A mountainous city shrouded in history and surrounded by mountains and jungles, there are so many Chiang Mai hidden gems to discover. From small villages to incredible venues centered around interesting themes, lots of the hidden gems in Chiang Mai will truly ‘ wow’ you.
I set out to discover as many of these unique things to do in Chaing Mai as I could during my few days there, and I was impressed with what I found. I was able to make it to most of these in two days, but I have no doubt I could have discovered more if I was there longer. Check the end for this article in video form, showing my experience from exploring all of these places.
Planning a Trip to These Chiang Mai Hidden Gems
While living in Australia, I flew direct to Bangkok from Sydney with AirAsia for a weeklong trip that I packed a LOT of activities into – 3 days in Bangkok and 4 in Chaing Mai and Pai.
Learn about:
- The perfect one day in Chiang Mai
- Taking a scooter road trip from Chiang Mai to Pai
- Hidden gems in Thailand
- hidden gems in Bangkok.
Baan Kang Wat Artists Village – Local Artisan Shops + Workshops
The Baan Kang Wat Artists Village is located up in the hills to the West of the city. This is no normal market; it’s a big leafy area full of tiny artist shops and stalls, most of which offer workshops and classes throughout the day.
You can pass by a painting studio, a sculpting class, a jewelry shop, and stalls selling unique art pieces you can browse through and buy. Try a local tea and explore around the small central amphitheater that hosts performances.
This is truly a local Chiang Mai hidden gem that gives visitors the opportunity to peer inside the world of local Chiang Mai art that is different from anything you can buy in souvenir shops. To truly make the most of your visit, sign up for a workshop when you arrive.
Much Room Cafe – Woodsy and Beautiful Hidden Gem Cafe
Much Room Cafe is a simply adorable indoor and outdoor cafe outside the city with interesting and whimsical decor. Inside, there are murals on the wall and white flowers hanging off fake trees. Outside, there are tons of shades tables under a thick and leafy canopy.
The whole building is reminiscent of two mushrooms, with a rooftop area full of decorative pillows which is open to the breeze. There’s also a meeting/event building on-site and so many beautiful gardens.
The food here is quite interesting – they have coffee, but not many breakfast-y options. I got a quiche, which was delicious! Come here for coffee, cake, and sweets first and foremost, but they also have some savory options with a lot of different curries and rice dishes.
Wat Pha Lat Temple in Doi Suthep National Park – Hidden Gem Temple via Monk’s Trail Hike
Many people visit Doi Suthep National Park as one of the top things to do in Chaing Mai – specifically, the Wat Phra That Temple. But if you are looking to go a bit farther beyond the guidebook in Chiang Mai (and get some exercise too), hike the Monk’s Trail up to the Wat Pha Lat Temple.
The Trailhead is visible on Google maps as “Wat Pha Lat Hike (Monk’s Trail),” and there is space for parking there. The whole hike is a lot quicker than I expected – it only takes about half an hour to reach the top up an average incline.
The temple area is beautiful, with a river crossing in front and lots of shaded places to sit and enjoy the view. It’s a great way to start your day in nature in Chiang Mai.
Carp Cafe – Tables Submerged in a Carp Pond
If you are looking for one of the most unique cafe’s around, look no further than carp cafe. This cafe has an incredible atmosphere and dozens of colorful fish who swim by your table, which is set down within the most elaborate pond. The carp have free reign of the pond and seem to enjoy their unique habitat while presenting patrons with an interesting dining experience.
Carp Cafe has flowers, trees, mist machines, waterfalls, flowers, and more, making you feel like you have truly stepped into a rainforest. One of the most interesting parts of the cafe (which people loved in my tiktok video above) is that the pond extends to the toilets where the fish can see you doing your business 😛
Carp Cafe has a lot of classic Thai and Asian food and drink items on the menu – I had a coconut and thai beef basil with rice. And no, I don’t think fish is on the menu! 😛
Chiang Mai Grand Canyon – for a Dip in the Water or a Full-on Water Park!
The Grand Canyon is not as much of a Chiang Mai hidden gem as it used to be – in fact, it’s gotten quite touristy – but I had to mention it as many don’t know there are actually TWO grand canyons to visit. Located about 30 minutes from the city, this is a very unique place to have a dip during the hot days in Chiang Mai.
The original Grand Canyon is much cheaper to get into, and offers a no-frills swimming experience inside the unique watering hole. You can jump in the water off the cliffs or walk down and enjoy a swim surrounded by cliffs. You can also grab food at the top.
The newer Grand Canyon, searchable as “Grand Canyon Water Park,” is truly a water park and mre. This bigger section of the Grand Canyon has huge inflatable courses as well as games, water guns, slides, and so much more. There are also about a dozen little stalls on the way down where you can eat or rent water equipment.
Mo Rooms Art Hotel – 12 rooms modeled after different signs of the Chinese Zodiac
I absolutely adored this unique art hotel just outside the main Gate of Chiang Mai’s old city. Mo Rooms would be easy to miss from the street, as it has a small leafy entryway with the main building set back from the road.
But, you are sure to be impressed when you enter and see the off-kilter and edgy concrete building covered in thought-provoking art and sculpture. The most impressive part of this hotel is definitely the rooms, however. You must choose wisely which room you book, because they are all completely different and modeled after different signs of the Chinese Zodiac – dragon, snake, goat, dog, etc.
As I was creating content, I asked the manager to show me a few of the rooms and I loved every single one – see them in the video above. I stayed in the Horse room and LOVED the interesting branched design, and my other favorites were snake, dog, and I was very close to staying in Monkey. See for yourself and book below!
The Giant Treehouse Chiang Mai – Sit suspended over the jungle in an Ancient tree!
The Giant Treehouse Chiang Mai is an impressive treehouse restaurant in the jungle outside Chiang Mai, Thailand. This one is about an hour and a half to drive to, so make sure to leave early or perhaps plan a night out in the jungle in this area – there are unique hotels around and even some rooms at the treehouse.
I spoke with a staff member who reckons the tree is over 1000 years old, which is mind-blowing if true. The tree surely is massive, ne of the biggest I have seen before.
There are plenty of tables here at this cafe, which serves coffees, teas, cakes, and hot dishes. As long as you arrive at or before lunch time (I did not), you can order a variety of dishes like pork chops, spaghetti, curry, and sausage.
Huey Tueng Thao Reservoir – Beautiful Chiang Mai Hidden Gem Lake
The Huay Tueng Thao Reservoir is a beautiful lake area to relax, eat, and even zip line or check out the massive unique animal sculptures at the far end. This is a hidden gem for tourists, but a popular local hangout spot to relax in the shade with some cold drinks on a hot day.
The Reservoir is surrounded by mountains and plenty of hiking and biking trails, and even a ziplining course for the adventurous ones. To relax, this spot has restaurants with thatched tables on the water surrounding much of the lake edge. You can quite literally dangle your feet over the water and enjoy a fresh coconut or cocktail.
The most ‘hidden gem’ part of the Huay Tueng Thao Reservoir are the interesting, massive animal sculptures at the end of the lake. Wander past huge monkeys, lions, deer, and more animal sculptures made from thatched leaves. These are a fantastic photo op!
Chiang Mai Hidden Gems – Video
My tiktok of these hidden gems in Chiang Mai went quite viral, so I decided to share in in my article too. Leave a comment and let me know you came from the blog!
Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.