When is the best time to Visit Chiang Mai ?

When is the best time to visit Chiang Mai ? …..This is a question we get asked a lot, so here some descriptions of each season along with pics to give you a visual idea.

Winter (November – February)
This is tourism high season and travellers visit at this time because of the all round pleasant and dry weather conditions.  Daytime temperatures are around 28-30 celcius, and night time temperatures can drop to 10 celcius (and even lower than this in the mountains). The weather is dry with clear blue skies. Due to these optimal weather conditions its the most popular time of year to visit Chiang Mai.

Summer time (March-April)
The hottest time of year, with daytime temperatures often climbing beyond 32+ celcius. This is also the season when farmers burn the fields and forests, so air quality is poor and visibility of mountain views reduced by haze. Despite being the least preferable time to visit north Thailand, if you do visit at this time, be sure to catch Songkran festival (Thai New year) and Poy Sang Long festival (Buddhist Novice monk ordination ceremony)

Rainy season (May-September)
Many people avoid rainy season in Chiang Mai, but we think its one of the best times to visit !  The rain often comes in short downpours, but is rarely severe or prolonged enough to interfere with travel.  One of the great things about visiting during this time, is that the nature and scenery are at their deepest green, and less tourists are around.

Chiang Mai Weather by Month

To learn more about the weather and temperatures in Chiang Mai throughout the year, please visit our Chiang Mai Weather by Month post.

Seasonal Landscapes – north Thailand

Conclusion

So, when is the best time to visit northern Thailand? ……Any month is a good time to visit, and each has its own merits. Probably with the exception of March- April when the high temperatures and smog, make it hard to enjoy Chiang mai to its fullest. Overall, we recommend visiting in May-June and September-October  

Why? Because these are the ‘shoulder’ months which are in-between seasons. The weather is still great, and there are less tourists around which also means better hotel rates. In May-June, the summer has ended, and it’s just before the busy western school holiday season of July-August. Similarly September-October is the end of rainy season, and just before tourist high season.

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