Four days in Chiang Mai covers the old city temples, Doi Suthep, an elephant sanctuary and a full day in the mountains, with one afternoon left free. It is the right length for a first visit to the north.
The short version
- Day 1: old city temples and the Sunday Walking Street if it is Sunday.
- Day 2: Doi Suthep at 7am, Doi Pui and Bhubing Palace after.
- Day 3: elephant sanctuary or Doi Inthanon — one, not both.
- Day 4: cooking class, spa, or Mae Kampong.
Day 1: the old city
Walk the moat: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, the Sunday Walking Street if the dates line up. Easy day after the flight.
Day 2: the mountain
Alms-giving at dawn, Doi Suthep before breakfast, then Doi Pui and the Hmong village. Back by 2pm, spa in the afternoon.
Day 3: elephants
A full day at an ethical sanctuary — no riding, small groups. Book weeks ahead; the good ones fill first.
Day 4: choose one
A cooking class on a family farm, Doi Inthanon's cloud forest, or the sticky waterfalls at Bua Tong. Do not try two.
What to do in the rain
Chiang Mai's green season is June to October, and the rain is usually an afternoon event. Mornings are often clear, which is why the mountain days should be scheduled early and the indoor options held for later.
The good wet-day options are the cooking schools (a half day indoors with a market visit at the start), the massage shops — a two-hour nuad boran costs 400 baht and rain is the best excuse — and the Nimmanheimin cafés, which are the best in Thailand. The Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre and the Lanna Folklife Museum are both genuinely good and almost empty.
What to avoid is Doi Inthanon in heavy rain: the summit road is winding, the cloud forest disappears into mist, and the waterfalls are impressive but the drive is not worth it. Doi Suthep is fine in rain — the covered terrace and the chedi still work.
