Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai: Which City Is The Best?

When planning a trip to Thailand, many people overlook the north, which I think is a huge mistake. Others know they want to visit Chiang Mai but don’t consider the less popular Chiang Rai, which I also think is a mistake.

Most travellers don’t have the luxury of time, so deciding between Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai often becomes necessary.

Having visited both of these incredible northern Thailand destinations, I can honestly say they both hold a special place in my heart, and I’d go back to both in a heartbeat.

In this post, I am breaking down Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai, based on my real experiences travelling through both cities. From temples and food to vibe, logistics and cost, I will share which one I personally think comes out on top.

It’s not an easy decision, because both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai deserve a quality visit. But if you only have time for one, I’ll help you figure out which destination is best for your trip.

This guide is especially for those who haven’t been to either city and want a full Northern Thailand travel experience that balances culture, scenery and authentic local life.

Some links in this post are affiliate. If clicked, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

The Quick Answer: Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai

I loved both of them, but if I am giving you a quick, 1 second answer, Chiang Mai is better. 

This was not an easy choice, if you have the time you should absolutely visit both, and I am not just saying that because I am a travel blogger and I want you to read all my Chiang Rai posts, haha.

Chiang Rai stole my heart and the temples there blew me away, but Chiang Mai is easier, the atmosphere is special and there is just so much to do, shop, eat and explore.

Let me get into it so you can decide for yourself, but if I had to choose the one I’d go back to in a heartbeat, it would be Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai: Vibe & Atmosphere

Chiang Mai is buzzing with life. There are cafes all around, digital nomads set up shop for months (or even years), and the night markets stretch on for what feels like forever. Inside the Old City walls, centuries old temples mix together with trendy restaurants and cozy coffee shops. 

Chiang Mai has the perfect blend of culture, comfort and convenience. Busy, but in the best way. It is lively and full of energy, but never feels as chaotic as Bangkok. 

If you’ve just come from the capital, you will instantly feel the slower pace, it’s still exciting, just without the sensory overload.

If you haven’t explored Bangkok yet, check out my 5 Day Bangkok Itinerary to plan your visit. 

Chiang Rai, on the other hand, is calm and serene. The kind of place that instantly slows you down. It’s artsy, peaceful and surrounded by nature.

It is the perfect place if you’re craving a slower pace and just want to soak in northern Thailand’s beauty without the bustle. 

🏆 Winner: Depends on your mood, Chiang Mai for energy & culture, Chiang Rai for peace & nature.

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai Logistics

How To Get to Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

Chiang Mai is the easier of the two to reach. There are multiple bus and train routes from Bangkok and Chiang Mai also has an international airport with flights from all over Asia and the UAE. 

Chiang Rai is slightly trickier to get to, most bus routes from Bangkok stop in Chiang Mai first. Even if you don’t plan to stop there, they usually pass through.  

Travel between the two cities is straight forward, with a quick 3-4 hour bus ride. 

All travel in Thailand is super easy to book through 12Go Asia, we booked every land and sea travel route there. 

Flights being the only exception, we like to book directly with the airline. You can watch for price fluctuations in advance on Skyscanner or Google Flights.

🏆 Winner: Chiang Mai, as the easiest to get to!

Where to Stay in Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

Chiang Mai has tons of boutique hotels, hostels and apartment rentals scattered around the Old City and within walking distance of major attractions. 

For first time visitors, I recommend staying within the Old City walls, but just outside is cute too. We stayed at Thee Kashatharn on our second visit and could easily walk into the Old Town within minutes. 

Nimman is another hot spot for digital nomads to stay with trendy cafes and great restaurants nearby. 

Click here for Chiang Mai hotels & vacation rentals.

Chiang Rai is a bit more difficult to navigate in terms of location. The tourist attractions are more spaced out, so staying in the city centre doesn’t necessarily mean everything’s nearby.

