No one pays to be recommended here, and we say when a free or cheaper option wins. Our promise →
In this guide14 sections
- The short answer
- Chiang Mai’s hotel bill: the “++”
- Getting in from the airport, and around
- The burning season: check the air
- The Old City: temples on foot
- Nimman: cafés, malls and design hotels
- Riverside and Wat Gate: the Ping River side
- Night Bazaar and Chang Klan: a market at the door
- Santitham: a budget base
- Mae Rim: a resort in the paddies
- How to book Chiang Mai
- All 12 at a glance
- Before you go
- Frequently asked questions
Chiang Mai hotels often quote a price with “++” after it, and the plus signs are money: a service charge of usually 10%, then 7% VAT on top of that, about 17.7% in all. On a room quoted at 3,000 baht that is 531 baht a night before you reach the lobby. There is no tourist entry fee to add yet: the plan for 300 baht on air arrivals has been replaced by a 450-baht proposal that is not in force. Chiang Mai has no beach to plan around, so where you sleep decides how you reach the temples and the cafés, and in the burning season it matters what the air has been doing.
This guide covers six areas, from the Old City to Mae Rim, 12 hotels, the airport buses and the bill. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in October 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.
The short answer
| If you want… | Stay in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| a first trip on foot | The Old City | Rachamankha says four notable temples are within easy walking distance of its door |
| cafés, malls and design hotels | Nimman | U Nimman’s own listing gives it direct access to the One Nimman complex |
| a historic house or the river | Riverside and Wat Gate | A restored teak mansion and a resort on the Mae Ping |
| a night market at the door | Night Bazaar and Chang Klan | The airport shuttle’s A2 route serves hotels on Chang Klan Road |
| a budget base away from the visitor streets | Santitham | B2 lists Nimmanhaemin 1.5 km away |
| a resort among rice paddies | Mae Rim | The Four Seasons says it is 30 minutes from downtown |
Not sure which area? Rank these areas for your trip: pick what matters and see the reasons.
Chiang Mai’s hotel bill: the “++”
A price quoted with “++” leaves out two charges, and Thai hotels add them in this order:
| Charge | Rate | Applied to |
|---|---|---|
| Service charge, the hotel’s own | usually 10% | The room rate |
| VAT, the reduced rate, local tax included | 7% until 30 September 2027 | The room rate plus the service charge |
| Together | about 17.7% | The quoted room rate |
| Tourist entry fee | Not in force | Nothing yet |
The Revenue Department announced on 27 July 2026 that the cabinet had approved extending the 7% VAT rate, which includes the local tax, from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027. Its VAT guide defines the tax base as the total value received for a service, fees included, which is why VAT is worked out on the room rate plus the service charge. The service charge is the hotel’s own, so check it on your booking. Dusit Princess Chiang Mai’s site, for example, quotes a dinner as “THB 655++” per person, but its room page says only “Start from 2,500 THB”, so ask for the final total.
Here is the arithmetic for a room quoted at “3,000++” (our arithmetic, not a hotel’s quote):
| Line | Baht |
|---|---|
| Room rate quoted as 3,000++ | 3,000 |
| Service charge, 10% | 300 |
| Subtotal | 3,300 |
| VAT, 7% of 3,300 | 231 |
| Total for one night | 3,531 |
Three nights come to 10,593 baht, not 9,000.
On the entry fee: Thailand’s plan for 300 baht on air arrivals and 150 baht by land and sea was replaced by a proposal, set out in a government notice of 17 August 2026, for a flat 450 baht a person for foreign visitors however they arrive. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports was then preparing a public hearing. On the ministry’s timetable, air arrivals would pay from 180 days after the announcement appears in the Royal Gazette, and land and sea arrivals about 360 days after that. We found no Gazette announcement by 19 October 2026, so no entry fee applies to an October 2026 trip.
Getting in from the airport, and around
Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) is close to the centre, and the hotels give short times: Rachamankha says 8 minutes, Tamarind Village and Anantara 15, Night Bazaar Inn 20. Airports of Thailand lists these ways into town:
- By RTC Chiang Mai City Bus, the fare is 30 baht a trip, short or long. The R3 Red Line stops at the airport, Wualai Road, Chiang Mai Gate, Pantip Plaza (Night Bazaar), Tha Pae Gate, Chang Phuak Gate and Nimmanhaemin; the Yellow Line covers Nimmanhaemin, Chang Phuak Gate, Warorot Market and the Night Bazaar. The airport lists it as running from 7:00 am to midnight, from outside the terminal.
