Fun Things to Do in Chiang Mai with a One-Day City Pass

Home to ancient ruins, hundreds of Buddhist temples, hiking trails and Doi Suthep, a fabled mountain of Thailand, Chiang Mai offers a spectacular array of outdoor excursions. But what if you only have a day to explore the kingdom’s third-largest city, the largest in northern Thailand? With the City Pass, an app that provides a seamless travel experience, you get countless benefits in a few clicks. From visits to ethical elephant sanctuaries to nail-biting rafting adventures, here’s TAGTHAI’s pick of fun things to do in Chiang Mai.

Join a Morning Trip to the Ethical Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary

Fuel up for the day with coffee and rice porridge and wait for the guys from the Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary to collect you from your guesthouse. You can also wait at one of the Chiang Mai hotels of your choice. 

They’ll arrive on time in a comfy van. Show them your TAGTHAi QR code you got when you made the reservation in the app, and hop on the minivan. It’s a one-hour drive from Chiang Mai’s Old City to Thailand’s rural northeast, where you can see the giants in their natural habitat, munching happily on grass in deep green woods. The sanctuary sits beside a gurgling river, surrounded by rice paddies and mountains towering behind.

The half-day trip to this Thailand elephant sanctuary includes a mud bath with these gentle, jumbo-sized animals. The staff will give you a uniform – wear it; it’s a wet matter! You’ll be soaked and muddy as you’re bathing with them, amazed at how similar to cats they sound when they purr. You can also scrub them in their pool. While you can hang out with them, riding is a big no-no, and they’re never locked in or chained.

You can also hand-feed baby elephants, who aren’t afraid to nab bananas off your hand with their two fleshy “fingers.”

Eat Lunch at L’éléphant

After a morning with elephants, dive into another world and indulge in Haute French cuisine. Ensure you make a reservation in the TAGTHAi app – L’éléphant is popular for a reason. Centrally located near the walled, moated Old City, it’s one of the best restaurants in Chiang Mai, not just because of the delicious food. As you walk through the entrance gate that could be an emperor’s crown, you’ll be stepping into a bygone era.

From retro pictures like the boy riding a tricycle to squiggly, gold-framed mirrors reminiscent of the 19^th-century Biedermeier style – art hails from every corner. Chandeliers, vampire-red curtains and purple velvet chairs epitomize middle-class comfort, as do the garden’s glossy wooden tables looking like polished marble, perfected with candle holders placed elegantly on them. Harlequin floors, an angel sculpture, and plants galore add to the inviting atmosphere. Certainly, the decor is an experience in itself.

Mind you, the creative design brain behind all this isn’t French; the owner is Thai. That doesn’t take away from the authentic French food you get at L’éléphant. Pair chilled white wine with oysters, a French obsession for ages, and you’re in for a treat. Or scoff fettuccine seared foie gras wild mushrooms in truffle cream sauce and squid ink seafood spaghetti. They go down well. Not to mention the truffle ice cream – magnifique!

 

Enjoy Wild Rafting with Khampan

Your ‘ele-fun’ things to do in Chiang Mai continue on the fast-flowing Mae Taeng River, a tributary of the Ping River. Reserving a white-water rafting trip in the TAGTHAi app with Khampan, Chiang Mai’s leading rafting tour company, you’ll enjoy the thrills of a wild river ride amid verdant jungles, gushing waterfalls and – elephants roaming along the riverbank!

Taking safety seriously, the experienced Khampan guides will feed your adventurous side. Shooting over 14 rapids in a small boat, traveling 10 kilometers on fast-moving water over rocks, you’re guaranteed to feel the roaring Mae Taeng River beneath your raft. In the dry season from January through May, the guys will provide inflatable kayaks for three people instead of rafts for five travelers.

Aside from white-water rafting, the perfect antidote to the daily grind, jumping down cliffs and sliding down the Phachee Waterfall will make you howl with joy.

 

Do a Two-Hour Walking Tour at the Thai Elephant Home

Also situated in the Mae Taeng area, the Thai Elephant Home is an elephant welfare project. The guys breed elephants to counteract the shrinking number of Asian elephants. 

Walk with these gentle giants in beautiful Chiang Mai weather and catch that late-afternoon sunlight drizzling over the dense rainforest. As you soak up the soothing atmosphere of exotic birds twittering happily in the trees, you’ll recharge your batteries and learn about how the guides care for the elephants. 

To ensure you’ll only leave a heavy footprint on your heart while hiking for two hours and not the natural environment, the Thai Elephant Home maintains trekking trails in the jungle. After the walking tour, the guides will let you feed these adorable giants. If you get lucky, they will express their gratitude by kissing you with their trunks.

 

Pamper Yourself at Time to Massage 

What to do in Chiang Mai at the end of this fun-filled day? A nap during a soothing oil massage in a private room is an absolute lifesaver. Joking aside, the experience at ‘Time to Massage’ is pure bliss.

Imagine that feeling of warm coconut oil applied to your skin. You can tell the therapist to use light, medium, or firm pressure to suit your needs. With TAGTHAi, you can also book a Thai massage in the app and let the therapists squeeze and rub your body to ease tension. A Thai massage is one of the many pleasant things to do in Chiang Mai you get in a few clicks. Enjoy!