We stayed in a hotel in the city centre and were within walking distance to restaurants and the markets but still needed transportation for most attractions.

If you are looking for a gorgeous rural escape, Chiang Rai has beautiful bungalows and homestays surrounded by nature, making for a peaceful respite not far from the city. 

Click here for Chiang Rai hotels & vacation rentals.

If you wanted a similar stay in Chiang Mai, you’d have to go further out, and transportation would be more of a concern unless you have your own vehicle or bike.

🏆 Winner: Chiang Mai wins for accessibility and location, Chiang Rai wins for peaceful, beautiful, rural stays. 

Walkability & Transportation in Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

Chiang Mai is a very walkable city, with most attractions, temples, restaurants and things to do located within the Old City walls.

For attractions a little further out, Grab (Asia’s Uber, download it ahead of time), is readily available, reliable and affordable.

For day trips a little outside the city, ie. Doi Suthep, there are red songthaews (shared pick-up trucks) that transport many people at once. 

All of the above make Chiang Mai extremely easy to navigate.

Chiang Rai, however, is more spread out and rural. While we could walk to restaurants and markets from our hotel in the city centre, getting to temples and waterfalls required transportation. 

Grab is also available in Chiang Rai, but for more remote spots (like Khun Korn Waterfall), we had to negotiate with our Grab driver to wait on site until we were finished, as it was further out and there was limited service reception to call a Grab back. 

For full day trips, we hired a private driver for the day, which is easy to arrange if you’re comfortable negotiating (don’t worry, it gets easier the longer you spend in Asia).

I highly recommend our Chiang Rai driver, Ping, who took us on a day trip to the Golden Triangle.

🏆 Winner: Chiang Mai as the most walkable and best for transportation.

How Long To Stay in Chiang Mai Vs. How Long To Stay in Chiang Rai

There is no winner here but Chiang Mai has more to do, requiring more days.

My recommendations: 

• Chiang Mai: 3-5 Days
• Chiang Rai: 2-3 Days

We personally stayed much longer in both as we were slow travelling Asia for 7 months, but for the average trip, these are perfect. 

There’s enough to do to make a full week Chiang Mai itinerary easily, and Chiang Rai has a solid 5 days’ worth of things to see and do if you like a slower pace. 

Weather in Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai: Best Time to Visit

No winner here! The weather is almost identical in both cities, though Chiang Rai can be slightly cooler.

The best time to visit is in the dry season of November – February, with average high temperatures ranging from:

• Chiang Mai: 29°C – 33°C (84°F – 91°F)
• Chiang Rai: 27°C – 31°C (80°F – 88°F) 

Avoid visiting in March – April, which is the burning season when crops are burned across northern Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The air pollution can be very uncomfortable for sightseeing.

The rainy season runs from June – October. Shoulder months can still be great for fewer crowds, but expect heavy downpours.

November is festival season, Yi Peng and Loy Krathong bring large crowds to Northern Thailand. April is Songkran, Thai New Year, and is also quite a busy time in Chiang Mai.

During these festival seasons, ensure you book accommodations well ahead of time.

🏆🥇 Overall Logistics Winner: Chiang Mai, easy to reach, easy to get around and perfect for first timers.

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai Tourist Attractions

Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai Temples

Chiang Mai’s temples are older, more historic and filled with ancient ruins.

Wat Chedi Luang is my favourite of the three most popular temples in Chiang Mai’s Old City, it is absolutely stunning.

Chiang Rai, however, has my favourite temples in all of Asia and they easily win this category for me.

The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) was what initially drew me to Thailand while planning my trip. It looked mystical, eerie and otherworldly, it truly did not disappoint.

The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) was just as gorgeous, artsy and modern, offering such a different energy from the other temples we visited. 

The temple that completely blew me away and was not even on my radar until we got to Chiang Rai, was Wat Huay Pla Kang. Just the size of the Goddess of Mercy herself still has me in awe.

It was one of my favourite temples.

