What to Do in Chiang Mai Old Town: 12 Things I Loved in 2026

If you’re visiting Chiang Mai, there’s a 99% chance you’ll end up in the Old Town. I spent five days in this northern city in August 2026 and I was in the Old Town every single one of them. I wandered the back lanes, visited the most famous temples like Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh, sat in some really nice cafés, walked through the park and tried some delicious khao soi. And that’s only a fraction of what there’s to do in Chiang Mai Old Town.

Chiang Mai’s Old Town is easy to spot on the map. It’s a square shape with a moat running the whole way round it and brick gates set into the walls, and it’s right in the centre of the city, about twenty minutes from the airport.

In this guide I’ll share the best things I did in Chiang Mai Old Town during my visit, whether the area is walkable, where to get the best massage and much more.

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My Chiang Mai Old Town highlights

Visit the temples

There are around thirty temples inside the Old Town of Chiang Mai, with about five of them where almost every tourist goes. The rest are small ones hidden away in little side streets, completely empty, and exactly the ones I found while wandering around without a plan.

➞ If you are planning a trip to Chiang Mai, check out my full 5 day Chiang Mai itinerary.

Wat Chedi Luang

Opening hours: 5:00am – 10:30pm
Entry fee: 50 THB

This temple stuck in my mind, mainly thanks to its huge unrestored brick chedi that used to be the home of the Emerald Buddha before it was taken to Bangkok and the grounds of the Grand Palace.

The other reason I remember it is a little shrine that welcomed me with a sign saying: Men only. Women are prohibited from entering because they menstruate, as it’s believed this humiliates the shrine and ruins the sanctity of the place. Interesting.

Wat Phra Singh

Opening hours: 5:30am – 7:30pm
Entry fee: 50 THB

This is the most famous and busiest temple, and there are a few different things going on across its grounds. I walked inside to see the massive golden Buddha with the red wall behind him. Don’t skip what’s behind the main building, because you’ll find a huge golden chedi with elephants poking out of it and a few little wooden temples.

On the right-hand side there’s an area with trees, and each of them carries words of wisdom, which made for quite an interesting read.

Wat Chiang Man

Opening hours: 5:00am – 7:00pm
Entry fee: free

This temple was close to my hotel, so I walked in without knowing it’s the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. My favourite part was the chedi with fifteen stone elephants emerging from its base, along with the cute little green bushes trimmed into the shape of elephants. I love how the temples in Chiang Mai have these little bells on their roofs, so when it’s a bit windy they create a very relaxing sound.

Wat Phan Tao

Opening hours: 7:00am – 7:00pm
Entry fee: free

This small temple caught my attention mainly because it’s made out of dark wood. It has a little courtyard with a massive golden chedi and a little Buddha sitting on a big rock.

What to know before visiting temples in Chiang Mai

Make sure your shoulders and knees are covered, and that you take off your shoes before you enter the temple. I saw women inside wearing tiny shorts and tank tops again, and the Thai people around them clearly weren’t happy about it. Some might think it’s just a cover-up rule, but it isn’t, it’s about paying respect to the culture of the country you’re visiting.

Chiang Mai Culture

There are quite a few places where you can learn more about the history of the Lanna kingdom, arts, crafts and northern Thai cuisine.

Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre

Opening hours: 8:30am – 4:30pm, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Entry fee: 90 THB

This place is right in the centre, behind the Three Kings Monument, in the old provincial hall. It walks you through the founding of the city, the Lanna kingdom, the Burmese period and the arrival of the railway, and you’ll need about an hour to go through it all. It’s worth doing on your first morning rather than your last, because everything you see afterwards makes more sense.

Kalm Village

Opening hours: 8:30am – 6:30pm
Entry fee: free

This art, craft and culture centre was my favourite place in the Old Town. It’s a cluster of buildings built around courtyards, not far from Wat Phra Singh, and inside you’ll find a gallery, a textile and homeware shop, a restaurant, a café, a library and the Museum of Makers with its permanent and rotating exhibitions.

During my visit there was an exhibition of textiles and silverware from different regions of Thailand, and those pieces were full of patterns and colours, simply stunning.

Relaxing activities in the Old Town

I think I overdid it when it came to walking around, so towards the end of each day I was exhausted and naturally started looking for ways to give my feet a rest.

Get a Thai massage

I spotted so many massage places and spas in the Old Town, from the cheap ones starting at 200 THB to packages costing a few thousand baht in the luxury spas. On my way back to my hotel I came across Samatha Massage & Spa and had a foot massage there. It was one of the best massages I’ve had and it was well priced too. I also loved the interior in its natural earthy tones. Highly recommend!

Chill in Nong Buak Haad Park

I find the traffic in Chiang Mai quite overwhelming, because there’s a car or a bike behind you literally wherever you go, and it’s my least favourite thing about the city. So when I fancied a walk without exhaust fumes, I went to check out the little park in the south-west corner of the Old Town.

The park is beautiful, with a lake, cute little bridges and palm trees, and while I was there a group yoga class was happening, some guys were playing football, there was an outdoor gym and a few people were out running.

Drink coffee

I think it’s a shame that Thai coffee doesn’t get more attention around the world, because in my opinion it’s some of the best, so I wasn’t holding back while I was here, even though I usually stick to one cup a day.

