Thailand enchants visitors with its diverse landscapes, from tropical islands to lush rainforests and vibrant cities. The country is a treasure trove of natural beauty, rich culture, and some of the world’s best cuisine. While every region of Thailand offers unique experiences, Northern Thailand stands out as an ideal blend of serenity and urban energy. For first-time visitors, a 5-day journey through Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provides the perfect introduction to the North. From jungles to ancient temples and street food adventures, get ready for the ultimate 5-day itinerary and unforgettable adventure in North Thailand. 

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How to Get to North Thailand

Fly

There are many international flights directly into Chiang Mai and I suggest making that your starting point in Northern Thailand. If you’re arriving from Bangkok, Krabi, or Phuket, hop on a short domestic flight to Chiang Mai. A one-way ticket usually costs between $50 and $150 USD. Once you arrive, it’s only about 10 minutes to the city center!

Airport Transfer: My best-kept travel secret is booking a taxi ahead of time from the airport through Booking.com. If you’re flying in, pre-book a transfer to your hotel. The prices are extremely reasonable and you don’t have to worry about figuring out where to go or getting ripped off when you arrive.

Train

You can also take a leisurely train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which offers beautiful views of the Thai countryside. Train tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai typically range from $10 to $50 USD per person for a one-way ticket, depending on the class of service and type of train (e.g., sleeper, express). The journey takes approximately 12-15 hours, but you get to experience a scenic ride through the Thai countryside.

Bus

Buses are also a budget friendly option for traveling between Bangkok and Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. Prices can vary depending on the type of bus and amenities offered, but tickets generally range from $15 to $40 USD per person for a one-way journey. Travel time by bus is approximately 9-12 hours.

How to Get Around

Once in the cities, the best way to get around is via motorbike, walking, tuk-tuk, or Grab (like Uber). If you want to rent a motorbike, it costs about $5-$10 USD per day. Typically you have to provide a deposit or your passport (I personally would never leave my passport and have heard horror stories about someone doing this and not getting it back!) Make sure you ask your hotel or do research before renting a bike to avoid scams.

Truthfully, we found both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to be very walkable (though you have to be careful because there aren’t great sidewalks and you often have to walk on the road). Walking is a great way to stumble into things you might otherwise miss! If your destination is a bit further, grab a cheap Grab. It’s typically only a few dollars to get wherever you are going around the city. The only time you may want to rent a motorbike is for Day 4 when you’re visiting temples outside the city, otherwise, I don’t think it’s necessary.

Where to Stay in Chiang Mai

There are so many cute, affordable spots in Chiang Mai. We stayed at the Maladee Rendezvous Hotel and absolutely loved it. I’ve also stayed at Ping Nakara, a colonial-style boutique hotel, and highly recommend it. Both hotels are along the Ping River just east of the old town. They are in a bit of a quieter area, but still walkable to everything. Both have beautiful pools surrounded by lush greenery, and Ping Nakara has a lovely (and very affordable) spa. Both of these hotels are 5 stars, but still affordable.

Maladee Rendezvous Hotel

Ping Nakara

Other Highend Hotel Recommendations in Chiang Mai:

• Hotel Sensai Nimman Chiang Mai – Adults Only
• Melia Chiang Mai
• Raya Heritage – SHA Plus
• Anantara Chiang Mai Resort

Chiang Rai Hotel Recommendations

We stayed at MORA Boutique Hotel and thought it was so cute! It was a small boutique hotel with a great pool and walkable to everything. Here are a couple of other great options:

• Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort
• Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort: this incredible hotel is a ways outside the main city center, but is nestled amongst a bamboo forest, lush gardens, and rice paddies with views overlooking the mountains in Myanmar and Laos. They offer many activities at the resort and you get up close and personal with the elephants

5-Days Northern Thailand Itinerary (Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai)

Five days is the perfect amount of time for your North Thailand itinerary. There is so much to see in and around the vibrant cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Explore breathtaking ancient temples, relax at a spa, unwind at cozy cafes, and eat some of the best street food in Thailand.

Day 1: Arrival in Chiang Mai & Street Food Market

Once arriving in Chiang Mai, head into the Old Town to see the old city walls and explore the ancient temples Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang. Wander through the charming, narrow streets and take in all the sights, smells, and sounds of the city. Old Town is filled with street performers, cute cafes, Thai restaurants, and delicious street food vendors. One thing is for sure, you will not go hungry!

For dinner, the best way to experience Northern Thailand cuisine is to do a Street Food Tour. We did this Northern Flavours Chiang Mai Food Tour with 15+ Tastings and loved it! It is a small group tour and you are driven around in a Songthaew (open red truck) to each spot around the city. The tour takes 4-5 hours in total so it gives you time to digest and not get overly full. I enjoyed seeing different parts of the city and getting a sense of where we wanted to go back to later in the trip. Everything was so incredible!

We enjoyed the food the most at the Chang Phuak Gate Night Market, which felt more local and authentic. Everything is so cheap – only a few dollars or less. Your 5-day North Thailand itinerary is not complete without trying ALL the Thai street food!

