Next stop on Thailand 20 day itinerary: CHIANG MAI itinerary

Welcome to stop number two on our 20-day Thailand adventure! While hopping on a quick flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is the standard route, we traded the airport lines for the legendary overnight sleeper train. As a first-time train traveler, I was equal parts curious and thrilled—and the journey turned out to be just as memorable as the destination. Once we arrived in Thailand’s northern capital, we packed our days with the best of Chiang Mai—from feeding elephants at Living Green Sanctuary and summiting Doi Inthanon to taking a Thai cooking class at Mama Noi’s and exploring over 10 Old City temples on foot. Below, I’m sharing our exact day-by-day itinerary, plus everything you need to know about taking the sleeper train! (If you’re just catching up, see where we started in Bangkok on Thailand 20 day itinerary )

Important Notes for booking sleeper train cabin:

1. I knew there were limited first-class cabins so I set my calendar alert (book 90 days prior to departure) and booked through the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) . This is the official website to purchase tickets. You may also buy tickets from 12Go.Asia but this is a 3rd party website and it will include a price markup. The D-Ticket (SRT) can be a bit finicky and some users recommend using a Thailand VPN to access. I was able to access from my wifi – I recommend registering your account and practice searching before your purchase date.
2. Search your route correctly. I travelled from Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bangkok station) to Chiang Mai.
3. Select train: Special Express No. 9 (departs at 18:40)
4. Select your compartment and gender (book one upper berth and one lower berth together to get a full private 2 person cabin)
5. Payment: credit card payment. You can then print off a PDF or use the QR code on the app

The train station was easy to navigate and they had food and drink to purchase. When we boarded the train we were also given the option of purchasing food for dinner and breakfast. We were curious and purchased both but regretted it – it wasn’t any food to be desired. After a couple hours on the train, the train attendant came into our cabin and made up the beds for us. I had no problem getting some sleep on the 10 hour train ride. We woke up to a beautifully green countryside and we were anxious to explore Chiang Mai.

Day 1: After stepping off the sleeper train in the morning, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out to explore on foot. We quickly stumbled upon a local favorite where we got incredible Tom Kha Gai with rice for just $2! (Pro tip: When the tropical heat hits, duck into a nearby Starbucks or McDonald’s for a quick AC reset).

Once our room was ready, we spent the afternoon unwinding by the hotel pool and treating ourselves to a traditional massage to recover from the travel day.

Day 2: All day tour (Viator) that took us to Living Green Elephant Sanctuary where we were able to watch and feed the elephants. At the sanctuary, we were fed the most delicious Pad Thai. We left the sanctuary and hiked to the summit of Doi Inthanon, the highest point of Chiang Mai. It was so cool and refreshing at 8,415 ft elevation. Following the Doi Inthanon National Park we took a hike through the jungle to a series of beautiful waterfalls. It was a very full day.

Day 3: Mama Noi’s cooking class. This was amazing from start to finish. The company picked us up and we were given a brief tour of a local food market where we learned about a variety of popular ingredients in Thailand. After the food market, we received a tour of Mama Noi’s cooking school and grounds. We discovered that many of the organic ingredients are grown on the grounds of the cooking school. We selected the soup, main dish and curry we wanted to make. We also made mango sticky rice and a special red tea drink. We had so much fun making and eating the food (and we were very happy we decided to pay extra for the air conditioned cooking space!)

Day 4: For our 4th day, I took on the challenge to see how many temples I could walk to within the walls of the Old City. I started at 6:30 am and was able to explore 10 + temples. While I was out I also stopped at the Naree Thai Massage & Spa, run by the Chiang Mai Women Correctional Institution Vocational Training Center. I’ve heard rave reviews about the massages at this establishment and I wanted to try for myself. (There was a nice cafe there – a perfect place to cool down before heading to my next temple. Later in the day, James and I enjoyed the 90 minute Thai massages. (and yes! they were wonderful!)