Northern Thailand grows its own arabica in the hills around the city, and that’s why the Old Town has a café roughly every forty metres. I loved that in most cafés the beans came from the hills just a couple of hours away.

Blue Coffee

Blue Coffee is a little café chain, and my favourite of theirs was the one near Wat Phra Singh with a big open space under a dark wooden roof. Their coffee menu is quite extensive, I really liked the cold brew with whipped cream, and they also have a wide selection of matcha drinks.

Other cafés worth visiting:

• GRAPH café
• Akha Ama Coffee
• Nap’s Coffee Roaster CNX

Eat local food

Khao Soi

This is the dish Chiang Mai is known for. It’s a curried noodle soup with soft egg noodles underneath and crisp fried ones on top, served with pickled mustard greens, shallots and a wedge of lime, and you’ll find it almost everywhere in the Old Town, from street stalls to proper restaurants.

SO SOOD the good noodles

This little gem sits somewhere between street food and restaurant dining. On the menu you’ll find khao soi, all kinds of Thai noodle dishes and mango sticky rice too. I ordered nam prik ong, which is rice noodles with soft pork in a slightly spicy coconut soup. It was absolutely delicious and only 70 THB, so I’ll definitely be back on my next trip to Chiang Mai.

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For a sweet treat I recommend this bakery on the western edge of the Old Town. I got the Kham, a soft fermented doughnut made from native Japanese rice flour, which was subtle, a little chewy and not too sweet, along with a small scone that tasted exactly like the ones back in the UK.

I like that this bakery carefully selects high quality ingredients from all over the world, with butter from France, chocolate from Belgium and vanilla beans from Madagascar, and you can definitely taste the quality.

Shop in the Old Town of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is great for shopping for unique handmade pieces, and if you want to know where to shop outside the Old Town, have a look at my articles on Baan Kang Wat and Jing Jai Market.

Sunday Walking Market

This is probably the Old Town’s main event when it comes to shopping. It runs along Ratchadamnoen Road, starting at Tha Phae Gate and heading west, from around 5pm until midnight, with crafts, clothing and art lining the road and food courts set up in the temple courtyards off it.

There are also designated food spots where you can get meat and seafood skewers, fruit, roti pancakes, khao soi and so much more. The first time I visited was back in 2014, when I spent four hours at this market. On my recent visit it was raining a bit, but the stalls are covered so it didn’t really matter. Not all of them were ready at 5pm, so I’d aim for around 6pm instead, when everything’s open but before it gets really busy.

Where to stay in the Old Town

The Old Town is one of the best places to base yourself in Chiang Mai. Staying here means you can walk to everything I’ve mentioned above without having to cross any huge roads. There are plenty of cheap hostels but also beautiful boutique hotels, so whatever your budget is, you’ll find something that works.

I stayed at Quu Hotel just outside the Old Town, so it only took crossing one road to be inside the walls. It’s a lovely place, spotlessly clean with displays of art throughout, the rooms have beautiful bathrooms and the bed was the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in.

FAQ about what to do in Chiang Mai Old Town

How to spend a day in Old town, Chiang Mai?

Start with the main temples like Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Chiang Man and Wat Phra Singh, then stop for a coffee at one of the many cafés. Explore Kalm Village, the art, craft and culture centre, and have a look at their exhibitions. Eat khao soi, and after a full day of walking get a massage. If you’re here on a Sunday, finish at the walking street market that starts around 5pm.

Is Chiang Mai Old City walkable?

Yes, it’s walkable, but there aren’t pavements everywhere and there are some roads to cross. Unless you turn into the smaller, quieter streets, you’ll be surrounded by traffic the whole time.

Where to shop in Chiang Mai Old town?

There are a lot of shops selling souvenirs, accessories and clothes in flowy cuts made from cotton and linen. One of them is Lanna Craft, just opposite Wat Phra Singh, and there’s also Silver Café with its huge selection of beautiful silver jewellery.

The Sunday Walking Street is the other main option inside the walls. For the best shopping in Chiang Mai, though, I’d recommend heading to Jing Jai Market or Baan Kang Wat.

How many days do you need in the Old Town?

If you only want to see the main temples, visit Kalm Village and stop in a café, one day is enough. If you want to add the museum, the park and the market, give yourself at least two days.

Check Out My Other Chiang Mai Guides

• Where to Stay in Chiang Mai: Nimman or Old Town?
• Chiang Mai Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
• Meditation and Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, Chiang Mai: What It’s Really Like
• Visiting Chiang Mai in August: What the Rainy Season Is Really Like
• Staying at QUU Hotel Chiang Mai: My Honest Review
• Is Chiang Mai Worth Visiting? My Honest Answer
• Jing Jai Market Chiang Mai: What to Eat and When to Go
• Baan Kang Wat, Chiang Mai: Visiting the Artist Village
• How to Get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai: The Best Ways to Travel
• Best Travel Insurance for Thailand: Is SafetyWing Worth It?
• How much does a trip to Thailand cost in 2026: Budget, mid-range & luxury breakdown
• Thailand Itinerary: How Many Days to Spend in Thailand & Where to Go