Chiang Mai, the Heart of Thailand: My Personal Guide

Of all the places I saw on my first trip to Thailand in 2009, the only one I took with my brother, Chiang Mai, is the one I fell in love with, and the one I keep going back to. This is my personal guide to the city: how I arrived, where I stayed, the temples and experiences that stayed with me, and the honest, updated advice I’d give a friend planning the same journey today.

That first route, for the record, ran like this: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Kanchanaburi, Koh Samui, Koh Lanta. But it’s the green north, and Chiang Mai above all, that became the Thailand of my heart.

Chiang Mai at a glance

Getting there from Bangkok: the overnight sleeper train (my favourite), or a one-hour flight, and we reached Chiang Mai with the night train from Bangkok, leaving at 7.20 p.m. (€ 10 each). A journey into the journey, which treated us with a moving awakening at dawn, with a breathtaking view of the shiny green forest.

Where: northern Thailand, about 700 km north of Bangkok

Why go: the largest city in the north and the old Lanna capital, founded in 1296. Over three hundred temples, a walkable old city inside a moat, hill trekking, cooking classes and handicrafts

Best time: November to February for cool, dry, clear weather. Avoid March and April, the hot “burning season”, when farmland fires push air quality to its worst

How long: three to four nights for the city, more if you add the mountains

Getting to Chiang Mai

I chose the slowness I love when I travel and reached Chiang Mai on the night train from Bangkok. A journey within the journey, it rewarded us with a moving sunrise over a shining green forest.

Onboard, a sweet woman who spoke only Thai folded down a little table between our seats, two per side and facing one another, and handed us a menu for both dinner and breakfast. Later she brought a cold beer with crisps. At around eleven, a gentleman came through to make up our beds with clean sheets and blankets, wishing us goodnight with a wonderful, toothless smile. The one drawback was the freezing air conditioning, blasting from a vent above every bed, which is the same story on buses and minivans across the country. Judging by how everyone’s outfits evolved through the evening, I’d pack a jumper and socks, plus a good sense of humour.

An updated note for today. Since January 2023, long-distance trains no longer depart from the old Hua Lamphong station but from the vast new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, also called Bang Sue Grand Station, which is reached via the MRT Blue Line. The most comfortable overnight service is the Special Express No. 9, leaving Bangkok around 18:40 and arriving in Chiang Mai the next morning, roughly twelve to thirteen hours later, in modern air-conditioned sleeper carriages. A second-class berth costs somewhere around 800 to 1,050 baht. Book ahead through the official SRT D-Ticket site or an agency such as 12Go, because lower berths sell out weeks in advance in the cool season and around Songkran. One small sign of changing times: alcohol is now banned on Thai trains and in their stations, so the cold beer I was handed back then is a memory rather than a tip.

If time matters more than romance, a flight from Bangkok takes about an hour. But if you can spare the night, take the train.

Where to stay

We reached Chiang Mai’s elegant station a few hours late and found our host, Peter, waiting for us. Minutes later we had crossed the downtown chaos and arrived at the Secret Garden, a guesthouse run by Peter and Pai, with a twin room, a sitting room, and breakfast and dinner included. The name fitted it perfectly.

If you’re choosing a base today, two areas suit most travellers. The Old City, inside the moat, puts you within walking distance of the main temples and the walking streets, with a calm, historic feel. Nimmanhaemin, just west, is the modern, café-and-design quarter, busier and full of places to eat and work. For the warmth I remember, look for a small, family-run guesthouse or a homestay rather than a chain hotel.

What to do in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai means “new city”: it was the new capital King Mangrai founded for the Lanna kingdom in 1296. Today it’s the largest city in the north and a world unto itself, ideal for culture, trekking and shopping.

Its trail network offers endless hiking in the surrounding hills, and the area around the city is dotted with workshops and small factories of every kind. Silk is my favourite: perfect if you want clothes tailored in a few days, or souvenirs and gifts to bring home.

Because the sights and temples sit so close together, it’s easy to explore the centre on foot, with no need for transport. There are over three hundred temples in the city, and many run meditation and massage courses, some as themed stays. You’ll find course details on the spot, and guidebooks like the Guide du Routard or Lonely Planet are useful for the architectural and historical background.

Of all the sights, the one I’d never skip is Doi Suthep, on a hill a few kilometres from the old city. After the winding drive up, there are still 309 steps to climb, guarded by two majestic naga, the mythical serpents. There’s a funicular for anyone who’d rather not take the stairs. The temple is sumptuous, and from its terrace you look out over Chiang Mai and the countryside beyond.

