8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Pha Chor Canyon
Thirty-metre columns and fins of compacted sediment left after the Ping River shifted course, eroded into a narrow gorge you walk through on a sand floor. It sits in the southern arm of Mae Wang National Park.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Chiang Mai Old City Temples
A moated square mile containing over 30 ancient Buddhist temples including the revered Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street
A vibrant weekly market stretching through the Old City with local handicrafts, street food, and live music performances.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
A sacred golden temple atop a mountain overlooking Chiang Mai, reached by a 309-step staircase flanked by mythical serpents.
31 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuaries
Ethical elephant sanctuaries in the hills around Chiang Mai where visitors can observe, feed, and bathe rescued elephants.
40 km · about 45 min drive
national park
Doi Inthanon National Park
Thailand's highest peak with cloud forests, twin royal pagodas, impressive waterfalls, and cool temperatures year-round.
48 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Mae Kampong
A tea-and-coffee village at 1,300 metres in the hills east of Chiang Mai, its wooden houses stacked along a stream with a waterfall at the top of the lane. Weekday mornings are near-silent.
58 km · about 65 min drive
landmark
Wat Phra That Lampang Luang
A walled Lanna temple on a raised earth mound, its 15th-century wooden wihan among the oldest standing in Thailand. A dark chamber projects an inverted camera-obscura image of the golden chedi onto a cloth.
59 km · about 70 min drive