Chiang Mai, Thailand is the first country Jordan and I made a second trip to together. We absolutely love everything about this city, it’s people, food and culture. Our first visit was in March just before we took off for our year around the world and we were enchanted! After our multiple trips, we’ve been able to really discover the best of the city. This list is the perfect place to start planning your trip to Chiang Mai. While there are endless things to see, do, and EAT here are our top picks!
Eat All The Things: Best Dishes and Where to Get Them
If you’re a fan of Thai food you’ve likely heard of pad thai and curry but have you tried Khao Soi? Have you eaten fresh mango sticky rice? You must! Here are our favorites dishes and where we like to get them.
KHAO SOI: Traditionally served with chicken, this brothy, spicy bowl of heaven is a specialty of Northern Thailand so you cannot miss it when in Chiang Mai. Khao Soi is a noodle soup, usually a bit spicy (like all Thai food), topped with crispy fried noodles and delicious pickled cabbage (don’t knock it, the cabbage adds an acidic element that really sends this dish to the next level). I could go on and on because this is my all-time favorite Thai dish but let’s get to where you can get your bowl.
- Good Local Thai – This spot has charm for days and the sweetest women serving up the city’s best khao soi (IMHO)! It’s the cheapest we found (> $2 USD per bowl) but our favorites for sure. We always get veggie khao soi but they have all the meat options as well. Load it up with chili flakes and you’re sure to endear yourself to the owners. This spot is open-air and super casual but we love it that way.
- Khao Soi Khun Yai – This spot is another open-air casual place but it’s a lot more well known than Good Local Thai. Expect to wait a bit but it’s worth it. We hear the beef khao soi is good here but try whichever you prefer!
THAI CURRY: Our top favorite is Panang Curry, which is a variation of a Red Curry, but we also love Massaman Curry and Pumpkin Curry! Curry is a staple of the Thai menu and is made with love and a lot of hard work. After taking a cooking class in Chiang Mai (see more below) we learned what it takes just to make the curry paste, let alone bring the entire dish together. It’s insane that you can get such an excellent depth of flavor for $3 USD, but that’s Thailand!
- Kanjana Restaurant – Our favorite spot for Panang and Pumpkin Curry, you can’t go wrong with either. Also, if you want to really overdo it get the fried sticky rice, yum! This restaurant feels a little more formal than the other two we mentioned but it’s definitely still a casual spot with great service. We’ve noticed that when we come back to a restaurant twice the locals really start to open up. We love the family that runs this shop, they always seem to be working hard but having the best time!
MANGO STICKY RICE: Y’all, we are obsessed with this Thai treat. Ask anyone who knows us and they will tell you how we evangelize this incredible dish all day long. It’s about a half a mango (depending on the vendor) sliced up alongside a generous portion of sticky rice. All of this is doused in coconut cream and topped with either sesame seeds or, our favorite, puffed mung beans. IT’S EFFIN GOOD. Eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s just really good.
- Street Cart Praew – That is as official a name as I can give you for this spot. We get the best mango sticky in the world from this specific cart because she makes it with extra love and magic, I swear. We’ve tried a lot of places, and she’s the best. Generous portions of mango (always fresh), and sticky rice made with the butterfly pea flower to give it a gorgeous purple color. You can find her along the Tha Pae Walking Street pretty much every day around 4 PM or so. Her cart is yellow and says “Praew” on it. Here’s a google pin of where we usually found her.
Other incredible dishes you have to try are Tom Kha Kai (coconut soup), Papaya Salad (spicy and refreshing), and Herbal Tea. I love to get the iced teas from the vendors at the markets, my favorite is the Butterfly Pea but the vendor can usually suggest a combination you’ll love. Last time I got some crazy mix of chrysanthemum and others and it was light, bright, and refreshing! Also, a cup runs about ¢10 USD so have all you want! While you’re at the markets, be sure to try whatever looks good. Street food is a category unto itself and you’d be missing out to skip it.
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Explore The Night Markets (Tha Pae Walking Street, Sunday Night Market)
The night market experience is quintessential Thailand! These winding streets packed full of vendors and food and people are like a street party almost every night. While the Saturday and Sunday markets are by far the biggest and most popular, you can find one almost any day of the week around Old Town.
