Bangkok or Chiang Mai: What Each Is For and How Many Days

Short answer

Bangkok is for the big city: temples, markets, food and day trips to Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi. Chiang Mai is for mountains, elephants, cooler nights and a slower pace, and it is 700 km north of Bangkok. Give Bangkok three or four days and Chiang Mai three or four, and travel between them by the train in 10 to 13 hours or by a flight. Chiang Mai's mean minimum is 14.9 degrees in January against 22.6 in Bangkok, but its burning season, February to April, brings smoke. Our elephant and Doi Inthanon day is from $40 per person.

By SB Excursions · Updated 2 November 2026

01Bangkok is the city, the temples and the day trips; Chiang Mai is the mountains, the elephants and the cool nights.

02The train between them takes about 10 to 13 hours, Seat61's timetable shows, and Chiang Mai is 700 km north of the capital.

03Chiang Mai has a burning season from February to April, so November to January is the more comfortable time to go.

What each is for: a capital city and a northern base

Bangkok is the big-city part of a trip: temples and palaces, rivers and canals, markets, food and transport links. Wikipedia gives it 1,568.7 square kilometres and an estimated 9.1 million people in 2024, on a flat delta where the average elevation is 1.5 metres. Our own Bangkok days follow that pattern: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour from $75, a night tuk-tuk food tour from $40, and day trips to Ayutthaya, a floating market or Kanchanaburi.

Chiang Mai is the northern base. Wikipedia says it is 700 km north of Bangkok in a mountainous region, with about 127,000 people in the city municipality and an urban population of about 1.2 million, and that it was founded in 1296 as the capital of Lan Na. The old centre is a square of roughly a mile by a mile, bordered by remnants of brick walls and a moat. From it you reach mountains, elephant sanctuaries, cooking classes and, further north, Chiang Rai.

Getting between them: train, bus or flight

The train covers 744 km in 10 to 14 hours. Seat61's timetable shows the daytime special express, train 7, leaving Krung Thep Aphiwat Central at 07:30 and reaching Chiang Mai at 17:50, while the overnight trains arrive between about 04:05 and 11:40 the next morning, with train 9 reaching Chiang Mai at 07:15. Wikivoyage says services take 12 to 15 hours overall. Seat61's fares are dated 2023, so check the State Railway of Thailand before you book.

By air, Wikivoyage's flight statistics list 25 to 30 daily flights to Chiang Mai from each of Bangkok's two airports, and it gives about 9 hours for a non-stop coach from Mo Chit. With 700 km between the cities, the flight is the only quick option. Our guide to the train or the flight compares them. If you want to watch the mountains from the window, Seat61 recommends the daytime train 7 or the sleeper train 13, which passes the best scenery near Chiang Mai in daylight going north.

Weather: Bangkok is hot all year, Chiang Mai has a cool season

The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981 to 2010 table shows the difference at night. Chiang Mai's mean minimum is 14.9 degrees Celsius in January and 15.7 in December, against 22.6 and 22.0 at Bangkok. Daytime highs are closer: 29.8 in January at Chiang Mai and 32.5 at Bangkok. Both are dry from November to February, with Chiang Mai's January at 4.2 mm of rain and Bangkok's at 13.3 mm.

Both are wet from May to October. Bangkok's wettest months are September and October, at 334.3 and 292.1 mm, and Chiang Mai's are August and September, at 216.9 and 211.4 mm. April is the hottest month in both tables, with a mean maximum of 36.5 degrees at Chiang Mai and 35.4 at Bangkok. Wikivoyage describes Chiang Mai's seasons as cool from November to February, hot from March to June and wet from July to October.

The burning season: when Chiang Mai is the harder choice

Chiang Mai has a seasonal smoke problem. Wikivoyage says the burning season runs from February to April and causes severe smog from agricultural fires, with air quality often reaching hazardous levels and masking the mountain views. Wikipedia says air pollution occurs mainly between December and April, with fine-particle levels often well above recommended standards, and notes that it has been said smoke has made March the worst month to visit.

That does not make Chiang Mai impossible in those months, but it changes the plan. Wikivoyage advises checking smoke levels in advance if you must visit then, and the simplest fix is to choose November to January instead, when the Thai Meteorological Department's table shows the driest and coolest weather. Our guide to the Chiang Mai burning season covers the dates and what to check before you book.

