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Look no further for the best day trips from Chiang Mai, the largest city in northern Thailand.
Considered the cultural capital of the country, a hub for expats and digital nomads, and the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Mai has many attributes, including the largest number of Buddhist temples in all of Thailand.
It offers also many opportunities for amazing day tours from Chiang Mai, from stunning temples to lush natural parks or adventure activities.
If you’re wondering where to go, how to get there, or what to see, this list of the best excursions from Chiang Mai according to travel bloggers has got you covered.
Best day trips from Chiang Mai:
Elephant Nature Park
Recommended by Vanda from The Yogi Wanderer
If you’d like to get close to elephants while in Thailand, visiting an ethical sanctuary like Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai is a mandatory and extraordinary experience.
Our day trip to Elephant Nature Park was one of the best experiences of our 2 weeks in Thailand and I truly can’t recommend it enough!
Many places around Chiang Mai call themselves elephant sanctuaries but not all of them are up to this title.
Elephant Nature Park is the most respected of its kind in northern Thailand, with many international awards and recognitions.
It’s also the most expensive one, but at least you can be sure all your money is used to help rescue, feed and treat the animals at their care.
A day trip to Elephant Nature Park includes pick-up from your hotel in Chiang Mai, a delicious vegetarian lunch, and the opportunity to interact with the elephants, learn about their stories, and feed them.
During the almost one-hour drive from Chiang Mai to the park, you’ll also learn about the barbaric process inflicted on Asian elephants so tourists can ride them.
You can choose between a half-day or a full-day visit. We opted for the latter for the chance to watch the elephants bathing and playing around in the river, and it was well worth it!
Either way, make sure to book well in advance since places sell out quickly.
If you have more time, Elephant Nature Park also offers overnight stays and volunteer programs.
You can book your visit to Elephant Nature Park here.
Biking tour
Recommended by Louis from TheNorthernBoy
After a 2-day slow boat journey from Laos to Thailand and a coach journey, I finally arrived in Thailand’s awesome Chiang Mai.
A destination that most backpackers usually visit when passing through Thailand, this is also a hub for digital nomads.
Anyway, after the killer boat ride, there is no better way to stretch your legs, than the sweet bicycle tour in Chiang Mai.
Cycling around Chiang Mai on one of the tours is an amazing way for you to learn some cool insights into the history of Thailand.
So what you can expect on a cycling tour in Chiang Mai?
You will be taken on a journey through some of the most stunning and visited sights in Chiang Mai.
You will also be taken to places where the typical tourist wouldn’t necessarily get to visit and some of the villages you visit will give you a real taste of Thai culture.
You will get to see all this thanks to the guidance of your experienced tour guide.
Bike tour companies have bikes suited to your size and there are even bikes for children if you’re visiting Chiang Mai with kids.
How much is a bike tour? You can pay anything from $8 upwards. However, I recommend spending a little more: you will have a sweeter experience.
If you are unsure about taking a bike tour, I couldn’t recommend it any higher!
Click here to book your Chiang Mai biking tour.
Doi Inthanon National Park
Image: Unsplash
Recommended by Chloe from Chloe’s Travelogue
Chiang Mai is known as the Roof of Thailand with the highest mountain in the country – Doi Inthanon.
Doi Inthanon National Park is a perfect day trip destination for nature-loving travelers, and here is why.
Reaching the highest point in Thailand is easy. Only one and a half hours away from the city center, a taxi or Songthaew ride can be easily arranged from Chiang Mai hotels. Or, you can join a small group tour.
The natural beauty of Doi Inthanon won’t disappoint you.
While you have an option to drive straight up to the mountain top, hiking the mystic trails and chasing waterfalls take you through the scenic route.
Bonus: As the temperature on the mountain is considerably lower than the city, hiking is pleasant and breezy even in summer.
However, the highlight of Doi Inthanon is definitely on the mountain top, where the King and Queen Pagodas are.
The Queen’s Garden is carpeted with the endless field of colorful flowers. Enjoy the jaw-dropping view from the royal pagodas above the cloud, where the sky meets mountain top.
If heaven exists on the earth, this would be it.
Finally, Doi Inthanon is also home to Thai hill tribes. On the way down, you can visit a Hmong hill tribe village to learn about their culture and livelihood.
If you enjoy textiles, you can buy handmade textiles at a reasonable price, too.
Chiang Rai
Image: Pixabay
Recommended by Ania from The Travelling Twins
We loved Chiang Mai, but after a week there, we wanted to see more of Thailand.
The choice was easy. We took a trip to Chiang Rai, 200 kilometers to the north.
We decided to explore Chiang Rai with kids on our own rather than with a guide. Our favorite places were the White, Blue, and Black Temples.
The White Temple – Wat Rong Khun is one of the most peculiar temples I have ever seen. It is indeed white, but the interest is in all the weird details.