- By Airport Shuttle Bus, route A1 (Nimmanhaemin Road, Huay Kaew Road and the city moat) and route A2 (Mahidol Road, the Night Bazaar and hotels on Chang Klan Road) cost 40 baht each; route A3 (Second Ring Road and the 700th Anniversary Stadium) costs 60 baht. The airport lists the shuttle at the international arrivals area, from 7:00 am to midnight, and tells you to check fares and routes before you travel.
- By taxi, the Taxi Meter service is a metered ride with a 50-baht gratuity added, under a Ministry of Transport announcement, from Entrance 1 of the main terminal, listed from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. A separate Airport Taxi counter at Entrance 1 sells flat-rate rides; the airport’s page gives no fares.
- By Grab, the airport lists Grab Taxi, Grab Car and Just Grab, which must use the designated pick-up and drop-off points, and shows the service as open around the clock.
Our Chiang Mai first-timer’s guide covers the red songthaew trucks and Grab around town.
The burning season: check the air
Our first-timer’s guide treats March and April as the burning season, when agricultural smoke can blanket the valley, and it is a booking question as much as a health one. The Pollution Control Department’s Chiang Mai office publishes a daily PM2.5 summary for Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun and Mae Hong Son, and points readers to Air4Thai for daily readings. Its summary for 31 March 2026 gave 24-hour readings of 66.9 to 330.2 micrograms per cubic metre across the four provinces, against a 24-hour standard of 37.5. In Mueang Chiang Mai district it listed 70.1 at Si Phum, the sub-district in Tamarind Village’s address, 104.6 at Chang Phueak, where B2 is, and 78.1 at Suthep, where the Nimman hotels are. In those months choose a flexible rate and look at Air4Thai before you fly.
The Old City: temples on foot
The Old City is the walled centre. Rachamankha, which sits beside Wat Phra Singh, says the walled city holds 33 functioning temples and that four of notable interest are within easy walking distance of its door. Tamarind Village is on Ratchadamnoen Road, which our first-timer’s guide describes as the street the Sunday Walking Street takes over. The hotels here are small: 25 rooms at Rachamankha, 46 at Tamarind Village. Our things to do in Chiang Mai covers the temples.
Where to stay in the Old City
How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
- Rachamankha, splurge. At 9 Phra Singh, next to Wat Phra Singh, with 25 rooms and suites in pavilions around colonnaded courtyards, a 20-metre pool and a library of more than 2,000 books. Choose it for quiet beside the temple. Watch out: its site lists no room sizes, so ask before you book. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Tamarind Village, comfortable. At 50/1 Rajdamnoen Road, with 41 guest rooms and 5 suites around flower-filled courtyards. The hotel puts it 15 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from the Night Bazaar. Choose it for courtyards in the Old City. Watch out: the hotel accepts children aged six and over only. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Stamps Backpackers, budget. A social hostel at 1/11 Chaiyapoom Road with pod-style dorms, from a five-bed air-conditioned dorm to an eight-bed fan dorm, and a female dorm option; every bed has a locker, a power outlet and a reading light. The hostel says it is just outside the Old City’s northeast corner, an 8-minute walk from Phae Gate. Choose it to save money. Watch out: it is dorm beds only, the air-conditioning in the air-con dorms runs from 6 pm to 11 am, and the key and towel each need a 200-baht deposit. Check rates on Booking.com →
Nimman: cafés, malls and design hotels
Nimman is the modern side of town west of the moat. Our first-timer’s guide lists specialty coffee, the One Nimman courtyard and the Maya mall. The airport shuttle’s A1 route runs along Nimmanhaemin Road, and the RTC bus lists a Nimmanhaemin stop on both lines. By their addresses, all three hotels here are in the Suthep sub-district: one at Soi 3, one at Soi 12 and one at the Nimmanhaemin Road intersection.
Where to stay in Nimman
- U Nimman Chiang Mai, comfortable. At 1 Nimmanhaemin Road, with 147 rooms, a rooftop pool, a gym and free bikes. The Deluxe Room is 32 sq m with a balcony, in king or twin. Choose it for a full hotel; its listing gives direct access to One Nimman. Watch out: a third adult in a room is charged an extra 1,000 baht net, by the hotel’s room page. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Art Mai Gallery Hotel, good value. At 21 Soi 3 Nimmanhaemin Road, a hotel dedicated to Thai artists, with art on themed floors from Op Art and Pop Art to Lanna Romantic, a rooftop pool, a gym, underground parking and the Jarid restaurant. Choose it for the art. Watch out: one themed floor is nude art, so look at which floor you are given if you travel with children. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Kantary Hills Hotel, comfortable. At 44 Nimmanhaemin Road, Soi 12, with studio suites of 46 to 54 sq m with a separate living area, one-bedroom suites of 61 to 76 sq m with a washing machine, and a pool. Choose it for space on a longer stay. Watch out: the site lists suites and apartments only, with no standard room, so check which unit type you are booking. Check rates on Booking.com →
Riverside and Wat Gate: the Ping River side
Both hotels here are on the Ping River side, east of the Old City: 137 Pillars House in the Wat Gate district, by its Nawatgate Road address, and Anantara on the river bank, by its own account. This is the choice if the hotel is part of the trip, and you will ride into the Old City.
