, before the true heat of the day sets in.
The easiest way to visit Doi Suthep.
While you can get a cab out of the city, and go explore yourself, the easiest way to visit this historic temple is with a tour.
This tour collects you from the city and takes you out to Doi Suthep. It’s surprisingly affordable, probably not much more than you’d pay for a taxi, but you get the added bonus of having a local, knowledgeable guide.
Lunch
Once you get back into the city from your visit to Doi Suthep, take a break for lunch, shopping, coffee, or a quick power nap. Your afternoon is going to be centred around a cooking class, so if you eat, eat light.
Afternoon: Experience a Chiang Mai Cooking Class
Chiang Mai is famous for its food scene, and a cooking class is one of the best ways to learn and appreciate the flavours of northern Thailand for yourself. Even if you’re not someone who spends hours in the kitchen at home, there’s something very different and very satisfying about learning firsthand what goes into the food you’ve been enjoying around the city.
Because my husband are vegan, we took May Kaidee’s cooking class and I’ve written about our experience here.
If you’re looking for some other options, here are some great picks:
- Cooking class at an organic farm. You’ll pick out your own ingredients at a local market, before returning back to the farm to learn five traditional Thai dishes.
- Away Chiang Mai’s plant based class. This is actually the hotel I stayed in in Chiang Mai. If May Kaidee is sold out, or you just want another plant based option, this would be my choice.
- The Rice Barn Cooking Class. This class, like the first one, takes place on a farm and includes a market visit. You’ll be given a booklet of recipes to take away, and the class includes pick up and drop off from the city. Vegetarians can be accommodated upon request – good option for mixed groups.
Evening
Again, if your trip falls on a weekend, I’d strongly recommend spending the evening at the Walking Street market that’s open on Saturdays.
Otherwise, how you spend your evening really depends on your energy levels. Admittedly, I had longer than 3 days in Chiang Mai, so it was easier to justify taking the evenings easy, but it was the slow walks through the markets, beers at roadside bars, and just generally soaking up the atmosphere that were my favourite parts of my stay.
Since you’ve only got 3 days in Chiang Mai, if you want to maximise your time, I’d pick one of these activities for your evening:
Evening Tours in Chiang Mai
- Tuktuk tour of temples and street food. Yeah I know, you’re probably going to be stuffed after a cooking class. As much as street food is part of the tour, however, the real joy is speeding through the city after dark on a tuktuk. I did similar in Bangkok, and it’s so much fun. It’s also a great way to meet fellow travellers if you’re travelling solo.
- Attend a Muay Thai fight. Chiang Mai has a long standing history with the sport, and it’s a great place to go see a fight. Some of the bigger Muay Thai fights can be pretty expensive, so this activity is suprisingly affordable.
- Pub Crawl. Thailand is famous for its nightlife. While you can easily wander from bar to bar yourself, this pub crawl has already mapped out the itinerary for you, and it’s a good way to meet fellow travellers on a night out.
Day 3: Markets, food & a slower side of Chiang Mai
For the last of your 3 days in Chiang Mai, what you do really depends on what time you’re leaving. I’ve deliberately structured Day 3 as a slower, easier day. You had a full on day on day 2, so keeping day 3 slow means you can pick and choose what you do and what works for your departure time.
If you’re staying for longer than 3 days in Chiang Mai, then I would use this part of the itinerary for your departure day, but skip to the More than 3 Days in Chiang Mai section to plan your full day.
Morning: Checkout and Market Visit
If you’re leaving today, your morning is likely going to be spent repacking your bags, having breakfast in the hotel, and checking out. If you don’t have to depart until the evening, stash your bags at the hotel reception.
Once you’re sorted, head out to Warorot Market (Kad Luang). It’s one of the biggest in Northern Thailand, and even if you’re not looking for anything in particular, it’s worth a wander this morning.
Late Morning: Ping River and Wat Ket Area
After a visit to the market, take a stroll along the Ping River. By this point in your Chiang Mai visit, you’ve explored markets, temples, and food. The area along the Ping River gives you something different: old wooden buildings, cafés, shops and a more relaxed feel.
Lunch
Take a break for lunch and grab a bowl of Khao Soi or some other Northern Thai specialities. For my plant based friends, I’ve got my favourite Chiang Mai vegan spots here. Regardless of your diet, find somewhere that looks great for lunch and take your time lingering over the flavours. After yesterday’s cooking class, maybe you’ve got some favourite dishes you want to revisit, or a new appreciation for the cuisine.
Afternoon: Choose Your Own Chiang Mai
Once you’ve had your fill of lunch, the afternoon is up to you. If you’re leaving tonight, there may be some places you wanted to revisit – I know my last day is usually when I have a list of places I want to go back to and photograph.
