The 6 top day trips from Chiang Mai

Once the capital of its own kingdom, the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is packed with rewarding things to see and do, from ancient monasteries and stupas to massage classes, cooking courses and "walking street" markets. Many visitors are happy to pass days or even weeks in the historic center, but if you feel like escaping, all sorts of day trips await in the surrounding hills.

Chiang Mai sprawls across the flat floodplain of the Mae Ping river, but beyond the city, rolling rice fields give way to jungle-blanketed hills and mountain ranges. This is a region where viewpoints dazzle, cottage industries thrive, hot springs simmer, and distinctive temples shimmer.

Public transportation and organized tours can get you to some day-trip destinations, but other spots are best reached by rented motorcycle or scooter, or by chartered car or rot daang (red truck) – the red pickup trucks that operate as taxis in Chiang Mai, also known as songthaew.

Whether you're drawn by lakeside pampering in Huay Teung Tao, hilltop hiking around Doi Inthanon or a hot springs spa day at San Kamphaeng, here are six of the best day trips from Chiang Mai.

1. Dine by the lake at Huay Teung Tao

Why go: A tranquil day out with foodie appeal
Travel time: 30–45 minutes
How to travel: By chartered car or songthaew

Technically tranquil Huay Teung Tao is a man-made reservoir, but this placid lake feels agreeably natural in aspect. Locals gather to while away the day in simple bamboo huts beside the water, chatting, eating and drinking in the clean air, away from Chiang Mai's traffic fumes. It’s particularly popular with families and groups of friends at weekends and public holidays.

In recent years, operators have started offering activities around the reservoir, such as ATV riding and paddleboarding, but nothing beats settling into one of the huts for an afternoon eating local Thai fare and sipping bottles of ice-cold beer. Each hut is associated with a particular restaurant, but all have similar menus, quality and pricing. Simply pick a spot you like the look of, order some food or drinks, and stay as long as you like.

How to get to Huay Teung Tao from Chiang Mai:

Huay Teung Tao is just 14km from Chiang Mai’s old city, just off Route 121, so it's quick and convenient to get here by chartered songthaew. Alternatively, call a rideshare with the Grab app or arrange a car through your hotel or a travel agency.

2. Hit the “handicraft highway” to see traditional crafts

Why go: Buy traditional Thai crafts at source
Travel time: 1–1.5 hours
How to travel: By chartered car or songthaew

Chiang Mai is famous as a handicrafts hub, and its expert artisans are masters in the disciplines of wood carving, silversmithing, weaving and other traditional crafts. Modern practitioners keep traditional skills alive, making everything from baskets and furniture to jewelry and ceramics to sell in the city's markets.

Another rewarding way to grab a souvenir of your time in Thailand is to head east out of town on Highway 1006 (also known as the “Handicraft Highway”) to reach the small villages of Bo Sang and San Khampaeng. While Bo Sang serves as a center for umbrella and papermaking, San Khampaeng specializes in textile and ceramic items. Numerous workshops and showrooms line the main road (or side roads, with signs pointing the way).

For a contrasting perspective on Thailand’s art and handicrafts traditions, stop by the MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, just a couple of kilometers from Bo Sang, to take in exhibitions showcasing the work of contemporary Thai artists. Alternatively, if furniture and home decor are more to your taste, go south of Chiang Mai toward Hang Dong and the woodcarving village of Ban Tawai.

How to get to Bo Sang and San Khampaeng from Chiang Mai:

White shared songthaew leave for Bo Sang from near the Talat Warorot market in Chiang Mai. If you're bound for San Kamphaeng or Ban Tawai, it's more convenient to come by rideshare, rented scooter or chartered songthaew.

3. Enjoy a hot springs soak at San Kamphaeng

Why go: Reset your inner clock while you relax in steaming hot pools
Travel time: 30–45 minutes
How to travel: By chartered car or songthaew

Basking in a hot spring might seem an odd way to pass the time in the steamy tropics (isn't it hot enough already?) but a day out at one of the hot spring complexes around Chiang Mai is a sublimely relaxing way to escape the hustle. While there are no volcanoes dominating the horizon, the countryside around the city is geothermally active, and here and there, hot springs gush from the ground in clouds of steam.

One of the most appealing hot springs complexes is at San Kamphaeng, about 25km east of the Old City, where waters emerging from the ground at 100°C (212°F) are mixed with cold water and channeled into streams where bathers dip their feet to soothe aches and pains. Dotted around a calm garden are private bathing huts, shared pools, picnic shelters, massage pavilions and geysers that release the pressure building below the ground with a hiss.

Do as locals do and make a day of it, bringing a picnic from one of Chiang Mai's food markets; buy a basket of eggs on arrival to boil in the undiluted pools set aside for the purpose.

How to get to San Kamphaeng from Chiang Mai:

The trip to San Kamphaeng is quick and easy. Many come by songthaew or rideshare, but it's a low-stress trip by rented motorcycle or scooter, following Route 1317. On the way, you can detour to the Bo Sang Umbrella Village.

