15 Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai with Kids

Planning a trip to Thailand and wondering what things to do in Chiang Mai with kids?

You’ve come to the right place! As digital nomads, my family and I traveled Southeast Asia extensively for almost two years, and Chiang Mai was one of our favorite spots!

The city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is a charming one full of character. We love it so much that we’re actively planning our return visit because there are some really fun things to do in Chiang Mai with kids!

I can’t keep all my helpful expertise to myself! So based on my personal experience and ongoing research for my family’s next visit, here’s our top list of things to do in Chiang Mai with kids to help you plan your trip.

Things to Do in Chiang Mai with Kids

This is our list of the best things to do in Chiang Mai with kids. If you only have a few days or a week here, there won’t be time to do everything.

1. San Kamphaeng Umbrella Village

☑️ Location: Q37J+QQ5 1014 Ton Pao, San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai 50130, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 4:30 pm daily
☑️ Cost: Free Entry, souvenir prices vary

👉 During a half-day trip to San Kamphaeng, visitors get a rare glimpse into the elaborate process of making paper parasols.

Used historically by delicate ladies as sun protection these famous umbrellas are a true art form.

Throughout the visit, you get to how these meticulously hand-painted final products are assembled from piles of bamboo struts and sheets of paper made from mulberry bark.

These artfully decorated umbrellas have become easily recognizable around the world.

Close by the umbrella village of San Kamphaeng is the temple, Wat Phranon Mee Pukha.

It’s dedicated to the monk who oversaw the building of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is over 40 km away from this temple.

Wat Phranon Mee Pukha is renowned for the celebration of umbrella manufacturing in San Kamphaeng. Some have claimed it is one of the most colorful temples in Thailand.

2. Art in Paradise 3D Museum

☑️ Location: 58/8 หมู่1 ถนน เจริญเมือง ท่าศาลา Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 7 pm daily
☑️ Cost: Adults 325 baht, Kids 3-11 275 baht, Kids under 3 are free

👉 If you want to avoid waiting in line, buy tickets in advance.

We have explored several 3D museums over the years. It’s something kids absolutely love at almost any age.

The basic idea is that each display is interactive and designed for taking pictures. The photos are taken at specific angles that result in very realistic optical illusions!

The museum closed for a while at the beginning of the pandemic. When it reopened at a new address, it also opened with an adjacent cafe!

So now a 3D Museum and 2D Cafe are available for all visitors.

3. Explore a Night Market

☑️ Location: 141 Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 6 pm – 11 pm Sundays
☑️ Cost: Free entry

One of the more popular night markets is the Sunday Night Market at Tha Pae Gate. It’s easily accessible from the old city. We loved it!

Block after block, and down a few side streets, vendors offer food, clothing, handicrafts, and home goods.

We stopped in a group of food vendors, got in the longest line, and ended up with some really tasty Pad Thai! Even Little Man enjoyed it. This kid is such a trooper!

Why get in the longest line for food? Because you know it’ll be freshest! On occasion, we’ve heard of travelers getting upset stomachs or food sickness from street food in Asia.

Pro Tip: We avoid getting sick by eating at the most popular food carts.

Yes, we have to wait a little while longer to eat. But we know that the food is good and it’s less likely to have been sitting out harboring bacteria since it’s fresher.

There were even food vendors selling fried insects. A friend didn’t believe that I’d try almost anything once.

So I bought a bag for 30 baht (~$1 USD) and tried them. It wasn’t too bad actually. They tasted like french fries. I’d eat one again.

4. Visit Elephant Nature Park

☑️ Location: Kuet Chang, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 7 am – 5 pm daily; must pre-book a visit
☑️ Cost: Varies by Experience

It was really important to me that we found an ethical elephant rescue to visit in Thailand. Too many places there, and throughout Asia, abuse the elephants they claim to care for.

We didn’t see any signs of mistreatment when we arrived, and the elephants were wandering around freely.

A baby elephant even came up to inspect our son, giving him a tiny hug with its trunk, supervised by the mom. It was adorable!

Pro Tip: Elephant riding is banned in ethical rescues for these majestic pachyderms. However, you can still watch them bathe and feed them snacks!

There are several different programs at Elephant Nature Park. Each one is geared toward different interactions as well as diverse age groups.

Some are good for all ages, though, so even the littlest can engage with the elephants responsibly.

Avoid Unethical Animal Experiences

While places like the Tiger Kingdom and the Night Safari are popular with families, I can’t personally recommend them.

Most elephant “rescues” in the country also only use the name for marketing. They treat their animals very poorly.

My general rule of thumb with animal tourism is to only participate in experiences that allow us to watch wild animals. Like when we went whale shark swimming in Mexico. Or head to Hua Hin to see wild elephants!

