Chiang Mai Tourist Attractions

Chiang Mai is famous for its ancient Buddhist temples, rich culture with colorful and unique festivals, preserved National Parks, and artifacts inside large museums.

Northern Thailand, especially the Chiang Mai province, is also known for its agricultural contributions to the country, which creates excellent opportunities for agritourism in Chiang Mai.

Local and foreign tourists have been visiting Chiang Mai, and several tour options are offered; they can also see getyourguide.com for more attractions and activities.

Here are some of the recommended attractions in Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai: Elephant Care at Elephant Retirement Park

Get a close encounter and feed giant elephants on this sanctuary tour from Chiang Mai.

Watch them closely as you learn about their nature from a local specialist.

Enjoy and have a tasteful lunch with an authentic Thai meal and stay hydrated with the complimentary water provided on this tour.

Begin your day with a positive aura and meet your transportation service outside your hotel. Take the one-hour ride going to the rural area of Mae Tang district.

Change your clothes, wear local garments and be ready for a fun-filled day of activities. The experienced guide will provide brief information about the elephants' characteristics, behavior, and how to care for these giant creatures properly. Then, you will prepare food and healthy treats for the elephants.

You will also get the chance to play with these loving elephants in the mud.

After being with the elephants, shower, change your clothes, and enjoy a delicious traditional Thai buffet lunch.

After eating your lunch, relax on the one-hour journey back to the metro and get ready to be transferred to your hotel in Chiang Mai city center.

From Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai Famous Temples Small Group Tour

Experience Chiang Rai on a whole-day journey from White Temple to Wat Rong Sua Ten and Baan Dam Museum. Enjoy your travel in a comfortable tour vehicle and choose from a group or a private tour.

Interested tourists will be conveniently picked up from their accommodation in Chiang Mai.

The first stop will be at the Mae Khachan Hot Spring; you can dip your feet into steaming mineral water, have a light snack, or can just opt to walk around the garden.

Continue your journey to the modern architectural masterpiece known as the White Temple. Explore this unbelievable space designed and built by a local Thai artist, Chaloemchai Khositphiphat.

Then head to the Wat Rong Sua Ten, also called the temple of the dancing tiger.

Unveil the secrets of this stunning blue and gold religious temple that was built where tigers were said to have leaped over the river.

The Baan Dam Museum and the Black House Museum are included in your list. Explore a group of nearly 40 shadow structures, including exhibitions of artifacts during the Ayutthayan era. Discover preserved animals and fossil collections.

End your tour by traveling back to your accommodation in Chiang Mai.

Doi Inthanon National Park Small Group Full Day Tour

Get ready and get picked up from your hotel in Chiang Mai city center for an entire day to explore one of Thailand's original national parks and highest mountain.

Doi Inthanon is perfect for adventurers and culture enthusiasts. This tour features picturesque landscapes, remote villages, and incredible viewpoints.

The first stop is one of the country's largest and most beautiful waterfalls, the Wachirathan Waterfall; this 80 meters high waterfall creates a refreshing mist that feeds the surrounding vegetation in the area.

Next, stop at the stunning 50-meter cascade of Sirithan Waterfall.

Then, visit the famous twin pagodas: the Napamatanee Don and Napaphon Bhumisiri, located at the highest point in Thailand. The pagodas were built for the Royal King and Queen.

Wrap up the tour with a visit to the Karen Tribe locals and learn a bit about the hill tribes, their culture, and their way of living inside their village at Sobha.

Chiang Mai: Ping River Night Kayaking Trip

Set off on a nighttime kayaking tour in Chiang Mai. Start at dusk and see the city lights turn on for the evening view—journey and ride on an easy-to-navigate kayak through the river, passing by restaurants and other captivating places.

Paddle through the city center and view the sights from the water. Then, slowly drift with the river.

Go under bridges and listen to the music coming from riverside restaurants.

Adore charming waterside homes and enjoy the colors of the Chiang Mai skyline at night.

Chiang Mai: Whitewater Rafting and Waterfall Trekking Tour

Interested tourists will be picked up at their hotel in Chiang Mai city center. They will ride in an air-conditioned vehicle with utmost comfort on a one-and-a-half-hour trip to the base camp.

Tourists may avail of some amenities such as lockers, changing rooms with showers, and an on-site minimart to buy some snacks and essentials.

