Things to do & places to visit in Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

Located about five hours from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai is a community not to be missed. The area offers a variety of cooking classes, beautiful views, markets, resorts and restaurants. In addition, visitors can get a feel for true northern Thai culture during their visit.

Chiang Rai municipality in , Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Timezone: Asia/Bangkok, current date and time: Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 9:05.

Top things to do (18)

Top places to visit (29 attractions)

5.0 Suwannee Thai Cooking Class Chiangrai (994 reviews)
- Educative and fun cooking class given by someone who is passionate about cooking and teaching!
Wednesday: 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Cooking Classes

Thai cooking individual class with the market tour, organic ingredients, support local farmers and sellers. Food Tasting & Cultural walking tour. All ages are welcome. See more..
5.0 Elephant Valley Thailand (613 reviews)
- A true Sanctuary
Temporarily closed - Closed until further notice Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas

Elephant Valley Thailand was Chiang Rai's elephant sanctuary. Established in 2016 it closed in May 2020 due to Covid19 crisis. See more..
5.0 Tad Kwan Village Park & Waterfall (238 reviews)
- Well planned day
Points of Interest & Landmarks

One of the last unspoiled Mien Hill Tribe villages where you can see and learn about the Mien culture, visit/swim in the waterfall and tour the village & surrounding countryside in a buggy (included). This is a fun day out for all the family, the ladies will enjoy the culture, the gents; the buggies & kids; the waterfall. Pickup/drop-off from your hotel, full details on our website. See more..
5.0 Rai Ruen Rom - Organic Farm Chiang Rai, Thailand (109 reviews)
- Great Organic Farm Experience
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Farms

RAI RUEN ROM Eat | Farm | Learn | Stay Rai Ruen Rom is not just an organic farm,but an environment that lets people return to nature through perception. We are an open space for immersive experience, but also a new generation of farmers, creating fresh, organic,ethically produced food. We create because we believe that..."Good food starts with good ingredients. Good raw materials come from good farming." Sustainable agriculture is good farming. We produce high quality food that is safe for both the people and ecosystem. See more..
4.5 Wat Rong Khun (7.832 reviews)
- Beautiful temple
Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites

Beautiful temple south of Chiang Rai city. Beautifully decorated and surrounded by lots of visual art. Worth paying a ticket to go in to see the cool modern paintings which you rarely see in a Buddhist temple. Must visit. See more..
4.5 Wat Rong Seur Ten (Blue Temple) (981 reviews)
- Loved it!
Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent More than 3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

Wow, amazing, very quiet after visiting the White Temple which was nice. The blue, gold and other colours were amazing. We both like blue so enjoyed the colours. It was well done with some new additions going up now so you could see some of the different stages in the building and painting process, very interesting. Inside and out was nice. Some nice little stands on the side, I had some a nice ice cream cone and my wife had a cup of nice sweet strawberries. Great place to visit! See more..
4.5 Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) (926 reviews)
- Worth an hour of your time.
Religious Sites

This was the original location of the Emerald Buddha, now housed in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo. See more..
4.5 Doi Mae Salong (630 reviews)
- Beautiful and peaceful
Spent More than 3 hours Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Lookouts

Doi Mae Salong is a primarily Chinese community that offers a variety of activities. Visitors can take in a morning market, tour General Tuan's Tomb, go to a memorial museum and take in tea tastings while visiting the village. See more..
4.5 Wat Huay Pla Kang (522 reviews)
- Good sunset spot
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

Good place to come and watch the sunset, sat on the platform behind the giant goddess statue for this which gave great views over the mountains. You can go up inside the statue to the top in an elevator however this was closed when we visited. After the sunsets then the temple is lit up and looks very beautiful. Worth a stop. See more..
4.5 Khun Korn Waterfall (330 reviews)
- Beautiful waterfall and not a long walk.
Waterfalls

After reading through some reviews I thought it was going to be a long and hard trek to reach the waterfall...it was not though. Drove up on a scooter from Chiang Rai, which took around 35mins. We left around 7.20 and arrived by 8am just when it opened, signed in, parked up and started the walk. The walk only took us just under 25 mins. I would recommend wearing trainers and not flip flops as some parts can we a bit slippery and some steep steps up and down. It was great when we arrived by 8.25 as noone was there and we had the place all to ourself. Well worth a visit...it's free and if you get there early enough you'll be the first people there. When walking back, we walked past about 6 other people in different groups along the way. Bring some insect repellant as there are loads of bugs and flies hovering around you constantly. See more..
4.5 Mae Fah Luang Art and Culture Park (236 reviews)
- The highlight of our trip to Chiang Rai.
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Parks • Art Museums

