Chiang Mai was like a second, second home for me while in Thailand. From my apartment, it took 40 minutes by motorbike to get to the city, so I spent lots of time there. From Chiang Mai you can grab a songthaew to elephant sanctuaries, waterfalls, and hill tribe villages, but there is also so much to do in the city itself.
The walkable Old City is surrounded by a canal and large stone gates. Inside are countless street food vendors, restaurants, massage parlors, and beautiful temples. Outside of the Old City are bustling neighborhoods, like the expat-filled Nimman, bar streets like Loi Kroh Road, and the nightly Bazaar. In Chiang Mai, I spent nights drinking at the tourist-famous Zoe In Yellow bar hub, took cooking classes, and sipped coffee and bubble tea at trendy, hipster cafes.
Chiang Mai has the best markets in Thailand (according to me). There’s the huge nightly bazaar just East of the Old City, Wararos Market in Chinatown, the Saturday night walking street south of the Old City, and, most famous (for good reason because it’s epic), the Sunday walking street from the center of the Old City to the East Gate.
There are tons of temples to walk to in Chiang Mai. My favorite are Wat Pra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang. The most famous temple is Wat Doi Suthep, which is on a little mountain and overlooks the city.
The pretty streets! 
Red songthaews everywhere. 
The canal surrounding the city. 
Taking a break at the park 
Birds eye view of the city 
Me at Doi Suthep 
Zoe in Yellow 
A bridge across the canal 
Wararos Market 
Inside Wararos Market 
The Night Bazaar 
The famous ladyboy cabaret show at the Night Bazaar 
Wat Pra Singh 
A chedi at Wat Pra Singh 
Inside Wat Chedi Luang 
The impressive pagoda at Wat Chedi Luang 
Even partially ruined, the pagoda at Wat Chedi Luang is really impressive 
Artwork at the Sunday Walking Street
😀