This post comes to us from Josh of A Backpacker’s World. Josh is an expert in helping people travel more while spending less. He’s also incredibly knowledgeable about Thailand travel. This is why I turned to him to find some amazing and accessible sites and activities in beautiful Chiang Mai Thailand.

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Things To Do In Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is one of the most popular cities to visit in Thailand and for good reason - it’s an incredible place and it should definitely be on your Thailand itinerary.

There are so many things to do when visiting Chiang Mai and you could easily stay here for months and never run out of things to do.

The city is also very flat which is good news when it comes to accessibility. Although the city is surrounded by mountains, the Old City is as flat as a city can be.

Where To Stay In Chiang Mai

If you’re looking for where to stay in Chiang Mai, I recommend a few areas of the city. If it’s your first time in Chiang Mai the Old City is an excellent choice. Looking for exciting nightlife? Check out Nimmanheim. If you’re looking for luxury hotels and/or you’re traveling with your family, head to Riverside.

Getting Around Chiang Mai

To get around Chiang Mai, there are several convenient transportation options available for visitors. One of the most popular modes of transportation is the red songthaews, which are shared red trucks that operate on specific routes around the city. These songthaews are an affordable way to travel short distances and are easily recognizable by their red color. Alternatively, visitors can also opt for tuk-tuks, which are three-wheeled motorized vehicles commonly found throughout the city. Tuk-tuks are a bit more expensive than songthaews but offer a more personalized and flexible mode of transport.

Additionally, visitors can also use the Grab app to book rides with local drivers, similar to services like Uber or Lyft. Renting a motorbike in Chiang Mai is another popular option for those looking for more independence and flexibility in their travels around the city. However, it's essential to exercise caution when driving in the city, as traffic can be chaotic at times.

13 Things To Do In Chiang Mai

As said in the introduction, there are so many things to do in Chiang Mai. It’s the perfect place to slow down while travelling in Thailand, as most people only stay for around 3 or 4 days, but there’s enough to do to justify at least one week. It gets tiring if you’re on the move every couple of days, right?

Elephant Nature Park

Most people consider visiting an elephant sanctuary a “must-do” on any Thailand itinerary.

The sad reality is that most elephant “sanctuaries” in Thailand are exploiting the animals and committing animal abuse in blatant daylight. It’s extremely upsetting to see, and if you visit one of these unethical sanctuaries, you are only contributing to the problem.

You should never ride elephants - it is the biggest “no-go”. And you really shouldn’t bathe them either or take a mud spa with them. The gentle giants are being forced into these situations and have no free roaming.

Thankfully, just outside of Chiang Mai City is the famous Elephant Nature Park, which is considered one of, if not the, most ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. It’s been featured across mainstream media quite a lot due to its rehabilitation efforts and is the number one thing to do in Chiang Mai.

The elephants are all rescued from situations of abuse and in their new homes, they are allowed to roam freely and are well looked after. It’s the most ethical way to have an elephant experience in Thailand, and the good news is that a visit to an elephant sanctuary is accessible for wheelchair users too.

The grounds are hard-packed dirt and easy to navigate without much trouble. There are also ramps leading in and out of the buildings. Guests using wheelchairs can access most areas of the sanctuary including the area for feeding the elephants.

Click Here For A Wheelchair-Accessible Elephant Sanctuary Tour

2. Visit The Temples

Chiang Mai is absolutely filled with temples like Wat Phra Singh, Wat Pha Lat, Wat Chedi Luang, and more. There are more than 300 “Wats” (temples) in and around Chiang Mai not even including neighboring Chang Rai which is quite mind-blowing, to be honest.

Chiang Mai has the most Buddhist temples out of any city in Thailand, and when you’re exploring the city, you’ll find a new one around every corner - quite literally. Chiang Mai is a safe city so, you can make your own way around without any safety concerns. Just be warned that the sidewalks can be tricky for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues, given the cracks and potholes.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to visit all of the temples in a short time frame, but there are a few temples that are considered must-visits while in Chiang Mai and these are Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Chiang Man, and Wat Suan Dok.

3. Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market

If you can plan to be in Chiang Mai over a Sunday, I highly recommend a bit of re-arranging of your itinerary to visit this incredible Chiang Mai night bazaar.

The main street, Rachadamnoen Road which runs horizontally straight through the middle of the Old City, turns into a pedestrian street every Sunday evening and transforms into a night market with all sorts of delicious street food, souvenirs, and more. It has quite the atmosphere.

You can easily spend a good few hours simply going up and down the street and seeing what you can find - and you can find pretty much anything you can think of.

Word of warning, The stalls are all on the pavement and there are steep curb ramps to get on. At many places the passage is very narrow and may be difficult to navigate. There may also be a step or two at some places. It’s doable in a wheelchair, but like much of Thailand, it can be challenging.

4. Doi Suthep Temple

Doi Suthep is probably the most famous temple in Chiang Mai as it features on most of the postcards and it will be one of the first images that come up on Google.

It’s just outside of the Old City on top of a mountain and the views are incredible. The temple is wheelchair accessible with an elevator from road level to the top of the temple (it’s several hundred steps from the road to the temple should you decide to walk.) There are also ramps into the temple, but be warned the ramps are steep, so you will likely need assistance.

In the nearby area, there is also a chance to visit a waterfall and a local Hmong village as you can get a shared taxi between the three destinations for a really cheap price.

