Northern Thailand · CITY TOURS
The moat, the wats, Wualai and the markets, in one guided go. These 15 differ on transport, how many stops fit and whether they run in the evening, each priced and timed.
Walk Chiang Mai’s Old City with an English-speaking local guide, visiting Wat Chedi Luang, teak-built Wat Phan Tao, and lavish Wat Phra Singh. Guides such as Nana, Sunny, TomTam, and Popcorn are praised for clear history, humor, meditation tips, and helpful photos.
“Nuttata is a really great tour guide. I learned a lot about Chiang Mai and thai people as well as buddhism :)”
Spend three hours walking Chiang Mai’s old city with an English-speaking local guide such as Jen, Pun, or Danny. Visit four important temples, hear Buddhist and Lanna stories, and finish at Wat Chedi Luang. Small groups, water, and a low-impact route make this a useful first look at Chiang Mai.
“Excellent walking tour around the old city of Chiang mai. Our guide Pun was extremely knowledgeable and explained lots about the history of the city and its temples. A great way to see the old town and understand the history and culture. Recommended”
Ride 12 to 14 km through Chiang Mai’s Old City with guides such as Kitty, Mai, Farm, or T. Visit Tha Phae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, historic monuments, temples, and a local market. Choose a cooler evening ride or a quieter morning outing.
“Farm our guide was full of local knowledge and very attentive and safely conscious on the busier roads looking after us well. I learnt a lot about the temples and local knowledge plus the food market was great too.”
Start at 8:20 am with a Thai or English-speaking guide, then walk through Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phan Tao, and Wat Phra Singh. Guides such as Son, Katoon, Eddie, and Big have explained Buddhist practice, temple design, meditation, and Chiang Mai history in a relaxed, question-friendly style.
“I liked the way how he explained the history of Thailand combined with Buddhism. Not only in theory, right at the beginning of the tour we practised meditation for a few minutes and experienced how it feels getting calm and still. He also could answer any questions we had. I liked the tour very much and can recommend it.”
Cycle about 12 kilometers through Chiang Mai’s flat Old City with an English-speaking guide. Visit Tha Phae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, the Three Kings Monument, historic temples, and a local market. Morning tours visit a fresh market, while night departures focus on street food and evening atmosphere.
“We did this on our first day in Chiang Mai, it was absolutely amazing! The tour guide we had was so much fun, taught us loads about Chiang Mai, took loads of photos and took us on a really cool route. We saw areas of Chiang Mai we wouldn’t never have seen. Back streets, where all the local food markets were (we had the best coconut we’ve had our whole trip here), he got us some fresh fruit from the market. We had a small group of just 3 of us, which was perfect it felt really personal. He took us down a really beautiful canal and did a little…”
Visit Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, and peaceful Wat Pha Lat in 3 to 4 hours. Your English-speaking guide, often Sara, Som, or Oolala, handles transport, temple commentary, admission, and return to your Chiang Mai hotel.
“Our tour guide Sara and driver Mr. B took my friend and I to 3 lovely temples. Mr. B did a great job navigating the roads in the mountains and Sara was a great tour guide! We had a wonderful time and liked how it was only a few hours”
Spend about four hours in a private tuk-tuk visiting Tha Phae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, the Three Kings Monument, Silver Temple, Wat Phra Singh, and local markets. Pickup covers hotels within 5 km of Chiang Mai Old City. Your driver may offer useful tips, but an English-speaking guide is not included.
“Driver was a lovely older fellow. He showed us ahead of time on a card which temples we would visit, and remembered my special request about not visiting the tourist trap silk and silver factory. We hopped around to a few temples and markets. When dropping us off at a location, he showed us where we would find him.”
Ride 12 to 14 easy kilometers through Chiang Mai’s Old City with a private English or Thai-speaking guide. Visit Tha Phae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, the Three Kings Monument, temple lanes, and a local market. Night rides add cool air, fewer crowds, and beautifully lit wats.
“Our family of four with two girls (14 and 12) had a super tour by bike with Don. We visited a number of sites in the city and as it was only the four of us in the group he was happy to adjust it to match our interests. Travelling by bike was safe and comfortable with good quality equipment and great care guiding by Don. He was also great fun to spend time with and very knowledgeable. A great experience and highly recommended -thank you.”
See Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Suan Dok, and mountain-top Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in about three hours. Your guide, possibly Peo, Arrow, Pien, Van, or another local host, explains Buddhist practice, temple history, and Chiang Mai culture. Hotel pickup, transport, and temple entry are included.
“The tour was great. Our tour guide Frankie explained all the temples and their history; is worth it.”
Ride a private tuk-tuk through Chiang Mai’s Old City with a local driver such as Alan, Oy, or Paphada. Visit Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Sri Suphan, Tha Phae Gate, and two food markets. This is mainly private transport, not a fully guided temple tour.
“Oy was our driver and being our third tuk tuk ride this was the safest I felt. We were first taken to some stores that stock jewellery, then a Thai upmarket homewares store. Felt quite pushed to buy items by salespeople. We then went to the Thai silk farm which was interesting. Saw lots of temples and went to a market. Oy was most gracious when we asked to finish up our tour early. She was helpful, friendly and we would highly recommend her.”
Ride through Chiang Mai’s Old City with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Sri Suphan, Tha Phae Gate, and Mueang Mai Market. Guides such as Honey, James, Popcorn, and Vasit have made the tour especially personal with temple stories, local snacks, and photo help.
“Good tour, informational, visiting the 3 main temples in the old city. A bit more free time around temples would have been nice, but overall a very good tour.”
Start at 8:20 am on a guided walk through Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chiang Yuen, Wat Pa Pao, and Wat Ku Tao. Guides such as Katoon, Big, Eddy, and Son explain Buddhist practice, monk life, local history, and temple etiquette. Private and small-group options are available.
“It was a great and interesting walk. The various temples were well chosen and all had special features. Kartoon, the guide, was amazing and had a strong knowledge of the local history and religion.”
Ride through Chiang Mai with a guide, bicycle, and helmet provided. You’ll visit Wat Sri Suphan, Warorot Market, Chang Klang temples, small lanes, and local stops, with snacks and food tasting included. Guides Vivi and Tum are known for a warm, easygoing style.
“Vivi and Tum were such fantastic guides- warm, engaging, caring and fun! They made the trip!!! I had such a wonderful experience- highly recommend doing this as a way to explore Chiang Mai. 10 out of 10!!!”
Visit Chedi Luang, Wat Pha Lat, Doi Suthep, and Tha Phae Gate in 4 to 6 hours with a guide such as Som, Ooh La La, or Sara. Expect an air-conditioned vehicle, central hotel pickup, temple insight, and a group capped at 10, with private upgrades available.
“Driver was great and drove carefully. Guide came in frustrated and kept rushing us from the start of the tour. She was already frustrated and came with an attitude in the morning which made it very difficult for us to enjoy. Due to the traffic and crowd, the tour got longer than normal 4 hours which made her more irritable.”
Spend about 2.5 hours exploring Chiang Mai with a private local host. Visit Wat Phra Singh and Wat Phan Tao, browse Warorot Market, try a local dish, cross the Ping River, and finish with a beer by the water. Guides such as Ae and Charin tailor the evening to your interests.
“A nice and informative evening. Great intro to Chiang Mai temples and city! Absolutely recommend a great time.”
Pick a mountain, a market or a kitchen.