Where to stay by the river
- 137 Pillars House, splurge. At 2 Soi 1, Nawatgate Road, a 30-suite hotel in a restored teakwood residence built in the late 1800s as part of the Borneo Company headquarters. Suites run from 70 sq m to 135 sq m, and the largest, the Louis Leonowens Suite, has a private pool. Choose it for the history. Watch out: it is suites only, and its non-refundable direct rate has to be booked at least 10 days ahead. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Anantara Chiang Mai Resort, splurge. On the banks of the Mae Ping River, with 52 rooms, 34 suites and 25 serviced suites; the Deluxe Room is 50 sq m with a balcony or terrace. Its dining centres on the 1921 House, formerly the British consulate, and river cruises leave from its private pier. Choose it for the river and the heritage house. Watch out: it is a river-bank resort, not a walk to the Old City’s temples. Check rates on Booking.com →
Night Bazaar and Chang Klan: a market at the door
Chang Klan Road is the Night Bazaar side of town. The airport shuttle’s A2 route lists the Night Bazaar and hotels on Chang Klan Road, and both RTC bus lines stop at the Night Bazaar, so this is the easiest area to reach from the airport without a taxi.
Where to stay near the Night Bazaar
- Dusit Princess Chiang Mai, comfortable. At 112 Chang Klan Road, with an outdoor pool, a gym and the Jasmine restaurant for Chinese and Cantonese food. The Deluxe Room is 32 sq m, the Premier 46 sq m and the One Bedroom Suite 60 sq m. Choose it for a conventional hotel. Watch out: the Superior Room’s page gives its size as both 26 and 28 sq m, so ask which it is. Check rates on Booking.com →
- Night Bazaar Inn, good value. At 9 Charoenprathet Road, Soi 6, a 50-room hotel in modern Lanna style with a rooftop bar, a pool, a restaurant and a library; the hotel says it is 20 minutes from the international airport. Choose it for a modest room. Watch out: its site lists no room sizes, and it is on a side lane, Soi 6. Check rates on Booking.com →
Santitham: a budget base
Santitham is a local district rather than a visitor one. B2 Santitham’s own list puts Nimmanhaemin 1.5 km away, Chiang Mai Zoo 3.2 km and the Sunday Walking Street 4.1 km, so the Old City is a ride, not a walk.
Where to stay in Santitham
- B2 Santitham Boutique & Budget Hotel, budget. At 43 Taeparak Road, with 21 sq m rooms for two in four types, a 24-hour front desk and a car park. Choose it to save money and keep a car. Watch out: B2’s own score card gives Food & Beverage 6, the lowest of its ten category scores, so plan to eat out. Check rates on Booking.com →
Mae Rim: a resort in the paddies
Mae Rim is a valley outside the city. The Four Seasons says its resort is 30 minutes from downtown Chiang Mai and gives the airport as 35 km and 30 to 45 minutes by car. It suits a stay in which the resort is the destination.
Where to stay in Mae Rim
- Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, splurge. At 502 Moo 1, Mae Rim-Samoeng Old Road, with Lanna-style pavilions and private pool villas among rice paddies and mountains. The Pool Villa is 403 sq m, with a private pool, for two adults. Choose it for a resort stay. Watch out: the hotel gives no airport transfer price online: the concierge arranges it and quotes on request. Check rates on Booking.com →
How to book Chiang Mai
- Count the “++”. Add 17.7% to every quoted room rate: 3,000 baht becomes 3,531.
- Watch the burning season. In March and April, check Air4Thai and choose a rate you can cancel.
- Watch the festival dates. Stamps Backpackers lists the Yi Peng Lantern Festival as 24 to 25 November 2026 and says its direct-booking discount code is not valid at festivals, so do not count on that discount then.
- Check room sizes. Some sites give two sizes or none. Ask.
- Compare totals. Hotel booking sites compared goes through where to book.
