A Comprehensive Guide of Things To Do in Chiang Rai

I’m sure you’ve heard Chiang Rai is only worth a 1-day detour during your stay in Chiang Mai. I’m here to challenge that notion. Thailand’s Chiang Rai province is home to beautiful mountains, a rich cultural history, and some of the cutest sheep you’ve ever seen.

The main attractions people stop into Chiang Rai for are the White Temple, Blue Temple, Golden Triangle and Black House. While these buildings are feats in their own right, they don’t even come close to my favorite things to do in Chiang Rai. Of course if your trip only permits a day or two in Chiang Rai, then you should go to the main places. If you have a long time to visit or plan to live in the province, here are some unique things to do in Chiang Rai.

 

Singha Park

A zebra that lives at one of the many petting zoos at Singha Park.

Singha Park is a large park 20 minutes from the city center. There you can rent a go cart and see the beautiful gardens, go ziplining, and visit the animals in the three different zoos the property has to offer. Once you’re tired enough you can take a break at one of its many restaurants and treat yourself to some Thai and Western food.

The 2025 Balloon Fiesta or Singha Park's Hot Air Balloon concert series.

Another great thing about the park is there is often a concert series or festival happening. You can find more information about upcoming festivals on the Singha Park Facebook page. I especially enjoyed the SIngha Park Wet Series. The festival is like if Coachella decided to become a waterpark. It was a week-long affair with several musical guests each night and water spraying at every angle.  My first night going quickly taught me that makeup was certainly not to be worn to an event like this.

 

Saturday Night Market 

A view of the typical evening crowd at the Saturday Night Market

As its name suggests, the Saturday Night Market happens every Saturday night and is not to be confused with the Night Bazaar. I’ve travelled to several places in Thailand and this still stands as my favorite market in the entire country. It’s a large market that takes up several city blocks and is home to dozens of vendors selling foods, clothes, artisanal crafts and more. No night here is the same since the vendors are always changing. As big as it is, it’s small enough to reach the end of the market without feeling like you’ve run a marathon. The best part of the whole market is the dance floor accompanied by a live band. There you can see a circle of locals and foreigners line dancing and if you garner up enough courage you can join in!

 

Salaabran Rice Enzyme Bath

Moments before being buried neck deep in charcoal and microorganisms

 

Salaabran is a holistic spa experience near the Chiang Rai Airport. There you can bathe in a massive bath of charcoal and rice bran. The mixture has been fermented to cultivate healthy microorganisms that help to improve your skin and immunity. The crux of the experience is the heat of the rice enzymes. The bath reaches temperatures that could easily rival a sauna. The heat also means that once your experience is finished, you’ve burned the same amount of calories as running 10 kilometers. This is an appointment only activity so be sure to book in advance with Maythawee via Facebook or Line.

 

Doi Chang

My sheep friends and I standing on top of Doi Chang.

Doi Chang is only one of the mountains Chiang Rai has to offer and it’s just an hour outside of the city center. It’s largely famous for its coffee. On the mountain you can enjoy beautiful views that feel like they came straight out of a Microsoft screensaver. The mountain also has opportunities for visitors to camp and the cutest sheep you’ve ever seen. The sheep are located at Akha Farmville. Here you can buy food to feed the sheep that roam around freely. As a warning, be careful. Some of the sheep like to jump. I left the farm with hoofprints on my dress as a testament.  Don’t forget to try some of their famous strawberries while you’re there!

 

Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park

A rainbow birch tree whose bark peels to reveal different colors underneath

This park has a sample of all the beautiful flora and fauna you can see in Chiang Rai. It also has the largest collection of Lanna folk art and artifacts. Here, your nature walk can be marked by a stop at the first building: a museum with art from Thai and foreign resident artists. The second building later in the walk is another museum with Thai folk pieces from every region of North Thailand. No pictures are allowed to preserve the artifacts. It’s a very thorough cultural experience. Even the buildings are modeled after traditional Lanna structures. Many visitors have remarked that they felt they had time travelled to a Thailand of the past.  It’s only a short 10 minute drive from the city center and a great way to quickly escape to a natural oasis.

 

Phu Chi Fa

A dome tent on Phu Chi Fa that overlooks the mountain.

Camping in a dome tent in Phu Chi Fa should surely go on your list of activities to do in Chiang Rai. The ride up the mountains is an hour and a half long but decorated with a beautiful view at every turn. In the morning you can hike up to the viewpoint to see the sunrise. The mountain stands 1,628 meters above sea level meaning on a good day you may find yourself looking down at the clouds. Phu Chi Fa also stretches into Laos so a short walk to the other side means you’ve officially visited the country.  It’s best to visit Phu Chi Fa in the winter time since right after winter is smoke season for North Thailand. 

 

Chui Fong Tea Plantation

A photo-booth at the Chui Fong Tea Plantation

Chui Fong is a lovely area to take pictures and stop for a tea and cake at their gorgeous cafe overlooking the greenery. The tea plants are arranged in a geometric grid formation.  Of course, as can be seen in many parts of Chiang Rai, there’s also a beautiful view of the mountains.

 

Chiang Rai Football Stadium

The crowd celebrates after Team Chiang Rai scores a goal.

 

If the schedule aligns, a Chiang Rai football game should be another addition to your itinerary. The stadium sits 20 minutes outside of the city centre and holds some of the liveliest football fans. The loud thumping of the drums and the passionate singing from the fans makes me feel proud to be in Chiang Rai. It’s great to see how excited Chiang Rai locals are about where they’re from. Frankly, as someone who knows very little about the game itself, just sitting in the orange clad crowd and singing along is a great time.