Although there is another post talking about Chiang Mai, in this one you will find out about the classic places to visit (but don't forget to try the three experiences I talked about too!). As you known, Chiang Mai is a big city in the north of Thailand, about 700 kilometres from Bangkok. It is surrounded by some of the highest mountains of the country and it is located next to the river Ping.
Chiang Mai has more than 300 Buddhist temples, and these are the main tourist attractions of the city that you will spend approximately one morning visiting, but I will tell you as well about a secret temple that is not as known as the others but much more exciting.
TEMPLES
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
To get to this temple you have two options: taking the cable car or walking, because you will need to go up a long staircase headed by two big snakes (it has 309 steps). At the top you can see the figure of a white elephant, some small Buddhist temples, bells, wall paintings and one big golden pagoda in the centre. In addition, the views from the top are amazing because the temple is located in a hill that is 1.676 metres tall.
Price: 50 THB (cablecar) / 30 THB (walking)
Timetable: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Wat Pha Lat (Secret Temple)
This was one of the best temples that I visited in Thailand, not because of the buildings itself but the environment. It is lost between the vegetation of the jungle, but some monks still live there and follow the traditional rituals like walking barefoot. Originally, the Wat Pha Lat was created to be a place of rest for the monks who were making a pilgrimage to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Its highlights are the welcoming statues of two guardians, the silence of nature, a little river and waterfall, the trees with orange bands and the rock temples overrun by moss. If you are looking for a lonely and quite place, this is definitely yours.
Price: Free
Timetable: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Historic centre
In the city centre there are many temples, some of which are very similar and maybe you don't want to visit. For this reason, I have decided to group them all. Down below you will find a list of the most famous temples:
Wat Phra Singh (20 THB/ 6 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.)
Wat Chedi Luang (40 THB / 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Wat Phan Tao (Free / 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Wat Chiang Man (Free / 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Wat Inthakin Sadue Muang (Free / 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
MARKETS
- Ploen Ruedee (Night Market)
This is the best food market that I visited in Thailand for sure, not only for the variety of food places but also because of the atmosphere. From typical Thai cuisine to Mexican, pizza, barbecue and lots of fishmeal, plus live music every day. Moreover, there are lights, flags, umbrellas and original tables and chairs to decorate, apart from the food tracks that give it a very nice look. Inside the enclosure there are some clothes and souvenirs shops too.
- Night Bazaar
It is located along the Chanclan street, where the previous market is located. Like in all Asian markets, you will find mainly clothes, accessories, costume jewellery, ceramic and souvenirs, many of them with elephant patterns. There can be a lot of people during rush hour, but it is nice and tidy. It is opened from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Throughout the street you will find restaurants (like McDonald's or Burger King) and hotels as well.
- Saturday walking street market
This market is located in Wualai street, in the south of the old city. The products are similar to the ones in the Night Bazaar, but there are also food stalls. Contrary to others, Thai citizens do frequent this market.
- Sunday walking market
This is almost the same as the Saturday market, but it is located in Rachadamnoem street, where the Taphae gate starts. This is why there are usually more people (mainly tourists) in this one.
- Fresh food markets
If you want to buy authentic Thai products, like fruit or vegetables, don't hesitate to visit some of these food markets (they all sell similar things):
Muang Mai Market
Warorot Market
Ming Muang
JingJai Market
- Kham Thiang Flower Market
This market is a good option in case you couldn't visit the Flower Market of Bangkok, since they sell quite similar flowers. Anyway, a good thing about this one is that it is outdoors.
OTHERS
Chiang Mai is a particularly special for its nature, so some one day trips that you could do from there are visiting the Bua Thong Waterfalls (Sticky Falls), going trekking in the green surroundings of the city, visiting and swimming in the Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai or doing an excursion to Doi Inthanon National Park, where you will find the highest mountain of Thailand (2.565 km). Nevertheless, for some of these activities you will need to travel for quite a long time (for instance, Doi Inthanon is 100 km away).
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