Home to a myriad of chedis and golden stupas, as well as intact Lanna temples featuring multi-tiered roofs, Chiang Mai has managed to preserve its cultural legacy. Sometimes referred to as Thailand’s Rose of the North, the province capital is embedded into a lush valley under sacred mountains like Doi Suthep.Steps from Hotel Sensai Nimman, fascinating sights await at every bend. Whether you prefer to stay in the old town or stray further afield, here are the must-dos in Chiang Mai Old City and beyond. If you’re into fine dining and restaurants with quirky designs, scroll down to the second section right after the tourist attractions.
A 20-minute walk from our hotel, Wat Chedi Luang is situated inside the ancient city walls, where time stands still. Dating back to 1400, the temple’s crumbling brick-and-stucco ruins make for enchanting photographs and an intriguing stroll around the premises. It’s a window into the bygone Lanna era, nodding to cultural ties with Myanmar and Laos.
Perched atop Doi Suthep mountain, Chiang Mai’s most famous temple is a tranquil place to spend an hour or two. From up here, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the city. A staircase with a dragon-shaped railing leads up to a golden stupa surrounded by Buddha sculptures and paintings of monks. Scattered among trees are other shrines, prayer flags, and a garden. There’s also a meditation center, and the sweet smell of incense and candles adds to the peaceful atmosphere.
Resembling Chiang Rai’s White Temple, Wat Sri Suphan is a temple made of silver and alloy. Perhaps due to the ban on women inside the main hall, Chiang Mai’s silver temple has a much more laid-back feel than its counterpart in Chiang Rai. Yet even women should visit because the artistry of the temple glistening in the sun is awe-inspiring.
Hotel Sensai Nimman is an excellent base from which to explore the historic Wat Phra Singh, which is home to the highly revered Lion Buddha and a golden stupa adorned with elephants.
A cruise on the Mae Ping River has its own appeal. Board the roofed wooden boat at the jetty close to Wat Chaimongkol, a Burmese-Mon-style waterfront temple, and you’ll leave Chiang Mai’s bridges behind. Instead, the Ping River unveils a more rural facet of the largest city in northern Thailand as you head further north. Tree-lined riverbanks roll past as the wind dishevels your hair, and cheerful kids frolic and wave at you, yelling.
Fans of the outdoors love wild white-water rafting on the Mae Taeng, a tributary of the Ping River framed by lush jungle and gushing waterfalls. Shooting over 14 rapids in a small boat, travelers howl with joy as they feel the roar of the river below their raft, traveling 10 kilometers on fast-flowing water over rocks. Lucky people enjoying the thrill of a wild river ride can even spot elephants roaming along the slopes that border the Mae Taeng.
A 60-km drive from the city, the Elephant Nature Park makes for a great day in Chiang Mai. It’s an ethical elephant sanctuary, a rescue and rehabilitation center that doesn’t offer close interactions like riding or bathing with elephants. The sole purpose of the sanctuary is to rehabilitate formerly abused circus elephants. Allowed is watching these adorable giants in their natural habitat, where they feed on grass in deep green woodlands or purr like cats while bathing without humans
Due to its location in the Khun Tan Range, Chiang Mai is blessed with countless hiking trails in fern-covered rainforests. Travelers keen to feed their adventurous sides can also climb rocks or fly through the jungle at 50km/h, strapped into a harness hanging from a pulley.
Located close to the Chiang Mai Gate, the market is within walking distance of Hotel Sensai Nimman. With its veggies and exotic fruits like the sweet and chewy jackfruit or litchi-like mangosteen, this market is for those looking for fresh and seasonal food. Right next to the fresh food are stalls offering tasty smoothies and hot meals. Come here for an authentic taste of the traditional northern Lanna cuisine.
Right before Chiang Mai’s city gate, the Wua Lai Walking Street transforms into a vibrant market every Saturday. People can shop for anything from wood and artwork to ornaments. This area is also a good place to look for expertly crafted silverware. Nowhere near as busy as the Sunday Market, the Saturday Market allows for a more leisurely walk through the area.
