Chiang Mai is a destination that you can enjoy no matter how long your trip is. Here are some suggested DIY CHIANG MAI ITINERARIES for 1 DAY (LAYOVER), 2 DAYS, 3 DAYS, 4 DAYS, 5 DAYS, 6 DAYS, and 7 DAYS (1 WEEK). As always, each itinerary comes with estimated budgets and recommended tours.
If you twist my arm and force me to recommend only one place in Thailand, I’ll be able to come up with an answer quick: Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai has all the right ingredients for an ideal tourist destination. Historic and exotic attractions, check. Globally revered cuisine, check. Tourist-friendly atmosphere, check. Mild climate, check. And most importantly, low cost of living, check.
If you’re traveling to Chiang Mai soon and still trying to build an itinerary, here are some samples that you may use as a guide. We also added the cost of each item in the itinerary and a budget estimate. Note that these estimates are kind of bloated in order to cover other additional expenses. Like we always say, it’s always better to overestimate than under.
But before that, you might want to get a data SIM card!
If you’re the type who relies heavily on the Internet for directions and recommendations, you might want to get a local data SIM. You can book one in advance online and pick it up at Chiang Mai Airport.
Anyway, back to the itineraries. Here they are. You might have different flight or train schedules and tour preferences, so don’t forget to tweak this accordingly.
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 1 Day
If for whatever reason you only have one day to give Chiang Mai (why?), we recommend that you do a temples tour of the city. Join a guided group tour so you get better understanding and appreciation of each site and you don’t need to worry about navigation. Doing this tour also keeps you within short distance from the airport so you can easily return.
Day 1: TEMPLE TOUR
09:00am – Arrival at CNX Airport
10:00am – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
11:00am – Lunch, ฿100
01:00pm – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
06:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend), Food: ฿100
07:00pm – Transfer to airport, ฿150
09:00pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿1500 (USD46, EUR39.2, SGD63, PHP2450)
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 2 Days
Two days is not enough for Chiang Mai, but if this is all the time you have here’s what you can do to make the most of it. This itinerary will let you visit the temples around the city, Doi Suthep temple, and Doi Inthanon National Park, which is popular among tourists for its waterfalls, pagodas, and scenic views.
Day 1: TEMPLE TOUR
09:00am – Arrival at CNX Airport
10:00am – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
11:00am – Lunch, ฿100
01:00pm – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
06:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend), Food: ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
06:00am – Early check out
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Quick dinner, ฿100
07:00pm – Transfer to airport, ฿150
09:00pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿3000 (USD92, EUR79, SGD125, PHP4900), excluding hotel and airfare.
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 3 Days
This itinerary is similar to the 2-day version above but it’s just much more relaxed. But the stops are the same: Chiang Mai temples including Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon National Park, and the night bazaar.
Day 1: ARRIVAL, NIGHT BAZAAR
12:30pm – Arrival at CNX Airport
01:30pm – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
02:00pm – Hotel check-in, rest
05:00pm – DIY Street food trip, ฿200
08:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend)
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: TEMPLES TOUR
06:00am – Early check out
06:30am – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
04:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
05:00pm – Early dinner, ฿100
07:00pm – Transfer to airport, ฿150
09:00pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿3200 (USD98, EUR84, SGD134, PHP5225), excluding hotel and airfare.
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 4 Days
Having four days to spend in Chiang Mai means you also have time to better appreciate its cuisine. Chiang Mai has a lot of companies offering cooking classes! Many of these tours also involve a visit to the local market to shop for ingredients, a tour of a farm, and the actual cooking session.
A visit to the city temples, Doi Suthep, and Doi Inthanon National Park is also included.
Day 1: ARRIVAL, NIGHT BAZAAR
12:30pm – Arrival at CNX Airport
01:30pm – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
02:00pm – Hotel check-in, rest
05:00pm – DIY Street food trip, ฿200
08:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend)
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: TEMPLES TOUR
06:30am – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
04:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: THAI COOKING CLASS
07:00am – Early check out, leave bags
07:30am – Cooking Class, ฿740, Reserve here
02:00pm – Back to hostel, pick up bags
02:30pm – Travel to airport, ฿150
03:00pm – Flight check-in
05:30pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿3600 (USD111, EUR95, SGD151, PHP5900), excluding accommodations and airfare.
