Planning a visit to Northern Thailand but can’t decide between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai?
No worries as this Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai comparison guide will help you figure out which one to visit.
While these two cities do share some similarities, they are quite different from each other.
Chiang Mai is bigger and more popular with an abundance of temples, bustling night markets, and hiking trails while Chiang Rai is smaller and more laidback with some of the most unique temples in all of Thailand.
In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai so you can decide which one to visit.
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Read more about Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai:
- Detailed Chiang Mai itinerary for 3-5 days
- Hiking in Chiang Mai: 5 Easy hikes
- Guide to the best waterfalls in Chiang Mai
- What to do in Chiang Rai in 1 or 2 days
- Guide to the best temples in Chiang Rai
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Transportation
Getting to Chiang Mai
There are several options for getting to Chiang Mai whether it’s by plane, train, or bus.
Direct flights to Chiang Mai are available from several parts of Thailand like Bangkok, Krabi or Koh Samui, taking about 1-2 hours.
If you’re coming from Bangkok, you can also take the sleeper train to Chiang Mai. It takes about 10-13 hours and tickets cost about 700-1,400 baht depending on the cabin class, time of the day, and whether you choose the lower or upper bed.
Buses are also available and cost about 650 baht. The journey takes about 10 hours.
Getting to Chiang Rai
Getting to Chiang Rai is also pretty straightforward with direct flights (1.5 hours) or buses (11 hours) available from Bangkok.
Traveling between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
The best and cheapest way to travel between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai is to take the bus which costs about 270 baht.
Buses depart every 30 minutes from 7 a.m to 6 p.m and the total journey takes about 3.5 hours. It’s best to book your bus tickets a few days in advance as they might sell out.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling with a group, you can hire a private taxi instead.
Note that there are no direct flights between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
Getting around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
Walking: If you’re staying in Chiang Mai Old Town, you can easily get to most attractions on foot. On the other hand, the attractions in Chiang Rai are more spread out, making it less walkable.
Songthaew and Tuk Tuk: Songthaews (local buses) are available in both cities and the price of a single trip starts from 30 baht depending on the distance covered and your negotiation skills. Tuk tuks are also available but cost slightly more.
Rental car or motorbike: If you want more flexibility, you can rent a car (about 1,000 baht per day) or a motorbike (about 250 baht per day. I personally hired a rental car through Discover Cars and highly recommend using them.
Taxi: The last option is to download a ride-sharing app such as Grab, Bolt, or inDrive. From my personal experience, I found Bolt to be the cheapest out of the three.
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: How Long to Stay
Due to the huge amount of things to see and do in Chiang Mai, I recommend staying a minimum of 3 days.
If you have more time and would like to do some day trips, then you can stay about 5 days or up to a week in Chiang Mai.
Read my Chiang Mai itinerary to find out how to plan a 3, 4, or 5-day trip.
On the other hand, Chiang Rai is much smaller with fewer things to do, so 1 or 2 days should be enough.
Be sure to read my Chiang Rai itinerary for more details.
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Things to do
Chiang Mai boasts a huge number of things to do from temple hopping to trekking, exploring the night markets, and much more.
Best things to do in Chiang Mai:
- Temple hopping. Some of the best Chiang Mai temples include Doi Suthep Temple, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Silver Temple, and Doi Saket Temple.
- Visit the Chiang Mai Night Markets.
- Visit the Chiang Mai Waterfalls. My favorites are Montha Than and Huai Kaeo waterfalls.
- Explore the Chiang Mai hiking trails. The best one is the Monk’s Trail to Wat Pha Lat Temple which takes about 30 minutes. It’s easily accessible from the Old Town by taxi or songthaew.
- Learn to cook your favorite Thai dishes at Grandma’s Home Cooking School.
Chiang Rai, on the other hand, has fewer things to do but is still worth visiting for its unique temples and breathtaking scenery.
Best things to do in Chiang Rai:
- Visit the temples in Chiang Rai – White Temple is the most unique and extravagant one. Other temples worth visiting are the Blue Temple, Wat Huay Pla Kang, Wat Phra Kaew, and Wat Phra That Doi Khao Kwai.
- Take a short hike to Khun Korn Waterfall.
- Sample the local cuisine at the Chiang Rai Night Bazaars.
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Day Trips
Chiang Mai Day Trips
My favorite day trip from Chiang Mai is Doi Inthanon National Park, located about a 1.5-hour drive away. It’s home to the highest point in Thailand and features several hiking trails, waterfalls, and pagodas.
You can also take a day trip to Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall, Mon Jam (a small mountain village with great views), Lampang (a small sleepy town with beautiful temples located about a 2-hour train ride away), and Chiang Dao (for caves and hot springs).
If you’re renting a car or motorbike, you can also do the Samoeng Loop.
Some people also choose to take a day tour from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai but this involves a lot of driving which can be tiring. I would only recommend doing this if your time is very limited and you absolutely want to visit both cities in one trip.
Chiang Rai Day Trips
On the other hand, day trips from Chiang Rai include the Golden Triangle where you can visit the Thailand-Laos-Myanmar border, Phu Chi Fa for breathtaking sunrise views over Laos, and Choui Fong Tea Plantation.
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Accommodation
Accommodation prices are quite similar in both cities but since Chiang Mai is bigger, you’ll have far more choices there.
Where to stay in Chiang Mai?
