
Child Friendly Tours, Treks & Homestays in Chiang Mai
June 7, 2023
Burning Season in Chiang Mai – Everything you need to know
March 17, 2024How to spend 4 Days in Chiang Mai
Are you looking for ideas for a 4 Day Itinerary in Chiang Mai ? Then look no further, this sample 4 Day itinerary will you give an idea about the best things to see and do in 4 days in Chiang Mai.
Day 1
The Old City, temples and markets
Spend the first day acclimatising and getting to know the glorious ‘rose of the north’. This ancient capital city of northern Thailand is rich in cultural and historic heritage and surrounded by natural beauty. The city of Chiang Mai is a valley surrounded by mountains. Spend your first day walking the streets of the old city which has several ancient Lanna temples, such as ‘Wat PhraSingh’ and ‘Wat Chedi Luang’. It is quite easy to explore these temples independently, there are no entrance tickets but don’t forget to dress politely when visiting – which usually means that shoulders and knees should be covered.

Worrowot Market in China town, is also part of the Chiang Mai city scene. This market is not only for tourists, but where locals come to buy all manner of goods from fruits, flowers, herbs, plastic ware, handicrafts, textiles, this market has pretty much everything ! It is also known for its hill tribe textiles and sometimes called the ‘Hmong market’ as its where a lot of Hmong hill tribe textiles can be bought.
Days 2-3
Explore the Countryside – Elephants, Hilltribe Villages and Mountains
After getting a feel for the city of Chiang Mai, its time to explore its lush sub-tropical countryside. Start with a visit to an ethical elephant sanctuary. There are lots of elephant sanctuaries to choose from and our How to choose which elephant camp might give you some ideas. After a morning with the elephants, continue your travels into the countryside.

A big part of northern Thailand is the hill tribe minority groups who dwell in the forests and mountains. We recommend going on an overnight hill tribe tour or trek with a local guide who can take you to visit hill tribe villages. Your guide will play an important part in teaching you about hill tribe culture, and introduce you to the villagers. We don’t recommend trying to visit yourself, as it will quite simply be a wasted experience ! You won’t learn anything, and you may not always feel welcome there if you arrive without being accompanied by a local.
Day 4
Continue to Chiang Rai – Golden Triangle – before looping back to Chiang Mai
On Day 4, after your hill tribe adventure in the countryside, you could continue your travels onto Chiang Rai before looping back to Chiang Mai. In Chiang Rai you’ll want to cover the highlights such as the White Temple, Blue Temple and Black House. There’s also the famous natural landmark – the Golden Triangle (where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet on the Mekong River).

Have you spent 4 days in Chiang Mai? We would love to hear your ideas for a 4 Day Itinerary in Chiang Mai
You might find our other Chiang Mai Itineraries useful:
- Why Rainy Season is a great time to visit Chiang Mai !
- Burning Season in Chiang Mai – Everything you need to know
- 4 Day Itinerary Chiang Mai
- Child Friendly Tours, Treks & Homestays in Chiang Mai
- 10 Best Family Friendly Hotels and Resorts in Chiang Mai in 2024
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