Chiang Mai on a Long Weekend – Day 1
The historical capital of the old Lanna Kingdom – Chiang Mai – is a must-visit destination of Northern Thailand. It is many traveler’s dream destination due to its pleasant weather, delicious food, beautiful temples, rich culture, and budget-friendliness. Its main attraction is the ancient city at the center, which is still surrounded by semi-preserved walls and moats. You will find magnificent sites to visit, interesting things to do, great food to eat – both inside and outside the perimeter of the ancient city. Richie and I traveled to Chiang Mai on a weekend to spend his birthday here. We immersed ourselves in the charm of this ancient city filled with bucket-list worthy experiences. Here I am going to share 25 best things that you can do here over a weekend, which includes how to get around, where to stay, what to see, what to eat, where to shop, and more.
Highlights of the Day
- Grab Taxi
- Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel
- Ayurvedic Health Center
- Free Bird Cafe
- Sightseeing by Electric Tram
- Visit Wat Phra Singh
- Wat Phan Tao
- Wat Chedi Luang
- By Hand Pizza
- Chang Phuak Food Market
1. GRAB a Taxi
Richie and I arrived Chiang Mai Airport on a Friday morning. We both GRABbed a taxi to our accommodation. GRAB is a popular South-East Asian version of Uber. I have downloaded the app as I live in Thailand and it is very popular in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The fare is often cheaper than a regular taxi service. You may try it once for its wonderful service.
2. Stay at Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel
Lanna-style hotels have become a trend in Chiang Mai. They replicate the traditional design and architecture of the long lost past of the region. Hence when in Chiang Mai, you must stay in a Lanna style accommodation. We tried something different. We chose to stay at Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel – the only Lanna-Renaissance style accommodation in Thailand, located in the center of Chiang Mai. You may consider staying here.
3. Detox Yourself in Ayurvedic Health Center
Chiang Mai is well-known for wellness retreats, yoga programs, and detox therapy vacations. Colon-cleansing is a great way to detox your body. We undertook a colon-cleansing therapy from the best detox center in Chiang Mai – Ayurvedic Health Center. It was only 500 m away from our hotel. The therapy involves gentle rinsing of the colon with warm sterile water. It helps in removing encrusted fecal matter, gas, and mucus that builds up over years of eating. This allows vital nutrients to be absorbed more readily and leaves you feeling healthy and lighter. The therapy takes around 45 min and costs ฿1,200 per session per person. I highly recommend this.
4. Smoothie Bowl at Free Bird Cafe
After a detox session, we walked around 2 km to Free Bird Cafe – which is more than just a vegan cafe. It is actually part of Thai Freedom House – a social enterprise offering education, livelihood skills, and English language skills to Burmese migrants and refugees. You must try their smoothie bowl.
5. Explore the Old City by an Electric Tram
A 12-seated hop-on-hop-off electric tram, known as Momcar, has been introduced as a completely new way to explore the Old City of Chiang Mai. There is a guide in each tram, and you can get down at any stop of your choice. There are total 20 stops, and you have to wait for about 30 min at each stop for the next tram. The ticket costs ฿250 and is valid all day. You can buy it at Wat Phra Singh and Central Plaza Airport or online. The service starts at 8.45 AM.
6. Visit the Most Beautiful Wat Phra Singh
We chose to visit only 3 major temples inside the Old City. The first one is Wat Phra Singh. Its three main structures are all stunning with their gliding rooftops, opulently curved external walls, and beautifully decorated paintings inside. The entrance fee is only ฿20 per person.
7. Visit the Charming Wat Phan Tao
Our next stop was Wat Phan Tao, meaning “temple of a thousand kilns”. It served as a throne hall for one of Chiang Mai’s Kings of Lanna Kingdom. The beauty of this wooden temple is remarkable. There is no entrance fee.
