The small town of Chiang Dao in Northern Thailand is the perfect rural getaway from popular Chiang Mai city. However, there are enough awesome things to do in Chiang Dao to tempt you to stay a few days as we did. Pai was once a peaceful traditional Northern Thai town like Chiang Dao, but now Pai can feel overcrowded. Set at the foot of beautiful Doi Chiang Dao and surrounded by lush green jungle, Chiang Dao can be visited as a day trip from Chiang Mai or even Chiang Rai. PIN this post for later? YET! Get there now before the masses hear about it and commercialism kicks in like it’s done so in nearby Pai. Considering it’s short distance from Chiang Mai, Chiang Dao is surprisingly not visited by large tourist numbers. This makes Chiang Dao the perfect place to stay, away from the crowds, to immerse yourself in Thailand’s wonderful nature.

• We will arrive back in Chiang Mai around 6.30 pm
• Than Sawan Waterfall
• Ko Lipe
• Wang Kwang Waterfall

As with most destinations in Northern Thailand, the easiest way to get to Chiang Dao is by renting a moped and driving yourself for the 90 minute journey. Chang Phueak bus station can be found just North of Chiang Mai’s North Gate off Thanon Changpuak Road. So once you get there, grab a Chiang Dao map like ours above and start exploring the top 10 things to do in Chiang Dao! Check out these recommended Chiang Dao biking tours from Chiang Mai! There are buses leaving Chang Phueak bus station which head direct to Chiang Dao every 30 minutes. But if you’re like us and don’t think the risks are worth it then there are easy public buses you can take. The most energetic of things to do in Chinag Dao is without a shadow of a doubt climbing Doi Chinag Dao. Head to platform 4 and catch the big orange bus which costs just 40 baht per person. Check the back of your ticket for seat numbers.

We could have done with a machete when we visited in October!

The towering mountain, at 2225 meteres high, is Thailand’s third largest peak. There’s a 90 minute trail that conveniently leads to the famous Chiang Dao caves. You’ll find the start of the trail to the left of the road just before you get to Wat Tham Pha Plong. We could have done with a machete when we visited in October! The jungle often overgrows during this time making parts of the path hard to get through. Trying to navigate the nature trail. We should mention that the trail is harder to navigate during rainy season. It takes around 5 hours to climb to the summit so getting there and back can be done in one long day. If that sounds too much then guided climbs also give you the option to break up the journey by camping overnight. There’s so much jungle around Chiang Dao so it would be a shame to visit without walking one of the area’s nature trails.

Bamboo rafting is one of the most fun things to do in Chiang Dao. The temple is located high up in the middle of the jungle and takes 510 steps to reach. Once at the top you can go enjoy the epic views across Chiang Dao’s treetops. We thought we had too but we still enjoyed visiting Wat Tham Pha Plong. The noise of ear piercing Cicada’s. Another less visited temple is the Golden Temple. Trips can be just a quick hour cruise or a full overnight tour staying in a hill tribe village. The temple itself isn’t overly impressive but we’ve included in our top 10 things to do in Chiang Dao because of the stunning views it offers of Doi Chiang Dao and the surrounding countryside. The steps are graced with hundreds of colourful butterflies. A must of things to do in Chiang Dao. Enjoy the views of jungle riverside life. Don’t think wild water rafting, think gentle water floating. If you’ve already visited Chiang Mai then you may feel you’ve seen enough temples to last you a lifetime. Let your guide navigate the Ping River while you sit.