8 Best areas to stay in Chiang Mai for tourists and nomads

So you’re heading to Thailand as a digital nomad, or tourist, and you’re probably stuck on which are the best areas to stay in Chiang Mai. We were in exactly the same position when we arrived. Some neighbourhoods are packed with coworking spaces and others offer a labyrinth of delicious restaurants.

From staying centrally in the Old City, to the modern neighbourhood of Nimman, and even to the banks of the Ping River—it’s hard to choose!

Luckily, Sara and I spent over three months living and exploring this beautiful city in northern Thailand. After searching for the best area to make our base, we eventually settled in Nimman, a decision we’ll explain in this guide!

Each neighbourhood in Chiang Mai offers something different, with unique perspectives on the city and the local way of life. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly where the best area to stay in Chiang Mai is for you!

An overview of Chiang Mai’s best neighbourhoods

Best neighbourhoods to stay in Chiang Mai

Now that you’ve got a good idea of where the best neighbourhoods in Chiang Mai are, we’re diving deeper into each one. We’ll draw on all our experience, covering the pros and cons, the best hotels, and top things to do in every area.

1. Chiang Mai Old City

Chiang Mai’s Old City is where most people naturally gravitate when choosing the best neighbourhood to stay in—and it’s easy to see why! On the map, the Old City’s distinctive box shape immediately stands out.

In our opinion, it’s probably the best area to stay in if it’s your first visit to Chiang Mai. As the name suggests, it’s the city’s oldest neighbourhood, dating back to the 13th century.

Its age comes with perks—temples are packed into a small area here. We spent about 30 seconds scrolling on Google Maps and counted 17! Spotting monks walking through the streets regularly adds a peaceful, local vibe that feels incredibly spiritual to us.

The Old City is also full of traditional guesthouses, decades-old restaurants, and home to the famous Sunday Night Market, which stretches down Rachadamnoen Road. And the ruins of the Old City wall around the perimeter are super aesthetic to look at, transporting us back in time.

Things to do in the Old City

Most of the attractions and activities in the Old City revolve around its rich history, with a few other interesting bits and bobs sprinkled in. Here’s a list of our favourite things to do in this part of Chiang Mai.

Tha Phae Gate

Tha Phae Gate is the last remaining gate of the historic fortified wall surrounding the Old City; it was reconstructed in 1985 but still uses the original door panels. The large space outside the gate often hosts cultural events throughout the year.

And we even got to feed pigeons here!

Buak Hard Public Park

Buak Hard Public Park is a lovely green space built around a large man-made lake. We found it to be a popular spot for locals to come and exercise, and it’s also a perfect place for a leisurely stroll in the sun.

Wat Chedi Luang

One of the main attractions in the Old City area, Wat Chedi Luang was built during the 14th and 15th centuries. It’s still a functioning religious temple dedicated to Buddhism to this day. For us, the most impressive sight here was the massive brickwork stupa in the centre of the temple.

Sunday Night Market

As we mentioned, every Sunday there’s a massive night market that stretches the entire length of Rachadamnoen Road—and that’s a pretty long road!

We love wandering through the stalls filled with local souvenirs, but our favourite part is definitely the “Food Centre” of the market. Actually, we spent many Sunday nights here, eating and hanging out with friends!

Best coworking spaces and cafe in the Old City

For our digital nomad friends, if you were to base in the Old City, where would be the best place to hunker down and work?

Well don’t worry, because we got you covered! We visited tons of cafes and coworking spaces around the Old City… and Chiang Mai in general!

2. Nimmanhaemin

Nimmanhaemin, usually just called Nimman, has become the unofficial digital nomad hub of Chiang Mai. Sara and I chose to base ourselves in this neighbourhood for exactly that reason!

Nimman covers a large area surrounding its namesake, Nimmanhaemin Road. In this trendy neighbourhood, we found some of the best Western restaurants in the city, great spas, loads of coworking spaces and cafés, plus big shopping spots like One Nimman and Maya Lifestyle Mall.

We loved how convenient Nimman was—it’s completely walkable, and you can’t throw a rock without hitting a convenience store. The area really comes alive at night, too, with popular bars and even a few clubs buzzing after sunset.

That said, one downside of Nimman, in our opinion, is how easy it is to get stuck in a bubble. We had friends who arrived in Chiang Mai, moved into their apartment in Nimman, and didn’t leave for weeks because they never hired a scooter. Honestly, though, it says a lot about how liveable this neighbourhood is!

