Photo: This Photo was taken by S…, CC BY 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
Four days around Songkran, the Thai New Year: a calm first day among the old city temples, a festival day that starts with quiet merit-making and moves to the moat and Tha Phae Gate for the water, a day to cool off in the forest and hill temples, and a last morning.
13 to 15 April every year. Dates change every year, so check ahead for the one you are going.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A calm first day on foot inside the old city walls. Two grand temples, a wooden one beside them, a monument at the center of the old town, a museum in a Lanna style building and the big local market. The water starts tomorrow.
Fresh rice noodles in a tangy tomato and pork rib broth with dried flowers, a dish of the north. Small family shops in the old city serve it from early in the morning.
Local tip Tell the staff about any pork or shellfish allergy first, since the broth and the paste can contain them. Taste before you add the pickled greens.
The great temple of the old city, with the ruin of a huge brick chedi that once stood far taller. Monks live and study here. Before the festival it is calm, and monks or caretakers may already be preparing the temple for the new year.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip Walk around the great ruined chedi and look at the elephants carved on its sides. Take off your shoes at the hall and keep your voice low where monks pray.
A small temple next door, built of golden teak, with carved wood and a quiet courtyard. A short, still stop between the larger temples.
Go when Midday, right after Wat Chedi Luang.
Local tip It is small, so a few quiet minutes are enough. Look up at the carved gables, and do not touch the old wood.
Egg noodles in a rich coconut curry broth, topped with crisp noodles, with pickled greens, shallots and a lime on the side. The best known dish of the north, found in small shops near the temples.
Local tip Ask for it with chicken or beef, and tell the staff about any allergy. Add the lime and the pickles a little at a time.
A bronze monument of three kings of the north, who are said to have founded the old city, in a square at its center. People leave flowers and incense. The moat that rings the old town is only a short walk away, and it is the focus of the next days.
Go when Afternoon, when the square is calm.
Local tip Look for the people leaving flowers and stand back while they do. It is a place of respect, so do not climb on the base.
A small museum in a teak building, beside the monument, about the daily life and crafts of the Lanna people of the north. A cool, indoor hour in the heat of an April afternoon.
Go when Afternoon, out of the April heat.
Local tip Choose the rooms on the northern way of life and the crafts, and take your time. Check ahead, since museums may close for the festival days.
The big local market on the east side of the old town, where Chiang Mai shops for food, flowers and cloth. Before the festival it fills with shoppers buying what they need for the new year. Wander slowly and taste a little.
Go when Late afternoon, when the stalls are busy with new year shoppers.
Local tip Taste a little of the northern sausage and the chili dips. Ask before photographing a stallholder, and check ahead, because the market may be quiet on the festival days.
Northern herb sausage, grilled and sliced, with sticky rice, fresh vegetables and chili dips. A classic of the market stalls near Warorot.
Local tip The sausage is spiced with chili and herbs, so ask how hot it is. Tell the staff about any pork allergy.
The first festival day. Start with quiet merit-making at a temple: pouring scented water on a Buddha image and on the hands of elders. Then go to the moat and Tha Phae Gate in the afternoon, where the water fight is the center of the festival. Wear what you can get wet.
A bowl of soft rice porridge with ginger, an egg and scallions, a gentle start to a hot day. Small shops near the temples serve it early.
Local tip Add a little white pepper and ginger to taste. It is mild, so it suits a long day on your feet.
The most important temple in the old city, with a famous Buddha image that is often carried out for people to pour water on during the festival, though the arrangements change from year to year. Go early, when the merit-making is calm, and check ahead.
Go when Early morning, for the quiet merit-making.
Local tip Water is poured gently on Buddha images and on the hands of elders as a blessing, not thrown. Cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes and follow what the families do.
A quiet temple on the north side of the old city, with a tall brick chedi and carved teak. A calm place to rest and cool off, away from the street.
Go when Midday, for a rest before the afternoon water.
Local tip Sit in the shade of the courtyard for a while and do not rush. Keep your voice low, and keep your wet clothes out of the hall.
A rich, mildly sweet pork curry with ginger and tamarind, a dish of the north that shows a Burmese influence, eaten with sticky rice. A good stop for a seat in the shade.
Local tip Tell the staff about any pork or peanut allergy first, since the paste and the garnish can contain them.
The old brick gate on the east side of the old city and the center of the festival. A big stage and crowds usually gather here, and the arrangements and the dates change, so check ahead. Expect to be soaked within minutes.
Go when Afternoon, with what you can get wet and nothing you cannot.
Local tip Put your phone in a waterproof pouch and leave your valuables at the hotel. Close your eyes and mouth when the water comes, and never throw water at a monk, a baby or someone on a motorbike.
Sweet sticky rice with coconut cream and slices of ripe mango, a dessert of the hot season. Street stalls sell it in April, when the mango is at its best.