4. Watch the sunrise at Doi Inthanon National Park

Why go: See the sun come up at Thailand's highest point
Travel time: 2 hours
How to travel: By chartered car or bus and songthaew

With Thailand's tallest peak rising at its center, Doi Inthanon National Park is one of the country’s best-known national parks. Covering more than 480 sq km of forested mountain terrain, it’s home to numerous waterfalls, hiking trails, viewpoints, minority villages and dense forests that throng with hundreds of bird species.

The park is a popular attraction, especially in the country’s November to January cool season, when temperatures drop, and sometimes a touch of frost appears at the 2565m summit of Doi Inthanon – a phenomenon that delights Thai visitors more used to sweltering tropical weather.

Doi Inthanon is also one of the few national parks in Thailand that you can easily drive through, with well-maintained roads connecting key sites such as the twin chedis (stupas) of Phra Mahathat Naphamehtanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphapholphumisiri, and the trailhead for the 2.7km Kaew Mae Pan Nature Trail.

This short but spectacular hiking route, which requires the help of a local guide (plus supplied bamboo hiking sticks), winds through some of the park’s most impressive landscapes to beautiful viewpoints overlooking the surrounding valleys.

Many people explore Doi Inthanon as a day trip from Chiang Mai, either on their own or on an organized tour. You can also stay in basic bungalow accommodations at the national park headquarters, or camp on the mountain overnight to wake up above the clouds.

How to get to Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai:

Many visitors come by chartering a taxi or songthaew for a full day, visiting several different stops around the park. Travel agencies offer similar itineraries as organized packages. A cheaper option is to hop on a bus from Chiang Mai to the highway town of Chom Thong, where you can arrange a songthaew ride up to the park headquarters.

5. Tackle the Samoeng Loop by motorcycle

Why go: Ride Chiang Mai's favorite motorcycle loop
Travel time: 2.5 hours
How to travel: By rented motorcycle or scooter or chartered car

While the trip up to the golden stupa at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep offers a taste of the hills, you can’t visit Chiang Mai without getting out into the surrounding mountains. For those comfortable on a motorcycle or scooter, the 100km-long Samoeng Loop is a favorite riding route for both locals and tourists, especially at weekends in the drier, cooler season.

In theory, you could complete the trip without stopping in 2.5 hours, following Route 121, Route 107, Route 1096, Route 1269, and Route 108 in a loop from Chiang Mai, but there are plenty of places to stop off. Top detours include Nam Tok Mae Sa, a scenic (though sometimes busy) tiered waterfall that’s good for swimming, and Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens, a huge, manicured green space bursting with exotic flowers.

Plan for 4 hours or longer if you visit these stops and the hilltop restaurant of Mon Jam in the Hmong village of Nong Hoi for a leisurely lunch. While it's possible to follow the loop by car, the journey by motorcycle – experiencing the cool air rushing by your face and taking in 360-degree views – is the big lure of the trip. Look out for fruit vendors selling strawberries, lychees and longans beside the road in season.

How to follow the Samoeng Loop from Chiang Mai:

Start by driving north out of the center of Chiang Mai on Route 107 (or follow Route 121 to meet Route 107), then turn left onto Route 1096 at Mae Rim. This quiet back road will take you climbing up into the hills, passing small rustic restaurants, strawberry fields, agriculture initiatives backed by the Thai royal family, and viewpoints looking out over the valley.

At the junction with Route 1296, detour west to the village of Samoeng, then turn around and follow the same road southeast toward Chiang Mai, finally returning to the old city via Route 108. Scooter and motorcycle rentals are available from numerous operators in Chiang Mai (make sure insurance is included, wear a helmet, and carry your passport and driver's license). You can also join an organized motorcycle tour.

5. See Chiang Rai's colorful sights on a long day trip

Why go: Experience another colorful Northern Thai city
Travel time: 8 hours
How to travel: By chartered car or bus

While admittedly a taxing journey, it is possible to visit the city of Chiang Rai, around 190km northeast of Chiang Mai on a long day trip by chartered car or bus – a trip of 3.5 hours in each direction. This involves a lot of travel, but you'll have time to see two of the region’s most beloved sites – famous Wat Rong Khun and the Baandam – and grab a northern Thai lunch from the city's food stalls.

Commonly known as the White Temple, but not actually a consecrated place of worship, Wat Rong Khun was the brainchild of contemporary Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. At this gleaming white complex, visitors have to walk past a sea of yearning arms (symbolizing desire) to reach the temple’s interior, where trippy murals include images of actor Keanu Reeves and Superman.

Nearby, the Baandam (meaning “Black House”) is another otherworldly creation, this time from the mind of Chiang Rai-born artist Thawan Duchanee. Unlike radiant Wat Rong Khun, the wat-like buildings here are dark and moody, adorned with sculptures, dark teak wood and animal pelts and skulls.

If you come with a chartered vehicle, you may have time to detour to the monastery of Wat Huay Pla Kang on the outskirts of Chiang Rai, home to Thailand's largest statue of Guanyin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.

How to get to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai:

Rent a car (with or without a driver) to enjoy the day at your own pace, or take an inexpensive public bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, then get around using Grab rideshares or chartered songthaew on arrival. Travel agencies in Chiang Mai also offer package trips to Chiang Rai that run from around 8am to 8pm.