What’s Better Than FREE?!
Here’s A List Of Free Things To Do With Kids In Chiang Mai
We know life gets expensive. Let us help you stretch that family budget just a bit farther!
There are many free things to do in Chiang Mai that are perfect for everyone in the family. These free activities in Chiang Mai are great for kids; those that still need a bit of help getting around and older kids too.
Best of all, each free attraction in Chiang Mai is teenager friendly. We can’t promise they’ll like everything on this list (who knows what goes on in their heads anyways – has anyone figured that out yet?!), but at least it’s free.
Of course, getting to all these cool places needs to be considered and thankfully Chiang Mai has incredible and affordable ways to get around. Find the transportation mode that fits your budget and get out there!
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1. Visit The AstroPark And Planetarium
The AstroPark is an absolute must see free attraction in Chiang Mai that the whole family will love! It has the most modern facilities in all of Chiang Mai with nearly every scientific discovery station being interactive.
Entrance to the astronomy centre and AstroPark are completely FREE! They even have access open to the public on Saturday evenings (during non-Covid times) to the observatory.
While all the exhibits are free to see (and there are 3 floors worth!) to watch the Planetarium show is a very small extra cost (50 baht per adult and 30 baht per child) and it is one hour long. There is also the opportunity to make really cool toys in the on-site Maker Space!
Each Maker Space also known as the Innovation Lab costs only 100 baht and budding scientists guide the way.
We couldn’t believe how much the kids learned and experienced while here at the NARIT AstroPark Chiang Mai.
Learn much more about the AstroPark here in our full review.
Hours: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am – 4 pm. CLOSED Mondays
Cost: FREE! All exhibits are completely free.
Planetarium show: 30 baht for children and students. 50 baht per adult.
Innovation Lab or Maker Space: 100 baht per activity
Good for ages: all ages
Phone: 053 121 268
Kids Menu: No
High chairs: Yes
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Child friendly staff: Yes
Birthday parties: Yes
Prices: $
Website: https://www.narit.or.th/
Location: Google Maps
2. The CMU Reservoir (Angkaew Reservoir)
You wouldn’t believe that such natural beauty could exist downtown in a city, but here it is! CMU stands for Chiang Mai University and the campus is open to the general public. Angkaew Reservoir is a popular place for people to walk, jog, or even rollerblade, scooter or Strider bike making it one of the top free things to do with kids in Chiang Mai.
From the main entrance off of Huay Kaew Road, go straight until you get to the T-intersection and turn right. There will be parking and a paved path up to the reservoir.
The pathway is majority shaded and is a loop so you’ll end up back where you started, with a little walk along the main road. There is also a wonderful café with incredible food and cold drinks for when you need it.
The walk itself is really easy and kid friendly across flat ground. There is a chance to see some nature whether it’s fish, birds, or maybe you’ll be lucky enough to hear a ROAR in the distance! The Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium runs alongside the CMU reservoir.
Within the area around the reservoir are cute little finds where the kids can swing about or hang out. Just make sure to bring water and snacks as at the moment, there is only one café open.
Hours: Open daily from 6 am – 8 pm
Good for ages: all ages
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Location: Google Maps
3. Visit Sticky Waterfall (Buathong Waterfall)
This waterfall we affectionately call Spiderman Falls. Why? Because you stick to the rocks just like Spiderman! The calcification on the rocks acts like a Velcro on skin. In fact, it is very important NOT to wear shoes while climbing the falls, otherwise you won’t have the proper grip.
Kids can confidently climb up and down the falls in most parts, especially those where rails have been installed. For older kids and teenagers, there are sections where you must rope climb to go up or down the waterfall. How cool is that?!
You can also bring a picnic or buy food just outside the waterfall. At the top of Sticky Waterfall is a nice grassy area to sit and enjoy a meal. It’s a great free activity for kids in Chiang Mai.
Learn more about Sticky Waterfall here!