Thousands of ghoulish hands grasp into the air from a moat. Heads of decapitated superheroes form parts of the internal decoration, as do skulls and Hello Kitty images. This place is fascinating.
The Black Temple, aka Black House – Baan Dam – is another strange place. It is the museum and gallery for both the collection and the art of Thai artist – Thawan Duchanee.
The “house” actually comprises about 40 buildings designed by the artist. They contain fascinating but rather ghoulish objects made from animal bones, skulls, horns, and hides.
The Blue Temple – Wat Rong Seur Ten – by comparison, is more like a regular Thai temple with golden embellishments. It is beautifully intricate, and the parts that aren’t gold are indeed blue.
All these three sites are easy to see on a Chiang Mai day trip.
Alternatively, you can stay overnight and visit the lively Chiang Rai night market.
There are different ways to get to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai.
Organized tours offer day trips including all the sites mentioned here.
We caught a bus (the Greenbus company) and explored Chiang Rai on our own using tuk-tuks and Uber.
The journey from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai takes around three and a half hours.
Alternatively, you can book your day trip to Chiang Mai here.
Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Temples
Image: Two Wandering Soles
Recommended by Katie from Two Wandering Soles
If you have a sense of adventure and truly want to get off the beaten path in northern Thailand, a day trip to the little-known “white temples” near Lampang will surely be a highlight of your visit.
The temples of Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat are seldom visited by foreigners. This makes this experience feel like extra special since it can be hard to get off the “elephant pants trail” in Thailand.
Perched high in the mountains outside the town of Lampang are white pagodas and a beautiful temple you can explore.
Soak in the epic views and enjoy the feeling of not being surrounded by crowds.
The temple itself is just one of the highlights of this epic day trip from Chiang Mai. Getting there is the other part of the adventure!
With mountain viewpoints, roads that wind through small villages, and plenty of places to stop along the way, the drive through the Thai countryside to get to this magical spot will wow you.
The tricky thing about this off the beaten path place is that it is quite difficult to get to, the best mode of transportation being a motorbike.
However, if you do not know how to drive a scooter, please don’t attempt to learn on this trip!
Instead, you can hire a songthaew (red truck) driver for the day, which will be best split with a group to make it more affordable.
Or you can book a private car charter between Chiang Mai and Lampang here.
Ziplining
Image: Not Brits Abroad
Recommended by Oli from Not Brits Abroad
When it comes to activities in Chiang Mai, you’re a little spoilt for choice.
One of the most popular activities in the area is ziplining and there seem to be countless places where you can do it.
Jungle Flight has two unique offerings which make it stand out as one of the best choices.
Firstly, they have the longest zipline in Thailand, at 1,000 meters long.
Secondly, they have a zipline rollercoaster that sends you flying down a long, windy rail hanging underneath it by your harness.
To enjoy both of these unique offerings, you need to go for their ‘Ultimate’ package which costs 2,600 Baht per person. There are two less expensive options but neither of them includes both the longest zipline and the rollercoaster.
Although it’s not the cheapest activity, you do get lunch and return transportation included, as well as a free T-shirt at the end.
Since most of the ziplining courses in the area are up in the jungle, it takes a little over an hour to get from the center of Chiang Mai to any of the sites.
The experience takes just a few hours but is well worth the trip and the cost!
Everyone at Jungle Flight is friendly and welcoming and they always make sure you’re enjoying your day.
The course itself varies from short ziplines surrounded by the jungle to the huge 1,000 meters long fly over treetops which offers incredible views of the area.
Book your Jungle Flight zipline experience here.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple
Recommended by Vanda from The Yogi Wanderer
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of the most sacred pilgrimage places in all of Thailand and one of the most impressive temples of the more than 300 you can find in and around Chiang Mai.
Located inside Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, 27 kilometers from Chiang Mai old city, it stands on the Doi Suthep mountain and offers beautiful views of the city.
To get to the temple itself, you need to climb up 306 steps or take a funicular.
I highly recommend taking the stairs though so you can enjoy the impressive sounds of the forest on your way up.
Inside, the gold chedi, a model of the Emerald Buddha and a statue of Ganesh are especially remarkable.
Visiting the beautiful Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was the perfect end for our 4 days in Chiang Mai.
To get there, our hotel arranged a taxi from Chiang Mai to Doi Suthep temple, and back. The journey takes about one hour each way.
Alternatively, you can get a songthaew (shared taxi) or join an organized tour.
Guided Chiang Mai day tours to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep usually include also a visit to the nearby hill tribes and trekking.
You can book a customized guided day trip to Doi Suthep here.
So there you have it. The best day trips from Chiang Mai according to travel bloggers. Which one will you choose?
Have you taken a day trip from Chiang Mai? What would you add to this list of day tours from Chiang Mai? Share in the comments section below!
Read more:
- The Best Chiang Mai 4 Day Itinerary for 1st Timers
- A Perfect Thailand 2 Week Itinerary for 1st Timers
- Bangkok 4 Days Itinerary for 1st Timers
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