12 Historical Tours in Chiang Mai Between the Moat and the Mountains

1.Historic Temples and City Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 650 reviews · 3 hours · from $21Our pick

This three-hour walking tour links Wat Chiang Man, the Three Kings Monument, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phan Tao and Wat Chedi Luang. An English-speaking local guide explains Lanna architecture, Chiang Mai’s past and Buddhist traditions. Groups are capped at 10; guides may include Jen, Pun or Danny. Bring cash for two temple tickets, and cover your shoulders and knees.

“Excellent tour. Even though taxi driver dropped me off at a wrong spot and I was late, the guide kept an eye out and I was able to rejoin tour. Very informative and relaxed. Beautiful temples, so glad I did this tour!”

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2.Historic Old City Bike Tour – Morning or Night

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 263 reviews · 4 hours · from $39

Ride 12 to 14 km through Chiang Mai’s Old City, from Tha Phae Gate to temple grounds, quiet lanes and a local market. Choose a morning ride or a cooler evening outing, with snacks, water and temple donations included. Guides such as Kitty, Mai, T and Farm have led the route, sharing local history and keeping the group together in traffic.

“An was an AWESOME guide! We had a blast on this tour, learned so much about Chiang Mai, and got a great lay of the land. If you are traveling to Chiang Mai, this tour is a MUST if you want to get aquatinted with old town! Markets, Temples, local knowledge!”

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3.Historic Old City Bike Tour – Morning or Night

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 202 reviews · from $39Top rated

Ride about 12 to 14 km through Chiang Mai’s Old City, using quieter lanes to reach temples, Tha Phae Gate, the Three Kings Monument and a local market. An English-speaking guide leads the roughly four-hour tour, with morning and night departures, water and snacks included. Guides have included Kitty, Farm, James and Gun; the route and guide may vary.

“This was an unexpectedly fun and light activity in old town Chiang Mai. Our guide was very knowledgeable and attentive, and it was a fun way to see the city.”

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4.Private Historic Old City Bike Tour – Night

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 143 reviews · 4 hours

Ride 12 to 14 km through Chiang Mai’s Old City on a private, easy-paced bike tour, with stops at Tha Phae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, the Three Kings Monument and a local market. An English-speaking guide shares local history, helps you try simple snacks and leads you along quieter lanes. Evening rides add illuminated temples and a night-market stop.

“Had an amazing experience exploring the city. Our guide was extremely informative, friendly, and taught us a lot about the history of Chiang Mai. 10 out of 10.”

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5.Historical and Culture Exploration Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 40 reviews · 3 min · from $15Best value

Meet at the Three Kings Monument for a guided walk through Chiang Mai’s Lanna past, then visit Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang. English- and Thai-speaking guides lead groups of up to eight. Guides named Bim, Emmy, Farm, and Amy have drawn praise for sharing history, temple traditions, and local insight.

“Lovely and informative tour, our guide Emmy was very knowledgeable and explained everything with enthusiasm! Recommended!”

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6.1 Day Sukhothai Historical Park from Chiang Mai Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $194

Leave Chiang Mai at 7:00 am for a private day trip to Sukhothai Historical Park. Your guide sets the pace and brings the former Thai capital’s Buddhist temples, ruins, and royal palaces into context. The park visit is planned around cycling; guides named by past participants include Tong, Em, M, and Oki.

“The guide em was excellent! He not only told tye history if sukhothsi but went out of the way to get us excellent lunch and made our long drive easy, would highly recommend this tour”

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7.Old Town History and Culture Walking Tour at Chiang Mai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $15

Meet your English-speaking local guide at the Three Kings Monument for a 2.5-hour walk through Chiang Mai’s Lanna past. Visit Wat Phra Singh, then Wat Chedi Luang, with temple entry included and a chance to hear monks speak. Groups are capped at eight, and the tour ends at Wat Chedi Luang.

“Excellent tour of 3 different temple complexes in old town Chiang Mai. The guide spoke English well and started and finished on time. Pacing was perfect, we never felt rushed or bored.we learned a bit a out the history and culture of the region.”

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8.History & Mouth Watering Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 12 reviews · 3 hours · from $67

Meet your English-speaking guide at Three Kings Monument at 9 a.m. for a three-hour walk through Chiang Mai’s old city, with temple visits, local transport and food tastings at restaurants and Warorot Market. Small groups are limited to eight. Past guides have included Lee, Pe, Lynn and Lily; dishes have included sticky rice and jackfruit.

“I had a great tastings tour and my guide Lynn was fantastic. We tried a lot of different foods and she even tailored the tastings on the fly to make them more vegetarian. One of the highlights of my time in Chiang Mai for sure.”

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9.No.1 Chiang Mai: Historical City Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $56

Start with a hotel pickup and a test ride on a hybrid bike, then follow a local guide through Chiang Mai’s old city lanes, temples, historical sites, food markets, and local eateries. The tour runs about four hours, includes lunch and hotel return, and is capped at 10 people. Guide Jane has been praised for leading the route safely and adding a fun touch.

“Our guide Jane was both fun and knowledgeable and safely led us through the maze of the old city highlights. The temples were awe inspiring and the colourful market an epic delight!”

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10.Lanna Heritage Walking Tour: A Journey Through History

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 4 hours · from $45

Walk Chiang Mai’s old city with local guide Richard, following Lanna history from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Chedi Luang. Along the way, visit ancient temples, explore Sompet Market, see a former women’s prison site being renovated after evidence of a royal palace was found, and pause for a café drink. The private four-hour tour includes entry fees, water, snacks, and round-trip hotel transfers.

“Richard was wonderful! I learned so much from him. He shared so much, I left our time together with a slightly changed perspective, for the better. Bonus, I was the only one so I had Richard all to myself. Highly recommend!”

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11.Chiang mai Foodies and Historic Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $53

Meet your guide at the Three Kings Monument at 9 a.m. for a three-hour walk through Chiang Mai’s Old City. See Wat Phra Singh, sample food and drinks at Warorot Market, then sit down for coffee and khao soi. Groups are capped at 15. Guides named for the tour include Peh, Pe, and Koppi, though your guide may differ.

“Peh was a fantastic guide and we enjoyed every minute with her. She is passionate about her city and answered every question we had with facts and interesting stories. The food selection was incredible, we particularly enjoyed the chickeRead more”

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12.Historic Temples and City Guided Walking Tour in Chiang Mai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $16

This three-hour walking tour starts at Wat Chiang Man and ends at Wat Chedi Luang, with stops at the Three Kings Monument, Wat Phra Singh and teak-built Wat Phan Tao. Expect temple history, local stories and bottled water. Guides have included TwoTwo, Jen, Pang and Tin. Admission to two temples costs extra.

“This was a really fun and interesting orientation to the city and Northern Thailand. Because I went on a Sunday, we even got to see some ladies doing traditional dances at the main temple. Highly recommend!”

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