How many days each needs

Treat the days as building blocks. In Bangkok our Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour takes about 4 hours and the night tuk-tuk food tour about 4 hours, while a day trip takes most of a day: Ayutthaya about 9 hours and Kanchanaburi about 13. We would allow two to three days for the centre, then add one day for each day trip. Our Bangkok in one day and 3-day itinerary show how to fit them together.

In Chiang Mai we would give the old city a day or two, and the surroundings fill the rest. Our elephant sanctuary and Doi Inthanon day takes 10 to 12 hours, the Chiang Rai temples day 12 to 13 hours and the cooking class about 6.5 hours. Three nights lets you see the old city plus one big day out; four or five nights add a second. See our Chiang Mai 3-day itinerary for a worked plan.

Day trips from each, with our prices

Bangkok's day trips are short drives and good value. Our Ayutthaya day is from $25 per person for about 9 hours, about 80 km and 1.5 hours each way, with temple tickets of about 280 baht in total and lunch paid on the day. Our Kanchanaburi River Kwai and Erawan Falls day is from $60 for about 13 hours, with the Erawan park fee of 300 baht per adult, as of June 2026, paid in cash. Our guide to Kanchanaburi or Ayutthaya helps you choose.

From Chiang Mai, our elephant sanctuary and Doi Inthanon day is from $40 per person, 10 to 12 hours with hotel pickup and lunch. There is no riding: you feed the elephants, walk with them and bathe them in the river. Doi Inthanon is Thailand's highest mountain at 2,565 metres, and the Department of National Parks' June 2022 table puts the park at 300 baht per adult and 150 per child, paid on the day with the pagoda entrance unless your quote says otherwise. Bring a light jacket for the summit.

Which to pick if you have time for only one

Pick Bangkok if the city itself is the point, if you have only three or four days, or if you want day trips to ruins and a river without changing hotel. Pick Chiang Mai if you want mountains, cooler evenings from November to January, elephants and a slower pace, and you can spare the 700 km. A trip of a week or more can do both, and the train or a flight links them in a night or a few hours.

Know the limits. Chiang Mai is a poor choice from February to April if smoke worries you, and our elephant day is a long one: 10 to 12 hours with a lot of driving and a hike, and the order of the stops can change with the weather. Bangkok is a poor choice in the hottest weeks if you dislike heat, because the table shows an April mean maximum of 35.4 degrees.

Practical checklist

Decide your season first: November to January is cool and dry in Chiang Mai, February to April is the burning season.
Book the Bangkok to Chiang Mai train or flight early, and choose the daytime train 7 if you want the scenery.
Allow three or four days for each city, plus one day per day trip.
For Doi Inthanon, bring a light jacket and cash for the park fee, 300 baht per adult and 150 per child, and the pagoda entrance.
Wear clothes you can get wet and muddy for the elephant bath, and bring a change.

Questions and answers

How far is Chiang Mai from Bangkok?

About 700 km, according to Wikipedia. Seat61 gives 744 km along the railway. The train takes 10 to 14 hours depending on the service, and flights run from both Bangkok airports.

How long is the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?

The daytime special express, train 7, takes 10 hours 20 minutes on Seat61's timetable, leaving at 07:30 and arriving at 17:50. Overnight trains arrive between about 04:05 and 11:40. Wikivoyage says 12 to 15 hours overall.

When is the best time to visit Chiang Mai?

Wikivoyage gives November to February as the cool season. The burning season, February to April, brings smoke, and Wikipedia reports that air pollution occurs mainly from December to April. The Thai Meteorological Department's table shows January as the driest month.

Is Chiang Mai cooler than Bangkok?

At night, yes. The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981 to 2010 table gives a January mean minimum of 14.9 degrees at Chiang Mai against 22.6 at Bangkok. Daytime highs are closer, 29.8 against 32.5 degrees.

How many days do I need in Chiang Mai?

We would allow three nights: a day or two for the old city and one long day out, such as our elephant sanctuary and Doi Inthanon day. Add a night for each further day trip, such as Chiang Rai.

Is there elephant riding on your Chiang Mai tour?

No. On our elephant sanctuary and Doi Inthanon day you feed the elephants, walk with them and bathe them in the river with the mahouts. Bring clothes you can get wet and muddy.

Bangkok or Chiang Mai: what each is for, how to get between them and how many days to give each