Chiang Mai is one of our favourite ever cities and there’s so much to do or see that we stayed here longer than anywhere else on our South East Asia trip. Not only is it the coffee and café capital of Thailand, there’s heaps of activities to do that don’t include eating. Here’s our 10 must do activities in Chiang Mai.
1. The Grand Canyon
Whaat?! Just before you go thinking we’ve totally got things confused on this one, this is the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon we’re talking about, an old quarry that’s been flooded and turned into one of the must visit attractions In Chiang Mai.
It’s not quite the real Grand Canyon, but perfect for a swim on a hot Chiang Mai day. It’s a bit out of town, so we hired a scooter for the day and locked the address into Google and headed towards the giant watering hole.
There’s a couple of entrances at the Grand Canyon, one with a restaurant set up and cliff jumping (highly don’t recommend), one with an over the top looking water park, and our favourite by far, ‘The Beach’ on the far right. It’s much quieter, perfect for kayaking or lying in an inner tube. When we visited the entry fee was as little as buying a can of coke on our way in.
202 ถนนเลียบคลองชลประทาน น้ำแพร่ หางดง Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50230, Thailand
2. Take a cooking class
We signed up to this cooking class on the recommendation of a vlog Mike had watched. It was a good recommendation. We were picked up from our Air BnB in the morning, driven to a local market where we met our host and purchased some food to be used in the course. On arriving at the cooking school, which is about 20 mins out of town, we ventured outside and picked fresh herbs from the organic garden to use.
We had signed up for just a half day course, but enjoyed ourselves so much we extended to the full day, which was 1200baht. We learnt how to make Pad Thai, Chicken Cashew, Green curry, sticky rice and mango and delicious banana fritters. We left with a gorgeous recipe book made complete with our photos from the day.
3. Café hopping
There’s so many cafes in Chiang Mai, you honestly won’t know where to start. If you’re a coffee lover like us, you’ll struggle fitting all the cafes into the length of your visit, so to help you choose which ones you want to check out, we’ve dedicated a whole post to it. Ristr8tto probably serves up the best of the coffee, while Mountain Coffee was our favourite and most relaxing coffee experience. Let us know your Chiang Mai coffee picks below.
4. Visit the Zoo
I wouldn’t necessarily put this zoo on the top 10 of all time (it’s slightly depressing), but the only reason we headed there and would recommend you go is for the pandas. Chiang Mai zoo has two resident pandas and they’re the cutest things we saw our whole trip. It’s a decent sized zoo, so big you can drive round in fact…we got there on our bikes, but parked them up and used our feet.
chiangmaizoo.com 100 Huaykaew Rd, Chiang Mai, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
5. Shop at the Night Bazaar
Every night, just outside of the old town, the Night Bazaar gets into full swing. Chang Khlan Road and the smaller side streets off it come to life, with stalls set up along each side of the road from dusk to midnight. Kalare Night Bazaar and Asunarm Markets are two other markets set up as off shoots, so be sure to check them out too. As with all the markets in Thailand, feel free to barter. If you’re anything like us, some of you will be better at it than others. I like to think I’m firm but fair (lol).
6. Ride bikes around the Old Town
We were lucky enough that we could hire bikes from the apartment building we were staying in. They were definitely the best way for us to cover ground during our stay. Some people opt for scooters but inside the town walls is pretty hectic, so bikes felt like a safer option. I think you also see as much as you do walking on a bike, you just move faster.
7. Eat all the food at Phloen Ruedee Night Market
Not far at all from the night bazaar set up (just off the main road) is an area where you need to head for dinner. All the food stalls are set up here from 5pm to late, to provide you with all the dinner choices. We loved the cheap options and came back here a couple of times for food and beverages.
Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
8. Check out the Street art
Chiang Mai is littered with some brightly coloured and beautiful walls. Explore the place and keep your eyes peeled for art as you explore. You’ll find most of the street art is tucked away in the alley ways that run through the old town. Some of our faves below.
9. Experience KhaoSoi MaeSai
Khao Soi is a northern Thai dish that’s worth checking out while you’re in Chiang Mai. We chose this spot because we heard it was good and it didn’t disappoint. It’s not fine dining, it’s just tasty good curry-style soup with a chicken drumstick dropped in it. Try it.
facebook.com/pg/khaosoi.maesai.chiangmai/ 29/1 Ratchaphuek Alley, ตำบล ช้างเผือก Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
10. Wander the Walking Street on a Sunday night
The Walking Street or Sunday night market is a big thing every week in Chiang Mai. One of the main roads that goes through the old town gets shut off in the late afternoon and food, clothing and souvenir stalls get set up for the crowds. Come with an empty stomach and full pockets, you’ll want to eat everything you see.
Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand 
If you didn’t check it out before, make sure you read up on our top coffee spots in Chiang Mai here.