5 best places to stay in Chiang Mai for all types of travelers

Located in the north of Thailand, Chiang Mai is known as a must-visit place for all travelers or nomads on their Thailand trip. In this post, we will provide you with some useful information to choose the best places to stay in Chiang Mai including Old City, Nimmanhemin, the Night Bazaar, Riverside, and Santitham.

1. Old City

Lying in the heart of Chiang Mai, the old city is home to many ancient temples, nice restaurants, local markets, busy shops, and a lot of guesthouses and hotels. It was surrounded by 700-year-old fortress walls and channels, which make the old city protected from the outside.

The old city is considered one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai due to the below advantages:

• A plethora of things to do
• Easy to walk to the neighborhood and access the nearby places
• Home to most ancient temples and cultural attractions
• The quiet atmosphere at night
• Wide range of affordable hotels, bars, and restaurant

As located in the center of Chiang Mai, the old town has some obvious disadvantages, but they may not matter much:

• Often traffic jams during rush hours
• Hard to find resorts or large accommodations in this area

Old City Chiang Mai will be the most suitable for the below travelers:

• First-time travelers to Chiang Mai (the favorite area is near Tha Phae Gate)
• Budget Backpackers
• Sight-seeing travelers
• Foody Travelers

Looking for accommodation in Old City here.

2. Nimman

Nimman or Nimmanhemin is a modern attraction for young travelers and ex-pats all over the world. Many trendy restaurants, boutique shops, and rooftop bars are located in this area. It is easy to find a nice cafe in Nimman and you will soonly get used to seeing people parked in front of their laptops on every corner.

Not like Old City, this area includes affordable premium-rate accommodations, and they are really worth the price

Nimman is one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai due to the below pros:

• Boutique shops
• Vibrant nightlife
• Easy to walk to nearby areas
• Close to the airport
• Trendy and nice cafes and restaurants

Despite the good things, you may need to know the cons:

• The touristic area due to the high number of foreigners and young students
• Traffic jams during the rush hour
• Morden areas without many cultural attractions

Nimman Chiang Mai will be the most favorite place for the below types of travelers

• Couples
• Nightlife lovers

Nice hotels in Nimman can be found here.

3. Night Bazaar

Taking place every night, Night Bazaar is well-known as the city’s largest night market. It is home to a vibrant shopping area, beer bars, dance clubs, and plenty of nightlife activities. The accommodations in this area vary from affordable guesthouses to luxury hotels. The Night Bazaar is considered a must-see place in Chiang Mai, it is reasonable to book accommodation in this area to enjoy the shopping and vibrant nightlife.

As one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai, the Night Bazaar offers you many benefits:

• Walkable to enjoy one of the must-see places in Chiang Mai
• Lots of nice and lively bars
• Easy access to Old City

However, there any some shortages in this area that you may need to know:

• Overcrowded when the Night Bazaar starts
• Few ancient temples and cultural centers in this area.

The Night Bazaar is a perfect match for the below types of travelers:

• Foody travelers
• Nightlife lovers

Book a hotel in the Night Bazaar area here

4. Riverside

The riverside area is considered one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai due to its tranquil and relaxing atmosphere in Mae Ping river. This area is home to luxury resorts and hotels. It is easy to find riverside bars, cafes and restaurants, and high-end spas.
Staying in the riverside area, you will have a chance to enjoy many good points:

• Nice view of the river
• Quiet atmosphere
• Various choices of reasonable hotels and luxury resorts

If you are a budget traveler, you may need to know the below shortage if you want to stay in this area:

• Faraway from city centers and ancient temples
• Limitations on shopping and nightlife
• Fewer options for budget hotels, hostels, and guesthouses.

Riverside is one of the best places to stay for traveler types as below:

• Family travelers
• Middle-to-high budget travelers

Look for some nice hotels in the riverside area here.

5. Santitham

Santitham is Nimman’s neighborhood area with a good location and a variety of affordable accommodations. This is a favorite place for ex-pats and digital nomads who are fed up with staying with the crowd of Nimman. The things that make Santitham one of the best places to stay in Chiang Mai are authentic daily life, local experience, and less tourism.

Santitham offers you the below pros:

• Cheaper hotel in comparison with Nimman
• More local and authentic than other areas in Chiang Mai

You may need to consider the below cons before deciding to stay in this area:

• Faraway from the Old City and cultural attraction
• Bikes and motorbikes are the popular ways to get around
• Noisy issue due to the closure to the airport

Santitham is the best choice for the below travelers:

• Local-experience lovers
• Budget travelers

Look for a budget hotel in Santitham here.