When to Visit Northern Thailand?
The best time to visit Northern Thailand is from November to January when the weather is cooler and less humid due to Thailand's northern climate, making it much more enjoyable to explore the beautiful outdoors of Thailand.
That said, Thailand has suffered a lot from air pollution in recent years due to the burning season, and it is extremely prevalent during Thailand's winter period (December - March). So, even though the weather is cooler, your visibility might not be the best. Be sure to buy a face mask if you decide to visit Thailand during this time.
March and April are the hottest and most humid periods of the year, so if you can't handle the heat, avoid visiting during this time. The air quality may be slightly better during this period, but it's not guaranteed.
All the other months are considered to be part of the rainy season. Although the weather is more manageable than in the summer months, you can expect a significant amount of rain, which might limit your enjoyment of outdoor activities. However, it's worth noting that the air quality during this time should be better due to the rain.
As you can see, the traditional best time to visit Thailand was during its wintertime. However, with the worsening air quality, travelers now face a choice between good weather with poor air quality or vice versa. If you're looking for the best of both worlds, November to December is probably your best bet.
How to Get to Northern Thailand?
Getting to Bangkok
This itinerary begins in Chiang Mai, the largest city in Northern Thailand. In order to get here, you will have to first travel to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Thankfully, Bangkok is a large travel hub in the region, so you should have no trouble finding a flight from your home country to Suvarnabhumi International Airport or Don Muang International Airport (budget airlines only) in Thailand.
From the US, unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Chiang Mai or Bangkok. So, you will have to rely on transit flights by Emirates, Qatar, or Turkish Airlines from the East Coast or ANA Airlines or Korean Air from the West Coast.
From Europe, you can fly from the most popular European hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Thai Airways or local carriers such as British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa to Bangkok. Then, you can fly domestically to Chiang Mai. Alternatively, you can choose to go with Etihad, Qatar, or Emirates if you don't mind transiting.
From within Asia, there are several low-cost airlines offering various routes from many hub cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Jakarta to Chiang Mai that transit through Bangkok. AirAsia and Thai Lion Air are excellent low-cost options, and they also provide direct routes from places like China to Chiang Mai.
To find a cheap flight to Bangkok, I would recommend that you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.
Getting from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
By Air: The fastest way to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is to fly from Don Muang Airport to Chiang Mai International Airport using one of the many low-cost airlines in Thailand.
For AirAsia, there are over 13 flights per day and they can cost as low as 492 THB, which is even cheaper than taking a bus or a train. Thai Lion Air and Nok Air also offer this route, so be sure to check them out too. You can book the flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here.
By Bus: If you are not in a rush, you can also take a bus from Morchit Bus Terminal in Bangkok, and it will take approximately 10 hours to reach Chiang Mai Bus Terminal Arcade 2. The bus departs from Morchit Bus Terminal every hour from 5:30 to 22:00, and the cost is expected to be around 400 - 800 THB per person.
If you are looking to reserve a seat for your bus to Chiang Mai, you can book here: Book a bus ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
By Train: You can also take a train from Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok to Chiang Mai Train Station, which can take anywhere from 11-15 hours. It is a long ride, and you are not even saving that much as the price for a ticket is about 400-500 THB. There are 7 trains running between the two stations from 08:30 to 22:00 every day.
To book a train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, you can book here: Book a train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
How to Get from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal to Your Accommodation?
Chiang Mai is massive and extremely crowded, so the easiest way to get from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal Arcade 2 to your accommodation is to hail a taxi with Grab, a ride-hailing app in Thailand, available on both Android and iOS.
It should cost around 100-120 THB to get from the bus terminal to the city center, and depending on the traffic, it could take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to arrive.
How to Get Around Northern Thailand?
By Air: This is the fastest way to get from anywhere in Thailand to Northern Thailand. There are many low-cost airlines, such as AirAsia and Nok Air, that operate across the country via Bangkok, and they are often very affordable and fly frequently every day. If you are in a rush, I recommend flying straight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and beginning this itinerary from there.
To book a flight in Thailand, you can do so with the link here: Book a flight in Thailand.
By Bus/Train: The bus and train coverage in Northern Thailand is pretty abysmal, with buses only connecting between big cities and the train only going as far as Chiang Mai. Therefore, you won't be able to rely on them for this itinerary.