Brimming with handmade goods and trinkets, the Sunday Market stretches from the Tha Pae Gate through Ratchadamnoen Road. Talented musicians add to the appealing ambiance every Sunday night. The intersection of Rachadamnoen Road and Ratpakinai Road awaits with food stalls galore. Visit, and you can get anything from sweet banana pancakes and sausages to mouthwatering noodles and sushi.
Aba Kitchen is a Halal restaurant near the walled, moated Old City. Walking through the arched entrance past climbing orchids, you enter a restaurant that looks like a living room. Think roses enchanting in pink, purple and red, a ceramic-tiled floor, and a chandelier glittering as much as the silver trophies next to a retro TV. Try Biryani at this homey, family-run Aba Kitchen. The Indian rice dish with slow-cooked lamb shank curry is as authentic as you’d expect from a halal restaurant. The Aba family also serves herbal drinks such as lychee rose, purple butterfly pea, and fruity bael juice.
With its unpretentious, café-like interior, Kai Yang Wichian is not a fine dining restaurant. Chicken is grilled on the spot; clouds of blue smoke billow from the open kitchen. But tuck into the succulent chicken with perfectly seared skin, and you’ll know why this local joint is rumored to be the best place in Chiang Mai for grilled chicken. It’s slathered with an irresisible barbecue sauce. And sides like fresh cucumber or spicy papaya salad are available, as is sticky rice. Kai Yang Wichian is centrally located on Nimmanhaemin Soi 11, open daily from 8 am to 9 pm.
Travelers fond of Haute French cuisine should visit L’éléphant. This wacky restaurant near the Old Town provides a unique experience from the get-go. Passing through the entrance gate designed like an emperor’s crown, people enter a bygone era. Art and quirk are everywhere, from images of the youngster pedaling a tricycle to gold-framed mirrors evoking the 19th-century Biedermeier style.
Vampire-red curtains, chandeliers, and purple velvet chairs epitomize middle-class comfort, as do the garden’s glossy wood tables resembling polished marble. Aside from the welcoming vibe enhanced by harlequin floors and an angel sculpture, l’éléphant offers delicious food. Fettuccine seared foie gras wild mushrooms in truffle cream sauce and squid ink seafood spaghetti is a delight, and chilled white wine pairs nicely with oysters.
Popular with young urban professionals and university students, Maya Lifestyle Shopping Center sits on the trendy Nimman Road near Hotel Sensai Nimman. Housing numerous fashion shops and brands from Adidas and Oakley to Jaspal and CC Double O, this shopping mall is aptly named. Numerous cafes and restaurants also call Maya home. Complete with an entertainment complex including a cinema, plus a rooftop bar overlooking the city, this futuristically designed mall is an impressive place for shoppers.
Open daily from 5 pm to midnight, the night bazaar is a must-do on your Chiang Mai itinerary. Street-side stall after stall sells clothes and unique handicrafts. A good place to start is Tha Phae Road, then moving south towards Loi Khro. Cross the street when you get to the end of the market and make your way back down the opposite side. The complete setup is at about 6 pm when twilight falls, and shopping continues unabated until 10.30 pm.
Travelers keen to get a modern mall experience should check out the Central Festival Mall just off the Superhighway about two miles northeast of the Old City. Spread across five floors equivalent to 60 acres, over 300 stores represent the world’s best brands. With a large selection of the most popular Korean, Japanese, and increasingly Chinese tech brands featured in the stores, this is possibly the greatest place in Chiang Mai to buy modern gadgets. There’s also an ice skating rink!
A short stretch of Charoenrat Road across the Ping River is dotted with boutique stores. And right at Chiang Mai’s international airport, there’s Central Plaza with bubble tea stores, Robinsons, Starbucks and McDonald’s, original Thai tea Cha Tra Mue, and more. To get around eccentrically, you can jump on a hooded samlor. The pedal-powered tricycle taxi embodies the slower pace of life ubiquitous in Chiang Mai. Whichever means of transport suits your lifestyle, Hotel Sensai Nimman is centrally located, a 10-minute drive from the airport