All of the temples in both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are beautiful and have their own unique charm. But if I had to choose the city that truly stood out, Chiang Rai’s temples blew me away.

🏆 Winner: Chiang Rai, hands down!

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai Activities

Chiang Mai is packed with activities, the range alone makes it one of the most well-rounded destinations in Thailand.

You can spend a day at an ethical elephant sanctuary, take a morning cooking class, meditate with monks at a temple, or even walk the famous sticky waterfalls.

There is so much to do in Chiang Mai that you’ll never be bored. 

Chiang Rai, on the other hand, has fewer activities, but the ones it does have are equally beautiful and fulfilling.

The Khun Korn Waterfall makes for a perfect nature break, while the Baan Dam Museum (Black House) offers an immersive, artsy experience that is totally unique.

Read my full Things to Do in Chiang Rai guide for all of my favourite stops.

🏆 Winner: Chiang Mai, way more activities to do!

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai Day Trips

Chiang Mai is home to two of the most popular day trips in northern Thailand.. The first is the Doi Suthep day trip, just a short ride outside the Old City walls.

They say you haven’t truly visited Chiang Mai if you haven’t seen Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, located high on the mountain.

Most tours include a stop at the jungle temple Wat Pha Lat and sometimes Doi Pui Village too.

You can visit Doi Suthep on your own, I lay out exactly how in my Doi Suthep Day Trip Guide, or if you prefer, there are great guided options like this sunrise tour or hiking tour.

Another incredible day trip is to Doi Inthanon National Park, home to the tallest mountain in Thailand. Expect waterfalls, nature trails, and mountain views, perfect for a nature lover.

I recommend doing Doi Inthanon as a guided tour for convenience. Check out this one here.

Now, Chiang Rai’s highlight day trip: the Golden Triangle.

I’ll be honest, so many blogs told me to skip the Golden Triangle, saying there wasn’t much to see. I am so glad I ignored that advice because our experience was the complete opposite.

We created our own custom day trip with a private driver and had one of the BEST days we had in northern Thailand (almost as good as our Ayutthaya day trip).

We visited Choui Fong Tea Plantation, Mae Sai (the Thai-Myanmar border town), saw several gorgeous viewpoints and ultimately ended at the Golden Triangle, where we saw the three countries merge and spent time learning the area’s history at the House of Opium Museum.

You can easily visit the Golden Triangle on a guided tour, but if you want a more personal experience, hire a private driver like Ping, he was amazing. 

Send him a message for an unforgettable day trip!

🏆 Winner: Chiang Rai for me (personally, loved it), but honestly, both cities have incredible day trips so they are tied!

Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai Weekend Markets

Chiang Mai has some EPIC weekend markets that stretch across multiple streets and have hundreds of souvenir vendors, food stalls and more.

Honestly, I would go back to Chiang Mai just for the Saturday & Sunday Walking Street Markets.

Chiang Rai has their own Saturday Walking Street Market but I have to say, it doesn’t quite compare. It’s still fun and lively, but Chiang Mai’s are on another level. 

Both of these cities also have many smaller nightly and local markets that are worth checking out if you have time.

🏆 Winner: Chiang Mai, hands down!!

🏆🥇 Overall Tourist Attractions Winner: Tied, my preference was Chiang Rai for the temples, but there is much more to do in Chiang Mai!

Food & Drinks: Chiang Mai Or Chiang Rai

If you’re coming to northern Thailand for the food (smart, it’s the BEST),  you’re in for a treat no matter which city you choose.

Chiang Mai is the ultimate foodie hub of the north. The food scene here is thriving!! Endless street food stalls, cozy cafes, night market food vendors, intimate restaurants and local spots, you can get anything you want.

If I had to choose one place in ALL of Thailand that I could eat every meal forever, it would be Chiang Mai (so that tells you my winner already). 

