Chiang Mai Trips & Tours

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Chiang Mai

Take a low-key look into Thailand’s past and delve into her modern aspirations in this alluring city.

In the olden days, a trip to Chiang Mai would have involved a multi-day long expedition or a rocky elephant trek through spectacular but somewhat precarious terrain. Thankfully, Thailand’s second city is now easily reachable by plane (or overnight train if you’ve got the time) and if you’d like to get under the skin of the country, it should be firmly on your travel list. The former seat of the semi-independent Lanna kingdom, the city is steeped in history and you’ll hop around a plethora of temples in shoeless serenity, learn about Lanna culture, and meet Buddhist monks at Wat Chedi Luang. At the other end of the spectrum, the Night Bazaar will have you honing your haggling skills like a pro, and there are a multitude of tantalising cookery courses for learning the (spicy!) tricks of the north’s cuisine. Then, leave the urban scenes behind and venture into the glorious countryside to breath in the mountain air, trek through lush jungle, and visit the fascinating hill tribes…

Trips

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Design a Custom Trip

Our Experts

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Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Jessica Klauzenberg

Thailand Travel Specialist

Kevin Zimmermann

Thailand Travel Specialist

Meg Yash

Thailand Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Chiang Mai

Embedded high in the hills of Thailand's cultural heartlands, Chiang Mai was once the capital of the Lanna kingdom. Discover its history, which is evident in every building including the many beautiful temples. Visit the supremely sacred Wat Phra That Doi Suthep for a peaceful moment spent overlooking the city below. Astounding natural surroundings are on your doorstep, which means scenic cycles, trekking and river rafting in the jungle, visiting an elephant sanctuary and meeting members of northern Thailand's ancient hill tribes. After all that, you're bound to be peckish so head to the Night Bazaar for a taste of local Lanna cuisine like Khao Soi curry, Chiang Mai sausages and Miang Kham wraps.

Open Map

Culture

Why you'll love it

The intriguing mix of old and new; outdoor and urban; nature and culture; shopping and eating - and the chance to sit back and enjoy some R&R or get stuck into everything on offer.

Off the beaten track

At the end of the day, head to the mountain top temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, ten miles from town. It’s the most sacred in the region and has the best views of the city, hands down.

Something to think about

If you can, avoid travelling in March and April – this is burning season for the local farmers, and the acrid tang can be a tad overwhelming.

When to go

Best time to visit Chiang Mai

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Dry Season — one of the best times to visit

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Reviews

Based on 15 Feefo Reviews for Thailand

Guest

Beautiful vacation - bucket list

August 2026

10 nights in Thailand

This is our second time using Timbuktu, and have been pleased with both Kenya and Thailand

lana siglinger

Low stress travel the way it's meant to be

June 2026

17 nights in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos

As I mentioned- everything was great. Super easy to work with Meg. the dashboard was pretty straightforward and informative. It was so wonderful being taken care of at every location- having someone meet us at the airport and show us all of the best things in each place. the tours were well thought out and well curated. I liked having tour guides that seemed to have secret handshakes to get us into super crowded lunch spots with our own reserved table- my husband felt like he was in the Godfather. :-)

Paige Rollins-Colombo

The Dreamiest Honeymoon

April 2026

11 nights in Thailand

Timbuktu made our Honeymoon! From all of the excursions, guides, transits and stays, the attention to detail was incredible. I felt safe, relaxed, and in good hands -- while planning the trip, and in Thailand! Jess is a superstar, and we'll definitely be working with her again soon. Thanks!

Guest

January 2026

15 nights in Thailand and Laos

Jack & Debbe Powell

So East Asia was Best Honeymoon ever Thanks to Timbuktu & Megan Yash

December 2025

25 nights in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia

Timbuktu is First Rate and we give credit to Megan Yash who coordinated the whole trip in the best way ever to give us the Trip of a Lifetime. Words cannot express our joy and appreciation to her and the people who helped to make our trip 100% enjoyable from the moment we stepped on the plane to when we landed back in San Diego. Every single detail was attended to, outlined and executed perfectly. We sing Megan's and Timbuktu's praises to all that will listen. We loved our hotels and they were fabulous with outstanding service, friendly and accommodating to our every need, and well located; our personal guides were fantastic, and well educated and informed about the country they represented and very interesting and went out of their way to ensure we had the Best time! The drivers were always timely, made us feel safe and cared for, always available and made meeting our destinations so enjoyable. Dining choices were extremely helpful and thankfully we never had a health issue or any challenges. We can hardly wait until the next opportunity to travel with Timbuktu and have Megan's assistance. Thank you!!

Lisa Keehnel

Very Satisfied

November 2025

11 nights in Thailand

Kevin that I worked with listened to what I wanted and presented a trip with the information I gave him. We had to tweak it a couple of times before we settled on the itinerary.

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