Luxury: 99 The Heritage Hotel is one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai. Rooms are luxurious, the location is great – right in the middle of the Old Town, plus it has a swimming pool. Check rates here.
Mid-Range: El Barrio Lanna is located near the main tourist attractions, restaurants, and cafes. Rooms are spacious and have either a twin or double bed. The hotel also has a swimming pool. Check rates here.
Budget: Located less than 200 meters from Wat Phra Singh with plenty of restaurants nearby, Sleep Walker Poshtel offers double and family rooms at affordable prices. Check rates here.
Hostel: OYO Le Light House & Hostel is located near the south gate and within walking distance of the Chiang Mai Gate Market and Saturday Night Market. The hostel is clean and each bed has a curtain for privacy. They have both mixed and female-only dorms. Check rates here.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HOTELS IN CHIANG MAI
Where to stay in Chiang Rai?
Luxury: Conveniently located in Chiang Rai city center, Le Patta Hotel offers spacious rooms and has an outdoor pool. Check rates here.
Mid-Range: Sleepy House is located within walking distance of the bus station and Chiang Rai Night Bazaar. Rooms are cozy and clean and breakfast is free of charge. Check rates here.
Budget/Hostel: Baan Mai Kradan Hostel is perfect for budget and solo travelers. Free breakfast is included in the room rate. Check rates here.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HOTELS IN CHIANG RAI
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Nightlife
In Chiang Mai, there’s always a night market taking place daily in different parts of the city, the biggest one being the Sunday Night Market (also known as Tha Phae Walking Street).
The roads get closed off to traffic to make space for hundreds of stalls selling food and local handicrafts.
My favorite thing to do in Chiang Mai was simply wandering around the night markets and soaking in the lively atmosphere. Some even had live performances by local artists and musicians which was really fun.
Read about the best Chiang Mai Night Markets here!
If you’re looking to party, you can find a huge selection of bars along Loi Kroh Road, adjacent to the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, and in the Old Town as well.
Chiang Rai, on the other hand, is less busy with only two night markets that are on a much smaller scale than the ones in Chiang Mai. You’ll also find fewer bars there, most of which are found along Jetyod Road, not too far from the bus terminal.
Read about the Chiang Rai Night Markets here!
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Food
In both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai you can enjoy the distinctive Northern Thailand cuisine, the most popular dish being Khao Soi, a spicy coconut curry noodle soup with chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables.
Another popular Northern Thailand food is Sai Ua, a spicy pork sausage with fresh herbs and chilies.
Like anywhere else in Thailand, you’ll also find the usual Thai dishes like Pad Thai, Tom Yum, Red or Green Curry, fried rice or noodles, mango sticky rice, etc.
If you’re on a super tight budget, you can eat for very cheap at the night markets. Alternatively, there’s a huge selection of affordable restaurants at literally every corner of the street.
Some of my favorite places to eat in Chiang Mai are the Khao Soi stand at the Chiang Mai South Gate Market and Krabi Muang restaurant whose garlic chicken is literally the best thing I’ve eaten in my entire life!
There’s also a huge coffee scene in Chiang Mai, with the highest number of cafes in the Nimman neighborhood but you can also find some nice ones in the Old Town as well.
As for Chiang Rai, I ate mostly at the night markets and didn’t come across any restaurant that really stood out to me except for the CAT ‘n’ A CUP Café where you can drink your coffee as you cuddle with cute cats!
Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai: Travel Cost
Both cities are pretty cheap with respect to food, transportation, and accommodation.
For food, expect to pay about 50+ baht for a full meal and 10+ baht for a snack at a night market or 70+ baht at a sit-down restaurant.
For transportation, you can get around for very cheap by songthaew (about 30 baht or more depending on the distance covered) or Grab or Bolt (about 60 baht or more depending on the distance covered).
As for accommodation, expect to pay about 170+ baht for a dorm bed at a hostel or 500+ baht for a private room in a hotel.
Some attractions like temples and national parks require an entrance fee which should cost anywhere between 30 baht and 300 baht.
The only difference between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai is that your activity costs might be higher in Chiang Mai as there are way more things to do there.
Safety in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
I visited both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai as a solo female traveler and felt safe in both cities even while walking alone at night.
Like everywhere else, you should always use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.
Best time to visit
Both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are located in Northern Thailand, so the weather is usually much cooler there compared to Bangkok or Krabi for example, especially during the winter months of December, January, and February.
The best time to visit both cities is from November to February when the weather is cool and dry.
The rainy season happens between June and October while March to May is known as the hot season with temperatures rising up to 40°C.
Another thing to consider when visiting Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai is the burning/smoky season which occurs when local farmers burn their crops.
This normally happens in March and April but can sometimes begin in late January and end toward mid-May.
The air quality can be pretty bad during this time, with a constant smog hanging over the city which can also affect the visibility.
If you want to avoid the burning season, I recommend checking the air quality on this website.
Should you visit Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai?
Both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are worth visiting. If you have the time, I highly recommend visiting both.
But if your time is limited, I would suggest visiting only Chiang Mai as it has much more to offer in terms of attractions and day trips, plus it’s easier and cheaper to get there.
Read more about Thailand:
- North Thailand itinerary guide
- What to do during your Kanchanaburi itinerary for 2 or 3 days
- Guide to island hopping in Krabi
- What to do in Koh Yao Noi Thailand