Neil Aronson Chiang Mai is full of fun half day activities, tours, and fun things to do. Because of the size of the city and being by the mountains, there are great ways to have a fun experience, but not take up an entire day. Here are some of our favorite options depending on what type of activity your looking to do.
If you are adventurous and want to do something relaxing, Chiang Mai has something for everyone. From Zipline to Golf, Cooking Classes to Botanical Gardens. There are appealing things to do for everyone. Explore 50 of the most popular things to do with Viator.
Resources
Agoda is the best place to book cheap affordable hotels in Thailand, especially near national parks. They also book flights as well.
Expedia is my favorite place to book flights, hotels, cars, and more. Their group includes Hotels.com and Vrbo for vacation rentals.
Viator is the top choice for activities. Book everything from a waterfall tour to scuba diving, jungle trekking to cooking classes. Do the Chiang Mai Golf Challenge from Viator.
12Go is the top transportation source for Asia. From busses to trains to regional flights.
Royal Park Rajapruek
These royal gardens are a beautiful expansive park with hours of things to see and activities to do. Easily to get to, it is located about 15-20 minutes outside the central Chiang Mai, past the airport to the west. Essentially a botanical gardens, but there is much more.
The park started out as an International Horticultural Exposition at the Royal Agricultural Research Centre, Chiang Mai, for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
As a result of the successful exposition, subsequently a few years later the site was authorized to be used as a learning center. The center is used for botanical agriculture. And the site for agro-tourism and culture at the international level of Thailand (source: Royal Park Website).
One of the highlights is the Royal Pavilion. Inside there are multiple interesting exhibitions ranging from Royal history to irrigation systems in Thailand.
There are three main garden sections. Thai gardens, International gardens, and Corporate gardens. Inside the Thai gardens you will find a huge greenhouse holding the Orchid pavilion. Admission fee is a great value at only 200 baht for tourists. Visit their website for more information.
Cooking Class
On my first trip to Thailand I had a day free by myself and was looking for something to do. While staying in the old city I kept noticing small signs for cooking classes. Usually at a location down a small soi (small alley street).
Well I need to eat, and know how to cook tacos, but never considered myself much of a home chef. However I thought to myself in Thailand, this might be fun. For half day activities, this was perfect. And it was! I highly recommend this activity, even if by yourself.
I went to Baan Thai Cookery School. I met some fun people, and I learned how to cook some Thai dishes like a local would. The Thai staff was extremely friendly and made it a really fun time. Also you get to eat for hours! Generally it lasts about 4-5 hours.
First thing we did was to the local market to get all our ingredients. They also made this activity interesting and educational. Then we went back to the class location. There they educated us on Thai cooking, and walk you through several dishes of your choice. When you get back home you will be able to replicate your dishes.
Finding a class to take will not be a problem. In fact deciding which one is the only challenge. Most should be back open after Covid. Unfortunately as with many businesses, some have shut down since Covid due to lack of tourism for a couple years. If you are staying in Chiang Mai city center you can choose from around a dozen within walking distance of the Tha Phae Gate.
The new trend is organic farms outside the city center. They will transport you to and from your hotel to their organic farms where they hold the class.
This popular option is readily available on Viator’s cooking classes booking. This school as do many now offer vegetarian and vegan options. Half day classes range from 700-900 baht, which is a great deal for what you get. Visit their Facebook pages for offers, and Viator seems to give even better rates.
Visit An Elephant Sanctuary
Thailand is known for elephants, and this is a great way to get close to and learn about them in Thailand. Visiting these sanctuaries is one of the most popular half day activities. However the first thing I want to point out is that often they, and other animals, are not ethically treated, and even exploited for tourism.
It is important to make sure your visit a conservatory that is set up to benefit and help the animals. By visiting them, you also help financially support them.
One option is Elephant Nature Park, which has been around since 1995, and located about an hours drive north of the city center. Another is Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, located in the opposite direction to the southeast.
This sanctuary was started as a joint venture of the Karen Hill-Tribe and concerned Chiang Mai citizens for the welfare of the elephants. For a list of more ethical options visit Amazing Thailand, and Book on Viator.
Visit Museums
Chiang Mai has some great museums, art, and cultural experiences. Everything from Insects to Photography, and everything in between. These are perfect half day activities. Best of all some of the largest ones are in the same middle part of old town, near Wat Chedi Luang.
Locate the Three Kings Monument, and you will find the Chiang Mai Cultural Center. Inside this beautiful building you will find exhibitions to help understand the cities historical importance, to both Thailand and the world.
Just across the street you can find two option places to visit for your culture fix. The Lanna Folklife Museum is an impressive building housing that exhibits the lifestyle of Lanna people, and the art that appears in Buddhist art.
Next to this museum you can find the Lanna House of Photography. Managed by facility of Chiang Mai University, the mission is to promote the development of Thailand’s photographic industry, and to conserve Lanna pictures to be resources for research and development.
If you are into photography and want to learn Thai history this is a great place. Also, it’s inside a really nice house. As far as half day activities go, grouping several museums together is a good option.
I have to mention the Museum of World Insects, for those who are into that sort of thing. It is just what the name says, and holds the distinction of housing 400 mosquito species in Thailand. Located in the Nimmanhaemin area of the city.
Not far from the insects, Chiang Mai also has an impressive zoo. A good size, but not too big of a zoo, perfect for half day activities. The zoo has big cats, bears, and even a giant panda. Good place to meet your online date!
On the site of the zoo there is also a nice aquarium. However currently the aquarium is closed for construction. Check their website for more.
Hiking – Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
If your looking for some hiking to do while in Chiang Mai, you have many options close to the city. Since the region is mountainous, there are options all around.
To be sure, it may not be a good idea to go during the rainy season, for several reasons. One of them is you may get caught in a severe thunderstorm and your head gets struck by lightning. That could ruin your trip!
As a result of heavy rains, trails often get washed out. Oh, and the bugs in the summer! That said, close to the city there are some great options without traveling far into the mountains.
Doi Suthep-Pui national park is maybe your best option for not only a good local hike, but a famous temple, and a waterfall or two.
Monks Trail is one of the most popular. It goes from just past Chiang Mai University, up to the summit of Doi Suthep. There is a temple halfway up, originally a resting stop of monks going to worship at Doi Suthep.
There is another trail, the Chiang Mai University trail, that also goes up to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Temple. As with Monks Trail, this is where you can experience flora and fauna of Chiangmai ecology, as well as the views of the surrounding nature and Chiangmai city.
In fact many of the trails intersect with each other, and go to the famous temple, as these were routes for monks.
Hot Air Balloon Rides
Perhaps of the most exhilarating half day activities would be taking a hot air balloon ride. These are half day activities, or full day, depending on where you take one. There are beautiful options a couple hours from Chiang Mai, out by Chiang Rai.
Treat yourself to a luxurious day in Chiang Mai that starts with a sunrise hot air balloon flight, and ends with a spa massage set in a tropical garden. Turn it into a full day. Book here.
Play Some Golf
Golf on vacation in Thailand has to be one of the best half day activities there is to do. With over a dozen great resort courses in the Chiang Mai area, it has become a golf destination. Many top courses are within an hours drive of the Old City Chiang Mai.
Prices are most likely a quarter of what you would spend at home. You don’t need to lug your clubs through the airports. Rental clubs are available at all courses. Check out our article covering all the regional options.
