15 BEST THINGS TO DO IN CHIANG MAI ON A BUDGET
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Before and during my four week stay in Chiang Mai I looked at various lists of best things to see and do. Most of them had one thing in common: the suggested activities were fairly expensive – and mostly outside of town.
Cooking classes, Elephant camps, day excursions to waterfalls, Doi Inthenon National Park, temple tours… It was rather daunting and did make me wonder if there was anything to do in town that would not break the bank.
Don’t get me wrong – all these activities sound amazing and I am sure they are worth the money. But if you – like me – are in town longer or if you have already spent too much of your vacation budget, they may not be what you are looking for.
But no worries – during my four week stay I found plenty of fun activities that are free or comparatively inexpensive. Read on for my list of things to do when you feel less flush. I have personally enjoyed the vast majority of these but will include a couple I did not get around to.
Budget-friendly Activities in Chiang Mai
1. Shop at a (Night) Market
You will find a visit to a (night) market on any Chiang Mai list as markets and temples are really what Chiang Mai does best. It is a perfect tourist activity and extremely popular.
Obviously, you can spend quite some money at a market, but for the most part souvenirs are inexpensive, browsing and people watching is free, and there is plenty of inexpensive food available. There is often even free music or concerts!
The most famous market in Chiang Mai is of course the Sunday Night Market which as the name implies happens only on Sunday evenings. It is a huge event stretching half-way through the old town with every imaginable souvenir, plenty of tasty treats, and live music. Come early to enjoy it before the crowds set in!
You won’t be in town on a Sunday? No worries – there are many other markets as well as the nightly market at the Night Bazaar.
And if you are looking to do some shopping during the day, Waroros Market is the perfect destination. Ideal for picking up dried fruit, inexpensive clothing, or a quick lunch.
2. Visit a Temple (or two or three)
Chiang Mai is probably most famous for its temples and no visit to Northern Thailand would be complete without visiting at least a couple. While you can opt for an organized tour, touring temples is quite easy to do on your own. Many of the most beautiful temples are right in the Old Town or nearby and are easily accessible.
Some of the temples charge a modest entrance fee (generally 30-50 Baht) while others are free. A couple of things to keep in mind:
- Wear shoes you can easily put on/take off as you will have to take them off when entering the temples.
- If you are female, be prepared that you may not be able to enter some buildings/shrines due to cultural reasons.
- Wear modest clothing (shoulders and knees should be covered)
- Remember that these are places of worship so show the same respect you would show in your own church/temple/shrine/mosque etc.
I strongly recommend that you visit no more than three temples per day (and preferably just two) as otherwise they will blur in your mind. If you are having a hard time choosing which ones to go to, check out my personal favorites.
3. Explore one of Chiang Mai’s Museums
Chiang Mai has several museums that are worth a visit and charge only a modest entrance fee. I had several museums on my list of things to do but only managed to visit the Lanna Traditional House Museum. I know, it is embarassing but even with four weeks in town I ran out of time.
Part of the reason was that most museums have fairly limited opening times (i.e. only certain days and often closing by 4 pm). Some other museums that were on my list were Lanna Folklife Center and Chiang Mai Cultural Center.
4. Check out a Mall
Whereas malls seem to be a dying breed in the US and many countries in Europe, they are thriving in Thailand. The big three in Chiang Mai are Central (Northeast of the Old Town), Central Airport (obviously near the airport), and Maya Mall (in Nimman).
They are huge, modern, and offer pretty much any store you can think of. You will also find plenty of restaurants as well as inexpensive food courts.
A mall may not be the most exotic destination but it does make a nice change from all the touring. And especially on a hot day, spending some time in the cool air conditioned mall may be just the thing.
5. Get a Massage
In the interest of full disclosure, I did not get a massage myself while in Chiang Mai. Mostly because I am too wimpy/embarrassed/nervous. But you definitely should!
Massages are quite inexpensive (mostly around 250 baht for a one hour foot massage) and there are massage shops everywhere. Even more convenient, most night markets have areas set up for massages right there.
So if your feet hurt from walking all over Old Town to see temples or from shopping, help is at hand!
6. Go on a Ping River Cruise
I know I said this list wasn’t going to focus on expensive excursions but will make an exception for the Ping River Cruise as it is in town and fairly inexpensive. Read my complete review to find out if this short water activity would be right for you!
The Ping River is actually a bit outside of the town center and this boat ride doesn’t pass by any big sights. It does however give you a chance to relax, watch life along the river, and enjoy a delicious meal.
7. Hike the Hills to the West of Town
To be honest, my feet hurt plenty after walking all over town so I did not have the energy to do any real hiking. But you may be more athletic and the hiking paths to the West of town are very popular. You can even combine your hike with a visit to Doi Suthep or Wat Pha Lat!
8. Explore chiang Mai’s Cute and weird shops
Chiang Mai offers an unexpectedly large number of unusual or niche stores (probably due to the large number of expats/tourists/digital nomads). From boardgame cafes to model building – you can find something for most any interest. My favorite is the Jigsaw Place, a gallery/store where you can not only buy puzzles to do at home, but also work on ones in the store.
My recommendation for finding these places is two-fold:
a) Just look for your personal interest (e.g. tea or yarn or whatever) on Google Maps and then check out the results popping up
b) Or walk through old town with open eyes to see what you will find.
