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My Chiang Mai Travel Guide

Updated: • By Bangkok John

Questions? hello@bangkokjohn.com

A Lanna-style courtyard wat inside Chiang Mai's old city
Wat Phra Singh in the early morning. The best time, before the heat.

Chiang Mai is cooler, slower, and the easiest part of Thailand with small kids. Lanna temples inside the old city walls, a rice-paddy resort scene up the Mae Rim valley, the best northern Thai food in the country, and the friendliest service culture anywhere we’ve stayed. We come back at least once a year.

The short version: stay near the old city for first-time temple-hopping, in Mae Rim for the resort experience, or riverside for the calm middle ground. November to February for the weather; avoid March-April for the smoke.

My 2026 Chiang Mai Travel Guide

Chiang Mai Basics

  • Where to stay in Chiang Mai (old city vs Mae Rim) (coming soon)
  • Best time to visit Chiang Mai (coming soon)
  • Chiang Mai airport guide (coming soon)
  • Chiang Mai weather and smoke season (coming soon)

Chiang Mai Hotels

  • Best Hotels in Chiang Mai
  • Best Family Hotels in Chiang Mai (coming soon)
  • Best Old City Boutique Hotels (coming soon)
  • Best Resorts in Mae Rim (coming soon)
  • Best Riverside Chiang Mai Hotels (coming soon)

Chiang Mai Activities and Attractions

  • Ethical elephant sanctuaries (coming soon)
  • Chiang Mai cooking classes (coming soon)
  • Best Chiang Mai temples (coming soon)
  • Chiang Mai restaurants (coming soon)
  • Sunday Walking Street (coming soon)
  • Doi Suthep guide (coming soon)

Chiang Mai Travel Planning

Frequently asked questions

How long in Chiang Mai?

Four to five nights. Less than four and you'll skip Mae Rim or rush the temples. More than five and you should be doing a side trip to Pai or Chiang Rai.

When should I go?

November through February. Cool nights, perfect days. Avoid March and April (agricultural smoke) unless air quality has been good that week. May through October is the lush, quiet, value-pricing window.

Old city or Mae Rim?

Old city or just outside for a first trip – temples are walking distance, the night bazaar is nearby. Mae Rim for the resort experience (Four Seasons), 25 minutes north of town.

Keep reading

  • Best Hotels in Chiang Mai – The old city, the Mae Rim valley, and the family-friendly pools tucked between – where I actually book in Thailand's most underrated city.
  • Best Hotels in Bangkok – After dozens of stays since 2014, here's where I actually book – the riverside grande dames, the boutiques, and the family pools that have kept three daughters happy.
  • Thailand with Kids – Where to go, where to stay, and the things I'd actually do differently with three daughters in tow.
  • Where to Stay in Thailand – The neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown – where to base yourself in each Thai city and which combinations actually work as one trip.

About Bangkok John

Bangkok John

Bangkok John was started in 2020 when I posted my first hotel review. The site now publishes regularly updated guides to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Hua Hin, and all of Thailand.

I'm a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member and an Emirates Skywards Gold member, so I lean toward Marriott properties when the choice is close. I pay for my own rooms.

Questions? Email me at hello@bangkokjohn.com.