Mae Fah Luang Art & Cultural Park houses the region's largest collection of folk art and teak artifacts from the Lanna Kingdom. It has been recognized as a unique tourist destination in northern Thailand and has won the Thailand Tourism Award 2006 as an outstanding tourism destination in the category of Arts and Culture. See more..
4.5 Wat Phrathat Doi Tong (156 reviews)
- More than just a Temple
Religious Sites

While the Phrathat Temple was interesting, Doi Tung mountain has much more to offer, including an excellent botanic garden, a Royal Villa for Her Royal Highness, the Princess Mother, an arboretum, and villages of at least three hill tribes (Shan Akha, Lahu). Once virtually denuded, this mountain is now green and scenic. And at the bottom of the mountain are some of the most outstanding limestone caves in Thailand, notably Tham Tung (Thailand's fifth longest cave), which is easily followed for about 800 meters, with scentic stalagtites and -mites. Little visited, but worth better dvelopment by the tourism agencies and the Department of National Parks. See more..
4.5 Wat Phra Singh (140 reviews)
- Very nice Wat.
Points of Interest & Landmarks

We did our own, nickel walking tour of Wats and this was our first. Nice grounds, good washroom. It is not a large Wat but we like visiting many to see the diversity of styles inside and out. It has very nice grounds and is quite ornate plus it has a jade Buddha. We did see arrangements and setup for a funeral of young man, sad to see. It is past one of the large local markets and if you like Wats, very much worth visiting. See more..
4.5 Doi Tung Palace (83 reviews)
- Wonderful Thailand
Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks

My most enduring memory of Thailand is this wonderful experience. The botanical gardens are truly beautiful and the museum recently added to the grounds bring emotional tears to the eye with an amazing insight into the country's history. As a farang luckily married to the most beautiful local girl I just simply love this visiting place as often as I can. See more..
4.5 Oub Kham Museum (65 reviews)
- Recommended
Speciality Museums

While the admission fee may seem expensive and from outside, the place may seem small, there is actually a lot to see. The place is never crowded and the guide was friendly and informative. Worth a visit. See more..
4.5 Art Bridge Chiang Rai (57 reviews)
- not much here
Art Galleries

Interesting arch entry to art museum. Somewhat dramatic but the significance of this remains unknown to me. See more..
4.5 Cherntawan International Meditation Center (43 reviews)
- WONDERFUL AND SPIRITUAL MEDITATION CENTER
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Farms

A wonderful and relaxing experience. Beautiful and peaceful trails and grounds. The Meditation Hall is large. Many statues around the grounds. There is an Art Museum, Restaurant, and Coffee Shop. The high point was actually meeting Monk V. Vachiredhi. He has published over 20 books, is an artist, a close friend of the Dalai Lama, and has met with the Pope. One can stay at the center and take meditation sessions. Worth the visit. See more..
4.0 Clock Tower Chiang Rai (2.080 reviews)
- Not a visit but a passby
Wednesday: 7:00 PM - 7:15 PM, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks

This super clock tower will not go unnoticed. Massive golden full of lights clock tower and beautiful at the same time. Marks the center of the city and they have a short light and sound (so to speak) in the evenings. But due to the small size of Chiang Rai, why not! spend a few minutes there and take some photos. Nobody knows or seems to know that was designed by Achan Chalermchai Kositpipat, who also built the White temple, indeed this is one of the most beautiful clock towers in Thailand that was built in 2005 to honour Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. See more..
4.0 Chiang Rai Night Bazaar (1.990 reviews)
- Authentic Dining Experience
Flea & Street Markets

A great place to eat like a local at a very reasonable price. A huge communal area with tables and chairs surrounded by stalls selling food and drinks - go around and choose your favourites from different stalls, a drink from one stall, a starter from another, main courses from different stalls if you want. A great space to feel like a local, and on the night we visited some local musicians playing in the background too. Two starters of tempura prawns, two main courses of stir fry chicken and two main courses of chicken and egg fried rice (all from different stalls, and far too much food - but it all looked so delicious) came to 600 baht/£15. Two large beers and a bottle of water came to 200 baht/£5. Quite easy to tell which has the freshest food - join any stall that has a bit of a queue at it. Enjoy! See more..
4.0 Sop Ruak - the center of the Golden Triangle (599 reviews)
- Don't listen to the Wimps, Wamps, and Wombleys
Lookouts

Worth a stop and take the boat across to Lao. Yes, it's a tourist trap but the prices are great and I saw and bought items there that I have never seen before or since, such as opium vodka. That stuff will get you talking to the cosmic blueberry muffin. At the top of the mountain is a vista, and again I bought some wonderful cheap and unique clothing there that I am having my company R&D (ripoff & duplicate) for resale in the western hemisphere. Knowing the history of the place does enrich the experience somewhat, such as opium being worth more by weight than gold, but I like any place worth visiting to stand on its own. The Giant Buddha on the Thai side has some great foto ops from the boat. I have been to all 7 continents and all 50 states in the USA, so I prob have no idea what I am talking about jajajajajaaa. See more..
4.0 Hill Tribe Museum (446 reviews)
- Best single site to learn about the hill tribes!
Speciality Museums