Here are my top picks:
- Option 1: Revisit the Old City. Pay a return visit to some favourite temples, get some photos of the old town, pick up last minute souvenirs.
- Option 2: Visit Nimman for a more modern neighbourhood. You’ll find galleries, coffee shops, and a thriving community of remote workers who’ve made Chiang Mai their adopted home.
- Option 3: Pure chill afternoon. Get a massage, get your nails done, hang out by the hotel pool, and genuinely do nothing but relax. If you’re someone who gets stressed about travel, this is a nice option before heading on tonight.
Evening: Departure
If you’re heading onwards this evening, it’s time to go collect your bags from the hotel and bid farewell to beautiful Chiang Mai. The last three days in the city have been a quick, whistlestop tour of what it has to offer, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably already thinking about how you could spend longer here.
Travel onwards with a full stomach, gorgeous camera roll, and three days of great memories.
More Than 3 Days in Chiang Mai?
If you’re staying in Chiang Mai for longer, then great choice. As much as 3 days in Chiang Mai is better than not seeing it at all, I really do think its the type of place that deserves a longer stay.
If you’re someone who’s into slow travel, then you don’t really need a plan at this point: fill your days with good food, market wandering, and picking out different neighbourhoods to explore.
However, if you want to get the most out of your time, then this is where day trips really shine. I’ve deliberately left them out of the core 3 days in Chiang Mai itinerary – there’s no point in bringing you to a city only to send you back out again. But for longer stays, Chiang Mai is an excellent base to explore further afield.
Day Trips from Chiang Mai
One of the most common things you’ll see come up when searching for day trips is trips to elephant sanctuaries. Not every “sanctuary” is what it seems, and there are many that prioritise tourist revenue over the actual wellbeing of the animals.
I visited a sanctuary, Elephant Nature Park, during my time in Chiang Mai. It’s one of the top rated, shows up on lists of genuinely ethical sanctuaries, and yet I still have mixed feelings about the whole thing. You can read about my experience here, but I encourage you to do your own research and decide if it’s right for you.
Chiang Rai
One thing I would recommend without hesitation is a day trip to Chiang Rai. It’s a long day out on the road, but you’ll see some of the most incredible, artistic, unique temples, and get to see another side to Northern Thailand.
We did this private tour, and while it’s more expensive than group tours, it worked for our dates, and our guide, Mr. Max was the loveliest human. He stopped at the side of the road multiple times to buy fresh, local fruits and snacks for us to try, and even pulled over in the middle of a rainstorm to buy umbrellas for us to use. On top of that, he took a load of photos and videos of us, and sent them to us after the tour. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
If you do the same tour we did, then the only things I’d do differently are:
- Skip the Karen village visit (sometimes called “long neck villages”).
- It felt deeply uncomfortable and performative. The ‘village’ is clearly set up for tourists, with women from the Karen tribe sitting at stalls, weaving or selling local crafts. I didn’t feel as though there was enough information on the Karen people, or a way to truly learn about or communicate with the people there – instead, it felt like walking through, gawking at other human beings.
- The Baan Dam Museum was a lot cooler than I expected, and I wish we’d given it more time.
- It’s a private art museum, housed in some of the most stunning wooden buildings – and it’s home to a bunch of rescued cats that you can feed and donate to. We spent so long at some of the temples that we were pressed for time by the time we got here.
We also chose to skip the Lalitta Cafe, as there was nothing vegan on the menu online. No regrets, but eat a good breakfast if you’re going to do the same.
If you’re travelling solo, and the private tour is too pricey for one, this is a good second option – it’s more expensive than tours within Chiang Mai, but when you consider you’re travelling about 180 km out, it makes sense.
Where to Stay in Chiang Mai?
If you’re vegan, head straight to my vegan stays post where I’ve rounded up all of the vegan hotels and vegan-friendly stays in the city.
Otherwise, because you’ve only got 3 days in Chiang Mai, I’d focus on staying central. Staying around the Old City means you can make the most of your time, and easily get back to your hotel if the heat of the day wipes you out and you need a quick recharge.
I’ve picked out some of the best stays in the Old City below.
Budget
A well-rated hostel in the heart of the Old City. If you want the social atmosphere of a hostel, but need your own space, they’ve got very affordable private rooms, as well as great priced dorm rooms.
Mid Range
This is where I booked on my first trip to Thailand. It’s a 2 minute walk from the Sunday Walking Street market. Right in the middle of the Old City, with a pool and affordable rooms.
Luxury
A five star hotel within the walls of the Old City. Spa, restaurant, and swimming pool onsite.