Pros & cons of basing in Nimmanhaemin

Hotels in Nimmanhaemin

As we mentioned, we always stayed in an Airbnb here in Nimman. It’s a serviced apartment block called PT Residence, popular with both long-term nomads and short-term visitors. You can book through Airbnb or directly at the property when you arrive.

But beside this, here are some other options:

Things to do in Nimmanhaemin

When it boils down to it, there aren’t a ton of attractions in Nimman—it’s mainly an area for shopping, partying, and eating. Regardless, we can still offer a few fun things to do!

Explore the shops at Maya Mall

One of the biggest malls in Chiang Mai, we’ll admit we probably spent way too much time here… But with good reason! It’s packed with tech, home, and clothing stores, plus a cinema, arcade, and loads of restaurants.

Our favourite places to eat inside the mall were the general food court (where you load up a cash card to pay), Ryota Shabu (an all-you-can-eat buffet), and Coco Ichibanya. Oh, and Dairy Queen when we felt like being a bit naughty!

Take a swim at BuriSiri Hotel

Just down the road from where we stayed is the BuriSiri Hotel. It’s a boutique spot that, while we’ve never personally known anyone to stay in, doubles as a coworking space during the day. For just ฿150 ($4.32), you get all-day access—including use of their gorgeous pool!

Delicious food galore!

We can’t talk about Nimman without mentioning some of our favourite restaurants. Honestly, if you’re craving any type of cuisine, you’ll probably find it somewhere in this neighbourhood. That said, here are the spots we highly, highly recommend:

• Why Not! – One of the best Italian restaurants in the city.
• Groon – This avocado on toast was mouth-watering.
• Healthy Junk – Our go-to spot for healthy food that tastes unhealthy!
• Manifreshto – A build your own breakfast that was divine.
• The Bowl Spot – We ate too many lunch times here…

Best coworking spaces and cafés in Nimman

Nimman is home to some of the best coworking spaces in the city, as well as too many cafés to choose from!

3. Santitham

If Nimman is the modern, developed digital nomad hub of Chiang Mai, then Santitham feels like its more local, budget-friendly little brother. Centred around Santitham Road, this area gave us a raw, authentic Chiang Mai vibe that felt different from both Nimman and the Old City.

That said, there are still some great cafés and food spots here. In fact, our favourite laptop-friendly café in the entire city—BOB Coffee—is right in Santitham!

We didn’t spend loads of time exploring Santitham since there aren’t many major attractions. But if you’re after a cheaper place to live that still has plenty of action and is close to both Nimman and the Old City, Santitham is well worth considering.

Pros & cons of basing in Santitham

Hotels in Santitham

If you’re considering spending your time in Chiang Mai based in Santitham, here are some great accommodation options!

Things to do in Santitham

Like Nimman, Santitham doesn’t have tons of traditional attractions. However, there are a few things we did here that we can 100% recommend!

See a Muay Thai fight

Chiang Mai Boxing Stadium is a massive Muay Thai venue right in the heart of Santitham. We paid ฿600 per person for standard seating, and honestly, it was more than good enough. In fact, we reckon the view from the stands was better than what the ringside seats offered!

Muay Thai turned out to be way more intense than we expected, and some of the fighters were barely 15 (which is the legal age to fight). Still, we got super into the action and would definitely go back again!

Enjoy all-you-can-eat BBQ

So right outside of the Chiang Mai Boxing Stadium there’s a couple of all-you-can-eat BBQ spots. We visited one the first time we came to Chiang Mai with some friends. It was around $6 each, and you have access to unlimited meat, vegetables, drinks, and desserts!

Dive into a bowl of bun cha

Bun cha is actually a Vietnamese dish, but funnily enough, I’m writing this from Vietnam right now—and after six weeks here, we still haven’t found a better bun cha than the one we had in Chiang Mai…

So, when you get a chance, head over to Lucky Vietnamese for what might just be one of the best bowls of bun cha in the world! Just a heads up—they pre-batch it, and it’s often sold out by 2 or 3 pm.

Get rowdy at Real Space

Real Space is on the far edge of Santitham, and it’s the brainchild of a dude called Isaac. It’s a coworking space, but it’s marketed as a social space too. Isaac runs a networking event every day of the week, and we often visited for the beer and games night on a Saturday.

Coworking spaces and cafés in Santitham

Despite the more local vibe, Santitham still has a lot of coworking spaces and cafés in the area that we would visit regularly.

4. Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar area is a full-on sensory experience. This part of the city feels reaaallyyy local. Our friends based themselves here for almost 18 months, and given the chance, they said they’d do it all over again!