9. Watch a Muay Thai Match
Another activity I did not personally try (what did I even do during those four weeks?). In this case it was more because I barely know what Muay Thai is and have little interest. But I know many visitors feel different and Chiang Mai is an excellent place to take in a match.
I do not have a clue about this sport and there may be better ways to get a ticket for a match but I would probably just buy one via Get your Guide. And if you are really interested you can even take part in a training session yourself!
10. Relax at the Pool
This next activity is one I definitely did do and not just once or twice. Actually, spending so much time at the pool was probably the main reason I didn’t get to do all of the other activities I was interested in!
Going to the pool isn’t specific to Chiang Mai but depending on where you are from lying in the sun and taking a refreshing dip when you feel like it may not be something you can do any day. And let’s face it, especially on a longer trip you can’t just go, go, go every day and visit sights 24/7 without burning out.
If you are lucky your hotel has a nice pool so you can recharge after touring the local sights. If your hotel does not have a pool (my AirBnB didn’t) – no worries. Several hotels offer day passes/visitor access. I spent a fair amount of time at the Shangri-La’s pool and loved it!
11. Visit Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat
Didn’t we already have temples on this list? Yes, but I will give Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat a separate heading as they are out of town and harder to get to. They probably require at least half a day.
I ended up taking this tour there as I just couldn’t make it work any other way, but theoretically you can explore one or both of these sights independently. Doi Suthep is Chiang Mai’s DO NOT MISS attraction so this will likely be close to the top of your to do list.
12. Enjoy quaint/cool/trendy/whatever coffee shops
Chiang Mai has a suprising number of cafés/coffee shops of all kinds and sizes. Well, given the huge population of digital nomads and expats it is maybe not that suprising.
No matter if you want to cuddle a cat, pet a dog, check out books, admire cute bears (toy ones, not real), chill in a garden, or enjoy the trendy atmosphere of a hip coffee house – you will likely find the right one for you.
Just remember, that coffees and treats there may be cheaper than at home but they do add up. So you may want to limit the number of places you visit if your budget is similar to mine.
13. Recharge at one of Chiang Mai’s Green Spaces
Chiang Mai has so many absolutely beautiful temples, bustling markets, and fun activities that life can get rather hectic. If it is all getting a bit much, my suggestion is to visit a more serene outdoor space to just chill, breathe and maybe read a good (or trashy, I don’t judge) book.
As a matter of fact that is one of my favorite things to do when travelling and often what I remember best about a destination. For Chiang Mai I have written an entire post with suggestions for where to go for some down-time.
14. Explore Royal Park Rajapruek
This is the one thing I regret most not having gotten to in Chiang Mai. Based at pictures it looks like my favorite kind of place. It was on the top of the list but I kept pushing it off and then just never managed! (So no picture of it here unfortunately)
This site includes the Royal Pavillion as well as beautiful gardens. You could easily spend half a day here – they even have a tram to explore the area. It should be fairly easy to get to via Grab and though there is an entrance fee it isn’t too high (200 baht at this time).
15. Check out the campus of Chiang Mai University and Angkaew Reservoir
I loved my time in Chiang Mai overall, but visiting this campus and especially the reservoir was a true highlight. To me, the reservoir was just stunning!
I can’t even explain what was so special about it but the vibe was so serene and mystical (to me at least). There are plenty of benches (the ones near on the campus side are a bit too sunny but once you get to the other side there is shade) to rest, relax and enjoy the scenery.
Activities from Chiang Mai if you have a bigger Budget
All the activities above are either free, inexpensive, or at least affordable. But Chiang Mai is well-known as a great base for exploring the surrounding area. Before my trip I had planned out which day-trips I was going to take but then got so busy with activities right in town that I never booked any.
However, these day trips are very popular and well worth doing. So for the sake of completeness I will mention the most recommended/best excursions to book. And on my next trip to Chiang Mai I will make sure to check them out myself!
A) Sticky Waterfall
Apparently the stones of this waterfall have some unique properties that make it easy to walk/climb up. It looks and sounds amazing and I wish I had managed to go on this tour.
B) Doi Inthanon National Park
Of all the Chiang Mai Excursions this was the one I was looking forward to most – and if you google Chiang Mai you will often see the pagodas in Doi Inthanon as the main pictures. (Pretty strange considering all the sights Chiang Mai has to offer.)
But again, I kept pushing this trip off and then it was too late… I did though do research before and would have booked this Eco-Friendly Doi Inthanon Park trip.
C) Visit an Elephant Camp
Okay, this one I actually had not planned on anyway. Elephants are some of my favorite animals and it would be fun to ride on one/feed it/whatever. However, this is apparently not very animal-friendly so ethical Elephant Camps no longer offer it (and I wouldn’t want to be unetical). On the other hand, just looking at them doesn’t sound quite that exciting?
But that is just me and visiting an (ethical) elephant camp is probably the #1 excursion tourists in Chiang Mai do.
D) Take A Thai Cooking Class
Thai food is delicious and taking part in a cooking class is a good chance to meet people and connect. These classes/tours seem to be great fun as the reviews are extraordinarily good!
There are of course even more excursions offered but those are the most popular ones. Most visitors (who are better organized than me) will probably go on at least one or two of these tours.
Chiang Mai – So much to do, so little time
Chiang Mai really is a great destination with loads of things to do. I definitely recommend going on a couple of day trips, but there are also plenty of sights, shopping, and activities in town that are worth your time and will be better for your budget!