All 12 at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Tier | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rachamankha | Old City | Splurge | Quiet beside Wat Phra Singh | No room sizes listed |
| Tamarind Village | Old City | Comfortable | Courtyards in the centre | Children six and over only |
| Stamps Backpackers | Old City | Budget | A social hostel on a budget | Dorm beds only |
| U Nimman Chiang Mai | Nimman | Comfortable | A full hotel by One Nimman | Third-adult charge |
| Art Mai Gallery Hotel | Nimman | Good value | Art and cafés | A nude-art floor |
| Kantary Hills Hotel | Nimman | Comfortable | Space and a washing machine | Suites only |
| 137 Pillars House | Riverside | Splurge | Heritage teak suites | Suites only |
| Anantara Chiang Mai Resort | Riverside | Splurge | The river and the 1921 House | Not a walk to the Old City |
| Dusit Princess Chiang Mai | Night Bazaar | Comfortable | A conventional hotel by the market | Two Superior sizes listed |
| Night Bazaar Inn | Night Bazaar | Good value | A modest room by the market | No room sizes listed |
| B2 Santitham Boutique & Budget Hotel | Santitham | Budget | Saving money with a car park | Food & Beverage scored lowest |
| Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai | Mae Rim | Splurge | A pool villa in the paddies | 35 km from the airport |
Before you go
- Before you fly, sort out mobile data (the best eSIM for Thailand) and cover (the best travel insurance).
- Planning more of Thailand? See our Thailand 10-day itinerary, where to stay in Bangkok and where to stay in Phuket.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best area to stay in Chiang Mai for a first trip?
The Old City. Rachamankha, beside Wat Phra Singh, says the walled city holds 33 functioning temples and that four of notable interest are within easy walking distance of its door. Choose Nimman for cafés and malls, the river side for a historic house, the Night Bazaar for a market at the door and Mae Rim for a resort.
What does “++” mean on a Chiang Mai hotel price?
It means two charges are still to be added: usually a 10% service charge, then 7% VAT on the room rate plus the service charge, about 17.7% in all. A room quoted at 3,000++ costs 3,531 baht a night: 3,000, plus 300 for service, plus 231 VAT. The service charge is the hotel's own, so check it on your booking.
Is there a tourist entry fee for Thailand in 2026?
Not yet. The plan for 300 baht on air arrivals was replaced by a proposal, in a government notice of 17 August 2026, for a flat 450 baht a person for foreign visitors. On the ministry's timetable air arrivals would pay from 180 days after a Royal Gazette announcement, and we found none by 19 October 2026.
How do you get from Chiang Mai airport to the city?
Airports of Thailand lists the RTC Chiang Mai City Bus at 30 baht a trip, and an Airport Shuttle Bus at 40 baht on routes A1 (Nimmanhaemin Road and the city moat) and A2 (the Night Bazaar and Chang Klan Road hotels) and 60 baht on route A3. It also lists metered taxis from Entrance 1, with a 50-baht gratuity added, flat-rate Airport Taxi counters, and Grab at designated pick-up points.
Is Chiang Mai's burning season a reason to change a booking?
It can be. Our first-timer's guide treats March and April as the burning season. The Pollution Control Department's Chiang Mai office reported 24-hour PM2.5 of 66.9 to 330.2 micrograms per cubic metre across four northern provinces on 31 March 2026, against a standard of 37.5. In those months choose a flexible rate and check Air4Thai before you fly.
How far is Mae Rim from Chiang Mai airport?
The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, in Mae Rim, says it is 30 minutes from downtown Chiang Mai and gives the airport as 35 km and 30 to 45 minutes by car. Its concierge arranges transfers and quotes the price on request.
Sources & further reading
- Revenue Department: press release 18/2569, VAT at 7% extended to 30 September 2027 (PDF)
- Revenue Department: Value Added Tax, rate and tax base
- Royal Thai Government PR Department: the proposed 450-baht tourism fee, 17 August 2026
- Airports of Thailand, Chiang Mai: transportation
- Airports of Thailand, Chiang Mai: RTC Chiang Mai City Bus
- Airports of Thailand, Chiang Mai: Airport Shuttle Bus
- Airports of Thailand, Chiang Mai: Taxi Meter
- Airports of Thailand, Chiang Mai: Airport Taxi
- Airports of Thailand, Chiang Mai: Grab Taxi
- Pollution Control Department, Environmental and Pollution Control Office 1 (Chiang Mai): PM2.5 summary for 31 March 2026 (Thai)
- Air4Thai, Pollution Control Department
- Official websites of each hotel named above, checked in October 2026
Prices, fares and hotel terms change. Every detail here was checked in October 2026; confirm rates, room types and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.
Keep reading on Gently Yonder
- Chiang Mai: A First-Timer's Guide Old City temples, Doi Suthep, ethical elephant sanctuaries, and khao soi.
- Hotel Booking Sites Compared Hotels.com, Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda — what each is genuinely good for.
- Best eSIM for Thailand (2026) Coverage across Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the islands, and how much data you'll need.