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 5 Days
Spending five days in Chiang Mai gives you time to also check out nearby destinations like Chiang Rai. With this itinerary, on top of the usual temples tour and a visit to Doi Inthanon Park, you’ll also get to travel to Chiang Rai to see the White Temple and the Golden Triangle, where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet.
Day 1: ARRIVAL, NIGHT BAZAAR
12:30pm – Arrival at CNX Airport
01:30pm – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
02:00pm – Hotel check-in, rest
05:00pm – DIY Street food trip, ฿200
08:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend)
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: TEMPLES TOUR
06:30am – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
04:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: CHIANG RAI DAY TOUR
05:30am – Start Chiang Rai Tour, ฿1150, Reserve here
09:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
11:00pm – Lights out
Day 5: THAI COOKING CLASS
07:00am – Early check out, leave bags
07:30am – Cooking Class, ฿740, Reserve here
02:00pm – Back to hostel, pick up bags
02:30pm – Travel to airport, ฿150
03:00pm – Flight check-in
05:30pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿5000 (USD153, EUR131, SGD209, PHP8170), excluding accommodations and airfare.
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 6 Days
Sightseeing nonstop for 5 days can be stressful and exhausting, so for this itinerary, we simply inserted a rest day! Use this day to just walk around the city, sample more Thai dishes, and connect with the locals or other travelers!
Day 1: ARRIVAL, NIGHT BAZAAR
12:30pm – Arrival at CNX Airport
01:30pm – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
02:00pm – Hotel check-in, rest
05:00pm – DIY Street food trip, ฿200
08:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend)
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: TEMPLES TOUR
06:30am – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
04:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: REST DAY
12:00pm – Lunch, ฿100
02:00pm – Walk around the city, massage, ฿200
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 5: CHIANG RAI DAY TOUR
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 6: THAI COOKING CLASS
07:00am – Early check out, leave bags
07:30am – Cooking Class, ฿740, Reserve here
02:00pm – Back to hostel, pick up bags
02:30pm – Travel to airport, ฿150
03:00pm – Flight check-in
05:30pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿5500 (USD168, EUR144, SGD230, PHP9000), excluding accommodations and airfare.
Chiang Mai Itinerary: 7 Days
One of the most popular activities in Chiang Mai is the so-called Flight of the Gibbon adventure, which will take you ziplining over the jungle. It’s quite expensive but for a reason.
Aside from that, this itinerary also includes a stop at the following: night bazaar, city temples, Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Rai, and Golden Triangle.
Day 1: ARRIVAL, NIGHT BAZAAR
12:30pm – Arrival at CNX Airport
01:30pm – Transfer to Old City: ฿60
02:00pm – Hotel check-in, rest
05:00pm – DIY Street food trip, ฿200
08:00pm – Night bazaar (or weekend market if weekend)
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 2: TEMPLES TOUR
06:30am – Start Temples Tour, ฿940, Book here
04:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 3: DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 4: FLIGHT OF THE GIBBON
06:30am – Flight of the Gibbon Adventure, ฿3999, Book here
03:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 5: REST DAY
12:00pm – Lunch, ฿100
02:00pm – Walk around the city, massage, ฿200
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 6: CHIANG RAI DAY TOUR
07:00am – Start Doi Inthanon Tour, ฿1300, Book here.
06:00pm – Back to hotel, rest
07:00pm – Dinner, ฿100
09:00pm – Lights out
Day 7: THAI COOKING CLASS
07:00am – Early check out, leave bags
07:30am – Cooking Class, ฿740, Reserve here
02:00pm – Back to hostel, pick up bags
02:30pm – Travel to airport, ฿150
03:00pm – Flight check-in
05:30pm – Flight out
Cost estimate: ฿9700 (USD297, EUR254, SGD405, PHP15850), excluding accommodations and airfare.
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