The other temple that moved me is Wat U-Mong. It looks almost abandoned and sees few tourists, but it put me in a wonderfully peaceful mood. Its huge stupa and the monks’ quarters are wrapped in nature, among trees and streams full of giant carp and catfish, a world apart. Its tunnelled brick galleries are fascinating too, lined with hundreds of Buddha images. To my mind it’s the best place in the city to try meditation, and it runs both daily and weekly classes.

There I also solved a small mystery. Have you ever wondered how anyone manages to meditate outdoors, surrounded by clouds of insects? The answer turned out to be simple: a fine mesh canopy, a sort of tulle bell, draped over the meditator.

A cooking lesson in a Chiang Mai garden

While my brother spent an intense day out and about, I did next to nothing, very wisely. I talked with Peter about his life as a Swiss who had made Chiang Mai home, about daily routines and local traditions, and inevitably about Thai food.

I’m still not quite sure how I ended up in the kitchen with a green apron tied around my waist. Pai’s kitchen opens onto the garden, vast and colourful, and her cooking is extraordinary. She was endlessly patient, teaching me traditional Thai dishes and, just as usefully, which European ingredients I could swap in once I was back home. I’ve been sharing those recipes ever since.

A cooking class is one of the things I’d most recommend in Chiang Mai. Northern Thai food has its own character, distinct from the rest of the country: try khao soi, the curry-and-coconut noodle soup, and sai ua, the herb-packed northern sausage.

Markets: skip the Night Bazaar, find the walking streets

The one attraction in town I didn’t warm to is the Night Bazaar. There’s very little genuine about it, in my view: a vast market built for Western tourists, and not really worth your evening.

The far better option is a walking street, when a road closes to traffic and fills with stalls and food. Chiang Mai has two of its own: the Saturday Walking Street along Wualai Road, the silverware quarter, and the big Sunday Walking Street that runs the length of Ratchadamnoen in the old city. If your route takes in Lampang or Chiang Rai, both have lovely walking streets too, well worth saving your shopping for.

A word on animals and ethical travel

On that same day, my brother visited some of the animal attractions of the time, snakes and tigers among them, as well as the beautiful Sai Nam Phung orchid farm, losing himself among greenhouses of colour.

With the benefit of the years since, here’s the honest, responsible travel advice I’d add now: the tiger and captive-animal attractions of that era sit uncomfortably with me, and standards around the world have rightly moved on. If you want to encounter Thailand’s wildlife, choose an accredited ethical elephant sanctuary, the kind where you observe and help care for the animals rather than ride them, or a proper national park such as Doi Inthanon. The orchid farms and the butterfly gardens, on the other hand, are a gentle pleasure.

Practical tips before you go

• Getting around: the old city is walkable. For longer hops, flag a red songthaew, a shared pick-up truck, for a low fixed fare, or use the Grab app for clear pricing. Scooters are easy to rent if you’re confident, but remember you drive on the left and helmets are compulsory.
• Temples: cover shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off before entering. I keep a light scarf in my day bag for exactly this.
• Money: carry some cash, as smaller places and street food stalls often don’t take cards.
• Connectivity: an eSIM bought before you fly gives you data the moment you land.

Chiang Mai is a whole world, and it’s impossible not to find something to do here. It’s an essential stop in the emerald-green north, and the place in Thailand I keep returning to.

If you’d like to read more, here’s my full Thailand travel guide with practical planning advice, and a more personal piece on why Thais call their country the Land of Smiles.

FAQ

How do you get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? The two main options are the overnight sleeper train and a one-hour flight. The most comfortable train is the Special Express No. 9, which departs from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal around 18:40 and arrives in Chiang Mai the next morning, roughly 12 to 13 hours later. Book ahead, as berths sell out weeks in advance during high season.

How many days do you need in Chiang Mai? Three to four nights is enough for the old city, its temples, a cooking class and the walking streets. Add an extra night or two if you want to trek in the hills, visit Doi Inthanon National Park, or visit an ethical elephant sanctuary nearby.

What is the best time to visit Chiang Mai? November to February is the best time to visit Chiang Mai, with cool, dry, clear weather. Avoid March and April, the hot “burning season”, when agricultural fires push air quality to its worst. The green, rainy months from May to October are quieter and lush.

What are the must-see temples in Chiang Mai? The essential temple is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, on the mountain above the city, reached by 309 naga-flanked steps or a funicular, with sweeping views from its terrace. In the old city, Wat Chedi Luang and the peaceful, forested Wat U-Mong, with its tunnelled galleries, are both worth your time.

Is it ethical to see elephants and wildlife in Chiang Mai? Yes, if you choose carefully. Avoid attractions that offer elephant rides or tiger photo opportunities, and instead look for an accredited ethical elephant sanctuary where you can observe and help care for the animals, or visit a national park such as Doi Inthanon.