Getting around in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s most enchanting cities—rich with history, culture, and a laid-back charm that captivates every kind of traveller. And what we love most as a family is that getting around Chiang Mai is relatively easy and affordable. From zipping through the city in colourful tuk-tuks to hopping in a red songthaew, and being able to walk is amazing for us. Whatever your chosen ride - there are so many ways to get around Chiang Mai. You will likely need some help navigating the city! We've spent 2 months in beautiful Thailand in 2025 (Check out Our Ultimate Chiang Mai Guide) and here’s you guide to navigating Chiang Mai and the low down on how to get around Chiang Mai City with kids in tow.

Handy links to allow you to Skip to the relevant section:

🚗 SONGTHAEW

🚶‍♀️ WALKING

🛺 TUK TUK

🚐 GRAB TAXI

🚴‍♀️ BICYLCLE

🚗 Getting Around Chiang Mai: A Family-Friendly Guide to Exploring Thailand’s Northern Gem

Here are the best ways to get around Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is an ancient city, that can sometimes feel like a maze and that's it's charm.

Within the old city, the best way to get around Chiang Mai is walking. Take a walk down any street and you’ll see cute lanes that look like cars could not fit (somehow they do!) but talking a walk down these cute streets called sois is the best way to make your own discoveries. And there really is a new discovery down every Soi.

Chiang Mai Old Town is the best spent day with kids, pottering, soaking up the atmosphere, stopping by a coffee shop, swinging by a park, stumbling upon a shimmering temple, backing onto a wooden shack draped with bougainvillea and crumbling plaster, to turn around to sun drenched ancient walls with climbing plants and wooden temples to find yourself open up to a bustling market selling Michelin Guide food from the humblest of stalls. Pheweee. Discoveries round every corner on foot.

But, Besides walking, there are a few best ways to travel in Chiang Mai. 

🚶‍♀️ WALKING: The Best Way to Soak Up the Old City

Chiang Mai’s Old City is compact, walkable, and full of character and that's what we love about it. You can spend a morning, afternoon or evening walking the streets to find new and charming things to look at. Bordered by ancient walls and a moat, this area is dotted with temples, cafes, street vendors, and boutique shops. Walking is not only the most budget-friendly way to explore but also allows you to stumble across hidden gems you might otherwise miss.

Helpful Tips for you:

• Wear comfy shoes and bring hats/sunscreen. Chiang Mai is HOT.

• Early mornings and late afternoons are best to avoid the midday heat.

• Keep hydrated and take regular snack or smoothie breaks!

🛺 TUK-TUKS: Iconic, Quick, and Fun for Short Distances

Tuk-tuks are a Thai travel classic. They’re great for short trips across the city and offer a unique local experience. Your kids will love the novelty!

What to Know so you're in the know:

• No metres—so negotiate before you ride.

• Expect to pay around ฿80–฿150 for most short trips.

• Best used for quick rides, not long distances as they're not that comfy.

• You can often find tuk-tuks near markets and tourist areas.

🧒 My Biggest Tip: Always agree on a price before hopping in to avoid misunderstandings.

Generally though to get around Chiang Mai you'll be wanting to take Grab Taxi's or Songthaews for serious journeys. And we recommend both for the following reasons.

🚗 GRAB: Reliable & Air-Conditioned

Our favourite way to travel because this is mostly how we travel in Bali. Grab (Thailand’s version of Uber) is a game-changer for families. It's app-based, so you can book a car easily, see your driver’s profile, and avoid haggling. You know the price you'll be paying and don't need cash as this can leave your bank account straight away. Plus, you get AC—ideal for little ones who need a break from the heat.

Benefits:

• Safe and cashless.

• Great for airport transfers and longer trips.

• Prices are usually fair and displayed upfront.

My Best Tip: Download the Grab app and connect your bank details before you leave your country as they will need to send verification texts etc to get it set up that is easier when you have wifi and are in your home country.

A Grab bike if you are a solo traveller will be cheaper still. Or a Grab taxi for more than one passenger (such as our fam of 4).

🚴‍♀️ BICYCLES: For the Adventurous Family

For older kids or families who enjoy cycling, Chiang Mai’s flat terrain makes it a great city to explore by bike. Rent shops are available across the Old City.

Costs & Tips:

• Rentals cost around ฿50–฿150 per day.

• Always wear helmets and ride defensively—traffic can be unpredictable.

• Best for quieter areas or early mornings when roads are calmer. The roads aren't as busy as many other SE Asian cities.

🚐 SONGTHAEWS: The Red Trucks of Chiang Mai

Now let’s talk about the most authentic way to get around Chiang Mai — the songthaew (pronounced song-tao), a red truck that’s part shared taxi, part local experience. You will see these red cab things everywhere - There are approximately 2,800 red bus songtaews operating in Chiang Mai and since Chiang Mai doesn’t operate a typical public transport system, these are the closest thing to that.

📜 What is a Songthaew?