Occasionally, we will also visit a rescue that cares for animals that can’t be released back into the wild. Like the Belize Zoo that’s comprised entirely of rescue animals.

That’s why we visited Elephant Nature Park. If an elephant rescue in Thailand promotes riding them or any type of performance by elephants, that is not a rescue.

The “training” required to keep an elephant compliant enough to accept riders, even bareback, amounts to torture. Avoid it at all costs.

5. Bua Tong ‘Sticky’ Waterfalls

☑️ Location: 108 หมู่ 8 Mae Ho Phra, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily
☑️ Cost: Free

👉 On this half-day tour to the waterfalls, you get to splash around and cool off before enjoying a picnic of local Thai cuisine near a tranquil natural pool.

Waterfall hiking tours are usually limited to adults because they tend to be slippery and a bit dangerous. Not the Bua Tong falls!

This waterfall’s limestone walls are very sticky. This allows hikers to climb up its face without slipping.

The youngest ones and toddlers may not be climbing to the top of the waterfalls. However, there are small pools at the bottom that are suitable for the youngest kids to splash around.

Pro Tip: Take water shoes for climbing, as the top gets slippery due to algae.

6. Blow Off Steam at the Old Town Playground

☑️ Location: 65/2 Arak Rd, Tambon Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 4 am – 9 pm
☑️ Cost: Free

During our last few days in Chiang Mai, the constant travel for several weeks really felt tiring. So we found a local playground to let Little Man wander and goof off for a bit.

This is the only Chiang Mai playground we saw during our entire stay in Chiang Mai. And we never saw anyone using it.

The playground is located in the park at the southwest corner of Old Town. It’s inside Nong Buak Haad Public Park at the corner of Bumrung Buri Rd and Arak Rd.

Since this photo was taken, the playground has thankfully been remodeled with better equipment. So it might be busier when you go.

Other Playgrounds in Chiang Mai

Jubilee Park Playground: Just across the moat from Nong Buak Hard Park is another playground in a shaded spot by the river.

It has swings, monkey bars, a train, and a play area for little kids. There are no shops to buy snacks. Thankfully, there are some toilets.

Mahidol Road Playground: This playground is best for younger kids. It’s ideal when visiting Chiang Mai with toddlers because it has smaller play structures and lots of open space to just run around.

Older kids will probably get bored here quickly. There are also no toilets.

Rama IX Lanna Park Playground: This park is the largest in Chiang Mai. It has a great playground Chiang Mai that’s suitable for all ages.

There are baby swings, slides, a see-saw, and several climbing structures. There are no shops near here so bring your own snacks.

7. Hang Out at a Cat Cafe

☑️ Location: Cats Station Cafe, 9 1 ถนน สามล้าน ซอย 1 Tambon Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 7 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: Varies by what you order

Chiang Mai has many pet cafes, specializing in exotic animals like hedgehogs or raccoons. We prefer a purr-fectly good time at cat cafes! (See what I did there?)

Some cat cafes in Chiang Mai have age restrictions, like Catmosphere. Several don’t allow kids under age six to interact with the cats.

Pro Tip: To maximize your cat cafe experience in Chiang Mai with kids, contact them in advance to see if they have age limits.

However, Cats Station in central Old Town is a bit different. It’s not exactly a designated cat cafe.

But it is an outdoor restaurant with six resident cats! They have a really chill vibe here and their breakfast is good, too.

Petting the cats is allowed but feeding them is not. The cafe is just a block or so from the Old Town Playground. Stop for breakfast on your way to the playground and hang out with some new fuzzy friends.

8. Visit a Local Temple

☑️ Location: 2 Samlarn Rd, Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50280, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: 40 baht

☑️ Location: Mae Hia, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 8 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: 30 baht
A cable cab to the top costs 35 baht or you can walk the 300 steps for free

There are large temples that cater to the masses as well as smaller neighborhood ones that serve the local community. Each one is unique and beautiful, and each serves a specific purpose.

👉 This is a highly-rated tour of the most popular Chiang Mai wats.

Wat vs Stupa?
📖 The Buddhist temples in Thailand are called Wats.
📖 Most wats also have stupas on their grounds.
📖 A wat is a Buddhist holy building that one can enter.
📖 A stupa is a Buddhist holy building that has no entrance.
📖 Both are usually covered in gold, jade, and/or an elaborate design.

Wat Phra Singh is one of the most popular temples in Chiang Mai, in part due to its location.

The temple is located on the west side of Old Town Chiang Mai, inside the moat. Its entrance is guarded by lions and there are several gold stupas around the wat.

Wat Phra That Doi Kham, also known as Wat Doi Kham or the Golden Temple, is another very popular temple in Chiang Mai.

