The Ultimate 3 Day Chiang Mai Itinerary (Backpacking in Chiang Mai)
Last Updated: July 26 2021
Chiang Mai is a city located in Northern Thailand. We spent 3 days in Chiang Mai exploring the incredible temples, spending a day with elephants and witnessing the famous Yee Peng festival. We have come up with all the places you will need to visit for the perfect Chiang Mai itinerary!
Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 and for many years was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. As a result of its high standing, a lot of the old walls from that time still remain. The city is also full of cultural history in the form of Buddhist temples and traditional festivals.
In all honesty, it wasn’t all of this that drew us to Chiang Mai but it definitely made us fall in love with the place. The main reason we visited the city was to spend a day with elephants. We wanted to do that ethically.
In this blog post, we will go through everything you need to know for your Chiang Mai 3 day itinerary. This includes what to do in Chiang Mai, where to find an ethical elephant sanctuary and where to stay.
The places you need to add to your Chiang Mai itinerary
This city is full of wonders to explore, and you won’t be short of finding things to do. Here are all the places you should include in your Chiang Mai travel itinerary!
Wat Phra Singh
Wat Phra Singh is located inside the old city and is also known as the ‘Gold temple’. It has quite a few names including ‘the temple of the lion buddha’ or ‘the monastery of the lion buddha’.
The Buddhist temple is one of the most revered in all of Chiang Mai and is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. It is an active temple with hundreds of monks still living within its walls.
The entrance is located at the end of Ratchadamnoen road and is within walking distance from Wat Chedi Luang temple.
Wat Chedi Luang temple
Wat Chedi Luang is a Buddhist temple found in the centre of Chiang Mai. Two other temples; Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin are also found here at the same site. If you want to see the best of Chiang Mai in 3 days, then make sure this temple is on your list.
One of the most interesting things about Wat Chedi Luang is that the top part of the temple is missing. This is because in 1545 an earthquake caused the top of the structure to collapse. Not long after this the Emerald Buddha that once stood on the temple was removed and moved to Luang Prabang.
Behind Wat Chedi Luang inside one of the buildings, you will find a reclining Buddha. Some of the smaller temples have beautiful detail and are pretty impressive!
Wat Chedi Luang can get quite busy so you will want to arrive early. If you arrive anytime between 8-10 am you should find it quieter, and this gives you more time to have a good look around.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is known to be one of the most important temples located within Northern Thailand. The temple is found on top of Doi Suthep mountain and offers incredible views of Chiang Mai from above.
There are two ways to get up to the temple; by walking up the steps (of which there are 309 by the way) or by cable car. If you choose to walk up the stairs there is a NAGA creature on either side. The NAGA is known as an underwater creature which takes the form of a large snake within Buddhist mythology.
Chiang Mai Grand Canyon
The ‘Grand Canyon’ of Chiang Mai is definitely worth a visit on a hot day. We spent most of the day relaxing by the water, having an explore and jumping off the cliffs of the canyon. There is also a water park here which has an inflatable obstacle course.
The quarry was empty for years until it gradually filled with water during the monsoon seasons. Now it is a popular place to relax, and there is a little restaurant here where you can grab something to eat.
Wat Umong
Wat Umong is located a couple of kilometres outside of Chaing Mai so you could get a tuk-tuk if you don’t have transport of your own.
This temple was built in 1296 by King Meng Rai and is now used mainly as a meditation centre. The main thing that makes Wat Umong so unique, is the amazing tunnels that run beneath the stupa. You can take a walk inside the tunnels which is cool!
The Lantern Festival (Yee Peng Festival)
This will depend on what time of year you are travelling to Chiang Mai. The Yee Peng festival takes place during November every year. It takes place once a year on the full moon of the 12th lunar month, and the majority of the festival takes place in the old city.
Thousands of sky lanterns are released at night to symbolise the letting go of ill fortunes from the previous year. Spending a night wandering through the festivities is a must. Apart from the lanterns, there are light displays, floating candlelit flower arrangements and lots of traditional Thai food.
The one thing we will say is to be very careful with the lanterns if you do decide to do one yourselves. People were setting them off right underneath trees, which can cause fires so not a good idea!
Doi Inthanon National Park
Doi Inthanon National Park is about an hour and 45-minute drive outside of Chiang Mai. It is quite a way out so definitely one for if you are hiring a scooter!
This national park has the highest peak in Thailand standing at 8,415 feet and is well known for its natural beauty. It has lush tropical forests, waterfalls and a wide range of wildlife including 362 species of bird. Doi Inthanon National Park is also known for its historical importance, as there are many monuments here dedicated to royalty; including the King and Queen.
If you want to visit Doi Inthanon National Park then the best way to get there by yourself is by bike or car rental. Alternatively, you can book a day tour from Chiang Mai or online from sites such as Hotels.com.
