Chiang Mai & Beyond: Northern Thailand Itinerary In 1 Week

Welcome to the whistle-stop tour of Northern Thailand. I truly love this part of the world! If you only have one week to spend exploring the beautiful northern part of Thailand, then this is a great itinerary for you to take in most of the sights and sounds and eat your way around all the delicious food.

I've lived in Chiang Mai and traveled Northern Thailand extensively and am excited to bring you this Northern Thailand itinerary in 7 days that you can easily copy and do yourself!

Day 1: Bangkok To Chiang Mai

Take a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai which takes just over one hour. You'll arrive in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai in the afternoon. I recommend you stay your first night in the Old City.

The country’s northern capital Chiang Mai has sat surrounded by the nearby mountains since its inception in 1296. You will have the best time in the city, no matter what you choose to do, just make sure you pick a good time to visit.

One of the biggest appeals of Chiang Mai is its food and the best way to spend your first evening is getting a taste of it from one of the city’s famous night markets. Influenced heavily by their northern neighbors of Myanmar, China and Laos, some must-tries are Northern Thai Sausage and the yellow egg noodle curry Khao Soi. Make sure to get a Satay or Northern Thai-style salad and leave some space for a delicious Mango Stick Rice, my absolute favorite dessert to have in Thailand.

The Sunday Night Market in the Old Town and the Saturday evening market in the Silversmith Quarter around Wualai Road are also the perfect spots for picking up authentic handicraft souvenirs, clothes and other knickknacks.

Don't forget to marvel at the golden temples which are lit up beautifully along the way.

Where To Stay In Chiang Mai

As a first-timer to Chiang Mai, you'll want to stay in Chiang Mai's Old City as it has most of the attractions compact together which can be easily explored by foot.

Luxury: Chala Number6 – Stunning luxury hotel in the heart of Chiang Mai, wonderful pool area and attention to detail.

Mid-Range: Baan Klang Wiang Hotel – A little boutique hotel with only 10 rooms located right in the center of town and within walking distance to the famous Sunday night market as well as temples, shops and restaurants.

Budget: Kate and Hasu Boutique – Minimalist modern hotel with small hotel in Old Town Chiang Mai.

Day 2: Chiang Mai To Pai

Chiang Mai's Old Town is accessible on foot and has dozens of beautiful temples to explore. It's beautiful to have a wander around in the morning as you'll see many monks walking through the street collecting early morning alms offerings.

Some of the most popular are Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chiang Man. As well as Wat Phra That Doi Suthep watches over the city from its mountaintop perch which you can easily reach with one of the many red Songthaews.

There are plenty of other lesser-known temples outside the Old City walls if you are feeling a bit more adventurous. Simply take a Songthaew or drive yourself if you feel confident riding a scooter. I suggest checking out Wat Umong and Wat Suan Dok.

For more things to do in Chiang Mai, have a look at my huge Chiang Mai travel guide which covers all the things to do in town.

In the afternoon, jump on a minibus to Pai, northern Thailand secret hippie town. The bus ride takes around four hours subject to traffic and roads. The road to Pai is pretty windy and I recommend taking a motion sickness tablet before as it can get a bit rough depending on the softness of your driver.

Where To Stay In Pai

4-Star: Family House Zen Boutique Resort – With salt-water pool, free Wi-Fi, restaurant & bar serving Thai and European food and only 150 meters to the famous Walking Street night market.

Budget: Revolution Hostel Pai – Great social hostel with good showers and free meals and nightly activities.

Day 3: Explore The Town Of Pai

Despite its hippie beginnings, the small town of Pai now thrives on tourism while still offering visitors the chance to kick back and relax.

One of the key attractions is the Tha Pai Hot Springs. These natural hot pools are nestled in the forest and offer a nice contrast to Pai's town center. Of course, you cannot miss the night market referred to as Walking Street.

Pai is famed for its healthy vegetarian cuisine served in many unique laid-back cafes and bars. For those wanting a bit more adventure, there are some amazing waterfalls like Mo Paeng and Pam Bok, the natural phenomena The Land Split and the Pai Canyon. You can easily rent a scooter and drive yourself, traffic is not very heavy around here, but it's a good idea to have a bit of scooter driving practice before you take off!

Day 4: Pai To Chiang Mai

Use the morning to have a fantastic breakfast or explore Pai's sleepy center a little bit more. Then you'll continue your northern Thailand itinerary by taking a bus from Pai back to Chiang Mai, again taking roughly four hours.

You will stay in Chiang Mai again for the night but maybe choose your accommodation in a different part of town this time.

I love the area around Nimmanhaemin Road which is usually only referred to as Nimman. There are actually quite a few really cool places to stay at!

Nimman is alive with students and young people as it's close to Chiang Mai University. Also, the Chiang Mai Zoo and the modern MAYA Shopping Mall which is fairly new.

MAYA Mall houses a big cinema as well as a few cool bars on the rooftop on level 6. The views across to Doi Suthep mountain and over the houses of the otherwise flat town of Chiang Mai are pretty amazing and worth checking out both day and night time.

