Frequently Asked Questions about traveling to Chiang Mai

FAQ Chiang Mai - Questions and Answers

Here, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions people have when planning a trip to Chiang Mai. We provide brief responses. To learn more, we invite you to explore all our pages about Chiang Mai to get comprehensive and detailed information.

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• What are the main temples to visit in Chiang Mai?
• Where to stay in Chiang Mai: which neighborhoods should you choose?
• How to get around Chiang Mai?
• What excursions to do around Chiang Mai?
• When is the best time to visit Chiang Mai?
• What festivals take place in Chiang Mai?
• How to get to Chiang Mai?

What are the main temples to visit in Chiang Mai?

There are over 300 temples in Chiang Mai. You obviously won't be able to visit them all, but here are the most unmissable ones!

• Wat Phra That Doi Suthep perched on the mountain overlooking the city.
• Wat Chedi Luang, in the city's historic center, known for its immense ruined chedi.
• Wat Phra Singh, a magnificent example of Lanna architecture.
• A slightly more secret temple, hidden in the forest near the bottom of Doi Suthep, you can discover it here.

And to discover more places, visit the page on all things to do in Chiang Mai

Where to stay in Chiang Mai: which neighborhoods should you choose?

For a first visit to Chiang Mai, the central square, sometimes called the old town, or just next to it, seems to me to be the best place to choose your hotel because it is in this square that you will find the main interesting temples and also many hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bars, massage parlors, etc.

Here you will find our hotel recommendations in Chiang Mai

How to get around Chiang Mai?

Transportation options in Chiang Mai are numerous and varied, and are not limited to the famous red cars. Here are the most commonly used by tourists:

• Red songthaews (collective pickup trucks): the red cars that constantly circulate around the city and are hailed as they pass. They can also be privatized.
• Tuk-tuks: practical, typical, but more expensive.
• Taxis: there aren't many of them in circulation, but there are always some at the airport, the Arcade Bus Terminal, and in the train station parking lot.
• Taxi and ride-hailing apps: like Grab, the Asian equivalent of Uber, Bolt, or InDrive.
• Scooter rentals are available from many shops and some hotels or guesthouses. Be careful, however, to read this article on renting a scooter in Thailand beforehand to make sure you're compliant and well-insured. Every year, there are tragedies and online fundraisers to fund the treatment of injured tourists.

You'll find more detailed information, including bus information, in this article on transport in Chiang Mai

What excursions to do around Chiang Mai?

The choice of excursions, activities, and courses is vast in Chiang Mai. For us, the absolute must-do's during your stay in the city are:

• Experience an immersion stay with the Karen in a mountain village. You'll be immersed in their simple, rural life surrounded by nature for a timeless moment of sharing.
• A Thai cooking class: there's only one French school, but a wide selection of English-speaking schools.
• Get a massage: Chiang Mai has excellent massage parlors and spas.
• Take a trek in the mountains: if possible, spend the night in the mountains. During the rice season, we recommend this overnight trek in the rice terraces.
• Encounter elephants ethically, avoiding any camps that offer elephant rides or trained elephant shows.

Here you'll find our selection of tried and tested excursions in Chiang Mai.

When is the best time to visit Chiang Mai?

While you'll find many people advising you against visiting Chiang Mai during the rainy season, we believe there's a time, also the beginning of the rice-growing season, when the province is at its most beautiful, and the rains are generally punctual and not so disruptive: from July to mid-August. Otherwise, here are some of the weather trends in Chiang Mai:

• November to February: Cool and dry climate, very little rain, especially from December onwards. On the other hand, there's also the burning season, which generally runs from mid-February to mid-April, which brings peaks in PM2.5 pollution and, for my part, can't be considered the ideal period, as is often stated.
• March-April: Very hot season and "smog" period (pollution due to agricultural burning).
• May to October: Rainy season, but lush nature and rice season from July to early November (for me, the best time!). Tropical storms and heavy downpours with possible flooding from late August to late October.

What festivals take place in Chiang Mai?

There are many festivals and celebrations in Chiang Mai each year. We feature many of them in the Festivals in Thailand section, but here are the three most important:

• Yi Peng & Loy Krathong: lantern festival in the sky and on the water. Its date varies as it is calculated according to the lunar calendar, but it is generally in November.
• The Songkran Festival marks the Thai New Year with giant water fights, parades in the city, and religious ceremonies. It generally lasts from April 12th to 15th.
• The Chiang Mai Flower Festival with its grand parade, concerts, competitions, and flowerbeds. It takes place the first weekend of February (Friday to Sunday)

How to get to Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is easily accessible from Bangkok and other major cities. You can get to Chiang Mai by public transport:

• By plane: Several daily flights connect Bangkok to Chiang Mai (approximately 1 hour 15 minutes). There are also direct connections to Phuket, Krabi, or Udon Thani.
• By train: A scenic journey from Bangkok, but slow and long (about ten hours), so I recommend the overnight sleeper train (booking well in advance is recommended).
• By bus: Many companies operate the Bangkok – Chiang Mai route (9 to 11 hours), and the city is also connected to many other destinations in the North, Northeast, and Central Thailand by bus.

You'll find all the options and schedules on the transportation to Chiang Mai