Local tip Ask for it in a closed container if you are in the water, and keep it dry for the walk.
The wide moat around the old city, with a road beside it. In the festival people line the water with buckets, pumps and drums of water, and cars crawl along it. Some water comes from the moat itself, so keep your mouth and eyes closed.
Go when Late afternoon, when the crowds are loudest.
Local tip Do not ride a motorbike on the festival days, because many accidents happen. Keep the heat and the drinking in check, and say no to ice water in the face or to flour or powder in the face without your consent.
Grilled chicken marinated in herbs, with a sharp green papaya salad and sticky rice. A common street dinner, eaten with your fingers beside a table under cover.
Local tip Ask for the papaya salad mild if you are not used to chili, and tell the staff about any peanut or fish allergy.
A day to cool off. The west of the city has temples on shady ground and on a hill, with room to breathe. Go with a driver or a shared red truck, not a motorbike, and keep the day flexible if roads are busy or the air is hazy.
Warm fresh soy milk and long fried doughnuts for dipping, a street breakfast sold from small carts near the temples and the university.
Local tip The soy milk is sweet, so ask for it less sweet if you prefer. Tell the staff about any soy allergy.
A temple west of the old city, with a crowd of white chedis that hold the ashes of local royalty. Spacious, open and calm, with monks at their studies.
Go when Morning, when the grounds are quiet.
Local tip Walk among the white chedis and read what you can of the carved names. Cover your shoulders and knees, and keep your voice low.
A forest temple with old tunnels, a pond and shady paths, where monks still live and study. Cool and green, and often a quiet choice in the middle of the festival.
Go when Midday, in the shade of the trees.
Local tip Walk the paths to the tunnels and the pond. Monks live here, so keep your voice low and do not use the tunnels as a place for photographs.
A smoky green chili dip made from roasted chilies and shallots, eaten with sticky rice, pork rinds and raw and steamed vegetables. A simple lunch of the north in the cool of the trees.
Local tip The dip can be hot, so take a little first. Tell the staff about any allergy before you order.
The mountain temple on the hill above the city, up a long stair, with a golden chedi and a view over the plain. Dress modestly even in the heat, with shoulders and knees covered. The road up is busy, and haze can hide the view.
Go when Late afternoon, when the light is softer.
Local tip Climb the stair on foot if you can, and then walk once around the golden chedi in the direction the other visitors go. The road is busy at festival time, so choose a car or red truck over a motorbike.
The district of cafes, galleries and small lanes in the west of the city. It has water play of its own, usually livelier than the old city, so choose a drier corner, a cafe with a roof or a quiet lane.
Go when Evening, once the street water has eased.
Local tip It is lively and wet at festival time, so keep your phone in its pouch. A cafe with a roof is a good place to dry off.
A whole fish grilled in a crust of salt with lemongrass inside, served with a sharp dipping sauce and greens. Restaurants in the west of the city serve it under a roof.
Local tip Tell the staff about any fish or shellfish allergy first, and watch for small bones.
A gentle last day, mostly in the north of the old city. Two old temples, a quiet courtyard and an unusual chedi, where Chiang Mai families often come to make merit at the end of the festival, then a silver temple to the south if you have time. Leave time to pack and go.
Sticky rice in a small bag with skewers of grilled pork, a typical northern breakfast from the carts near the temples.
Local tip Eat the skewers while they are warm. Tell the staff about any pork allergy.
Said to be the oldest temple in the old city, with elephants carved around the base of its chedi and a quiet courtyard. Families often bring food and flowers for the new year, so keep your voice low and stay out of the way.
Go when Morning, before the families arrive in numbers.
Local tip Look at the row of elephants around the base of the chedi. In the new year families make merit here, so give them space.
A small temple north of the old city with a chedi that looks like a stack of white balls, built in an unusual style. A short stop on the way out.
Go when Midday, on the way out.
Local tip Walk once around the chedi and look at its shape. It is small, so a few minutes are enough.
Poached chicken on rice cooked in the broth, with a little soup and a ginger and chili sauce. A light lunch for a last day, found in small shops in the old city.
Local tip Start with a little of the sauce and add more. Tell the staff about any allergy.
A temple south of the old city, known for its silver work on the hall, which is worked by hand. Dress modestly, and note that women may not be allowed inside the hall.
Go when Afternoon, before the last pack.
Local tip Look at the silver work on the hall from outside, and keep your voice low. The hall has rules about who may enter, so ask first.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January and December are the most comfortable months for walking around Chiang Mai. This plan is built for mid April, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 4 days in Chiang Mai, planned for mid April. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.8 to 22.7 kilometers between its stops, and 30.8 kilometers in all across 4 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Another plan for this city: 5 days in Chiang Mai for Loy Krathong and Yi Peng
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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