Chiang Mai · GUIDED
14 reviewed
This is the shortlist we’d hand a friend: the 14 guided tours worth booking in the north, each with its price, its traveller verdict, and the one thing to know before you commit.
A 3-hour walk through Chiang Mai’s Old City temples with an English guide, Lanna details, and a low-impact GSTC approach.
“Loved it a lot! Our guide was very positive and willing to answer any questions we had lingering.”
Chiang Mai Doi Inthanon day trip with a guided trek on Pha Dok Siew, waterfalls, Karen village, and the Roof of Thailand.
“Overall great day and experience, thought there mite be a little bit more trekking involved but what we did was great as we seen a gibbon and a green snake. Our guide Neena was cheeky and brilliant and really made the day. Beautiful scenery and lovely organic coffee. The only slight negative was the very erratic driving by our driver who wanted to over take anything and everything on the road. But all in all would recommend this trip.”
3-hour Chiang Mai old town temple walk: Wat Chiang Man to Wat Chedi Luang, Lanna architecture, small group, water included.
“Easy pace and started early so it wasn’t too hot. Our guide Jen was very sweet and knowledgeable. Recommended small group tour”
Chiang Mai markets walking food tour with Hakka noodles, mango sticky rice, pa tong go, and flower market sights. GSTC low-impact.
“We did this on our first day in Chiang Mai and it was a great experience since we had no knowledge of local specialities. Our guide (Koi) was really friendly and flexible with our moody, picky 5 year old. She went above and beyond the call of food guide for us. The only thing I would change is to have the food included in the tour price. Everything was a great price, but it was inconvenient to take out my wallet at every stop.”
Michelin-picked street food in Chiang Mai’s best market, guided by Natt, with full portions in about 2 hours and a no-rush pace.
“Natt was a fantastic tour guide, and gave the group a great tour of the North East quadrant of the city. We hit 4 recent Michelin Star food vendors and ate to our hearts content. Every dish seemed to be better than the next…this was NOT a “tasting” tour…we had full portions of meals at each stop…which for me was a little bit too much…if I were to do this again, I would pace myself a little better…overall it was a great tour and Natt was a great guide not only with the food, but also with the cultural and historical references of all the places we visited…thanks Natt.”
Small-group cycling from Chiang Mai to Lamphun, temples, Ban Tawai, and Doi Suthep, with a train ride, lunch, and snacks.
“Farm was the best tour guide! The bike ride is pretty long, but totally worth it! Don’t forget your passport for the train ride!”
Drive a tuk tuk, visit a mountain temple, feed elephants, then float a bamboo raft in Mae Wang on a small-group 10-hour Chiang Mai tour.
“This was a really fun day driving through remote areas that I would not have seen otherwise. They give you instruction and you practice driving your TukTuk before you head out on the road. You get to feed and bathe the elephants in the rivRead more”
Guided Nam Phrae half-day e-bike ride from Chiang Mai: paved hills, temples and villages, with helmets and lunch or snacks.
“Our guide, Joe, was very informative. Since he was himself from Northern Thailand, he provided lots of great historical and cultural info. Bike quality was good, batteries fully charged (though one of our group did run out of power, possibly due to heavy use of assist.) Great scenery, visits to temples. Morning time was definitely the way to go to get slightly cooler conditions (our trip was in late November.) Lunch was simple, but good. Staff was very nice.”
Half-day fat-tire e-bike ride past Lanna temples and rice paddies near Chiang Mai, with a guide, lunch, water, and bike gear.
“Excellent tour! We loved cruising with the e-bike through the more agricultural site of (Northern) Thailand. With Hokki, you get a fluent in English and great tour guide to accompany you. Thanks!”
Evening small-group tour from Chiang Mai to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Wat Pha Lat, with merit-making, jungle calm, and guided photos.
“The trip was awesome. guide Art was good and humorous.”
Quiet Chiang Mai cycling with temple and market stops, Ping River riding, and Wiang Kum Kam ruins. 20-25 km, half-day.
“I love cycling but I am not confident on busy roads. However our guide was excellent on providing local info and making me feel safe. On the few occasions we crossed busier roads the guide made the experience easy and stress free. Most of the cycling was on green lanes and quiet roads. It was great to see the local life. We stopped and ate the most amazing Thai food cooked fresh at a small local eatery. I would fully recommend this activity to others.”
Chiang Mai 7-hour sticky waterfall and 1-hour ATV ride with hotel pickup, English guide, Thai lunch, bottled water, and local insurance.
“Joe picked us up and took us on an incredible ATV adventure combined with a scenic waterfall hike. He demonstrated excellent knowledge, professionalism, and friendly communication throughout the tour. His pleasant demeanor and well-Read more”
Private Chiang Mai temples plus markets with Wilai, a female guide-driver, flexible stops, and air-conditioned comfort for up to 4.
“We just recently finished a 2 day tour of Chiang Mai and the surrounding area with Wilai and it was nothing short of amazing.”
Taste Northern Thai snacks and Khao Soi, then tour Wat Chedi Luang and Ping River temples at night on a 3-7 hour guided walk.
“Our tour with Bim was absolutely amazing. She took us to the city markets to discover the authentic face of Chang Mai, where locals normally are and where we tried loads of specialities. Then we headed to the main temple, where we were told all sorts of curiosities about buddism and regional folklore we had never heard in other tours. We finally rested for a drink in a beautiful pub on the river shore. What made the tour special was the passion our tour had for what she does. I can't suggest a better tour in Chang Mai.”