It’s located on the outskirts of the city on top of a hill. This gives visitors a lovely view of Chiang Mai city!

There’s also a large, golden Buddha statue there that devotees go to honor. There are several ways to access this temple. The best is the staircase with ornate serpents running along the length of it.

However, if formal temple tours aren’t your thing, just wander around your local neighborhood. Chances are you’ll find some really cool architecture to admire.

On our first day in Chiang Mai, we discovered this lovely neighborhood wat around the corner from our hotel.

9. Chiang Mai X Center

☑️ Location: 816 หมู่ 1 ถนนแม่ริม-สะเมิง ริมใต้ แม่ริม Chiang Mai 50180, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: 200 baht per spectator; participants pay separately for each activity.

The Chiang Mai X-Center has activities for the entire family, from parents to young children. Older kids may enjoy paintball, ATV rides, and indoor go-karts.

Fun Fact: Some people call the X-Center, Go Kart Chiang Mai because the activity is so popular there.

However, there are a lot more things to do in Chiang Mai with kids; you could spend hours here!

A really popular activity with older and elementary-age children is the Zorb balls.

These are life-size inflatable balls that kids can crawl inside to walk around, just like a hamster ball! It’s better than an indoor playground in Chiang Mai!

For children who are too young to participate in that type of activity, there is also a mini-golf course, a large garden area for free play, smaller ATVs on a kid-size track, and several kid-friendly indoor go-kart tracks. 

10. Night Bazaar

☑️ Location: Changklan Rd, Tambon Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 6 pm – 11 pm
☑️ Cost: Free entry

Night bazaars are one of the best things to do with kids in Thailand. We also visited some in Hua Hin. The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is located outside the Old City on Changklan Rd.

It’s easier to take a Grab (a SE Asia rideshare company like Uber) over there instead of walking unless you really want to get your steps in.

Since we were exploring things to do in Chiang Mai with kids, we didn’t walk! If you’re visiting Chiang Mai with a baby, be sure to have a baby carrier. It’s too crowded for a stroller.

👉 I recommend the Tula Carrier for its durability and comfort. Plus it has different carriers that fit little ones from 7-60 pounds.

The bazaar has festive lanterns strung up all over the top, which is so beautiful. Some of the items sold there are similar to what you’ll see at the other night market. However, others are different.

It has a more commercial vibe, as clearly, not everything is handmade. There were some beautiful tablecloths I wish we’d had room for in our bags to bring home, though. Machine-made or not, they were stunning.

11. Elephant PooPoo Paper Park

☑️ Location: 87 Moo. 10, T. Maeram, A. Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50180, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 8:30 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday
☑️ Cost: 100 baht entry fee for anyone age 5 or older; activities cost extra

👉 You can even book a half-day tour to see both the PooPoo Paper Park and the Sticky Waterfalls!

Kids like poop. And they love elephants. At the facility, visitors will learn and try the unique steps involved in making paper products from elephant poop fibers!

Because the experience here is so hands-on this creative, eco-friendly outdoor recycling activity center is a perfect activity when visiting Chiang Mai with kids.

Fun Fact: Eight pavilions explain each stage of the paper-making process from poo collection to rinsing to final product assembly.

Families are highly encouraged to join with the artisans to help create paper from elephant poo! You will create recycled papercrafts with hands-on educational activities.

12. Doi Inthanon National Park Day Trip

☑️ Location: 119 Ban Luang, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai 50160, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 5 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: 300 baht for adults, 150 baht for kids, 30 baht for parking

👉 This small-group tour includes a guided tour of the highest spot in Thailand, the Twin Pagodas, and the Wachiratharn waterfalls.

This 2,500-square-kilometer national park is one of the most beautiful places in northern Thailand.

Thankfully the tour also includes lunch, but take some snacks. If your kid(s) are like ours, they get hungry every couple of hours. On a full-day excursion, even a nice lunch won’t be enough for growing kiddos.

The littlest kids might get a bit bored on this day trip. However, there are plenty of gardens and beautiful walkways for them to explore and get some energy out. It’s also great for parent photo ops!

13. San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

☑️ Location: เลขที่ 1 หมู่ที่7 ต Ban Sa Ha Khon, Mae On District, Chiang Mai 50130, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 7 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: 100 baht for adults, 50 baht for kids

This hot spring is surrounded by woods and mountains. You get the chance to relax in the mineral baths as well as enjoy the benefits that the high sulfur content of the water with give you.

There’s also an opportunity to get a Thai massage. There is plenty to do here and, thanks to its excellent playground, kids will be highly entertained.

It is a nice shady area with tables around which makes it a popular spot for picnics.

