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Chiang Mai
The serene grounds of the royal family's winter palace are open to the public (when the royals aren't visiting). The unusually strict dress code requires bottoms below mid-calf and shoulders covered – no scarves. The mountain's cool climate allows the royal gardeners to raise 'exotic' species such as roses, attracting lots of Thai sightseers.
Climb up to the reservoir that is sometimes brought to life by fountains that dance to the king's own musical compositions.
1.54 MILES
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
5.93 MILES
Wat Chedi Luang isn't as grand as Wat Phra Singh, but its towering, ruined Lanna-style chedi (built in 1441) is much taller and the sprawling compound…
5.62 MILES
Chiang Mai's most revered temple, Wat Phra Singh is dominated by an enormous, mosaic-inlaid wí·hăhn (sanctuary). Its prosperity is plain to see from the…
6.8 MILES
Chiang Mai's oldest public market, Warorot (also spelt Waroros) is a great place to connect with the city's Thai soul. Alongside souvenir vendors you'll…
6.01 MILES
Without doubt the most atmospheric wát in the old city, this teak marvel sits in the shadow of Wat Chedi Luang. Set in a compound full of fluttering…
Nam Tok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfall)
21.68 MILES
Ever walked up a waterfall? An increasingly popular day trip from Chiang Mai to Si Lanna National Park's 'Sticky Waterfall' allows visitors (with no magic…
2.41 MILES
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
5.99 MILES
Set inside the former Provincial Court, dating from 1935, this imaginative museum re-creates Lanna village life in a series of life-size dioramas that…
1.54 MILES
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
2.41 MILES
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
3. Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
2.7 MILES
Often bearing a crown of clouds, sultry Doi Suthep (1676m) and Doi Pui (1685m) are two of northern Thailand's most sacred peaks. A dense cloak of jungle…
3.15 MILES
Chiang Mai Zoo is better than many zoos in the region when it comes to animal welfare, but it's still quite depressing. In addition to animals from across…
3.44 MILES
Reached via a steep naga stairway through the forest, this handsome wát looms above the city from the hillside above Royal Park Rajapruek. With its gilded…
3.83 MILES
Not to be confused with the small Wat Umong in the old city, this historic forest wát is famed for its sylvan setting and its ancient chedi, above a brick…
3.87 MILES
The main campus of Chiang Mai's famous public university occupies a 2.9-sq-km wedge of land about 2km west of the city centre, partly covered by forest…
4.25 MILES
This expansive animal park is open day and night, but the real action happens after dark, when you can view all sorts of critters from the back of an open…