Eat Khao Soi
Trying Khao Soi is something you need to add to your itinerary for Chiang Mai! It is a dish famous to Northern Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.
The Thai version of Khao Soi is a soup-like dish made with fried crispy egg noodles. The rest of the dish is similar to a coconut curry containing various spices, vegetables and occasionally chicken or beef.
Most restaurants in Chiang Mai will serve Khao Soi so you have no excuse but to try it. You can’t argue for the price either. The dish normally costs around 30baht (73p) for a larger dish which is crazy for a proper meal in a restaurant. If you don’t fancy trying this dish, there are plenty of other food options at the night bazaar.
The Elephant jungle sanctuary Chiang Mai
Spending the day with elephants in Thailand had been on our bucket list for so long. We wanted an ethical encounter with elephants during our trip to Southeast Asia so did our research. So many places across Asia harm the elephants and let tourists ride them. We knew we wanted to avoid this at all costs, so sought out to find a more ethical company.
The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is an ethical and sustainable eco-tourism project that runs throughout Thailand. The sanctuary is run by people who stand up for the welfare of elephants in Thailand.
Thailand has a big problem when it comes to tourism and elephants, so you must be very careful when booking this experience! We have seen this first-hand whilst on a walk-in Phuket. Each elephant had chains around their ankles, and people would pay to ride them.
DO NOT DO THIS as it is unethical and harmful to the elephants. This is why we recommend The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary because they offer a good experience that is focused more on the care of the elephants.
You can choose to do a full day experience, half-day or an overnight stay. The website will arrange to pick you up on the day of your visit or give you a meeting place dependant on where your accommodation is.
The full-day experience
We chose the full-day experience and it was superb. The sanctuary is 60km away from Chiang Mai so they drove us there in a minivan. Once you arrive you will get a traditional top to wear, and you will be given a new one at the end to keep.
There was then a talk about the work that the sanctuary does, and why it is so important. After this, we spent time with 3 different elephant families and were allowed to feed them.
We were then given a buffet lunch before you prepare some medicinal food to give to the elephants. After that, we were able to help clean the elephants and give them a mud bath.
We spent £58 each for a whole day at the sanctuary, and it was an amazing experience! If you choose to stay over however, you will also hike to another sanctuary and experience staying in a traditional Thai village. Another great thing about this company is that they have a photographer, who will take photo’s throughout the day and email them to you.
Where to stay in Chiang Mai
Choosing accommodation in Chiang Mai can be quite tricky as there are so many options to choose from! To ensure you stay somewhere central, we have compiled a list of possible places to stay depending on your budget.
Budget accommodation
Mojo House- £5 a night for a double room and shared bathroom.
Love CNX Guesthouse- £8 a night for a twin room with a shared bathroom.
OYO 391 Pat’s Klangviang Guesthouse- £11 a night for a standard double room.
Medium budget accommodation
Bed and Terrace Guesthouse- £20 a night for a sweet suite with terrace.
Huen Hug Chiang Mai- £27 a night for a deluxe double room and breakfast.
Baanchernchiangmai Hotel- £28 a night for a deluxe double room.
High budget/luxury accommodation
De Klang Vieng- £37 a night for a standard double room.
Baan Huenphen- £38 a night for a double room and breakfast.
Viang Thapae Resort- £42 a night for a superior room and pool access.
Viangdara- £53 a night for a standard king room and breakfast.
Getting to Chiang Mai
We got a bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai which took about 9 hours and cost us £27. A good place to book your transport whilst travelling through Thailand is via 12go.asia.
This website makes it super simple to buy tickets and also gives you a list of places you can travel to from your location. You can easily book tickets to Chiang Mai from places such as Bangkok and Chiang Rai. The tickets will then be emailed to you, including details of the time and pick up location.
The bus journeys we went on were great and you often get given a blanket, water and snacks throughout the journey. Buses stop regularly for passengers to stretch their legs, buy more food and use the bathroom.
Onward travel from Chiang Mai
From Chiang Mai, we then travelled to Pai. Chiang Mai bus station has plenty of counters where you can buy tickets to whichever place you choose.
Pai is a popular destination from Chiang Mai and the station has a dedicated stop where you wait for the bus. We ended up going by minibus because the journey takes you through the mountains. The bus costs £5 per person and takes about 3 hours.
We had an amazing time whilst backpacking in Chiang Mai and would recommend this spot to everyone travelling to Thailand.
In this post, we have gone through all the sights that you need to include in your Chiang Mai itinerary! This city is wonderful, and there is so much to see and do.
Have you ever been to Thailand? We would love to hear your experiences if you have!
Thanks for reading,
Jack & Abbie
P.S. why not check out our photos from Chiang Mai over on our Instagram by clicking here!
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I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
