Chiang Mai

What to see

The old city is a square moat and the temples inside it are walkable from each other, which makes Chiang Mai unusually easy to see on foot.

• Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang, the two most important temples in the old city.
• Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, on the mountain above the city — the view and the 306-step staircase are the point. Songthaews run up from the university area.
• Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest peak, as a day trip south-west of the city.
• The Sunday Walking Street and the Saturday night market — the best of the city's markets, and much better than the Night Bazaar.
• Elephant sanctuaries in the surrounding hills. Choose one that does not offer riding; the reputable ones are explicit about it.

When to go — and the burning season

November to February is cool and clear, and December and January nights can be genuinely cold in the hills — bring a layer.

February to April is the problem. Agricultural burning across the region, combined with the tail of the dry season, produces some of the worst air quality in the world, and Chiang Mai regularly tops the global pollution rankings in March and April. If you have any respiratory condition, this is the window to avoid.

The rain arrives in May and runs to October, greening the hills and clearing the air.

Festivals

Yi Peng and Loi Krathong fall in November, when lanterns and floating krathong light the city and the river. It is beautiful and it is the busiest week of the year — accommodation books out months ahead.

Songkran in April is celebrated across the country, and in Chiang Mai it is particularly enthusiastic.

Getting there

Chiang Mai International (CNX) is a short hop from Bangkok with frequent budget flights from both of the capital's airports.

Overnight sleeper trains from Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat station are slower, cheaper and a genuinely good experience if you book a berth in advance.

From Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle are a few hours north by road — often done as a loop.