With kids · Chiang Mai · Thailand
Chiang Mai with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's easiest cities for families: elephant sanctuaries, cooking classes, the zoo, markets and waterfalls are all close, and accommodation is good value. Smoke in March and heat in April are the main reasons to time a family trip carefully. Top picks: Elephant Nature Park, Thai cooking class and Chiang Mai Zoo. Families usually base themselves in Tha Phae and Night Bazaar.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Tha Phae and Night Bazaar
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- November–January
Best things to do with kids
Experience · Mae Taeng
1.Elephant Nature Park
About 60 km north of the city, this long-established sanctuary cares for rescued elephants in a river valley, along with dogs, cats and buffaloes. Visitors observe and feed the elephants and watch them bathe; there is no riding.
Choose a sanctuary with no riding or bathing shows, and book a day visit that includes transport from your hotel.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Visits must be booked in advance and sell out in high season.
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Experience · Old City
2.Thai cooking class
Chiang Mai is the most popular place in Thailand to learn to cook, with dozens of schools offering half- or full-day classes that start with a market tour and include five or six dishes, often khao soi among them. Some are held on organic farms outside the city.
Choose a small class that lets you pick your own dishes, and say if you need vegetarian versions.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book a day or two ahead in high season; most schools collect you from your hotel.
- Food
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Couples
Zoo · Doi Suthep foothills
3.Chiang Mai Zoo
Set on the forested lower slopes of Doi Suthep, the zoo covers a large hilly area with Asian and African animals, an aquarium and a tram that links the sections. It is one of the easiest family outings in the city.
Use the tram or a golf cart for the steep sections, and go in the morning before the heat.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Market · Old City
4.Sunday Walking Street
Every Sunday evening, Ratchadamnoen Road from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Phra Singh closes to traffic and fills with stalls selling handicrafts, textiles and snacks, with food courts in temple grounds along the way. A similar Saturday market runs along Wua Lai Road, the silversmiths' street south of the moat.
Arrive around 5pm before it becomes shoulder-to-shoulder, and eat in a temple courtyard food court.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
Nature · Mae Rim
5.Huay Tung Tao Lake
A reservoir at the foot of the mountains about 12 km north-west of the city, ringed by bamboo huts where you can order grilled fish and som tam and spend the afternoon by the water. Locals swim and rent inflatables at weekends.
Go on a weekday afternoon and order food to your hut; bring sun protection.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
- Food
Museum · Old City
6.Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre
Behind the Three Kings Monument, this museum in the former provincial hall tells the story of Chiang Mai from prehistory through the Lanna kingdom to modern times, with dioramas and models. It is a good first stop to understand the temples.
Visit on your first day, ideally during the afternoon heat.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Thai cooking class — Choose a small class that lets you pick your own dishes, and say if you need vegetarian versions.
- Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre — Visit on your first day, ideally during the afternoon heat.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for shopping, first-timers, nightlife and families
Tha Phae and Night Bazaar
East of Tha Phae Gate, Tha Phae Road leads to the Night Bazaar on Chang Khlan Road and Warorot Market near the river. Larger hotels, bars and restaurants line the streets, and the area is lively every evening with stalls, food courts and live music.
- Good
- Markets on the doorstep; Good hotel choice at all levels; Walk to the old city and river
- Watch out
- Touristy around the bazaar; Noisy streets in the evening
- Nearby
- Night Bazaar, Warorot Market, Tha Phae Gate, Ping River
Family travel tips
- Avoid March if anyone in the family has asthma or breathing problems; check air quality before booking.
- Choose a sanctuary that does not offer elephant rides or shows.
- Songthaews have no seat belts; use app cars for longer drives with young children.
- Many cooking schools welcome children and adapt spice levels.
- Pack warm layers for Doi Inthanon, where it can be cold at dawn in the cool season.
Day trips for families
- Doi Inthanon National Park (About 2 hours by road) — Thailand's highest mountain, at about 2,565 metres, has cool cloud forest, a boardwalk at the summit, the twin royal chedis with gardens and views, and large waterfalls such as Wachirathan.
- Bua Thong Sticky Waterfalls (About 1 hour by road) — Limestone deposits make the rocks of this waterfall rough rather than slippery, so you can climb up through the cascades barefoot.
When to go with children
The best months overall are November–February. November–January are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Chiang Mai good for kids?
Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's easiest cities for families: elephant sanctuaries, cooking classes, the zoo, markets and waterfalls are all close, and accommodation is good value. Smoke in March and heat in April are the main reasons to time a family trip carefully.
+What can kids do in Chiang Mai?
Elephant Nature Park, Thai cooking class, Chiang Mai Zoo, Sunday Walking Street and Huay Tung Tao Lake.
+Where should families stay in Chiang Mai?
Tha Phae and Night Bazaar: Market streets between the east moat and the river.