Entrance fee: free!
Hours: Open 8 am – 6 pm daily. Camping overnight allowed seasonally.
Accessibility: Not stroller or wheelchair accessible.
Pet friendly: No
Location: Google Maps
4. Enjoy A Local Festival!
There are many festivals to enjoy in Chiang Mai that are absolutely FREE to attend! You may see tour companies selling tickets to these festivals below, but they are free for all, so don’t get duped!
The Flower Festival
The Flower Festival takes over the entire south side of the Chiang Mai moat and the famous Taepae Gate for 3 days once a year in February. Everyone is welcome to attend the many free events that commemorate this special festival.
You can learn much more here in our full article.
Loy Krathong or Festival of Lights or Yee Ping
Definitely a highlight of visiting or living in Chiang Mai is experiencing Loy Krathong or Yee Ping. Why does this festival have so many names?! Well, because it’s technically two festivals at once that happen within a week of one another and tourists have nick named it the Festival of Lights. It’s easy to see why!
Learn much more details here about Loy Krathong or Yee Ping in Chiang Mai.
Songkran or Water Festival
There is NOTHING else like it!
Songkran is Lanna Thai New Year and takes place over 3 days in April each year. It is the largest water fight in the world! It takes place all over Thailand, but Chiang Mai is home to the biggest and best celebrations.
Everyone is armed with either a bucket or a water gun and partakes in soaking everyone they see. Downtown around the Chiang Mai moat is typically the most popular place to be although you are likely to get wet no matter what part of the city you are in.
It’s a chance to let loose and just have a blast! There are also really beautiful Thai traditions that occur during this time that you must also see.
Find out more about Songkran right now!
Learn more here!
The Bo Sang Umbrella Festival
This local traditional festival remained off the radar for years as it wasn’t widely advertised and especially not in English.
The Bo Sang Umbrella Festival takes place in the small village of Bo Sang about 20 minutes from downtown. The village is famous for making decorative umbrellas and many of the structures are original or hardly renovated so you get a taste of original life here.
The main street of Bo Sang is shut to traffic for a weekend each year, usually in February , and there are free events and activities for all ages. You can also shop at the unique one of a kind hand made shops.
Find out when the festival is here!
5. Visit Bo Sang Umbrella Making Centre
Not only can you visit Bo Sang Umbrealla Village during their annual festival, but you can visit any time!
You may have seen the Umbrella Village on some of the tour packages offered or heard about it through friends. But, what most tourists don’t know is that if you can get yourselves to Bo Sang Umbrella Making Centre, entrance is completely free!
The Bo Sang Umbrella Making Centre makes our list of free things to do in Chiang Mai with kids as it provides kids and adults alike the chance to see all the efforts that go into the creation of each and every hand-made umbrella. You can see how each spindle is cut and glued, how the opening and closing mechanisms are made, and you can meet and speak with the people who make each part.
It can be an eye opening experience for all ages, but possibly especially for some teenagers who should see that not everything is made in a factory by machines.
Of course the painting of the umbrellas is probably the most fascinating, and you’ll have a front row seat.
The painters even offer a chance for you to get painted by them! For a small fee, they will paint you a stunning temporary tattoo.
There are other activities to do here as well, but unfortunately they are not free. We hope to write a full post soon to let you know more.
There is also the annual Bo Sang Umbrella Festival to check out! If you are in town during the third weekend in January, then be sure to experience this special event.
Hours: Open daily from 8:15 am – 5 pm
Good for ages: 3 and up
Phone: 053 338 195
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Location: Google Maps
6. Go Biking, Skateboarding, Or Rollerblading
We’ve curated a list of the best places to go for a bicycle ride in Chiang Mai! The majority of places are completely FREE! You must though have your own bicycles, scooters, rollerblades etc. to enjoy the majority of these spots.
Check out all the great places around Chiang Mai to get out there and ride, scoot, or blade!