Khao Soi is the dish of the north that won over my heart and I ate it everywhere I could, but the restaurant I need to recommend here is called Pakorn’s Kitchen and you MUST get the Massaman Curry, ohhhh my god, I still think about it.

And for an amazing street vendor, check out the Pork Stew guy outside the Phra Singh Post Office, trust me on this.

There are also a large number of vegetarian / vegan spots to cater to their big digital nomad crowd.

Chiang Rai’s food scene is smaller but I wouldn’t say it’s lacking. Our favourite restaurant is called Barrab and it was some of the best Thai food we had on our trip. The Night Bazaar also has some great options for dinner for something quick and affordable.

Chiang Rai also has some great cafes and restaurants throughout the city, but just as with their tourist attractions, things are more spaced out. 

🏆 Winner: Chiang Mai wins for the volume, variety and quality of food options, but Chiang Rai is still a delicious spot for northern Thai cuisine.

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai Budget & Value For Money

If you’re wondering whether Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai is cheaper, the short answer is Chiang Rai. 

Both cities are incredibly affordable destinations, that is one of the best things about northern Thailand compared to the south. You can easily enjoy amazing food, beautiful hotels and fun activities without spending a ton.

That said, Chiang Rai is slightly cheaper, but Chiang Mai offers more value for your money.

Everything I am about to break down in the budget below is based on our personal experience in Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai.

Transportation Budget 

Transportation in Chiang Mai was cheaper and better value for money overall.

Most attractions are close together, which meant shorter and cheaper Grab rides. 

For reference, our rides in Chiang Mai ranged from 10THB – 83THB, while in Chiang Rai they were around 93THB – 169THB.

Accommodation Budget

Hotels cost about the same in both Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, depending on the type of accommodation you choose. 

For your standard room with a private toilet (what we usually booked) – we paid around 720THB per night which comes to around $31 CAD ($22 USD) per night.

Temples & Activities Budget

Chiang Rai was noticeably cheaper when it came to temples and activities.

Most temples in Chiang Rai were either free or donation based, whereas some of the temples in Chiang Mai charged an entrance fee. 

Chiang Mai’s activities also tend to be pricier, things like elephant sanctuaries and cooking classes cost more than Chiang Rai’s nature-based attractions, such as waterfalls or viewpoints.

Food Budget

Food prices really depend on how and where you eat. Street food is always the cheapest option, and both cities have fantastic stalls and night markets.

That said, we definitely spent more in Chiang Mai simply because there were so many incredible restaurants and cafes to try. Chiang Rai had fewer dining options, so we ended up eating more local street food there.

The difference isn’t huge, but Chiang Rai edges out as more affordable.

🏆🥇 Overall Budget Winner: Chiang Rai is cheaper overall, but Chiang Mai offers better value for your money!

Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai Which Is Better For You?

Which To Visit First: Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai

If you have time, do not decide and just visit both of them, they’re both so wonderful and deserve a spot on your Thailand itinerary.

When deciding your itinerary route, visit Chiang Mai first. It is the most accessible and overall is the easiest to get to.

Most people create a Northern Thailand itinerary starting with Chiang Mai, followed by Pai and ending in Chiang Rai. 

When we were backpacking in Asia, Chiang Rai was our final Thailand stop (and the typical route of the Banana Pancake trail), before taking the slow boat over to Laos.

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai: Which City Wins?

Honestly, this one’s tough because both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are amazing in their own ways. If you have the time, I really recommend visiting both, they complement each other perfectly.

If I had to pick one though, I’d give the win to Chiang Mai. It’s easier, more accessible, and just has this special energy that makes you want to stay longer than you planned.

But Chiang Rai completely stole my heart, those temples were some of my favourite in all of Asia, and it’s the perfect place to slow down and soak in northern Thailand’s charm.

Whichever one you choose, you really can’t go wrong. Both cities will give you that magical northern Thailand experience, just in totally different ways.

Chiang Mai Vs Chiang Rai FAQ