By day, the Night Bazaar area is pretty unassuming—just as you’d expect from the name. But when night falls, it truly comes alive! We found that there is the massive Night Bazaar itself, a daily night market running up and down the street, and even the smaller Kalare Night Bazaar.

Besides the endless street food, we found quite a few good places to eat in the area. There are some Western options, but the vibe here definitely leans more towards authentic Thai. If you’re looking for a fun night out, there is an entire street lined with dive bars.

Also, are you in the market for custom suits or dresses? Because this area probably has the highest concentration of tailors in the city.

If you’re after a raw local experience, cheap knock-off clothes, delicious Thai food, and a guaranteed good time, basing yourself around the Night Bazaar could be perfect. We find that a lot of vacationers and holiday-makers end up staying in this neighbourhood, as it’s walking distance to the Old City too.

Pros & cons of basing in the Night Bazaar area

Hotels in the Night Bazaar area

Looking for accommodation that matches your budget in the Night Bazaar area? We got you covered!

Things to do in the Night Bazaar area

When it comes to the Night Bazaar area, a lot of the things to do revolve around the night markets. Here are a few of our favourite things we did in this area!

Get yourself some tailored clothes

Like we mentioned, we found the highest concentration of tailors in this area. The first time we visited Chiang Mai, I decided to get myself a tailored suit for a wedding we went to… although it probably needs refitting by now!

Regardless, the entire process was simple and fast, taking only three days and costing around $200-250 (I can’t quite remember). I visited Tony’s Tailor as it was recommended by a friend, and I can definitely pass that recommendation on!

Pick up some souvenirs

Whether you’re looking for gifts for the family, some new clothes, or even a few cheap knock-off gadgets, you’ll find it in the Night Bazaar. Between the main building and the pop-up market along the street, we think you can literally find anything here!

Coworking spaces and cafés in the Night Bazaar neighbourhood

There aren’t many options we tried in this area, but a couple we did go to would be fantastic to work in!

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SafetyWing offers various insurance plans depending on how much coverage you think you’ll need:

4. Riverside

Moving on to Riverside, we didn’t spend much time here, so we don’t have a ton of insight. We wandered around the neighbourhood after hearing it’s a popular spot to stay, but honestly, it didn’t leave much of an impression on us.

What we did notice, though, were some cool hotels and restaurants right along the Ping River. There are definitely a few fancy places in the mix, making it a nice option if you’re after riverside dining or a touch of luxury.

That said, staying in this area does come with the perk of peaceful riverside walks—good for the soul, as they say!

From a quick glance at Google Maps, there seem to be a few restaurants further inland, though we haven’t tried or heard of them. We did, however, spot a stunning mosque, which suggests a higher concentration of Muslims in the area. So, if you’re a follower of Islam, this could be a great neighbourhood to consider!

Pros & cons of basing in Riverside

Hotels in Riverside

If you do decide that Riverside is the right neighbourhood for you, here are some great accommodations options.

Things to do in Riverside

We won’t sugarcoat it, there’s almost nothing to do in this area that isn’t a walk up and down the river. If you’re in Chiang Mai at the right time like we were, then during the recent Loi Krathong festival, we released small Krathongs into the river with the locals.

Coworking spaces and cafés in Riverside

Like we mentioned, there are actually a few spots we visited in this region that would be great for remote workers!

6. Central Festival

The Central Festival neighbourhood takes its name from the massive shopping mall at its heart. Since it’s quite far outside the city centre, we wouldn’t recommend it for a short-term stay.

However, for long-term nomads like us, this area is where many of the condos are. If you’re not familiar, these are tall apartment blocks offering serviced apartments—typically with perks like coworking spaces, pools, and sometimes even a games room.

Living next to Central Festival Mall definitely has its advantages. We’d regularly ride across the city just to visit this six-storey shopping centre. It’s got pretty much every shop you could need, an indoor street food market on the basement floor, and sit-down restaurants on the upper levels for all budgets.

That said, while the condos are fantastic and super convenient for everyday living, what’s not convenient is having to ride at least 10 minutes to get anywhere that’s not the mall. Keep that in mind if you’re thinking of basing yourself here!

Pros & cons of basing in the Central Festival area

Hotels in the Central Festival area

Seeing as we’ve hyped the condos, and we don’t really recommend Central Festival as a short-term option, here are some of the best condos in the area:

• D Condo Sign
• The One Condo
• Brique Suite
• The Base (our friends stayed here and loved it!)

Things to do in the Central Festival area

Much like the Night Bazaar area, there really isn’t a whole lot to do around Central Festival beyond the mall itself. Sure, you’ve got the arcade, cinema, and plenty of shopping, but outside of that, we imagine you’d find yourself heading into the city pretty much every time you wanted to do something!

