Northern Thailand

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the calm counterweight to Bangkok. The old walled city in the north is a grid of Lanna temples, coffee houses and night markets, ringed by forested mountains with the temple of Doi Suthep looking down from above. It is the base for hill-country day trips, ethical elephant sanctuaries, cooking classes and treks, and it runs at a gentler pace than the capital. A full Chiang Mai guide is on the way; for now, browse the tours below.