8. Visit the Famous Wat Chedi Luang
Just next to Wat Phan Tao, you will find one of the most significant temples of Chiang Mai – Wat Chedi Luang. It is known for its massive chedi, the city pillar, and its main prayer hall housing the principal Buddha image. The entrance fee is only ฿40 per person.
9. By Hand Pizza Cafe
You must head to By Hand Pizza Cafe for the best vegan pizza in Chiang Mai. After temple hopping, we went to this cozy hipster pizza cafe for a late lunch. The cafe serves a delicious selection of artfully crafted, authentic wood-fire pizzas. Presently, there are 4 vegan pizza options.
10. Chang Phuek Gate Night Market
You cannot say “no” to the street food in Thailand unless you have a really sensitive stomach. We took a short break in our hotel in the evening before heading to the Chang Phuek Gate Night Market. It was just 750 m away from our hotel. Every evening, the market sets up just outside the Chang Phuek Gate or the North Gate of the Old City. Many vendors offer a range of authentic northern Thai dishes. The food is tasty and economical. You can either eat it there or take away. For a truly authentic experience, pull up a tiny plastic chair and order your food so that you can enjoy the food there.
Chiang Mai on a Long Weekend – Day 2
We enjoyed a deep sleep on our comfortable bed in Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel. On the second day i.e. Saturday, it was Richie’s birthday. We planned to visit few more important sites of Chiang Mai, mostly outside the Old City. We had great food in different restaurants, explored night markets, and partied in the coolest nightclub. To start the day, we spent a good amount of time in the pool before having our breakfast that was already included in the hotel price. Later, we headed to Chang Phuek Gate.
Highlights of the Day
- Songthaew Ride
- Wat Doi Suthep
- Wat Suan Dok
- Pun Pun Vegetarian Slow Food
- Wat Lok Molee
- Saturday Night Market
- Israeli Food
- Chiang Mai Night Bazaar to Tha Phae Gate
- Zoe in Yellow Nightclub
- Goodsouls Kitchen
11. Wave a Songthaew Down
Riding a songthaew or red taxi or red truck is the most common way to get around Chiang Mai. You just need to wave one down the street and tell the driver where you need to go. It will just cost you ฿30 per ride per person. However, there are different rates for longer distances and late hours. The songthaew ride from Chang Phuek Gate to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep costs ฿50 per ride per person.
12. Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of Northern Thailand’s most sacred temples. The temple is housed within the beautiful Doi Suthep National Park, located further west of Chiang Mai. Do not miss overlooking the city from its mountain throne. The entrance fee is only ฿30 per person.
13. Visit Wat Suan Dok
On our way back, we asked the songthaew to drop us at Wat Suan Dok. It is located on the west outside the Old City of Chiang Mai. Wat Suan Dok literally means “flower garden temple”. The temple area was once used as a royal flower garden by the ruler of Chiang Mai. The temple is known for its large number of white-washed chedis. There is no entrance fee.
14. Pun Pun Vegetarian Slow Food Restaurant
Inside the temple complex of Wat Suan Dok, at the back side, we came across Pun Pun Vegetarian Slow Food Restaurant. They offer Isaan (north-eastern Thai) food, curries, soups, fusion wraps, salads, and local organic coffee and shakes/smoothies. They also sell local produce, bulk organic items, and more from their own farm and other local groups.
15. Visit Wat Lok Molee
After lunch, we took another songthaew to Wat Lok Molee, located just outside the wall of the Old City. It is known to hold one of the largest and most impressive chedis in Chiang Mai. There is no entrance fee.
16. Explore Saturday Night Market
After a nice afternoon nap in the hotel, we headed to the Chiang Mai Gate by a songthaew. Every Saturday, there is a lively and fun night market 1 km down the road. It is known Saturday Night Market or Wualai Walking Street. It starts in the late afternoon and continues until around 10.30 PM. Chiang Mai is famous for its multiple night markets and you must visit this one on a Saturday.
