Things to Do in Chiang Mai: Temples, Markets, Day Trips

The best things to do in Chiang Mai are three temples and the markets. Wat Chedi Luang is THB 50, and Doi Suthep is THB 30 for the temple or THB 50 with the funicular. Warorot Market is open from 6 AM, and the Night Bazaar runs nightly.

By Vincent Nguyen

On this page
  1. Things to do in Chiang Mai: fees and opening hours
  2. What to see in Chiang Mai
  3. Day trips from Chiang Mai
  4. Who each sight suits (and who should skip it)
  5. How to get to the sights
  6. When to go and how long
  7. Nearby and how to combine it
  8. Before you go
  9. Common questions

On this page

  1. Things to do in Chiang Mai: fees and opening hours
  2. What to see in Chiang Mai
  3. Day trips from Chiang Mai
  4. Who each sight suits (and who should skip it)
  5. How to get to the sights
  6. When to go and how long
  7. Nearby and how to combine it
  8. Before you go
  9. Common questions

The table gives the fee and hours of every sight before you click through to its guide.

Water in the city moat beside a sloping brick bastion with flags and trees
The Old City moat.

Things to do in Chiang Mai: fees and opening hours

Sight Open Foreign entry Guide
Wat Phra Singh — — Wat Phra Singh
Wat Chedi Luang — THB 50 Wat Chedi Luang
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep — THB 30, or THB 50 with the funicular. Doi Suthep
Warorot Market 6 AM-6 PM — Warorot Market
Sunday Walking Street — — Sunday Walking Street
Night Bazaar — None listed Night markets
Saturday market, Wualai Road — None listed Night markets

What to see in Chiang Mai

Wat Phra Singh

Wooden hall with a tiered roof and naga stair railings beside a lawn
Viharn Lai Kham at the back of the compound.

The walls of the Viharn Lai Kham are covered in murals of Lanna customs, dress and scenes from daily life.

Full guide: Wat Phra Singh fee, hours and the Viharn Lai Kham.

Wat Chedi Luang

Path through the temple grounds with flags, a white hall on the right and the brick chedi in the distance
The chedi seen from the grounds.

The brick chedi is a restored ruin: the upper 30 m collapsed after an earthquake in 1545. The city pillar, Sao Inthakin, stands on the same grounds. Foreigners pay THB 50 and use a separate entrance, left of the main entrance.

The university’s own Monk Chat programme opens Monday to Friday, 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, at Wat Suan Dok. Full guide: Wat Chedi Luang entry fee, hours and Monk Chat.

Doi Suthep

Gold chedi and a tall umbrella silhouetted against a pink dusk sky
The chedi at dusk.

Doi Suthep is the mountain temple above the city. The funicular adds THB 20 for the round trip, THB 50 in all. The staircase is free to climb.

Full guide: Doi Suthep fees, hours and songthaews.

Warorot Market

Shoppers walking through a covered hall of market stalls under a high ceiling.
Inside the main building of Warorot Market.

Full guide: Warorot Market hours and floors.

Sunday Walking Street

Wide street full of walkers between lines of market stalls on a Sunday evening.
Ratchadamnoen Road during the Sunday market.

Full guide: Sunday Walking Street route and tips.

Night Bazaar and the Saturday Wualai market

Crowd browsing lit stalls under tents along a narrow street at night.
Wualai Road on a Saturday evening.

Full guide: which night market on which night.

Cooking classes

Zabb E Lee runs a morning class for THB 1,200, daily 09.00 am-02.00 pm. Asia Scenic’s Old Town class is THB 1,000. Full guide: Chiang Mai cooking classes compared.

Elephant sanctuaries

Elephant Nature Park’s half-day morning visit is THB 2,500 for an adult, a guided walk with a no-riding policy. BEES enforces a strict no-touch, hands-off policy. Full guide: ethical elephant sanctuaries compared.

Thai massage

Lila Thai Massage charges from THB 400 for 1 hour and is open daily 10:00 AM-10:00 PM. The Wat Pan Whaen temple hall is THB 180-300, open daily 9am-6pm. Full guide: Thai massage in Chiang Mai.

Day trips from Chiang Mai

Each trip has its own guide with transport, fees and timings. Time and the main cost are below.

Day trip Time from the city Main cost Guide
Doi Inthanon — — Doi Inthanon day trip
Chiang Rai — White Temple, THB 200 for foreigners from 1 January 2026 Chiang Rai day trip
Pai Vans reach Pai in 3.5 to 4 hours About THB 150-220 at the counter Pai day trip
Mae Kampong — — Mae Kampong day trip
Doi Pui Hmong Village The drive from the park entrance takes about 40-50 minutes Park fee for foreigners, 100 Baht for adults Doi Pui Hmong Village
Bua Tong sticky waterfall — Entrance is free Bua Tong sticky waterfall

The Old City loop has its own guide: Old City temples. If you have not booked a bed yet, read where to stay in Chiang Mai.

Who each sight suits (and who should skip it)

  • Warorot Market suits an early start: it opens at 6 AM.
  • Doi Suthep suits walkers: the staircase up is free to climb.

How to get to the sights

Three red pickup trucks lined up on a road below a large painted billboard of a temple
Red songthaews lined up on the road to the temple.

For Doi Suthep, clearly marked songthaews leave from the 7-Eleven at Chang Phuak Gate. The songthaew guide and the getting around guide cover the rest.

Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan
2 Samlarn Rd Old City Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Wat Phra Singh in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Wat Chedi Luang
QXPP+QCQ, 103 Prapokklao Road Old City Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Wat Chedi Luang in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Warorot Market (Kad Luang)
Wichayanon Rd, Tambon Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Warorot Market in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Tha Phae Walking Street (Sunday Walking Street start)
Rachadamnoen Rd Old City Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Sunday Walking Street in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
Changklan Rd, Chang Moi Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open the Night Bazaar in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

When to go and how long

  • Morning: Warorot Market opens at 6 AM.

Pick the month with when to visit Chiang Mai.

Nearby and how to combine it

Red pickup truck with a covered passenger bed driving along a city street
A red songthaew, the shared truck taxi of Chiang Mai.

The three-day itinerary strings these sights together, with the weekday each market runs.

Before you go

  • Wat Chedi Luang charges foreigners THB 50.
Photo credits

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Not confirmed: No operator page for the temples or markets publishes holiday hours, so hours on Buddhist holidays are unconfirmed. Temple fees and hours come from tourism guides, because the national tourism site blocks automated access.

Common questions

What are the top things to do in Chiang Mai?

Visit Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang and Doi Suthep, then browse a market: Warorot by day or the Night Bazaar nightly.

What should you not miss in Chiang Mai?

The restored ruin at Wat Chedi Luang, whose upper 30 m collapsed after an earthquake in 1545.

How much do the temples cost for foreigners?

Doi Suthep is THB 30 for the temple, and THB 50 with the funicular round trip. Wat Chedi Luang is THB 50.

Which things to do in Chiang Mai are free?

The staircase up to Doi Suthep is free to climb.

How much is the songthaew to Doi Suthep?

Clearly marked songthaews leave from the 7-Eleven at Chang Phuak Gate.

Places in this guide

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