7. Visit Elephant Parade Land
Have you seen the beautifully painted elephants around Chiang Mai? Keep an eye out for them as they are rather big; about the size of a baby elephant!
Many of these have been painted by famous people or local artists for a very good cause – save the elephants!
First on our list of free activities to do in Chiang Mai is Elephant Parade because it is a must visit for those families looking to see inspiration in action.
Their organization was one of the first in northern Thailand to work towards elephant conservation. They have since gone international and you may even see some of their painted elephants overseas.
At Elephant Parade Land here in Chiang Mai, your family will enjoy the free museum and workshop tour, which showcases the dire need for elephant conservation through many interactive experiences.
The museum is packed with fun facts about elephants. There’s even a storybook area where you can read your child(ren) the story about Mosha – she’s the whole reason all of this started! You can also meet and take photos with some baby elephant statues in their garden.
One of the highlights is that as soon as you enter, you will be greeted with your own personal museum tour guide. A tour guide on a free tour?! That’s right! The guides speak English, Chinese, and Thai and are very knowledgeable.
The guides will take you through the wonderful exhibits, including a movie room, so you can learn about their efforts which are now international.
They will explain what Elephant Parade is all about and how it all began; their journey to save the elephants. In short, it began with one adorable young elephant named Mosha who is still alive and well living in nearby Lampang, Thailand. But you’ll have to visit the museum to hear the whole story!
Along with the museum is a behind the scenes tour of the artist studio where all of the elephants are hand-painted by local artists. You can actually witness the process and learn about the materials and efforts required to make each model. Hint; it takes hours, sometimes days!
Afterwards if you wish, you can purchase souvenirs or make a donation. Or if you have time, you can even paint your own elephant! Although this activity is not free, 20% of proceeds go towards the conservation of elephants.
You can show up to paint an elephant or you can make a booking online.
We found the museum to be inspiring and our daughter still asks about Mosha. It’s well worth a visit!
Hours: Open daily from 9 am – 5 pm
Good for ages: 4 and up
Phone: 062 918 9621
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/elephantparadeland
Website: https://www.elephantparade.com/elephant-parade-land
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Location: Google Maps
8. Swim At Huay Kaew Waterfall
Huay Kaew Waterfall is the easiest to get to from Chiang Mai! We are also working on a separate more detailed post about waterfalls in Chiang Mai, but most you have to pay to get into. This one and Sticky Waterfall mentioned above are FREE!
Located at the foot of Doi Suthep mountain, just past the Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium, is access to Huay Kaew Waterfall. Look for the left turn off right before a Thai temple and you will find a small parking area.
At the very end of the parking lot you will find the entrance to Huay Kaew Waterfall marked with a large sign. Follow the well-worn path and stick to the right to see one of the sections of the beautiful falls. The walk here is nice and easy for all ages.
For something a bit more strenuous, follow the path back a ways and cross over to the other side where you can choose to hike up to another section of the falls. At the end of this hike, you will enjoy beautiful views of Chiang Mai on a clear day.
This particular hike is not recommended for little legs or young children as there are steep sections that have no guard railings.
Once at this upper section of the waterfall, it is safe to swim in the shallow pools. However, if you came to Chiang Mai to swim in a waterfall, walk further back until you find the path that will take you to another section of Huay Kaew Waterfall where you can swim under the falls!
From here, you can hike back down, or head out to the road where you can flag down a songtaew and hitch a ride back to the bottom.
Hours: Open daily from 9 am – 5 pm
Good for ages: 4 and up
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: No
Location: Google Maps
9. Play At A Public Park
Did you know there is more than one public park in Chiang Mai? We’ve showcased the 5 best public parks in Chiang Mai here.
Each offers something distinct to see or do and best of all they are all free for everybody!
Bring a picnic or packed lunch and enjoy yourselves. If you live here, bring your bicycles, rollerblades or scooters along and go for a ride. Most facilitate badminton or football (soccer) too!
