Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai With Kids: A 3-Day Northern Thailand Itinerary

Planning a trip to northern Thailand with kids can feel overwhelming. Most itineraries focus on either Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, but if you're willing to move around a little, it's entirely possible to experience the highlights of both in just a few days.

Quick Answer: Can You Visit Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in 3 Days With Kids?

Yes, but with travel time either side.

Our itinerary looked like this:

• Day 0: Arrive in Chiang Mai and drive to Chiang Rai

• Day 1: White Temple, Blue Temple, Lalitta Café, Giant Buddha and Red Temple, followed by an afternoon at The Riverie Chiang Rai

• Day 2: Drive to Chiang Mai, explore the city, temples, viewpoints and local markets

• Day 3: Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park, including waterfalls, Twin Pagodas and Thailand's highest mountain

• Day 4: Continue onwards to your next Thailand destination (for us, Phuket)

We spent 3 full days plus a travel day exploring Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai with our 8-year-old son and found it was enough time to see the major highlights without feeling constantly rushed. The key is focusing on the attractions that genuinely work for families rather than trying to see everything.

This itinerary is designed for families planning a short northern Thailand adventure as part of a wider Thailand trip. I'll share exactly how we structured our time, where we stayed, what we'd prioritise again, and how you can adapt the itinerary depending on your children's ages and interests.

If you're still deciding whether to include both destinations, read Chiang Mai vs Chiang Rai With Kids: Which City Is Better for Families? first. I explain the differences between the two destinations and which type of family traveller each one suits best.

For the bigger picture, including budgets, transport, hotel recommendations and how northern Thailand fits into a wider route through Thailand, see How to plan a Family Trip to Thailand.

Just a quick note: some links throughout this guide are affiliate links. This doesn't affect the price you pay, and we only recommend hotels, tours and travel services we've personally used or would happily book ourselves.

Arrive in Chiang Mai and Travel to Chiang Rai

We arrived into Chiang Mai from Bangkok and immediately collected a hire car before driving to Chiang Rai.

The journey takes around 3 to 3.5 hours, and although it sounds long, we actually found it very straightforward. The roads were far better than expected and having our own car gave us much more flexibility throughout the trip.

If you're considering driving yourself, see Driving in Chiang Mai: Is It Safe, Easy and Worth It for Families?

We drove straight to The Riverie Chiang Rai, which ended up being one of our favourite hotels in Thailand.

What made it work so well for families was the balance. It felt like a quality resort while still being practical for sightseeing. The pools, waterslides, lazy river, riverside location and spacious grounds gave Joshua plenty to do after a day of exploring, while the location made it easy to reach Chiang Rai's main attractions.

If you're considering staying here, read The Riverie Chiang Rai Review

Or if you'd like to compare alternative areas and hotels first, see Where to Stay in Chiang Rai With Kids: Best Hotels Near the Main Attractions.

Day 1: Chiang Rai's Temples and Family Highlights

Our first full day in Chiang Rai ended up being one of the easiest sightseeing days of our entire Thailand trip.

What I liked most was that everything felt manageable. The attractions are close together, none of them take particularly long to visit, and there was never that feeling of constantly rushing to the next stop. For families, I think that's one of Chiang Rai's biggest strengths.

We started early and followed this route:

White Temple → Blue Temple → Lalitta Café → Giant Buddha → Red Temple → The Riverie Chiang Rai

White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)

We arrived shortly after the 8am opening time, which I'd highly recommend.

Not only was it noticeably cooler, but there were far fewer visitors than later in the day and it was much easier to take photos without crowds everywhere.

The White Temple is Chiang Rai's headline attraction and it genuinely feels different from any other temple we visited in Thailand. Josh immediately noticed the famous bridge surrounded by hundreds of reaching hands, while I was amazed by the level of detail throughout the complex.

Although it's the most famous attraction in Chiang Rai, it doesn't take as long as many people expect. We probably spent around 30–45 minutes exploring before feeling ready to move on.

Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)

The Blue Temple is much smaller, but visually it couldn't be more different.

The deep blue walls, gold detailing and giant white Buddha inside make it feel completely separate from the White Temple experience. That contrast is one of the reasons I'd recommend visiting both rather than choosing one.

It's also a very quick stop. We spent around 15–20 minutes here and never felt like we were rushing.

Lalitta Café

One of the smartest things we did all day was stopping at Lalitta Café between temple visits.

By this point we'd already seen two temples, and while Joshua was enjoying the morning, I know from experience that children can quickly get bored when every stop feels similar.

Lalitta Café completely changed the pace.

Instead of another temple, we were wandering through waterfalls, crossing bridges and feeding huge carp. Josh loved buying fish food, and if I'm being honest, feeding the fish was probably more exciting for him than at least one of the temples.

The café itself is a little touristy, but it works brilliantly as a break between attractions. The mango smoothie was excellent, the coffee was surprisingly good, and everyone left feeling refreshed rather than ready to go home.

Giant Buddha (Wat Huay Pla Kang)

The Giant Buddha was probably the attraction that surprised me most.

Although everyone calls it the Giant Buddha, it's actually a huge white statue of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Whatever you call it, the scale is genuinely impressive and it's visible from miles away.

For children, this is one of the easiest attractions to appreciate because it's simply enormous.

You can pay a small fee to take an elevator inside the statue and look out over Chiang Rai. We chose not to because we'd already spent the morning sightseeing, but it's worth considering if you'd like some extra views.

Even from the ground, it's a memorable stop and adds some welcome variety to the temple route.

Red Temple

The Red Temple was our final stop before heading back to the hotel.

Compared to the White Temple and Blue Temple, this one felt quieter and much less touristy. It's also conveniently located within the same area as the Giant Buddha, making it an easy stop to add without increasing your driving time.

By this point in the morning we'd already seen a lot, but I still thought it was worth including. The colours are striking, there was almost no walking involved and it rounded off the route nicely.

If you'd like a complete breakdown of timings, costs and what we thought of each attraction, see Chiang Rai Temples With Kids: Which Ones Are Actually Worth Visiting?

Afternoon Options

At this point you have two choices. You can continue sightseeing, or you can start enjoying what I think is one of Chiang Rai's biggest attractions: the hotels.

We chose to head back to The Riverie Chiang Rai and spend the afternoon enjoying:

• The lazy river

• Waterslides

• Poolside lunch

• Indoor play area

• Relaxed family downtime

Looking back, I think this is one of the reasons Chiang Rai worked so well for us. Joshua wasn't exhausted from a full day of sightseeing, and we weren't trying to squeeze every attraction possible into a single day.

Instead, we found a really nice balance between exploring and relaxing. If you're deciding where to stay, see Where to Stay in Chiang Rai With Kids: Best Hotels Near the Main Attractions.

Alternative Afternoon Activities

If your family still has plenty of energy, there are other attractions worth considering.

Singha Park is probably the easiest addition. Known for its giant golden Singha statue, tea plantations, cycling routes and open green spaces, it's a good option for families looking to get outdoors after the temples.

Alternatively, there's the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. It's one of northern Thailand's most famous sights and often appears on organised tours.

We chose not to include it because it would have added more driving and turned a relaxed day into a much longer one. Personally, I think families with younger children are often better off using that time to enjoy the hotel facilities instead.

Dinner at The Peak Steakhouse

That evening we stayed at the hotel and treated ourselves to dinner at The Peak, The Riverie's rooftop steakhouse.

This definitely falls into the "special occasion" category rather than the budget-friendly Thailand experience. I'd compare the prices to a decent restaurant back home in the UK.

However, the food was excellent and the views across Chiang Rai at sunset made it feel worth it. After a day of sightseeing, it was a lovely way to slow down, enjoy a good meal and appreciate just how relaxed Chiang Rai had felt compared to some of the busier parts of our Thailand trip.