Make sure you try Neng Earthen Jar Roast Pork for their famous pork belly and chicken, roasted for hours in a jar. It was one of the best things we ate in Thailand. You can find the location on my Google Map.

Book a Chiang Mai Tour

• Chiang Mai: Old City and Temples Guided Walking Tour
• Northern Flavours Chiang Mai Food Tour with 15+ Tastings

Day 2: Thai Cooking Class & Night Market

Thai Cooking Class

On Day 2 I recommend booking a Thai cooking class with Grandma’s Cooking School. Taking a cooking class is a popular activity in Chiang Mai. I did this both times I was in Chiang Mai and it was one of the best things we did on our North Thailand itinerary.

We opted for the morning session so we had the afternoon to relax at the pool and digest before heading to the Sunday Night Market. First, Grandma’s Cooking School will pick you (and 5-10 other guests) up at your hotel and drive you to a small local market to explain different local ingredients and how the locals shop. Then they take you to their beautiful farm about 30 minutes away.

The farm has multiple kitchens that are open-air. Your chef will walk you through how to cook each dish. You will make a soup, a curry, and a noodle dish. You can pick your protein and the kind of curry or soup you’d prefer to make. They also provide Thai tea and mango sticky rice for dessert. They pace the courses well and have staff to help clean and prep a lot of the food so it doesn’t take as long.

It’s an amazing day and honestly, the food was the best we ate all week in Thailand. This is one of the highlights of a 5-day North Thailand itinerary.

Night Markets

In the evening, take a stroll to the famous Sunday Night Market. Note that this is only on Sundays. If it’s not Sunday, you can still explore other popular markets. We found the most authentic area for food was Chang Phuak Gate Night Market. You can also check out the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and Kalare Night Bazaar.

The Sunday Night Market is MASSIVE. From the center of the market, there are four long streets with hundreds of vendors on both sides, selling all sorts of souvenirs and food. There is also live music happening at different restaurants or just on the side of the road. It’s very crowded and hectic and we thought it was a bit touristy. It’s definitely worth checking out, though, during your 5-day North Thailand Itinerary!

Day 3: Elephant Nature Park

No North Thailand itinerary is complete without a visit with the elephants. We chose Elephant Nature Park because they rescue and rehabilitate abused elephants and other animals. They are one of the most hands-off as well. There is no feeding, riding, touching, etc. You are there to just appreciate and admire the elephants. Some places, while they don’t allow you to ride the elephants, do allow you to bathe in the mud with them, feed them, and touch them. Personally, I prefer the most ethical option, which means no touching at all.

What to Expect

You can book a half or full-day tour – or even stay overnight and volunteer with them! When you book a tour with Elephant Nature Park, they will pick you and others in your group up from your hotel in Chiang Mai. The drive is a bit far (about 1h), but worth it!

Once you get there your guide will walk you around the grounds to watch the elephants eat and play in and around the river. They tell you all about the different elephants, how they came to be there, the story of how they were rescued, and of course anything else you want to know about elephants in general. It’s pretty heartbreaking to hear the stories of some of the elephants. Some are now blind because of the abuse and had a horrible life before arriving at the center.

After visiting with the elephants and working up an appetite, they provide a vegan Thai buffet and cold drinks. To end the day, watch the herd of elephants walk through the river back to the main area. They’re so majestic! Then your driver will bring you back to your hotel in Chiang Mai.

Tip: Make sure to wear a hat and sunblock. There is almost no shade and you are walking around in the sun for a while! The only thing I didn’t love is the posing in front of the elephants. I think its okay to admire them and take photos, but having the tourists line up to take photos one after another was not great in my opinion.

Once back in Chiang Mai, relax before heading to the trendy Nimman neighborhood for dinner. I recommend Ginger Farm Kitchen for delicious Thai food! We love street food, but it is nice to sit and have a nice meal as well. This place is trendy and has a great atmosphere.

Day 4: Iconic Chiang Mai Temples

Chiang Mai is known for its ornate ancient temples and there are so many to explore! Visiting some of these stunning temples is a must on your 5-day North Thailand itinerary. Start your day very early to avoid the crowds! Wat Phra Doi Suthep is open as early as 6AM before the sun comes up. If you aren’t a morning person, you can find quieter areas to take photos (that’s what we ended up doing).

Wat Phra Doi Suthep

Hire a Grab for only ~$5-$8 to take you to breakfast and coffee at Goodneighbor. Goodneighbor is a cute cafe on the way to some of the main Chiang Mai temples. We loved their coffee and breakfast and it was nice to get something different than the hotel breakfast every day!

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat

Then, get another Grab to take you to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat. We asked our driver if he would wait for us while we visited the temples and we ended up paying him 400 THB for the day.

There are other ways you can get to and from the temples. You can always take a red Songthaew to and from and it’s super cheap. A Songthaew is a pickup truck with no windows. They are everywhere in the city and very inexpensive (40 THB for one person in a shared car). To get to Doi Suthep you need to hop in a Songthaew from the Chiang Mai Zoo.