17. Try the Israeli Food in Chiang Mai
Richie and I both are huge fans of Lebanese and Israeli food. Did you know Israel is known as the Vegan Nation of the world? Starting from its street food to traditional cuisines, most of them are vegan. We love their falafel wraps and hummus with pita bread – all vegan. In Chiang Mai, I had previously tried the Gulf Restaurant and The Falafelist. I wanted to try some other place this time, so we headed to Sababa Israeli Restaurant. It is located in the Diamond Riverside Hotel close to Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.
18. Stroll from Chiang Mai Night Bazaar to Tha Phae Gate
You cannot miss visiting the main shopping center of the city – Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. Even if you are not in any mood to shop, do visit this lively market with hundreds of vendors and an absolute flood of products for sale. It is a different kind of experience altogether.
The best way to check the whole thing is to start at one end of the market and walk down the Loi Kroh Road to the Tha Phae Gate. Tha Phae Gate is an epicenter for Chiang Mai tourism, boasting multitude of hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, and massage parlors.
19. Party at Zoe in Yellow
It’s Richie’s birthday, come on, we had to hit a nightclub for sure. Richie and I headed to Zoe in Yellow – the number one party venue in Chiang Mai. It is a bar with a dance floor, surrounded by other bars each offering slightly different music, ranging from dance, hip hop, pop, techno, and reggae. It is open every evening from sunset until midnight. Drinks are very reasonable, with a cocktail costing around ฿150 Baht.
20. Best Cake from Goodsouls Kitchen
There are many vegan bakeries in Chiang Mai, my favorites are Mango and Passion-fruit Cheesecake and Chocolate Crepe Cake from Goodsouls Kitchen. It is a vegan restaurant with an interesting menu offering smoothie bowls, wraps, burgers, pastas, amazing desserts, and more. As a birthday is incomplete without a cake, I already packed one for Richie and surprised him later when we came back after the party. He loved it, surely!
Chiang Mai on a Long Weekend – Day 3
It was a great day celebrated in Chiang Mai on the occasion of Richie’s birthday, but we do not seem to take it slow. On the last day, i.e. Sunday, we still managed to do few more things in Chiang Mai. We lined up some interesting activities like getting a typical Northern Thai massage and visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary. We had breakfast in our hotel, and waited for Fah Lanna Spa to pick us up from our hotel. If you are in Chiang Mai, you cannot, in fact you must not miss these for sure!
Highlights of the Day
- Elephant Sanctuary
- Khao Soi at Reform Kafe
- Tok Sen Massage
- Vegan Heaven
- Board a Public Bus
21. Visit an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary
Elephants are notoriously exploited in Thailand. There are many elephant sanctuaries in Northern Thailand, and you have to be careful to select the ethical one. An ethical elephant sanctuary will not involve elephant riding and other abnormal activities like elephants painting, lifting logs, etc. Also, an ethical elephant sanctuary will only keep rescued elephants in an unchained condition, freely in a natural environment. There are few ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai, such as Elephant Nature Park, Maerim Elephant Sanctuary, Maeklang Elephant Conservation Community, Happy Elephant Home, BEES – Burm and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary, Ethical Elephant Sanctuary, and Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. We chose to do a half-day morning visit to Kanta Elephant Sanctuary.
22. Eating Khao Soi at Reform Kafe
You cannot really visit Chiang Mai and not have a bowl of Khao Soi. Hence, we asked the driver of Kanta Elephant Sanctuary to drop us at Reform Kafe, housed in the vegan hotel called Green Tiger House. It is the main branch of Goodsouls Kitchen, the latter being the sister branch of Reform Kafe. Their menu is fairly large including both Thai and Western dishes. However, we went there to taste the delicious and typical Northern Thai noodles called Khao Soi. The recipe of this noodles is the best-kept secret of Northern Thailand and you will not get the original version anywhere else.