Our favorite is the Tha Pae Walking Street on Sunday. This is where we find our best herbal teas and mango sticky rice. There is also a stall in front of Wat Sumpow that serves up great khao soi! If you are after a bargain on some “elephant pants” or cool clothes this is where you want to be! If you go early, just before sunset you can have a bit more wiggle room to browse and check out what’s on offer. You can get the most beautiful souvenirs and food and spend a couple of great hours walking up and down the hundreds of stalls. Know that after dark the markets can get very crowded so bring your patience. Things in Southeast Asia move at a slower pace and so should you! Just eat, drink, and enjoy.
Take a Cooking Class – Learn To Make Your Favorite Thai Dish!
Plan this one for maybe the middle of your stay in Chiang Mai after you’ve gotten a chance to try all the great options. Then, sign up for a cooking class and see just what it takes to make that amazing curry or beautiful sticky rice! We went with Zabb E Lee Cooking School and took the class out on their farm. We highly recommend this cooking class, the teachers were funny and patient and we learned a ton. We even got a cookbook to take home so we could attempt the recipes again later.
We specifically recommend doing a class out on a farm. There are several schools that do this and the experience was so much more than just a kitchen in town. We went out and picked our own ingredients and learned about the plants themselves. The open-air kitchen they have on the farm was beautiful and peaceful. You will love it!Another cooking school we recommend is Thai Secret Cooking School. Several vloggers, we trust have gone there and had a great time!
Hang Out With Elephants at an Elephant Sanctuary (No Riding!)
Asain elephants are a big part of the culture in Thailand, it is their national symbol and revered for its strength and might. Also, the White Elephant is a symbol of Thai royalty. You’ll probably notice them most on the “elephant pants” or “temple pants” I mentioned below. These are the breezy cotton pants you will find all over southwest Asia, especially at the night markets. The traditional pattern is full of elephant imagery – they are also great for lounging around or staying modest for a temple visit.
In planning your trip to Thailand you might have it in mind to go on an elephant ride. We have to implore you to reconsider. Riding elephants is cruel and unnecessary. To get an elephant to let you ride it you have to subject it to horrible treatment known as Phajaan, or “the crush”. This usually involves taking a baby elephant away from its mother and confining it to a very small space until it’s “broken” or “tamed”. If you know anything about elephants as a species, they are incredibly social and intelligent animals. Riding them is just not something humans should do.
Luckily, you can still enjoy these amazing creatures in a way that is more mutually beneficial. While I am not under the illusion that these “sanctuaries” are purely for the benefit of the animals, they are certainly a far more ethical option if you want to spend time up close with these animals. No matter what, the elephants in a sanctuary are in captivity and thus are likely to live shorter lives and be more constrained than they would in the wild. We felt the caretakers at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary were doing right by the elephants and we were good with our decision to support them. In researching for this post I read several accounts of perceived cruelty at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary so please do your own research before making your choice.
If I had it to do again and could plan more in advance, I would choose Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary. They are known for severely limiting human interaction with the elephants and thus have a very long waitlist. I think that will be the direction the industry heads in the future and I hope not to look back on our time at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary regretfully. As it stands now, it was the highlight of our trip. We got to walk around with them, feed them, and bathe them. Being so close and getting to see their strength and smarts for ourselves was truly special.
Get “Templed Out” Visiting The Beautiful Temples and Wats
If you’ve talked to a friend who’s been to southeast Asia they almost certainly talk about coming to the point where they didn’t care if they never saw another temple again. Much like cathedrals in Europe, there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to visiting temples in Thailand. Luckily, we’ve got a few suggestions of our favorites around Chiang Mai so you can make the most of your time without overdoing it. Be sure to dress appropriately – covered knees and shoulders – and you’ll be good to do.
Wat Chedi Luang – Our favorite temple of all we visited! This one is part ruins, part temple. The massive stupa can be seen from all around Old Town and the elephant statues are truly impressive. The temple dates back to the 14th century and it really has a magic to it that I love.
Wat Prah Singh – Also built in the 14th century this temple is right in town and known for its incredible gold stupas. These gilded structures are breathtaking and special. The grounds are beautiful and have lots of shade. We had a fun morning strolling around and watching the monks go about their day.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep – This temple is perhaps the most well known in Chiang Mai. It’s a bit of a journey to get there, you will need to hire a tour guide or hop in a Songthaew (public bus/truck). There is some interesting lore about the site involving a white elephant and a magical bone. It’s a lovely complex with golden pagodas and white elephant shrines. This is a spot not to be missed!
Chiang Mai is a city that holds a special place in our hearts and one that we hope to return to again and again.
If you want more about our time in Thailand be sure to check out our videos from Chiang Mai on YouTube.
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