To keep children busy, most public parks will also have a playground and some even provide free sports activity space for teenagers such as badminton courts or football (soccer) pitches.
Find out where the public parks are now!
Hours: Most are open daily from 7 am – 6 pm
Good for ages: all ages
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Locations: Google Maps
10. Visit A National Park
National parks in Thailand typically charge an entrance fee and if you are a foreigner, you can expect to pay a lot to get in. Thanks a lot dual pricing!
If you have a large family, this can really dig into the family budget, so thank goodness for Ob Khan National Park, Chiang Mai. It’s one of our favourite free places to go in Chiang Mai.
Access to this national park is completely free. Parking is completely free. And you can bring in your own food and drinks (except for alcohol)! All booze has been banned to prevent excessive littering and risky behaviours.
You’ll find Ob Khan about 45 minutes to an hour south west of Chiang Mai by driving along Canal Road (the 121). Keep an eye out for the signs and head out to paradise. Locals and expats have tried to keep this place a secret for years – don’t tell anyone we told you!
Spend the day jumping into the river, swimming, building sand castles on the small beaches, enjoying a picnic, or even going on a hike.
Just behind the park office, is the beginning of the hiking trail. The trail is a loop and is relatively easy, although not recommended for people with knee problems or children who aren’t prepared to walk long distances. The entire journey takes about an hour without stops, but trust us, you’re going to want to stop and see the sights along the way!
The trail itself takes you above a canyon and into a canyon area where you can swim. Not many people make it to this section of the park, so you may have the entire thing to yourselves! If you’re prepared to pack mule it, this is the spot to have a family picnic, just be aware there are no washrooms out this way!
Learn more about Ob Khan National Park to plan your family day out:)
Hours: Open daily from 8 am – 6 pm
Good for ages: all ages
Phone: 061 268 7447
Website: http://nps.dnp.go.th/parksdetail.php?id=125&name=OpKhanNationalPark
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: No
Location: Google Maps
12. Explore Temples
Temple hopping is a popular thing to do in Chiang Mai, but did you know some temples are no longer free to enter?!
That’s right; some popular temples have started charging admission! But of course, they’re only charging temple entrance fees to foreigners.
The fees range from 20 baht to 50 baht per adult, with some charging for children as well.
Here are the temples we know of so far that are charging entrance fees:
- Wat Chedi Luang
- Wat Phra Singh
- The Silver Temple (Wat Sri Suphan)
- Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
- Wat Umong (only charges to enter the tunnels)
However, there are plenty of other temples to explore around Chiang Mai that remain free. Some of these are:
- Wat Phan Tao
- Wiang Kum Kam historic city and temples
- Wat Baan Tha Mai
- The Chinese Temple
- Wat Phra That Doi Kham
- Wat Chediliem
- Wat Pha Lat
- Wat Ban Pong (The White Pagoda) and many more.
Some of the temples are simply awe inspiring and you can witness many cultural events at most temples. Especially on Buddhist holidays or special festivals, you’ll get a first hand view of the cultural practices.
Just make sure that you are dressed to impress before you enter any temple.
Hours: Typically open to the public daily from 8 am – 6 pm
Good for ages: all ages
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Locations: Google Maps
13. Take A Hike
Number thirteen on our list of free activities to do with kids and teens in Chiang Mai is go for a hike! There are some free hikes that are safe to do without having to pay for a guide. They are a great way to get kids, especially older ones, out of the house.
One of the more popular places to go hiking is up the pilgrims trail, sometimes referred to as the monks trail. It’s a nice well worn path that takes you up to Wat Phalat where you can dip your feet in the shallow waters that head towards a waterfall. Many people come here to sit and meditate while they enjoy the gorgeous view.
At the temple you’ll also find washrooms and a shop to buy well-deserved cold drinks before you have to make your way back down.