Click Here For Wheelchair-Accessible Day Trips to Doi Suthep And Inthanon National Park

5. Take A Cooking Class

While a cooking class is an amazing thing to do anywhere in Thailand, cooking classes in Chiang Mai are simply on another level. There are so many reasons to visit Chiang Mai and the food is definitely one of the best reasons.

For a start, the cuisine in the north of Thailand is the tastiest in the whole country, and there are lots of dishes which are exclusive to the region.

And secondly, it’s cheaper too. A wheelchair-accessible Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai will be around $25, whereas you can expect around $40 in the south of Thailand. Lower price for better food? It’s a no-brainer.

Click Here To Book A Wheelchair-Accessible Chiang Mai Cooking Class

6. Try Some Local Dishes

Continuing on with the theme of food, there are lots of local dishes to try. The most famous is Khao Soi which is a curry soup dish with both “wet” and “dry” noodles. It’s really unique and tastes delicious.

It’s typically served with beef, chicken, or pork (beef is the most popular) but you can find vegetarian options too.

Other must-try dishes include the Chiang Mai Sausage and Lanna-style Larb.

The best way to experience food in Chiang Mai is by eating street food. Contrary to rumors, it’s not guaranteed to give you food poisoning - but it is cheaper and also usually more authentic than food in restaurants.

7. Doi Inthanon National Park

One of the biggest reasons people visit Thailand is for its natural beauty - probably you included. This is why one of the best things to do in Chiang Mai is just a few hours from the city: Doi Inthanon National Park, which is one of the best NPs in the country.

It’s home to the tallest mountain in Thailand and the whole area is exceptionally stunning. It’s views straight out of a dream.

At the top of the mountain, there’s another temple located within the park which is also famous and like Doi Suthep, is on many of the postcards.

There are 2 wheelchair-accessible routes in the park, including one trail that leads you to the top to enjoy the best views possible. These trails receive 4.7 out of 5 stars from the All Trails community. This is one of the most accessible places in Chiang Mai and definitely well worth a visit.

Click Here For Wheelchair Accessible Tour Of Doi Inthanon National Park And Doi Suthep

8. Watch A Muay Thai Boxing Night

You can catch a Muay Thai fight pretty much anywhere in Thailand - it’s a big part of Thai culture and kids are taught how to fight from as young as 4 or 5 years old.

Even though you can watch it anywhere, Chiang Mai is without a doubt one of the best places. Since it is a popular place for expats, you can watch both Thai fighters and international fighters, so you get the best of both worlds.

Plus, tickets are really cheap compared to other spots in Thailand. You can find tickets for as low as 600 baht, whereas in the likes of Phuket, you won’t find anything for less than 1500.

9. Visit Chiang Mai National Museum

There are actually quite a lot of museums in Chiang Mai to check out - which is unusual in Asia as museums aren’t as popular as in the West.

One of the most popular is the National Museum which gives a lot of information about when Chiang Mai used to be the capital of the Lanna Kingdom (Thailand before it became known as “Thailand.”)

If you are interested in history, it’s a fascinating museum and has enough information to spend a few hours here at least.

10. Nong Buak Haad Public Park

Parks are usually welcomed as something to do during a city trip to escape the mayhem of city life - this is definitely the case in Bangkok. But in Chiang Mai, the Old City is already pretty chill and relaxed.

That being said, Nong Buak Haad Public Park is still a really nice place to chill out and take a break from a busy schedule of things to do in Chiang Mai. It’s really pretty.

The park is also significant for locals as it is where the Chiang Mai Flower Festival is held, which is one of the main three festivals for people in Chiang Mai. (alongside the Festival of Lights and the Thai New Year).

11. Three Kings Monument

Chiang Mai is more of a “things to do” city than a “things to see” city - it’s not got a lot of sightseeing - but the Three Kings Monument is one thing you have to see during your trip.

It represents everything Chiang Mai is as the statue is of the three founders of the city, and it holds a lot of significance with the locals.

There are several stairs leading up to the base of the monument, but you can clearly observe it from the level pavement several feet away.

12. Sticky Waterfalls

A bit outside of Chiang Mai are the Sticky Waterfalls - another amazing example of the natural beauty in the area around Chiang Mai.

They’re famous for being able to climb up them due to the high levels of calcium carbonate in the water - but don’t worry - they are still stunning to look at.

There are lots of viewpoints that are wheelchair accessible and offer incredible views over the waterfalls and jungle. While wheelchair users may not participate in the climbing portion of the tour, there is still a wheelchair-accessible tour of Sticky Waterfalls where they can appreciate the many views.

Click Here To Take A Wheelchair-Accessible Day Trip To Sticky Waterfalls

13. Tha Phae Gate

As mentioned earlier in the artice, Chiang Mai used to be the capital city of the Lanna Kingdom. To help protect the city, there was a big wall and moat around it, and parts remain to this day.

If you look at Chiang Mai on a map, you will see a big square in the middle. This is the Old City as it still has the moat around the outside.

There are some parts of the wall too, not as much as Dubrovnik, but still enough to feel like you’re in a walled city.

The most significant place along the wall is the Tha Phae Gate, which was the old entrance to the Old City. It’s on the east side of the walls.

The areas surrounding the gate are wheelchair accessible.

Conclusion

And there you have it, a complete guide and list of all the best things to do in Chiang Mai.

Everything on this list is just a glimpse of what the city has to offer - there’s a reason that it’s so popular for expats and that’s because there are an endless amount of things to see in Chiang Mai.

Enjoy your trip to Chiang Mai - you’ll be sure to have an unforgettable time.

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