23. Get Yourself a Tok Sen Massage
Glad that we had a late check-out from our hotel. After lunch, we managed to pack all our bags, check out, and keep the luggage at the reception of Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel. Shortly, the driver from Fah Lanna Spa came to pick us up. We experienced the healing power of a 60-min traditional Tok Sen massage at Chiang Mai’s award-winning Fah Lanna Spa. Tok Sen is originated in Northern Thailand as a Lanna-style massage that combines elements of traditional Thai massage with acupressure and stretching. It is known to relieve muscle aches and pains and energy blockages, and helps poor circulation and nerve problems. We needed this after this jam-packed itinerary of 3 days!
24. Smoothies and Wraps at Vegan Heaven
After the relaxing massage experience, Fah Lanna Spa dropped us at one of my favorite vegan restaurants – Vegan Heaven. I have always been here whenever I have visited Chiang Mai. Their smoothies and wraps are epic!
25. Board a Public Bus
We first went back to our hotel by a songthaew, then took our luggage from the reception of our hotel, and boarded the new and modern RTC Smart City Bus from the nearby bus stop to reach the airport. It is a new addition to the list of public transportation to get around in Chiang Mai It is also the cheapest mode of transport in the city. It covers a vast area of the city and charges a flat fare of ฿20 per ride. The buses are all air-conditioned and have free WiFi. It took us around 30 min to reach the airport.
Chiang Mai is filled with bucket-list worthy experiences. There are so many places to visit, ancient temples to marvel at, night markets to wander around, delicious vegan food to eat, ethical elephant sanctuary to visit, and massages to pamper yourself with. There are also interesting day tours from Chiang Mai that allow you to explore places like Doi Inthanon National Park, mountainous region of Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle (border of Myanmar-Laos-Thailand), and more. However, if you are visiting Chiang Mai over a long weekend, consider ticking off the 25 best things to do there!
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN THB)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Days 1-3 in Thailand – Chiang Mai.
- Taxi from Chiang Mai Airport to Hotel: 75
- Stay at Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel (2 nights) for twin-sharing: 2,000
- Getting Around: 240
- Electric Tram: 250
- Entrance Fee of Temples: 90
- Colon Cleansing: 1,200
- Elephant Sanctuary Visit: 2,000
- Tok Sen Massage: 1,500
- Food and miscellaneous: 1,500
Total expense (roughly): 8,855 THB
For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.
If you are planning for a much-organized, tastefully-curated, stress-free yet exciting vacation, consider booking your holidays at Travel Love Repeat. It is going to be a treat for sure!
Hey Shreya!!!! That’s a cool new look of your blog! Congrats on the make-over! Love it!!!!
That’s an interesting list of 25 things to do. Pingdoi Hualin hotel looks palatial. Love in renaissance style! Its absolutely luxurious!
4 vegan pizza options???? That’s a lot! Its hard to find a place with 1 vegetarian option in many places!!! I’ve had ridiculous times when a fastfood joint said they have ‘fries’, when I asked for veg options!!!
In Chiang Mai, you will get plenty of vegan options.
I was in Chiang Mai a long time ago, and don’t remember so much anymore. Saying that, I really enjoyed revisting through your post. The temples there are stunning and so is your hotel! I’ve never heard of Lanna architectural style either, so that was interesting to read about.
Lisa, time to revisit!
One of the girls I traveled Chiang Mai with was vegan, and I wish she would’ve been able to read your guide before we went! The rest of us were all big meat eaters, so we were pretty unhelpful when it came to finding vegan food. We did manage to find Free Bird Cafe, which had such a cool ambiance, but the other restaurants you highlighted seemed to be straight up her alley as well. I’ll be sending this over to her in case she’s ever back in Chiang Mai!
She will surely be excited.
I’ve heard lots about elephant sanctuaries and have always wondered which to go to. Kanta looks amazing, it must have been such a fun experience! But the street food in Asia are definitely some of my favorites. There seems to be so many options, really can’t wait for when I visit Thailand!
Come here soon, Daisy.