Your local guides will demonstrate a safety briefing session and gear up with state-of-the-art safety helmets, floaties, and life vests.

Enjoy the adventure on a three-hour trek through the jungle going to the 10-meter high waterfall, where you can cool yourself and go for a swim.

Marvel and wander around flora and fauna of the forest. Hear about the tales and culture of Thailand along the journey.

Then, join in a 10-kilometer white water rafting adventure and get an adrenaline rush while discovering new skills.

To complete the thrilling adventure, you must brave and trail down the class III water rapids of the most beautiful section of the Thai river, along with action-packed IV rapids in the middle section.

End your day by returning to the base camp for a shower before driving back to your hotel at Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai: Chiang Dao Cave, Den Sali Temple, and Waterfall

Enjoy this exclusive nature and cultural tour from Chiang Mai. Your day starts at Chiang Dao Cave, which will take approximately one and a half hours to reach the route that goes through beautiful rolling hillsides. You will see the scenic Doi Chiang Dao mountain range as you approach the caves.

It is said that Burmese soldiers rested in the caves before attacking Chiang Mai in the mid-1400s A.D. Explore the complex of five public caves and see the natural rock formations of stalagmites and stalactites.

Then, descend into a vast cavern to see Burmese-style images of Buddhas and many shrines. Explore freely through the two caves, which are well-lit with electric lights.

Proceed to Den Sali Teak Wood Temple- one of Chiang Mai's most remarkable temples north of the city.

The complex contains many structures, including an ordination hall, a vihara or a retreat house, a meditation hall, the Kuti known as the monks' living quarters, a drum hall, and several other establishments designed through ancient architecture.

End the tour at Bua Tong Sticky Waterfalls, where you are allowed to climb on the limestone rocks, and enjoy the time bathing in the calm waters of the pool underneath.

The Sticky Waterfalls are an impressive sight for tourists - the stones are cream-colored and bulbous, almost cartoonish, contrasting beautifully with the dark green forest hues. The multi-tiered waterfalls are also stunning and worth capturing through a camera.

If you don't plan on getting wet to see the rocks, there are a hundred steep stairs you could take to see various levels of the waterfalls.

In the evening, head back to Chiang Mai as you end your tour.

Chiang Mai: Wat Doi Suthep and White Temple Private Day Trip

At exactly 7:00 AM, your guide will pick you up from your hotel.

This tour will take you to essential temples in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in just one day.

The tour begins at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most revered temple in Chiang Mai. You will head to the 600-year-old Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most important temple in Chiang Mai and a Buddhist pilgrimage destination, and here you can see panoramic views of Chiang Mai.

After that, leave for Chiang Rai. A northern province of Thailand that is full of hills and beautiful nature. Stop and take time to relax and stretch in the hot spring garden. Enjoy snacks such as boiled eggs cooked in the hot spring water.

Then go to Wat Rong Khun or more commonly known as the White Temple, where the white color of the temple represents the purity of the Lord Buddha. Marvel at the white architecture decorated with glass, mirrors, and intricate carvings.

After eating a delicious lunch at a local Thai restaurant, proceed to Wat Rong Suea Ten Buddhist temple. It showcases Buddhist art in blue design work by Puttha Kabkaew or Salanok, a student of Ajarn Chalermchai, before returning to Chiang Mai—ending a fantastic full-day tour.

Chiang Mai: Authentic Thai Cooking Class and Farm Visit

Learn how to make authentic Thai dishes in this fun-filled, small-group cooking class in Chiang Mai. You will be using ingredients bought from a local market.

You can choose between a half-day class in the morning and evening where you will cook five dishes, or you may select the full-day type to cook two extra main courses.

Get ready and pick up at your hotel in Chiang Mai, then meet with the rest of your group and decide what you want to cook from the menu.

Visit a local market, purchase the necessary ingredients, and tour inside an organic farm full of fresh fruits and vegetable plants.

Once you're done, proceed to the classroom and prepare your cooking corners for the start of the lesson.

Follow the instructions carefully. A professional English-speaking teacher will guide you as you cook authentic Thai dishes such as sticky mango rice, pad thai, and curry, as well as make a curry paste.

Enjoy what you have cooked and share it with your group—exchange stories and chit-chats as you sample each others' cooking before you return to your accommodation.