By Motorbike: One of the cheapest ways to get around Northern Thailand is to rent a motorbike from Chiang Mai for the entire duration of this itinerary and drive all over the region. It is not as expensive as renting a car, and you get the freedom of being able to visit the tourist attractions you might come across along the way.
That said, I do not recommend this unless you are a strong motorbike driver and you know what you are getting yourself into. Northern Thailand is extremely mountainous, and you will often be driving up and down mountains along some of the curviest roads in Thailand. Additionally, you will be covering great distances every day, and you might not enjoy it as much after the first few days.
To rent a motorbike in Chiang Mai, I recommend you rent it from Mr. Mechanic, a motorbike rental shop that offers a wide range of motorbike options for you to choose from.
For a 150 cc motorbike, the rent should be around 500 THB per day. You can also get a 200-250 cc motorbike for 700 THB or more from Mr. Mechanic. I highly recommend getting a motorbike with a 150 cc engine or higher to tackle the mountain roads in Northern Thailand.
By Car: Renting a car from Chiang Mai and driving around Northern Thailand is the best way to go, in my opinion. You can cover long distances, allowing you to visit more remote places, safely, and much more comfortably than renting a motorbike.
You can rent a car directly from Chiang Mai Airport for around 700 - 1500 THB per day. A regular car is sufficient. There is no need to rent a 4WD car as the road is in good condition and we won't be going off-road in this itinerary. To rent a car in Northern Thailand, you can book through here:
How Much Money Do I Need For in Northern Thailand?
Based on this two-week itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending in Northern Thailand as follows:
Accommodation: For 14 days in Northern Thailand, you can expect to pay a minimum of around 280 USD for accommodation.
Food: Food costs about 60 THB minimum in Thailand on average, so you can expect to pay around 2,520 THB (72 USD) for 14 days.
Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay approximately 18,000 THB (515 USD) for transportation, including car rental and gas for 15 days. This does not include a flight/train/bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Activities: Depending on how many day trips and activities you want to do, you can expect to pay around 1,500 THB (43 USD) for most activities you might do in Northern Thailand in 14 days.
Total Budget for 14 days in Northern Thailand: 910 USD (31,805 THB)
Is it Safe in Northern Thailand?
Although Thailand is generally safe and the people are friendly, it is always a good idea to second-guess people who approach you and try to offer something that seems too good to be true, as it probably is. That is a sure way to avoid any scam attempts from tuk-tuk/taxi drivers or other scammers who might approach you. It often happens in big tourist cities like Chiang Mai, so please keep that in mind while you are there.
And, as always, please exercise precautions like you would when traveling in any foreign country. Do not leave your belongings unattended and watch out for your belongings at all times.
Also, if you are planning to ride a scooter around in places like Chiang Mai or Pai, always wear your helmet and, ideally, cover yourself because accidents do happen. And when they do, they are never pretty, especially if you wear tank tops and shorts.
Be extra careful if you plan to ride a motorbike or a car around the Mae Hong Son Loop, which also includes Pai. The road is notoriously dangerous with more than 1,800 curves, going up and down mountains, so please be extra careful there.
And, since this is the Thai road we are talking about, it is my duty as a Thai to warn you that we are not the best drivers in the world. The roads are great throughout, but we sometimes drive like maniacs, so make sure to be extra careful when you are on the road.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Northern Thailand?
There are 3 major carriers in Thailand: AIS, DTAC, and True. All of them offer a pretty similar range of traveler's packages as well as coverage. Personally, I use AIS as I have been with them since my first phone. They have a lot of Support Centers around Thailand, and their coverage hasn't failed me yet. So, if you are looking for a reliable carrier, I can recommend AIS.
There are 3 packages for tourists: 5 GB for 5 days at 160 THB, 15 GB for 8 days at 299 THB, and 30 GB for 15 days. Depending on the length of your trip to Thailand, you can choose one of these 3 packages that best suits your itinerary.
With these three packages, you can top up more if you need additional data or calls for your trip. More often than not, 5 GB is more than enough for me to travel around Thailand for a month.
For more information about Thailand's local SIM card: Thailand's Prepaid Data SIM Card.
Tips: To stay connected with your loved ones at home, make sure to have a VPN service like NordVPN installed before traveling. This will help you bypass any local Internet censorship you may encounter while in Thailand.
What to Pack for Thailand?
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Northern Thailand:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Northern Thailand in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.