A cultural exploration of the nine major hill tribes. See more..
4.0 Chiang Saen (224 reviews)
- Visit
Historic Sites • Bodies of Water

This is like a mini version of Ayutthaya or Sukhothai. This is worth the trip from Chiang Rai and does not have as many tourists. The itinerary should be the Chiang Saen National Museum, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Pasak and Wat Phra That Chom Kitti. See more..
4.0 King Mengrai Monument (214 reviews)
- The Great place for everyone.
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

The tourists can take a free tour by signing the names at the city hall office behind King Mengrai Monument. The buses will park near the tour office so everyone can board easily. The tour will take about 3 hours around town. The tourists can visit 9 temples and see the way Chiang Rai people live and doing business. Make sure bring water and be ready for going from one temple to another. The guides were very friendly when we were there. The people around town were waving at us. It really made our day. See more..
4.0 Boon Rawd Farm (Singha Park) (145 reviews)
- i will always go and repeat!
Parks

Fantastic place for leisure, for walking, exercising, beautiful views to the tea plantations, fresh and clea air, plenty of space to move around. Still the park is quite big but we usually go for nice photos, relaxation and having lunch or dinner. Have 3 restaurants and a burguer food truck. has some attractions for kids and defintely a place to go back and again. See more..
4.0 Lahu Village (129 reviews)
- Reminiscences of earlier days
Historic Sites

My wife, MiMi, is a Lahu tribal person. Spent her childhood in the Lahu village of Goshen. So, visiting the Lahu Village brings back happy memories for her. Lahu and other tribes make many things by hand and these are sold (some through Fair Trade outlets) to help their living requirements. Being married to a Lahu I am biased towards recommending anybody who can to visit Lahu Village. See more..
4.0 CentralPlaza Chiangrai (125 reviews)
- OLD MALL
Wednesday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Shopping Malls

CentralPlaza Chiangrai The Best Shopping Experience in the Northern Frontier SHOPPING • Robinson Department Store (14,400 sq.m.) • 4 specialties stores (totaling 6,000 sq.m) Offering a wider range of products in a modern “Lanna” shop concept: o Tops Market – Thailand’s leading supermarket o B2S – booking and stationary o PowerBuy – electronic equipment o SuperSports – sport equipment • 4-storey shopping plaza (23,000 sq.m.) A modern “Lanna” one-stop shopping complex, housing more than 280 leading retailers. • Fashion Plus (640 sq.m.) A trendy mix & match fashion center with 52 fashion and accessories outlets for every shopper who fascinates with fashion. • Bazaar (500 sq.m.) A various 56 shops offering a wide selection of local products – foods, handy crafts, clothes, and souvenirs. • E-Center (164 sq.m.) An exclusive high technology equipments and gadgets. DINING • A wide selection of food & beverage Over 30 finest local and international food and restaurants for every type of dining: business lunch, family dining, as well as quick served meals. • Food Park (1,300 sq.m.) A 450-seat food park with various choices of foods and beverages with over 13 food vendors and 8 take-home shops. ENTERTAINMENT • Major Cineplex and Karaoke (totaling 3,600 sq.m.) o Experience the enjoyment with comfort at Major Cineplex with 5 movie screens of a total capacity of 1,245 seats. o 10 karaoke rooms for hanging out with friends and family, and sharing your vocal talents. • PlayLand and Game Center (totaling 700 sq.m.) The biggest play land and game center in the upper north of Thailand with panoramic mountain views of Chaingrai making this place a heaven on earth for children or adults whose still young at heart. See more..
4.0 Chiang Saen - the old city walls (116 reviews)
- Very interesting
Points of Interest & Landmarks

I really would liked to have spent more time here as it was unexpected how extensive the ruins are. If you are interested in temple ruins try and schedule some extra time.... See more..
4.0 Wat Ming Mueang Temple (91 reviews)
- Beautiful
Points of Interest & Landmarks

This underrated temple is frequently confused with Wat Mung Muang. This temple is simply gorgeous and is unusual because it is full of beautiful portraits. Everything is shiny and at night the lights reflect well. This is my favourite temple in Chiang Rai. See more..
3.5 Golden Triangle (185 reviews)
- A very pleasant half day trip
Points of Interest & Landmarks

This was part of the opium-growing region of northern Thailand, eastern Burma and western Laos. See more..