Alternatively, you can keep going on to the second portion of this hike, although you’ll need to be prepared. A day pack is required with all the necessary items (food, extra water, first aid kit etc) as this portion is long and difficult for most people.
The second leg of this hike is not recommended for novices or children of any age. Teenagers could probably handle it though!
As for the first part of the trail, my very enthusiastic four year old at the time, made it up and down just fine!
It’s a great way to spend the morning hours together as a family enjoying nature and a bit of culture at the same time.
Wat Prathat Doi Kham is also a nice and fairly easy hike. The most challenging part of it is the last leg when you have to climb those stairs!!! Although, it’s not so bad. Just make sure you’ve got water which is purchasable before the climb up. Learn more about this great hike with kids here.
The White Pagoda which is accessible through Wat Ban Pong, provides two paths for a simple hike. While the hike is entirely uphill to reach the White Pagoda, you’ll have the choice of a staircase which leads straight up, or a windy paved road. Plenty of water will be required either way and if attempted with small children, a hiking backpack for kids to sit in is recommended. Otherwise, small kids will need to be carried.
Hours: Open daily from sun-up to sun-down
Good for ages: 4 and up
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: No
Location: Google Maps
14. Go To A Mall
Okay, so this option might not seem like a lot of fun at first. Even the kid in me sighs in frustration and I can hear myself thinking, ‘not the mall again, mom!’
Thankfully, malls in Chiang Mai are often hosting free fun family friendly events! Head over to our events page to see if any events are coming up.
Typically, Central Airport Mall and Central Festival are your best bets for some kid friendly fun and even have free soft play areas for young children.
Central Festival also has a free soft play area and the Central Store itself has a big play area for young kids too.
Of course there are plenty of other activities to check out each mall, so keep an eye on their Facebook pages for upcoming family friendly events in Chiang Mai.
Hours: Hours vary per mall
Good for ages: all ages
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Locations: Google Maps
15. Go To A Local Market
Ok so admittedly, this option requires mega wallet control, but if you can manage not to spend a single baht, the markets are nice places to walk around for free and see local culture, talent, one of a kind pieces, or local food.
There are four main types of markets in Chiang Mai; walking streets, night markets, food markets, and weekly pop up markets.
You’ve likely heard of the walking street markets. There’s the Saturday walking street and the Sunday walking street.
If you’re looking for a night market, then the Night Bazaar is your best bet! It is open every night from 6 pm. Also, at the far end of the Night Bazaar street near Thaepae Road is Ploen Ruedee Night Market. Here you can listen to free live music! It is open Monday to Saturday and is closed Sundays. In addition, there’s also the Warorot Night Market which opens nightly in little China Town.
We definitely recommend you seek out a local food market to behold all the strange and interesting types of fruits and vegetables you can get in Chiang Mai. Even after 10 years we still find ourselves scratching our heads while staring at some new and wonderful food trying to figure out what it is!
Food markets are found throughout the city and many run on specific days only. Most sell fresh produce along with food cooked and ready to go! Some of the markets also sell clothing or household items as well.
Here are two we recommend; the Nong Hoi Chiang Mai 89 Plaza Market (Mondays and Wednesdays in the evening) and the market at Wat Chediliem (every Friday late afternoon into the evening). Markets like these can be found all over just outside the city.
For a daytime market experience that is open daily, you’ll want to head down to the Warorot Day Market which is located in Chiang Mai’s little China Town. There are loads of shops to check out!
Pop up markets are becoming more popular. These typically sell organic goodies, second hand items, or one of a kind local artisan products. The more popular ones take place at JingJai (JJ) Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings and there’s another really cool market to check out Sunday morning at Baan Kang Wat in Pong Noi.
And if you can believe it, it doesn’t stop here! Chiang Mai is a shopper’s paradise (or a window shopper’s paradise in this case!) There are loads more markets to be found.
Hours: Days and hours vary per market
Good for ages: all ages
Wheelchair or stroller accessible: Yes
Locations: Google Maps