Order Pork Leg Stew From the Cowboy Hat Lady at Chang Phuak MarketAt the Chang Phuak night market, hunt down the stallholder in a cowboy hat slow-stewing pork legs at Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak. Anthony Bourdain called it the best he ever had; order a 30-baht plate and judge for yourself.Food & DrinkEasy30 min
Visit the Museum of World Insects and Find the Mosquito WallVisit the Museum of World Insects and Natural Wonders, a wonderfully obsessive multi-floor house of pinned bugs, founder paintings of women cavorting with giant mosquitoes, and handwritten asides. Find the mosquito wall.WeirdEasy45 min
Read the Dharma Signs Nailed to the Trees at Wat UmongWander the forest tunnels of Wat Umong and read the little wooden Dharma signs nailed to the trees. Photograph the one that roasts you hardest, then go feed the turtles in the pond.CultureEasy40 min
Walk straight up a waterfallAt Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall in Si Lanna National Park, the limestone is so grippy you climb the cascade barefoot like a gecko. It is free; prove gravity wrong for the camera.ActiveBold1 hr 30 min
Drink Iced Coffee Inside a Real Airbus A330 at Air Diamond CafeOut at Air Diamond Cafe, sip an iced coffee inside a real grounded Airbus A330, then take the obligatory selfie with the giant Fred Flintstone statue inexplicably guarding the lot.Photo HuntMedium1 hr
Find the Gold Buddha and Godzilla at Wat Mok Khan LanSouth of Chom Thong at Wat Mok Khan Lan, wander a temple garden where Buddha statues share the path with dinosaurs, King Kong and Godzilla. Find the giant reclining gold Buddha with beehives under his chin.WeirdMedium1 hr
Have Lunch at Carp Cafe Where Koi Nibble Your FeetAt Carp Cafe in Hang Dong, slide into a sunken table set inside a shallow pool where koi nibble around your feet. Buy fish food and become the most popular human in the pond.Photo HuntEasy50 min
Read the bluntest sign in townAt the all-silver Wat Sri Suphan, find the entrance sign warning women off the ordination hall lest the relics deteriorate. Photograph the sign, then admire the hand-hammered silver walls.CultureEasy30 min
Follow orange rags into the jungleBehind Chiang Mai Zoo, find the Monk's Trail and follow saffron cloth strips tied to trees uphill to Wat Pha Lat, a mossy jungle temple with a natural waterfall and almost no one around.Hidden GemMedium1 hr 30 min
Book a Walk-In Workshop at Baan Kang Wat Artist VillageAt Baan Kang Wat artist village near Wat Ram Poeng, drop into one of its 20-odd tiny studios and book a cheap walk-in workshop, indigo dye, woodblock printing or notebook binding, then earn a coffee.Local DetailEasy1 hr 15 min
Run the Old City moat loop at dawnStart at Tha Phae Gate and jog the 6.4km moat loop counter-clockwise while the city is still cool and empty. Go early before the traffic and heat wake up, just like the locals do.ActiveMedium1 hr
Lap the lake at Huay Tung TaoDrive 12km north and run the flat 3.5km loop around this reservoir with a mountain backdrop where Chiang Mai comes to sweat. Reward yourself with a noodle bowl in one of the bamboo huts after your cooldown.ActiveEasy45 min
Feed the fish at Nong Buak Haad parkBuy a bag of pellets and let the kids fling them at the hungry fish and pigeons in this leafy park inside the old city walls. There is a modern playground and shady lawn for running off the rest of the energy.FamilyEasy45 min
Snack your way down Wualai walking streetOn a Saturday evening, wander the silversmiths' street where the road shuts to traffic and the food stalls take over. Hand everyone a few baht and let them pick their own weird skewer or coconut sweet.FamilyEasy1 hr
Chase the pigeons at Tha Phae GateStand in the big open plaza in front of the ancient brick gate and watch the kids send the pigeons exploding into the air for the classic Chiang Mai photo. Stick around at dusk for the buskers and lantern crafts.FamilyEasy30 min