By the end of Day 1 we'd seen all of Chiang Rai's headline attractions, enjoyed a family-friendly afternoon at the hotel and never once felt rushed. For me, that's exactly why Chiang Rai works so well with kids. It delivers some genuinely memorable sights without requiring the packed schedules that family travel can sometimes become.

Day 2: Travel to Chiang Mai and Explore the City

After breakfast, we drove back to Chiang Mai.

For this part of the trip we stayed at Grand Napat Serviced Apartments. The hotel is more budget-friendly than luxury resorts but offered excellent value. Having a separate bedroom and extra space made travelling with Joshua much easier. Read our full Grand Napat Serviced Apartments Chiang Mai Review.

If you're considering staying somewhere closer to the Old Town or night markets, see Where to Stay in Chiang Mai With Kids: Best Areas for First-Time Visitors.

Chiang Mai Highlights

We kept our first day fairly relaxed and focused on city sightseeing.

Popular family-friendly attractions include:

• Wat Phra Singh

• Wat Chedi Luang

• Chiang Mai Old Town

• Doi Suthep and its viewpoint

• The cable car up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

• Night markets

• Local cafés

For a full breakdown, see Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai With Kids

Evening Market

One thing we loved about Chiang Mai was how easy it was to stumble across local food. Near Grand Napat we found an excellent local night market packed with smoothie stalls, curries, grilled meats, fried chicken and local dishes. These informal food markets ended up being just as memorable as many of the major attractions.

Day 3: Doi Inthanon National Park

Our final full day was spent at Doi Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand's highest mountain. The park technically opens very early, but we aimed to arrive around 8am, which felt realistic with a child.

Key stops included:

• Wachirathan Waterfall

• Twin Pagodas

• Thailand's highest point

• Mountain viewpoints

• Nature trails

Read our full guide: Doi Inthanon With Kids: Is Thailand's Highest Mountain Worth the Trip?

Unfortunately, this was also the one day where northern Thailand's weather turned against us. Up until then we'd enjoyed excellent weather, but a storm system arrived and we experienced heavy rain for most of the day. Looking back, if I'd known the rain would be that bad, I probably would have chosen a different activity.

The waterfalls looked spectacular, but many of the mountain views disappeared into cloud and we cut our visit shorter than planned. If you're travelling during rainy season, make sure you also read Thailand Rainy Season Packing List for Families.

Thankfully, by the evening the weather had improved and we headed back out to a local market for dinner. Joshua's Oreo shake may genuinely have been his highlight of the entire day.

Day 4: Continue Your Thailand Adventure

For us, this was departure day. We flew from Chiang Mai to Phuket and continued the next stage of our Thailand itinerary. If you're planning a longer trip, see Our 2 Week Thailand Family Itinerary to see exactly how Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai fit into the bigger picture.

Final Verdict: Is 3 Days Enough for Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai With Kids?

Yes. Three days won't let you see everything, but it gives you enough time to experience the highlights of both destinations without constantly moving hotels or spending your entire trip in the car.

What worked best for us was the combination:

• Unique attractions in Chiang Rai

• Family resort downtime at The Riverie

• Markets and city life in Chiang Mai

• A nature day at Doi Inthanon

Could you skip Chiang Rai and spend all your time in Chiang Mai? Absolutely, especially if you don't want to hire a car.

Could you visit Chiang Rai on a day trip? Yes, although personally I think it would feel rushed and you'd miss much of what makes the destination enjoyable.

For families with children aged roughly 6–12 years, this itinerary struck a really good balance between sightseeing, adventure and downtime. It isn't the only way to explore northern Thailand, but if you're looking for a practical route that genuinely works for families, I'd happily recommend it.

plan your TRIP TO chiang MAI & CHIANG rai

If you’re planning your family trip to Northern Thailand, these guides will help you pull everything together:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.