7. Suthep

Suthep is by far the largest neighbourhood on our list, so where you choose to stay here can lead to totally different experiences.

Our friends, Nick and Alessia, spent a whole month near Chiang Mai University (CMU) and think it’s one of the city’s most underrated areas to base yourself. So, let’s imagine that this is the part of Suthep you might call your temporary home.

CMU is surprisingly modern—or at least freshly renovated. We ventured into this area a few times, and during the day, it felt clean and safe. At night, the vibe shifts as students fill the streets, and pop-up food stalls spring up everywhere.

We’d recommend this neighbourhood if you want a mix of action and nature. There’s a large reservoir nearby, perfect for a run, and the Monk’s Trail to Wat Pha Lat starts right here.

If you’re after a more offbeat spot that isn’t on most people’s radar, the CMU area of Suthep could be a great choice!

Pros & cons of basing in Suthep

Hotels in Suthep

In case you’re looking for somewhere off-the-beaten track to base, we found these amazing accommodation options!

Things to do in Suthep

Given the size of Suthep, it’s no surprise there’s plenty to do in this neighbourhood. Sara and I had a great time checking out a few activities around here!

Take a walk around Angkaew Reservoir

At the far north end of Suthep, we discovered the massive Angkaew Reservoir. While it seemed like a hotspot for teenage girls doing photoshoots, it’s also a popular place for exercise. The path circling the lake is roughly 2 km long, making it perfect for walking or jogging. We personally loved finding a quiet bench to sit on and soaking in the view!

Explore CMU night market

Yes, even universities in Thailand have night markets! Near the reservoir, you’ll find CMU’s very own version. We never made it there ourselves, but our friend Vania visited multiple times for dinner. According to her, the food quality is fantastic, and the prices are nearly unbeatable!

Hike to Wat Pha Lat

Wat Pha Lat is a popular temple for catching sunrise or sunset. Perched atop a small mountain, it offers a stunning, peaceful view over the city that’s absolutely priceless. And if you’re keen to work up a sweat, you can hike up the Monk’s Trail—it’s about a 30-minute trek that’s well worth the effort!

Dive into the tunnels of Wat Umong Suan Putthatham

Wat Umong Suan Putthatham is a unique Buddhist temple complex known for its long, maze-like tunnels. When we arrived, we paid a small entry fee and wandered straight into the tunnels—just remember to take your shoes off first!

Inside, we found several Buddha statues and a back exit leading to another part of the temple grounds. We even spotted a few bats roosting on the ceiling! Beyond the tunnels, there’s a stunning stupa nestled in the middle of a forest. Honestly, we think it’s worth visiting for the peaceful atmosphere and that incredible stupa alone!

Coworking spaces and cafés in Suthep

Once again, we didn’t visit any coworking spaces or cafés in this neighbourhood—it’s a bit far from our usual stomping grounds. The closest coworking space we know of is Hub53, located right on the edge of Nimman.

That said, being near CMU means there’s bound to be plenty of places to work. With so many students in the area, there have to be loads of study-friendly spots nearby!

8. Jed Yod

Jed Yod is an interesting neighbourhood in Chiang Mai. We read online somewhere that it could be a great area to live in, so we went one day to check out those claims.

It’s a super small area in Chiang Mai, just north of Nimman and off of the highway. It’s centred around the road of the same name, and honestly, there’s not a lot going on.

So who would Jed Yod be for? We think that, because of its vicinity to Nimman and Santhitham, and its access to the highway to get around the city, this area would be great for people who are looking for a peaceful vibe but with great access to more vibrant areas.

Within Jed Yod itself, we didn’t find too many restaurants, shops, or activities. But it is super quiet, not a lot of traffic passes through, and there’s at least one temple (Wat Jed Yot).

Pros & cons of basing in Jed Yod

Outside of Chiang Mai city

Now that we’ve covered the best areas to stay within Chiang Mai, let’s talk about some of the surrounding regions. We took a few road trips through these areas, so we got a bit of a feel for what they’re like.

These regions are probably better suited for those looking to escape into nature. They’re quite far from the city, so you’d need to plan ahead if you want to make trips into Chiang Mai itself.

In terms of liveability, unless you’re someone who wants to live completely off-grid, we wouldn’t recommend these areas as a base for digital nomads. Honestly, we think the internet connection could be hit or miss, which might make working a bit tricky.

Mae Rim

The Mae Rim district is a vast area that stretches northwest of Chiang Mai. We spent a day biking around the Samoeng Loop, the north of which passes right through Mae Rim.

