Five Day Chiang Mai Schedule
 

Appreciate feedback on the schedule below:


DAY ONE, SUNDAY

Morning: Old City Exploration
Moat, Phae Gate, Wat Chiang Mun
Wat Chedi Luang, Mengrai Memorial
Wat Phra Singh,Three Kings Monument, Chiang Mai Art & Culture Center, Lanna Architectural Museum

Afternoon: Wat Pratat Doi Suthep, Phuping Palace, Hmong village, Huay Kaew waterfalls

Sunday Night Market 1730-1900, best time?

DAY TWO, MONDAY

Doi Inthanon National Park

DAY THREE, TUESDAY

All Day Cooking Class: A Lot of Thai

Massage and pool time

Night Safari

DAY FOUR, WEDNESDAY

Chang Dao (56kM north of CM)
Young Elephants Training Camp
Chiang Dao Cave (Wat Tham Chiang Dao)

Massage and pool time

Khantoke dinner and Lanna show: Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center?

DAY FIVE, THURSDAY

Mae Sa Valley (20K NW of CM)
Elephant show, snake show, nature park, orchid nurseries.

Baan Tawai Crafts village

Reports on this forum say that the daytime Sunday Market is much better than the night market. Perhaps you could transfer 1/2 the first day to some other day.

The Sunday Walking Street market is setting up all day, but really gets going around dusk and gets more and more crowded and busy after dark. We found it much more interesting and thought the stuff for sale was nicer than at the night market (the every night one).

You will love Yui for cooking.

Doi Suthep, Phuping Palace and Doi Pui is close to a 6 hour journey in itself, assuming you do more than stop the car and snap photos. I would scrap the visit to Mae Sa and move the Doi Suthep trip to Thursday morning.

The Sunday market gets going around 5:30 or 6:00 pm.

it looks like way too much to me...

Having gone to many of the Wats and temples and outdoor attractions on 2 visits to CM I think you may find that on one trip it is too much of the same. The snake show/farm and flower nirsery are not very interesting , in my opinion. Folks are right about the market. We found the best time to go was about 5 when it was a little cooler and 98% of vendors out and by 7:30 you will be ready for dinner.

Thanks for the feedback. And I thought I wasn't doing enough!

Any off-the-beaten-path "quick hitters" we can do between the major attractions?

Check out the fresh markets. On your old city tour, you'll probably pass by Somphet market between Tapae Gate and Wat Chiang Man. It's small but always colorful.