8 Best Sights in Chiang Mai, Thailand

As in so many chapters of Thai history, an elephant is closely involved in the legend surrounding the foundation of the late-14th-century Wat Phra That, northern Thailand's most revered temple and one of only a few enjoying royal patronage. The elephant was dispatched from Chiang Mai carrying religious relics from Wat Suan Dok. Instead of ambling off into the open countryside, it stubbornly climbed up Doi Suthep. When the elephant came to rest at the 3,542-foot summit, the decision was made to establish a temple to contain the relics at that site. Over the centuries the temple compound grew into the glittering assembly of chedis, bots, viharns, and frescoed cloisters you see today. The vast terrace, usually smothered with flowers, commands a breathtaking view of Chiang Mai. Constructing the temple was quite a feat—until 1935 there was no paved road to the temple. Workers and pilgrims alike had to slog through thick jungle. The road was the result of a large-scale community project: individual villages throughout the Chiang Mai region contributed the labor, each laying 1,300-foot sections.

Getting here and around: In Chiang Mai, you can find songthaews at Chang Phuak Gate, the Central Department Store (Huay Kaew Road), and outside Wat Phra Singh to take you on the 30-minute drive to this temple. When you arrive, you are faced with an arduous but exhilarating climb up a broad, 304-step staircase. Flanking it are 16th-century tiled balustrades that take the customary form of nagas, the mythical snakes believed to control irrigation waters. A funicular railway provides a much easier way to the top, but the true pilgrim's path is up the majestic steps.

The summer residence of the royal family is a serene mansion that shares an exquisitely landscaped park with the more modest mountain retreats of the crown prince and princess. The palace itself cannot be visited, but the gardens are open to the public. Flower enthusiasts swoon at the sight of the roses—among the blooms is a variety created by the king himself. A rough, unpaved road to the left of the palace brings you after 4 km (2½ miles) to a village called Doi Pui Meo, where many of the Hmong women are busy creating finely worked textiles (the songthaew fare there and back is B300). On the mountainside above the village are two tiny museums documenting hill tribe life and the opium trade.

No shorts or short skirts, no bare shoulders.

There aren't a lot of activities in Chiang Mai geared toward kids, so this is a good bet if you're traveling with children. The enclosures of this zoo on the lower slopes of Doi Suthep are spaced out along paths that wind leisurely through shaded woodlands. If the walk seems too strenuous, you can hop on a shuttle that stops at all the sights. The most popular animals are the giant pandas and and the koala bears.

The aquarium is within the zoo (additional cost) but is not worth a visit.

This Lanna-style mansion was the last home of Jao Dara Rasamee, daughter of a late-19th-century ruler of Chiang Mai and the favorite wife of King Chulalongkorn. The low-eaved and galleried building has been restored and furnished with many of the princess's antiques, including clothes she designed herself. It's a living museum of 19th-century Lanna culture and design, and if you have extra time in Chiang Mai, it's worth the 35-minute drive.

You don't have to head to the distant mountains to go trekking during your stay in Chiang Mai. Doi Suthep, the 3,542-foot peak that broods over the city, lends its name to a national park with plenty of hiking trails to explore. One of these, a path taken by pilgrims over the centuries preceding the construction of a road, leads up to the gold-spired Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (see that listing for details). There's also an easy hiking trail (about 45 minutes) that'll bring you to one of Chiang Mai's least known but most charming temples, Wat Pha Lat. This modest ensemble of buildings is virtually lost in the forest. Make sure to explore the compound, which has a weathered chedi and a grotto filled with images of Buddha. After you leave Wat Pha Lat, the path becomes steeper. After another 45 minutes you emerge onto the mountain road, where you can flag down a songthaew if you can't take another step. Otherwise, follow the road for about 200 yards; a break in the forest marks the uphill trail to Wat Phra That. Keep a sharp lookout for snakes; they thrive on the mountain, and some of them are highly venomous.

There are several elephant reserves north of Chiang Mai, but there are few where elephants are not ridden. Here more than 100 rescued elephants, including a few youngsters, roam freely in the natural enclosure formed by a narrow mountain valley an hour's drive away. Visitors can volunteer to care for the elephants or simply stroll among the elephants, observing them in the river that runs through the park. There are no elephant rides or circuslike shows; Sangduen ("Lek") Chailert, a Ford Foundation laureate who runs the reserve, insists that the animals in her care live as close to nature as possible. Visits, which last a full day, can be arranged online or at the park's Old City office; the rate includes pickup at your Chiang Mai hotel and your return. Longer overnight volunteer packages are also available.

Among northern Thailand's most spectacular hot springs, these include two geysers that shoot water high into the air. The spa complex, set among beautiful flowers, includes an open-air pool and several bathhouses of various sizes. There's a rustic restaurant with a view over the gardens, and small chalets with hot tubs are rented either by the hour (B300) or for the night (B1,000). Tents and sleeping bags can also be rented for B150. The spa is 56 km (35 miles) north of Chiang Mai, beyond the village of San Kamphaeng. Songthaews bound for the spa leave from the riverside flower market in Chiang Mai; be sure to negotiate return transportation.

When King Mengrai decided to build his capital on the Ping River, he chose a site a few miles south of present-day Chiang Mai. He selected a low-lying stretch of land, but soon realized the folly of his choice when the river flooded during the rainy seasons. Eight years after establishing Wiang Kum Kam, he moved to higher ground and began work on Chiang Mai. Wiang Kum Kam is now being excavated, and archaeologists have been amazed to uncover a cluster of buildings almost as large as Chiang Mai's Old City. Several agencies run trips to Wiang Kum Kam, with some taking visitors by boat and then horse-drawn carriage. You can book with one, or simply hire a horse and carriage in downtown Chiang Mai (or ask your hotel to; expect to pay around B500 to B650). Horse and carriages hired at the ruins cost B300.