How to Spend 2 Days in Chiang Mai: Ultimate Itinerary

The main reason why I included Chiang Mai in my Thailand itinerary was because I wanted to see Chiang Rai and since I was already in the north, I decided to spend some time there. But Chiang Mai ended up being one of my favourite places in Thailand because of its laid-back vibe. In this blog post I will share with you how to spend 2 days in Chiang Mai.

The first day will be focused on the Old Town and ancient temples there, whereas the second day will be a visit to the elephant sanctuary.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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📖 Read my The Ultimate Thailand 2 Week Itinerary: The Best of Thailand blog post.

How to Get to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand, which means that if you’re flying from Europe or the US, you will need a one stop, most likely in Bangkok. Which is why I recommend that you fly into Bangkok first, spend a few days there and then hop on a plane to Chiang Mai.

If you’re already in Thailand or somewhere else in Southeast Asia, then there are direct flights from many popular locations and they don’t cost much.

You can also take the night train or bus from Bangkok, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re travelling on a tight budget.

✅ Check the flight prices here.

📖 Read my How to Spend 4 Days in Bangkok – Perfect Itinerary blog post.

How to Get around Chiang Mai

If you’re staying in the city centre, which is my recommendation, then you can just walk around as Chiang Mai is a relatively small city.

Otherwise, you can easily take tuk-tuks or Grab (Southeast Asian Uber).

Where to Stay in Chiang Mai

When to Visit Chiang Mai

The best time to visit Chiang Mai is between November and March. However, one important thing to keep in mind is the burning season that happens between February and April which can bring severe air pollution.

I was there in March and I didn’t experience air pollution and personally I think March is a great time to visit.

The riskiest time to visit is between May and September during the monsoon season, though the locals said that usually means one shower a day and that’s it. It’s also the cheapest time to travel, so something to consider if you’re a budget traveller or just hate the crowds.

How Many Days in Chiang Mai is Ideal

I spent 2 days in Chiang Mai, exactly like I would show you in this itinerary. While it’s enough days to sightsee the Old Town and do one day trip (preferably to elephant sanctuary), it is nowhere near enough for all the excursions you can do from there.

So, I would say 3-4 days is ideal, but even with 2 days you will do a lot.

Day 1 in Chiang Mai

As mentioned, your first day in Chiang Mai will be focused on the historic centre and all the food you can have in a day.

✅ Consider joining this best rated Old City and Temples Guided Walking Tour.

Wat Phantao

Wat Phantao is one of the oldest temples of Chiang Mai in the old walled centre of the city. It was built towards the end of the 14th century.

The vihara of the Wat Phantao was originally a throne hall for one of Chiang Mai’s Kings in 1846.

The temple is free to visit, but you need to dress modestly.

Wat Phra Singh

The second temple I recommend visiting is Wat Phra Singh.

It is also known as The Monastery of the Lion Buddha or The Temple of the Lion Buddha. It is an active temple with hundreds of monks and novices living there.

Wat Phra Singh dates back to the 14th century when Chiang Mai was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, which is why it is one of the finest examples of classic Lanna style temple architecture in Northern Thailand.

You can visit it for free and of course, you have to dress modestly.

Night Market

Definitely don’t miss a stroll through the night market in Chiang Mai where you can buy souvenirs and try street food.

✅ I recommend checking this Small-Group Chiang Mai Evening Street Food Tour.

Recommended Restaurants

We enjoyed the food scene in Chiang Mai, so here are my two favourite restaurants you need to check when in Chiang Mai:

Day 2 in Chiang Mai

On your second and last day in Chiang Mai I recommend to visit an elephant sanctuary.

While there are other say trips you can do, like going to Chiang Rai or Doi Inthanon, I would definitely opt for the day with elephants.

Firstly, it’s better to spend a couple of days in Chiang Rai rather than visiting as a day trip. In terms of Doi Inthanon, I would leave it for next time, or if you have more days to spend in Chiang Mai.

📖 Read my How to Spend 2 Days in Chiang Rai – Travel Itinerary blog post.

Elephant Sanctuary

💡Before we go into details of this day trip – please, please, please, never ride an elephant or book a tour with an operator that is offering that service! These elephants are 99% abused and not well taken care of!

✅ I was carefully researching which tour operator to book and when I found this tour on GetYourGuide that has over 5k reviews and 4.9 score, I knew they were the one. Honestly, CANNOT RECOMMEND THEM MORE!

The owner of this sanctuary is an older lady who is saving elephants on the border with Burma (Myanmar). She has around 20 elephants on her farm, but you only play with females as males are bigger and more aggressive since they’re territorial.

First we met with mama elephant and her baby girl Mali who was 13 months old and already weighed 350 kg (770 pounds).

We fed mama and played with the little one. She was so funny, we were laughing so much with her, especially when she was trying to fit into her swimming pool which she has obviously outgrown (as shown in the photo above).

After that we had lunch at the farm and then went to feed 3 other grown up elephants.

Later we bathed them in mud and played with them in the river. They were hilarious, like little kids playing and joking with us and splashing us with their trunk!

It was once more time for feeding and then we left them to relax.

We had one more activity and that was swimming in the waterfall, which was so refreshing.

Is Chiang Mai worth Visiting

Chiang Mai, and the north of Thailand, may not in general be at the top of the places people visit, especially on their first time visit to Thailand.

As I said in my intro, initially I only included Chiang Mai because we were already in Chiang Rai and have decided to spend a few days in the north since we already made it all the way there.

But Chiang Mai surprised us in the best possible way. The coffee culture is great, there are plenty of local restaurants and bars and a fun night scene if you’re into that.

The city is pretty chill and laid-back and totally safe. There are beautiful temples you can visit, great things you can do on a guided tour and it’s a very affordable place to stay.

Which is what makes Chiang Mai very much worth visiting, so definitely include it to your Thailand itinerary!

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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