Chiang Mai is an incredible city, but it’s hectic and overwhelming too. Around Chiang Mai, you’ll see so many overpriced tours being advertised. But forget them! In this short Chiang Mai day trip guide, you’ll find 5 budget DIY day trips to escape the chaos of Chiang Mai.
During my time there, I craved nature and spent every weekend escaping Old Town’s chaos to explore the beauty and nature around it. If you’re familiar with my travel style, you’ll know I’m a big believer in do-it-yourself travel and never opt for tours if it’s possible to do it myself.
5 CHEAP Day Trips from Chiang Mai
A word of warning, if you’re after the generic day trips from Chiang Mai, like the Elephant Parks or the Sticky Waterfall, you’re gonna be disappointed. I discovered some dreamy less-explored spots that cost very little and only require a sturdy bike and some desire to seek adventure and go off the beaten track.
You ready? Without further ado, here are 5 cheap and do-it-yourself day trips you can do from Chiang Mai.
1. Day trip to Khung Chang Khian
Khun Chang Khian is an unassuming, quaint village in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park with locally grown coffee.
Most people journey to the national park to visit Doi Suthep Temple, but if you continue an extra 30 minutes along the one windy and narrow mountain road, you’ll come to Khun Chang Khian. Due to its remote location and the fact it’s only accessible by one serpentine road, it only receives a handful of tourists daily.
Honestly, when we stumbled across it, I felt like I was in paradise. It has four farm-to-table coffee shops, with my favourite being Formula Hmong Coffee with its beautiful terrace overlooking the mountains; the sweetest owner and the best flat white we’d tasted in our four months in Thailand. It’s definitely something I didn’t expect in such a remote village.
After some research, once we got back to Chiang Mai, I discovered that the village receives a short influx of visitors in January for their “Thai Sakura” – Cherry Blossom trees. So it’s worth checking out if you’re there during that time.
Cost (THB): motorbike rental & gas 250 | coffee money 50
2. Hike the Monk's Trail up to Wat Pho Lat
- Grab a Grab taxi to the start point here: 2. Jump in a songthaew (local red truck) to the very end of Suthep Road, just past the entrance of CMU, and go left along the side of the zoo to this point.
Cost (THB): taxi to starting point approx 80 | songthaew 15
3. Chiang Dao
Chiang Dao is not really on travellers’ radar, but if you’re after a wild, local experience, this is the one. It’s 70km from Chiang Mai (1h/1h30 on the motorbike). I’ll be honest, the first half of the journey is hectic as you’re leaving the city and passing through some big towns, but then it gets green and lovely. So hang on in there.
I don’t use the term ‘off-the-beaten-track’ lightly, but Chiang Dao is really off the tourist trail. The town itself is meh but what Chiang Dao is known for is its hot springs, cave and Thailand’s 3rd highest mountain.
Chiang Dao 1-Day Itinerary
After the dusty drive along the 107 highway, recharge your batteries with a dip in the hot springs here. The hot springs are surrounded by green fields with water buffalo masking in the sun and mud. There’s no entrance fee as it’s a local spot.
Once you’ve basked in the sun and hot springs, time for food, I’d recommend grabbing lunch at Mon and Kurt’s Restaurant, a no-fuss Thai spot where you can grab a plate of Pad Thai or curry for THB 35 – bargain.
After lunch, ride over to Chiang Dao caves; entry is only THB 20 (which, to be fair to them, covers the cost of the electricity in the cave!). They’ll be tour guides outside the entrance offering tours for THB 200, but you can easily enjoy without them, so don’t bother!
Before returning to Chiang Mai, pop into Pronto Coffee for a pre-ride coffee.
Cost (THB) : motorbike rental & gas 280 | entry to the cave 20 | lunch with drink 50 | coffee 50
4. Huai Tueng reservoir and waterfall
This trip combines Huai Tueng Reservoir and Waterfall, so a bit of hiking and chilling. That’s what we like.
Leave Chiang Mai early morning and ride 15km to Huay Tung Tao reservoir, right on the foot of Doi Suthep National Park. The entry to the reservoir is THB 50, but it’s worth it as you can chill there after your hike.
It’s a 6.8km circular hike through the dense forest to the secluded waterfall. To avoid getting lost, follow the hike on AllTrails here.
Depending on the weather, it may be muddy, so be prepared!
Finish your hike right back at the reservoir and grab lunch at one of the local restaurants. You can eat it in one of the huts near the lake, and just enjoy your afternoon with an ice-cold Chang in hand. It’s a swimmable lake, and you’ll see lots of locals boozing and swimming here at the weekend. Good vibes.
Cost (THB): motorbike rental & petrol 250 | entry to reservoir 50 | lunch and ice-cold beer 100
5. Wake up early and observe buddhist rituals at DoI Suthep Temple
Doi Suthep Temple is the most impressive temple I’ve seen in Thailand, but one thing that I didn’t really appreciate was the hoards of tourists around me the 1st time I visited. I’d hiked up the temple via the Monks Trail and arrived at the peak time of visiting – midday.
So I decided not to let it cloud my judgement but to return to the temple for sunrise the following day, and boy, oh boy, was it insane. The temple technically opens at 6 am, but depending on the time of year, if the sunrise is a little earlier than that, you’ll be able to go and catch it then. There are no barriers or gates to stop you.
If you go that early in the morning, it’s likely you’ll be the only one there, apart from the monks chanting and performing their morning rituals. It’s a beautiful sight and so different from visiting during the day.
I found a sunrise temple tour online for this exact temple marketed at USD 120pp, which is insanely expensive to me. Don’t fall for it. You can easily go by yourself and have the same experience.
It might be difficult to catch a songthaew at that time of the morning, so your best bet is to order a Grab or by your own rental motorbike.
Cost (THB): taxi to Doi Suthep temple 160 | songtheaw back 80
So that’s a round-up of the best day trips from Chiang Mai that can be done with a scooter or public transport. If you’re looking to escape the city for more than a day, check out this blog post.