14. The Hidden Village

☑️ Location: 77 หมู่ที่ 7 ซอย 19 San Phi Suea, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily
☑️ Cost: 200 baht for adults, 100 baht for kids

The Hidden Village is a great excursion for families traveling in Chiang Mai with younger kids. It’s a play-based prehistoric world filled with nearly life-sized dinosaurs.

There are various other things to keep your little ones entertained, there is a small petting zoo, pony rides, a bouncy castle, a soft play area, and one of the best playgrounds in Chiang Mai.

Pro Tip: Some activities, like the soft play area and the bouncy castle, are an additional cost.

There is enough to do to keep your kids busy for a few hours or even a full day. There’s a restaurant on-site so you don’t have to leave for lunch or snacks.

15. Mae Ping River Cruise

👉 Pre-book your river cruise to avoid lines or sold-out dates.

A quiet, relaxing activity in Chiang Mai with kids is a boat trip on the Mae Ping River. This is a great way to spend the afternoon as you watch the scenery change along the river.

You’ll float past hotels, wats, traditional teak houses, and beautiful rural scenery. River cruises generally last about 45 minutes and then stop at a local farm for lunch.

During the lunch stop, you will be taught about rice cultivation and you’ll get to walk around the farm before the boat heads back into Chiang Mai.

An alternative is to take and eat dinner on one of the floating restaurant boats in the evening.

There isn’t a kids menu and you can’t see as much after dark, so this is more suited to families with older kids or parents who are flying solo for the evening.

How to Get to Chiang Mai with Kids (Safely!)

The most popular ways to get to Chiang Mai are by airplane and sleeper train. While you can drive, I would not recommend it. The roads in Thailand are incredibly dangerous.

Pro Tip: According to the WHO, the country has the second-highest incidents of road accident deaths in the world!

A flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is easy to get, as are international flights from elsewhere in Asia. They are faster than taking the train but also much pricier.

We wanted an adventure so we took the sleeper train. But we were short on time afterward so we flew out of Chiang Mai back to Bangkok. Both ways of travel are safe transportation and from Chiang Mai with kids in Thailand.

👉 Our favorite way to book train and air travel in Asia is 12Go.Asia.

While our experience on the sleeper train was an interesting addition to our trip, we needed to relax at the hotel for a bit to recharge afterward.

I recommend not planning such a packed itinerary that you have to hit the ground running the moment you step off the train.

They are one of the most popular travel booking sites in SE Asia, and the only way to prebook train tickets online. We’ve used them successfully in both Myanmar and Thailand.

Where to Stay in Chiang Mai with Kids

The most touristy part of the city is the Old Town. It’s within walking distance to many of the night markets and there are a number of really tasty restaurants here as well.

When visiting Chiang Mai with kids, we felt it was important to have accessibility to amenities like this.

👉 We chose to stay at the Twenty Lodge in Old Town.

The location was in a quieter, residential neighborhood in the Old Town district. The pool was great for kids and the breakfast was tasty, too.

There are a lot of family-friendly hotels in Old Town which just goes to show that Chiang Mai with kids is a great idea!

When to Go to Chiang Mai with Kids

For ideal weather, the best time to visit Chiang Mai with kids is from October to early February. During this time, there is generally warm, dry weather. However, bring a jacket for the evenings because it can get a bit chilly.

The rainy season runs from mid-June until October. However, don’t automatically avoid Chiang Mai during this time for your trip.

Generally, rain falls in heavy downpours for a short time once a day. So you can still enjoy your time in Chiang Mai.

When NOT to Go to Chiang Mai

The end of the dry season until the beginning of the rainy season is the worst time to visit Chiang Mai.

This time is known as the burning season. It’s when all the local farmers burn their fields in preparation for planting before the rains.

The entire region is covered in a thick blanket of smoke. It gets so bad that many digital nomads and expats who have a home base there leave for several months to avoid it.

Every year, the air quality during the burning season gets worse.

You won’t want to be outside more than you have to because you can get genuinely ill from the air toxins. Plus, the thick smog blocks all the pretty views so there is no reason to be there.

Conclusion: Things to do in Chiang Mai with Kids

During a visit to Chiang Mai with kids, you’ll likely find that you’ve run out of time to do everything you wanted since there are numerous things to do in Chiang Mai with family.

This is especially true if you go during a special occasion, like the Loi Krathong Lantern Festival or New Year’s Eve. A family could easily stay for a month or two and not run out of Chiang Mai kid activities.

It’s exactly what happened to us! This is perfectly normal, and a great excuse to plan a return trip to Chiang Mai for kids another time.

Thailand is a beautiful country with friendly and welcoming people. It’s also a very kid-friendly country to visit, and one we are excited to return to someday in the future.