Deciding how many nights in Chiang Mai you’ll stay is a question many people thought they knew the answer to. Two months later they realize they’ve gone well over their expected five nights in the city and aren’t bored yet. Chiang Mai has the ability to make people feel ‘at home’ within hours of arriving.
For this article the assumption is you’ll arrive in Chiang Mai before 10am and on the day you leave Chiang Mai it won’t be until after 6pm.
One Night In Chiang Mai?
Get a scooter for your Chiang Mai adventures
One night is not very fair on the city as you should almost always take your first day to ‘relax and chill’ in the Old City. That leaves you with just one day of activities to enjoy. Would you want to check out some waterfalls, visit the Elephant Nature Park, go zip-lining, try out a cooking class or any of the other stuff to do in Chiang Mai? That’s not an easy decision.
Most of the activities in Chiang Mai take a whole day so by staying just the one night you are challenging yourself to choose just the one of many activities.
Two Nights In Chiang Mai?
With two nights in Chiang Mai you get to chill out for a day with massages in the old city, and then you get two more days of activities as well. If you have planned your trip well, you will be able to spend one of the first two nights exploring either the Saturday or Sunday night markets. Two nights in Chiang Mai is definitely the minimum amount of time that is not going at a ridiculous pace where you won’t have anytime to digest what you actually saw.
Three Nights In Chiang Mai?
You will always be well connected in Chiang Mai.
Very similar too the two night option. There’s enough time to do stuff without blinking and missing experiencing anything in Chiang Mai.
Four Or More Nights In Chiang Mai?
You can get apartments super cheap
This many nights allows you understand the city on a deeper level and makes it tick. You will have plenty of time for Chiang Mai’s daytime activities, a chance to check out the various bars and clubs and then plenty of time to explore various nooks and crannies of the city itself. You can even get an apartment like the Siriruk Apartments for less than $100/month.
How Many Nights In Chiang Mai Should You Stay?
Short Answer: Two nights minimum
In theory the how many nights in Chiang Mai question is impossible to answer. Attend one of the Couch Surfing events and you will come across backpackers who have spent weeks and weeks in Chiang Mai as they love it so much.
If you are travelling around Southeast Asia for 6 – 12 months, spending a month in Chiang Mai is something you should seriously consider. Being on the move every 3-4 days is a sure fire way to burnout. With the cheap cost of living in Chiang Mai you can have an apartment to yourself, as you deserve a break from dorm rooms. You will also give your budget a break so when you get back to hitting the road, you won’t be crunching the numbers every single day.
How many nights in Chiang Mai is right for you really depends on your own situation. Consider your leaving and departing times carefully as they can significantly alter your answer. For the average tourist, three nights is a reasonable expectation of time to spend in Chiang Mai.
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