Wow! Chiang Mai has changed so much from the last time I visited to what it is now – at least judging from the pictures you posted! Reading your post took me back the last time I went, which was just ten years ago. I’m very much looking forward to going back considering the food recommendations you listed! Thank you, Shreya!
Glad I brought back so many memories.
These are all the things I think about when I dream of Thailand! I’ve been wanting to visit an elephant sanctuary for so long, and it’s so great to know that there are more than just one ethical destination to visit, learn about, and play with the elephants. I love love LOVE that Moroccan-style bathroom at the Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel! So much fun!
Yes Rachelle, it’s fun!
I want to do every single one of these things! Thanks for talking about the fact that not all elephant sanctuaries are ethical. That seems to be coming more and more known to travelers and hopefully someday the unethical places will no longer exist. Spreading the word it the best things we can do.
Yes, many elephant sanctuaries are nothing but torturing the poor innocent animals.
Great list! Your hotel looks amazing, what a gorgeous building! And huge yes to the elephant sanctuaries. The majority are so terrible and abuse the poor creatures. My rule of thumb is if they let you bathe or ride them, you don’t want to go there.
Glad you liked it.
Great article. We are currently in Chiang Mai and enjoying all that this Northern city has to offer. We can vouch for Grab – they are an inexpensive way to get around Chiang Mai. We love Khao Soi and over the couple of months here we have had many. You certainly packed a lot in for your weekend break! Your massage looked the perfect end to a great weekend.
Jane, where are you in Chiang Mai?
This is a great list of things to do in Chiang Mai, it’s great to bring back so many memories of our trip there. It’s good to know there is an elephant sanctuary that is worth visiting. Definitely adding this to the list for our next trip back to SE Asia.
Yes Paul, you can trust elephant sanctuaries like this, finally.
Happy to know that they have Grab in Chiang Mai. It’s all the service we use here in the Philippines. Your boutique hotel looks really nice. The facade is interesting. Will consider staying here during our next trip.
Oh cool, it’s there too?
This is definitely my kind of city. I especially love the Pingdoi Hualin Boutique Hotel, I love the architecture and that cool fountain. It really looks like a relaxing place to stay. Sign me up for those retreats too! Everything about the these pictures truly captures the amazing experiences the city has to offer.
Glad that you liked it.
Pingdoi Hualin looks so luxurious! And so does the Fah Lanna Spa. I never thought I could crave a massage and pedicure until I saw your photos. Time to book a trip to Chiang Mai!
Yes Kate, come here soon.
I must say that having visited Thailand quite a lot and missing out on Chang Mai only makes me want to visit it asap after reading your post. There is so much on offer from the Wat’s to the elephant sanctuary and the one I love Thailand most for the food. I must say that I would love to stay at the Lanna-style hotels which have become a trend in Chiang Mai and look spectacular. After a long day of walking around nothing like a thai massage to get your relaxed Thanks for sharing
Yes Amar, you and your family will love Chiang Mai.
So much do and see there! Wow, I love that hotel! It looks so nice and still high class. Trying the local foods would absolutely be on my list too when visiting Chiang Mai. It was interesting to learn about the Lanna style treatment, I have never heard of it before.
Tok Sen massage is something I highly recommend.
Hi Shreya! I love the new look of your blog. Couldnt help but click around. This post is as usual very detailed and covers all the highlights of Chiang Mai. I have never visited Thailand, but have already decided that Chiang Mai will be my favorite place when I do. Your pictures are lovely!
Yes if it’s Thailand, you got to visit Chiang Mai.
Wow …I didn’t know that you can do so much in Chiang Mai . This is a great list of things you have mentioned in the post. Thailand flaunts great architectures, food and enriching culture. I haven’t been to Chiang Mai till now and this post will be helpful whenever I plan one. I love exploring night markets and I can see one you mentioned here 🙂
There are more, but I was trying hard to keep the list to 25.
Your blog took me to a tour of Thailand.Thanks for writing such detailed blog post and sharing such amazing pictures. Keep up the good work, Cheers!!
I am glad to know.