In our opinion, Mae Rim is a fantastic spot to unwind and stay in a peaceful forest villa. The area is surrounded by rice fields, tropical rainforests, temples, waterfalls, and more—making it perfect for nature lovers. Driving through Mae Rim really took us back to our Bali days with its lush, serene vibe!

Mae Rim is also home to a huge range of resorts and camping options for a great getaway vacation. Here are some:

• Tung Tong Homestay & Camping
• Jirung Health Village
• Onsen at Moncham
• Panviman Chiang Mai Spa Resort

Hang Dong

Hang Dong is a large region about an hour southwest of Chiang Mai. The southern part of the Samoeng Loop runs through Hang Dong, so we got a good look at the area ourselves. It’s also where we visited the ethical elephant sanctuary!

As we rode through Hang Dong, we stopped at several temples, including one that was super unique—Loha Prasat Sri Mueang Pong. Like most areas around Chiang Mai, the forests here offer some incredible viewpoints. We also enjoyed some great food at local cafés and explored a few waterfalls and caves along the way.

Similarly to Mae Rim, Hang Dong offers a range of luxury resort stays, including an elephant hotel at the sanctuary we visited! Here are a few:

• Flora Creek Chiang Mai
• Veranda High Resort
• Chai Lai Orchid << The elephant hotel we visited, but it books up fast!

Mae Kampong

Mae Kampong is a small village located on the far east border of Chiang Mai province. It’s about an hour and a half away from the city, and the route is dotted with waterfalls and caves.

Sadly, we didn’t have the chance to visit Mae Kampong during our time in Chiang Mai, but it’s definitely on our list for next time!

Which is the best neighbourhood to stay in Chiang Mai

If we were heading back to Chiang Mai long-term, for a month or more, we’d definitely choose Nimman again. Honestly, even if we were just visiting for a week or two, we’d probably still pick Nimman as our base.

Nimman is just incredibly convenient. With so many restaurants and coworking spaces nearby, there’s almost no need to leave—it’s just a really comfortable place to live. The only real downside is that activities are a bit limited!

That said, we’d also be happy to base ourselves in the Old City or Night Bazaar neighbourhoods. Each of these three areas offers a totally different Chiang Mai experience, and we’d be keen to enjoy them all!

Getting around Chiang Mai

There are plenty of ways to get around Chiang Mai, but we firmly believe the best option is by scooter. With a scooter, it’s easy to weave through traffic, navigate narrow streets without a problem, and fuel is both cheap and readily available.

That said, if you’re new to riding in Southeast Asia, we’d recommend sticking with Grab scooter taxis. They’re an affordable, safe way to get from A to B—and you won’t have to worry about Chiang Mai’s crazy traffic yourself!

Best time to visit Chiang Mai

Without a doubt, the best time to visit Chiang Mai is between November and February. The city has three distinct seasons: wet season, dry season, and burning season.

Wet season, from May to October, isn’t actually too bad. It rains often, but the downpours are usually predictable enough that you can plan around them.

Burning season, on the other hand, peaks in February and March. If you take just one piece of advice from this guide—do not visit during the burning season. We were in Chiang Mai in March 2023, and the air quality was so bad it was genuinely debilitating.

By process of elimination, that leaves the dry, non-burning season between November and February—the perfect time to enjoy everything Chiang Mai has to offer!

How many days should you stay in Chiang Mai?

To truly explore and experience Chiang Mai, we recommend spending at least five days in the city. There’s so much to do that, if you want to do it justice without burning yourself out, five days gives you enough time to enjoy everything without feeling rushed.

Of course, it’s totally possible to power through Chiang Mai in two or three days—but be prepared for some hectic adventures! Plus, experiences like visiting Chiang Dao Caves or riding the Samoeng Loop each take a full day to tackle properly.

Where should you stay in Chiang Mai?

Where you decide to stay in Chiang Mai will largely depend on your reason for visiting and how long you plan to stay. Out of all the neighbourhoods we’ve talked about and experienced, we almost always suggest Nimman, the Old City, or the Night Bazaar.

For fellow nomads, Nimman is a no-brainer despite its pros and cons. There are plenty of coworking spaces and laptop-friendly cafés to choose from. Plus, like most of Chiang Mai, Nimman is incredibly safe for both locals and expats, with a very affordable cost of living.

Also, have you considered Thailand’s new digital nomad visa? It’s an excellent option for a long-term stay, and the process to obtain it is fairly straightforward!

If you’re visiting as a tourist, have you considered planning a trip to Chiang Rai as well? It’s a smaller city packed with historical and cultural gems worth exploring!