Browse the small shops around here in the afternoon, get a massage or a pedicure and check out the many trendy cafés and art galleries around here.

If you love cats, I recommend you pay the really cool Cat Café a visit which is a short taxi ride or 15-20 minute walk from Nimman towards the Zoo.

Where to Stay in Nimman, Chiang Mai

Luxury: De Chai Oriental Hotel – Beautiful views overlooking Doi Suthep mountain, stylish hotel with unique interiors and huge floor-to-ceiling windows

Mid-Rang: Eastin Tan Hotel – Modern hotel right across the MAYA Mall, best location to explore Nimman.

Budget: Yesterday Hotel – Beautiful 3-star accommodation, rooms with antique furnishings, close to all the best things of Nimman.

Day 5: Explore Chiang Mai

Time to explore Chiang Mai and all it has to offer a bit more and get adventurous!

Choose to go on a day trip outside of Chiang Mai, hit the zip-line and fly through the mountains, jump on a whitewater rafting, go on a mountain-biking trip or simply hang by the nearby lake, there is really so much to do in Chiang Mai!

Day 6: Chiang Mai To Chiang Rai

Today you are off to Chiang Rai! Take the Green VIP Bus and get to Chiang Rai approximately 3 hours later.

Chiang Rai is often used as a base for trekking into the surrounding hills to visit local tribes, for a good reason because it is really pretty here. The town has its fair share of interesting sights though too whilst having the advantage of being much less busy than its big sister town Chiang Mai.

There are many popular 1 and 2-day trekking tours. And of course, you can opt to trek for longer too if you have the time. Just make sure you don't visit in the humid and hot season as hiking gets pretty tough even though you are in the cooler mountain area.

Situated 15 km from Chiang Rai, the exquisite ivory decadence of Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple is definitely a must-see. Continuing the color theme at the other end of the spectrum visitors can visit Thailand’s Black House (Baan Dam) with its dark structure and decorations made from hundreds of animal antlers, shells and skins.

The Mae Fah Luang Art & Culture Park is another of Chiang Rai’s highlights and includes a museum of artifacts from the surrounding Lanna area, several Buddhist temples and an amazing collection of antique and contemporary art. And yes, there is a daily night bazaar in town too!

Alternatively, could you take a Golden Triangle day tour all the way up to the border where the three countries Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. However, I found the tour to be a lot of driving and not seeing enough or what I saw was actually very touristy so I don't think I would do this again.

Where To Stay In Chiang Rai

If you decide to go on a 2-day trek, you will most likely stay at a local hill tribe village in the mountains overnight. Otherwise, there are plenty of options right in town or a little outside as well.

Luxury: Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort – Luxury resort surrounded by the mountains, great couples escape.

Mid-Range: Maryo Resort – Maryo Resort is outside of town, a beautiful place to stay if you want to relax and be a little away from all the busyness. Or you can rent bikes and cycle around.

Budget: Baan Mai Kradan Hostel – Stylish hostel in a quiet area and just 10 minutes walk to the Night Bazaar.

Day 7: Chiang Rai To Chiang Mai And Back To Bangkok

You'll either finish off trekking back to Chiang Rai on your last day or wake up in Chiang Rai to explore more of the town.

Finally, jump on a bus back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon and head off to the airport to catch a plane to Bangkok which only takes about one hour.

There are tons of things to do at any time of the day in Bangkok, but in the evenings and at night times the city really comes alive with street vendors, markets, rooftop bars filling up and music blaring. If you're in for having a good time, you'll surely find it here!

Where To Stay In Bangkok

There are four main areas where most people stay in Bangkok.

1. Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit is especially for partygoers, shoppers and easy access to the Skytrain to get around. Traffic around here is usually pretty heavy as it's quite spread out but then there is always Uber.

Recommended Hotels in Sukhumvit

• Splurge in a truly beautifully designed hotel: Volve Hotel Bangkok | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Great mid-range place to stay: Tints of Blue Hotel | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Stylish budget accommodation: One Day Hostel | Booking.com | Agoda.com

2. Khao San

As part of the Old City, the area around Khao San Road is packed with many of the main attractions like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Chinatown is not far from here either. Many young people and backpackers stay around here. However, there is no public transport connection in the form of BTS or MRT and getting to other parts of town can be tricky, especially around rush hour.

Recommended Hotels near Khao San Road

• Splurge right on the riverfront: Praya Palazzo Hotel | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Mid-range: Nanda Heritage Hotel | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Great on a budget: LOBSUEK Hostel | Booking.com

3. Siam

Siam is very trendy and highly recommended for power shoppers while the area also has many family-friendly while boasting even more food choices. It's not a very authentic part of town.

4. Silom

Silom is considered the financial district, with heaps of accommodation options from budget to luxury and the area is quite compact and walkable with the famous red light district/Patpong located here too. Easy access to public transport like both BTS and MRT.