Wat Pha Lat is a beautiful little oasis hidden in the woodland and there were way fewer people! You can visit the beautiful Buddhist temple by walking along a short hiking trail for about 5-10 minutes.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is perched on top of Doi Suthep mountain. It is an ornate Buddhist temple with panoramic views of Chiang Mai. There is a huge staircase (or you can take a cable car) with iconic dragons on either side. It’s impossible to get a photo unless you are there in the early morning or at sunset!

There are also so many great tour options through GetYourGuide. Whether you want a sunset, sunrise, or day tour, here are some great options:

• Chiang Mai: Wat Pha Lat & Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Evening
• Chiang Mai Temple Tour: Discover Hidden Gem Northern Temples
• Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep, Wat Umong, and Pha Lat Sunrise Tour

Tip: Make sure you are wearing something to cover your legs and shoulders. Luckily you can wear a scarf over your shoulders (which is NOT allowed in Bangkok at the Grand Palace). It’s also a good idea to wear or bring socks unless you want to walk on the hot dirty ground! You are required to take your shoes off to enter the temples.

After a day of touring temples, I recommend a casual, but delicious dinner at Coconut Shell Thai Food.

Other Chiang Mai Restaurants & Cafes

Nimman Neighborhood

• Ristr8to Original
• Manifreshto
• Jarid Thai Food | Fine Wines
• Blackitch Artisan Kitchen
• Tong Tem Toh
• Huen Muan Jai

Inside Old City

• Coconut Shell Thai Food
• Khao Soi Khun Yai
• It’s Good Kitchen
• Aroy Dee
• The House by Ginger

Along Ping River

• Wanlamun Rim Nam
• Rivers & Roads
• Bella Goose Cafe at the Hill
• Sai Ping Bar & Restaurant
• The Riverside Bar & Restaurant

Day 5: Chiang Rai Temples

Spend your last full day exploring some of Chiang Rai’s most iconic temples. I am sure you have seen the famous blue (Wat Rong Suea Ten) and white (Wat Rong Khun) temples on Instagram or in your research on North Thailand. It’s a can’t miss experience on your 5-day North Thailand itinerary.

Both temples were stunning and the architecture and colors are pretty mindblowing. The only thing I will share is that I did not realize that both of these temples were built in the last 20 years.

I thought they had historic significance…

They are more like a modern art installation…rather than a reflection of the Buddhist faith and history (which is mainly why we went).

What threw me the most is the White Temple walls are decorated with Spiderman, Star Wars, angry birds, superman, and other fantasy characters. It was just a bit strange.

Anyway, I still recommend seeing these incredible buildings with your own eyes.

Book a Chiang Rai Temple Tour:

• Chiang Rai White Temple, Blue Temple, Black House from Chiang Mai
• Sightseeing Join Tour Chiang Rai / PICK UP ONLY IN CHIANG RAI
• Chiang Rai Day Trip from Chiang Mai City with Golden Triangle
• Chiang Rai Temples Private Tour from Chiang Mai ( The Original )

We loved walking around Chiang Rai in the evening. There are great night markets (Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and the Saturday Night Market) and lots of cute little Thai restaurants. Try The Winds or Barrab Restaurant for a cheap, but sit-down dinner. Afterwards, change it up and have some ice cream from Summer Taste Ice Cream. It’s a cute shop with delicious gelato!

How to Get to Chiang Rai

The best way to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai is by bus or private car. It takes about 3.5 hours. Bus tickets typically cost $5 to $15 USD, while hiring a private car or taxi ranges from $50 to $125 USD for a one-way trip.

You can also opt to make it an excursion like we did and hire a guide to take you to temples along the way to Chiang Rai.

I recommend booking this Chiang Rai temple tour (leaving from Chiang Mai) tour and letting them know you’d like to be dropped off at your hotel in Chiang Rai. Alternatively, you can go back to Chiang Mai but it’s a really long day.

Explore other Asia itineraries, such as Bali, Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur.

Itinerary At-a-Glance

🍛 Day 1 | Explore Chiang Mai Old Town temples and wander the narrow streets. Go on an evening Thai street food tour. 

👩🏻‍🍳 Day 2 | Traditional Thai Cooking Class & farm visit (highly recommend @grandmascookingschool). Explore Sunday Night Market (note this is only on Sundays).

🐘 Day 3 | Half Day visit to Elephant Nature Park & Thai massage in the afternoon. Check out the trendy Nimman neighborhood for shopping and dinner (try Ginger Farm Kitchen).

☕️ Day 4 | Early breakfast and coffee at Goodneighbor. Visit iconic Chiang Mai temples: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Wat Phra That Doi Kham, Wat Pha Lat. Dinner at Coconut Shell Thai Food.

🛕Day 5 | Head to Chiang Rai to see Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) & Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple). Enjoy Chiang Rai night markets and have dinner at The Winds.

What to Know Before You Go to Thailand

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