The name “songthaew” means “two rows” in Thai, referring to the two bench seats in the back of a covered pickup truck. These red trucks are Chiang Mai’s most iconic and affordable form of public transport. Songthaews are actually a great way to get around Chiang Mai because you can get the whole family in one.

🧭 How to Use a Songthaew

1. Flag one down: Literally like when in New York - You simply wave your hand with palm down when you see one coming. Quite often just hang around on the pavement for 20 seconds and one will pass for you to flag.

2. Tell the driver your destination: If it’s along the route, they’ll nod or invite you in.

3. Hop in the back: You may share the ride with others headed in a similar direction.

4. Press the buzzer when you want to get off.

5. Pay the fare upon exiting.

6. How to know when to get off?

   Once you reach your destination, the driver will yell at you to get off, or if you know your stop already, just ring the push / press bell on the ceiling.

💰 Costs:

• Standard rides within town: ฿30 per person | around 67p | US$0.90 | AUS$1.41.

• Longer or private routes: negotiate, expect ฿200–฿400 for private hire or day trips.

• For a family of 4 it's quite often cheaper for us to get a Grab Taxi. But Songthaews are handy for short journeys where a Grab isn't suitable or available.

🚙 Hiring a Songthaew for the Day

You can also hire a songthaew for a half or full day of sightseeing—ideal for temple hopping or heading up to Doi Suthep with kids.

• Half-day (3–4 hours): ~฿500–฿800

• Full-day (6–8 hours): ~฿1,000–฿1,500

• Be sure to agree on the itinerary and total cost up front.

💡 Tip: Red songthaews mostly operate within the city. For longer trips, look for yellow or white songthaews which go to suburban and rural areas.

My Living in Chiang Mai Songthaew Tips for you:

• Make sure you are ready with your destination

• Speak loudly and clearly into the passenger window. Wait for a nod

• Then be sure to ask how much & confirm it that is per person or for the whole family 

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🚐 HIRING A CAR: For families you can hire a car

Just like anywhere else, you can always hire a car for those longer distances. Driving in Chiang Mai is great. And having a scooter is not essential here. There are many great car hire company's around and you can use this comparison site to get the best prices for your next vacation car hire.

🧳 Final Travel Tips for Families

• Travel light: Tuk-tuks and songthaews aren’t ideal with bulky luggage—use Grab or taxis for hotel transfers. You can request a larger sized Grab (SUV etc) for airport trips if you have baggage like us as a family.

• Use a baby carrier for younger kids, especially when walking or riding tuk-tuks.

• Avoid peak traffic hours (8–9am and 4–6pm) if you're on a tight schedule.

🚏 Getting to Chiang Mai

• By air: Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) has frequent domestic and international flights. The airport is just 15 minutes from the city. We flew from Chiang Mai to Barcelona in 2025.

• By train: An overnight train from Bangkok tickets Via Go12. A memorable experience for kids. We haven't used the train yet but plan to take the sleeper train in 2025 when we return from our Europe + New York adventure (because our daughter got her art work exhibited in a gallery in New York, which meant we moved our South East Asia tour around lightly as this was one thing we could not miss - stay tuned for more on that on the blog soon)

• By bus: Long-haul buses connect Chiang Mai to many northern and central Thai cities. We got the bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (tickets via Go12 - read about that here with costs)

Chiang Mai is a beautiful blend of ancient tradition and modern comforts, and getting around the city is part of the fun. With these local transport options, your family can explore the temples, markets, and neighbourhoods of Chiang Mai with ease—and make memories every step (or tuk-tuk ride) of the way.

Next up: The Best Things to Do in Chiang Mai - Stay tuned for a roundup of the top things to do, from magical enchanted temples to markets that you will not be able to resist buying from.

Want help planning your Chiang Mai adventure? Let me know in the comments & I can help you create the perfect itinerary for you. I hope you found this post helpful. In the meantime keep up with our daily updates below:

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💡HELPFUL PLANNING TOOLS FOR YOUR THAILAND TRIP 💡

✈️ - CHIANG MAI FLIGHTS - We use this flight checker to search the best flight tickets fall or our Thailand flights. We used this flight checker to get flights from Singapore to Krabi with the best prices at the time. Then we took the bus from Krabi to Bangkok. Then onwards to Chiang Mai via the bus also. Use to check dates and flight costs to Bangkok Airport (International and Domestic) now or go to our Flight Planning Page fore more

🚌🚆🚇 - CHIANG MAI TRAVEL - We took the overnight bus from Krabi to Bangkok that left Krabi at 3pm and arrived in Bangkok the following morning at 6am. Then onwards from Bangkok to Chiang Mai via the day time bus that set off from Bangkok at 10am and arrived in Chiang Mai at 8pm. Both booked via 12Go.

🏨 - CHIANG MAI ACCOMMODATION - Use our Accommodation Planning Page for more

🧭🗺️👣 - CHIANG MAI THAILAND TOURS & GUIDES - We use Get Your Guide for all of the trips in Thailand. But we also love Klook too. TIP: Use both to compare offerings as trips will be different.

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