Northern Thailand travel guide

What the north is like with a group

Picture a lit temple behind a walking street, dinner on a bamboo mat, and the mountains going dark around you. That's the north.

Here's how I'd do it with a group: two big evenings in Chiang Mai, then a loop of old towns, timed so you land in each one on its market night. Each big city has its own guide below.

Next: where the real nightlife is.

Where the real nightlife is

The clubs are in three places, and each has its own guide:

• Chiang Mai nightlife: Nimman, the Old City and the clubs.
• Chiang Rai nightlife: Jetyod and the night bazaar.
• Pai nightlife: the mountain town after dark.

On the way, see Lampang for the Kad Kong Ta walking street and Phitsanulok for the riverside.

Nan: dinner on the temple square

The Nan walking street, Kuang Mueng Nan, runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 4:30pm to 9:30pm on Pha Kong Road in front of Wat Phumin.

About 250 metres of Pha Kong Road turns into a night market, from the Wat Phumin junction to Wat Chang Kham, with food eaten on bamboo mats in the temple square while traditional dancers and local musicians perform. Outside town, Bo Kluea and Pua are the places to stay for the mountains, so a car is the way to see the province.

Tanner's take: Buy dinner from five stalls, sit on the mats in front of Wat Phumin, and watch the show. It's the best free evening in the north.

• Kuang Mueng Nan walking street, Pha Kong Road, Friday to Sunday, 4:30pm to 9:30pm
• Wat Phumin, the temple square

Friday is the night to land in Nan.

Phrae on a Saturday

The Phrae walking street, Kad Phra Non, runs every Saturday from about 5pm to 10pm on Kham Lue Road in the old city, and it's busiest at sunset.

Most stalls are food and drinks, and Wat Phong Sunan, by the entrance, stays open late and lit on market night.

Tanner's take: Stay in the old city and walk to it. Phrae is a Saturday stop; the rest of the week is quiet.

• Kad Phra Non walking street, Kham Lue Road, Saturday, about 5pm to 10pm

Saturday only: miss it and Phrae is asleep.

Mae Hong Son and the lake market

The Mae Hong Son night market sets up every evening from 5pm in the high season, October to March, on the edge of the town lake, with the lit chedi of Wat Chong Kham reflected in the water and low tables by the shore for dinner.

Most stalls sell food, with a few crafts and souvenirs, and entry is free.

Tanner's take: Eat at the low tables by the water with the temple lit up across it. Mae Hong Son is the far end of the loop and worth every curve.

• Mae Hong Son walking street, Jong Kham lake, every evening from 5pm, October to March

Ask Tanner to plan the mountain drive out there.

Old Sukhothai's Saturday market

The Old Sukhothai Saturday market runs from mid-afternoon in the village beside the Historical Park; arrive around 5pm for the light over the ponds, as many vendors are sold out by 7pm.

It's a local market: Sukhothai noodles, grilled pork and sweets, and you pay in cash.

Tanner's take: Cycle the ruins in the afternoon, then eat at the Saturday market at 5pm. It's an early evening, so plan the drive after.

• Old Sukhothai Saturday market, by the Historical Park, from mid-afternoon

Get there by 5pm, before the stalls sell out.

Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle

Chiang Saen's evening is on the Mekong: the riverside promenade is the star of the show, with beer and barbecue carts from late afternoon and a walking street on Saturday evening. The old walled town is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Chiang Rai by local bus.

The Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet at Sop Ruak, is the day trip, with a boat from Chiang Saen quoted on request. The Hall of Opium at Sop Ruak, run by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, is about 9 kilometres from Chiang Saen.

Tanner's take: The Hall of Opium in the morning, the Golden Triangle view at noon, then a Saturday evening on the Chiang Saen promenade with a beer and the Mekong going by.

• Chiang Saen promenade, beer and barbecue from late afternoon, walking street on Saturday evening
• Hall of Opium, Sop Ruak, Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30am to 4pm

Go on a Saturday, so the promenade's walking street is on.

Can you cross into Myanmar at Mae Sai?

No. The Mae Sai crossing to Tachileik is closed to foreign visitors (checked October 2026), so Mae Sai is a daytime stop at Thailand's northern tip.

Mae Sai is a busy trading town, and Wat Phra That Doi Wao, a short walk from the old bridge, gives a view over the river. We keep the group's evenings in Chiang Rai and Chiang Saen.

Tanner's take: Climb to Doi Wao for the view over the border, shop the market, and be back in Chiang Rai for dinner.

• Wat Phra That Doi Wao, the view over the border
• Mae Sai market, daytime trading town

Next: the road trip that links it all.

How do you get around the north?

A northern Thailand road trip is easiest with a car and driver: the old towns are hours apart on mountain roads, and each market runs on its own night.

A luxury van (an Alphard) takes up to 4 from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, a party van takes up to 10, and a coach 20 or more. The driver knows the mountain roads, so nobody in the group drives.

Plan it with Tanner, and the van's waiting at your first stop.

Which stop suits your group?

For a party, Chiang Mai is best, then Pai and Chiang Rai; the 5 old towns are for weekend markets and slow evenings between the big evenings.

• The big night: Chiang Mai's clubs.
• The mountain night: Pai.
• The Friday-to-Sunday market: Nan.
• The Saturday market: Phrae, Old Sukhothai or Chiang Saen.
• The far end of the loop: Mae Hong Son.
• The day trip: the Golden Triangle, from Chiang Rai or Chiang Saen.

First time in the north? Start in Chiang Mai.

When should you go north?

November to February is the best time for northern Thailand, the cool season before the smoke. Yi Peng in Chiang Mai runs from 23 to 25 November 2026, the Chiang Mai Office of Tourism and Sports says (checked November 2026). Lanterns go up after dark; Tanner confirms the night. Loy Krathong is on Tuesday 24 November 2026, and Mae Hong Son's lakeside market runs from October to March.

Avoid late February to the start of the rains if you can: by late February the farm burning is starting, and the haze builds until the wet season and hides the mountain views. Check an air-quality app before you book.

Check the Buddhist holy days before you pick dates: ordinary bars, restaurants and shops stop selling alcohol on those days, while licensed entertainment venues and hotels are exempt.

Yi Peng week is the one to book first.

Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai

Most northern Thailand trips start in Chiang Mai. Pai is 3 to 4 hours away over the mountains; see Chiang Mai to Pai.

Chiang Rai is the way to the Golden Triangle and the Saturday walking street at Chiang Saen; see Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.

Tanner's pick for a week: Chiang Mai for Yi Peng and the clubs, then Pai for two slow evenings of live music. Ask Tanner to time the van to the markets.

Northern Thailand in short

• Nightlife: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Pai.

• Nan walking street: Friday to Sunday, 4:30pm to 9:30pm.
• Phrae walking street: Saturday, about 5pm to 10pm.
• Mae Hong Son night market: every evening from 5pm, October to March.
• Best time: November to February; Yi Peng in Chiang Mai is 23 to 25 November 2026.
• Avoid: late February to the rains, when the burning-season haze hides the mountains.

Checked October 2026. Ask Tanner to plan the road trip.

After the north

After the north, the group heads back to Bangkok or east into Isaan.

• Bangkok nightlife: the big city night.
• Isaan travel guide: the Mekong towns and the big Isaan cities.
• Where to go in Thailand: every region at a glance.

Ask Tanner to link the whole trip together.