
Thailand’s lush Chiang Mai, with its green mountains, rice paddies and colorful Buddhist temples, is the country’s northernmost province, encompassing northern Thailand’s largest city, Chiang Mai, and near to Chiang Rai, Myanmar and Laos, which form the Golden Triangle. Home to two million people, with rice farmers and hill tribes outnumbering urban dwellers, the city and the area are known for handicrafts, and Chiang Mai was once the country’s cultural and religious heart, making it ideal for wellness seekers.
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Perfect forAdventurers | Families | Do Gooders | Romantics | Soul Searchers
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When to goDecember-February | September-November
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Ideal length of stay3-5 Nights
Designing Your Journey
Work with Indagare to design the perfect itinerary for an immersive journey. Our travel experts know the destination inside and out, and they can make recommendations based on your travel needs and preferences.
3 Days: Essential Chiang Mai
Explore the historic sites and temples of the walled-in Old City, coupled with excursions to nearby elephant camps and immersion in the local culture through cooking classes and neighborhood tours. Here is just one example of what our destination specialists can create for you.
Day 1: Historic Sites
This morning, savor the beauty of Thailand’s northern countryside with an Indagare-arranged hot air balloon ride over the landscape, culminating in a private champagne brunch in the open fields. Then, explore the region’s ancient history with an expert guide and driver who can take you on a Buddhist Temple Tour to the most legendary sites.
Day 2: Cultural Immersion
Take a cooking class at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai, beginning with a morning trip to the local market to find ingredients, followed by a chef’s demonstration and the chance to fire up a wok of your own. Spend the rest of the day shopping and snacking in the Wat Gat neighborhood, home to Thai artisans, European architecture and lauded eateries that stretch along the Ping River around Wat Gate Khar Rham Temple.
Day 3: Elephant Excursions
A visit to an elephant sanctuary is a highlight of any Thailand trip. Learn about these spectacular animals and enjoy the unique opportunity to ride an elephant at one of Indagare’s preferred camps. We carefully vet the elephant programs and only work with companies that are sanctuaries and humane to the animals.
Where To Stay
We only feature hotels that we can vouch for first-hand. At many of them, Indagare members receive special amenities, including upgrades, early check-in, breakfast, spa credits and more. Look for the Indagare Plus logo in the reviews.
- Four Seasons Chiang Mai, courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and ResortsRead More
Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
A cicada chorus commences as a light breeze stirs the tall grasses amid lush rice fields. Intermittent birdsong is interrupted by the muffled clanging of a cowbell in the distance, as a dragonfly flits by. At Four Seasons Resort Chiang...
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Howie’s HomeStay
A Boston businessman’s turn as luxury hotelier offers real estate–obsessed sybarites the opportunity to play house—or rather, palace—in the idyllic Thai countryside.