Ultimate Chiang Mai Market Guide 2026

Chiang Mai has more markets than almost any other city in Thailand. We’ve now visited on multiple trips, most recently in September 2026, and worked our way through the full list below. This guide tells you which market is on, when, and what to expect, so you can plan around your dates instead of guessing.

Chiang Mai’s markets cover more variety than you’d expect, from fresh produce to handmade crafts to full night markets. Outside the two weekend walking streets, which draw more tourists, most markets stay firmly local. Expect fewer crowds than Bangkok and less pressure to buy, even when a market is busy.

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In Chiang Mai, markets will become a central point of your visit. You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to markets in this grand old city. From walking streets, night markets, food markets, wholesale markets, fabric markets, and everything in between.

Something exists for every taste, budget, and want. You’ll find unique souvenirs and trinkets to take home with you, roadside massage areas to enjoy, delicious food stalls to sample, and exotic fruits to try.

Markets here are less hectic than Bangkok, and certainly easier to handle with cooler evening temperatures.

If you’re heading over from our home base in Hua Hin, Chiang Mai is a direct flight away on Thai AirAsia, just over an hour in the air.

Haggling Tips

If a vendor gives you a price, start by offering half and negotiate up from there. You’ll usually land somewhere between 20 and 30 percent below the original price. Buying more than one of an item gives you more room to negotiate.

If a price is already written down, it’s usually fixed. Haggling over a marked price is considered rude, except when buying in bulk.

Cash is still king at markets and prompt pay scanning is also popular. Few vendors we experienced accepted credit cards or

If you’re not comfortable haggling, just ask for “the best price.” Vendors will often knock 10 to 25 percent off without any back and forth.

What We Don’t Cover

You won’t find mentions of elephant pants, painted elephants, massage stalls, or generic street food stalls here. These show up at nearly every market in Chiang Mai, so pointing them out market by market would just repeat itself.

We also skip naming specific food stalls unless they are something special. Half the fun of a Chiang Mai market is finding your own favourite vendors.

Chiang Mai Markets Table – Which one when?

This isn’t every market in Chiang Mai, just the ones we think are worth your time as a visitor.

Weekly Night Market in Chiang Mai

A few of Chiang Mai’s markets run just once a week, on Saturday or Sunday, in different parts of the city. Crowds pick up noticeably from November to January, so expect these markets to be busier and slower moving during that stretch than the rest of the year.

Saturday Night Market (Wua Lai Walking Street)

Wua Lai Road closes to traffic every Saturday evening and fills with stalls, food vendors and street music. This is Chiang Mai’s traditional silversmith street, and it’s worth starting at Wat Sri Suphan, the silver temple, at one end. Its entire exterior is hammered silver and aluminium, and it’s a striking place to begin before working your way down the market.

We arrived right at 5pm when it opens and had space to move through comfortably before the crowds built up. Several of the silver stalls along the road are run by working silversmiths, so the jewellery here has more provenance than what you’ll find at general souvenir stalls.

Street portrait artists line parts of the market if you want a quick sketch done. A foot massage will cost 150 to 250 baht for an hour if you need a break from walking.

There are two main food areas that shoot off the side of the main street. These offer Thai and western food usually with a bar and some entertainment.

Where: Wua Lai Rd, Tambon Hai Ya, Mueang Chiang Mai District,

Sunday Night Market (Tha Pae Sunday Walking Street)

This is the bigger of the two weekend markets by a clear margin. We visited both at opening time on the same trip, and Sunday was noticeably busier than Saturday from the start.

The market runs from Tha Pae Gate along Ratchadamnoen Road, stretching well over a kilometre with side alleys adding more. Several temples along the route stay open and lit up while the market runs, so it doubles as a chance to see them.

A feature of this market is that it runs its way right through the Chiang Mai Old City. There are many temples in the area that are lit up and open for visiting. It’s a great way to not only experience the best market in Chiang Mai but also see some beautiful temples.

This market stretches for over a kilometre and with the side alleys probably approaches two kilometres of street vendors and street food stalls. Just when you think you’ve gotten to the end, you’ll see it inevitably has more to offer.

Expect a mix of tourist souvenirs and genuinely unique handicrafts, from painted parasols to local ceramics. Grab a seat, some mango sticky rice, and take in the scale of it. If you only have one night in Chiang Mai for a market, I still prefer the Saturday market but I suggest you visit both if you can.

Where: Rachadamnoen Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District,

Weekend Markets in Chiang Mai

These markets are held on Saturday and Sunday mornings, some running into early afternoon.

Coconut Market

Coconut Market sits on a working coconut plantation in Fa Ham, a short ride from the old city. We arrived at 9am, grabbed a snack, and took our time wandering through.

The coconut trees make this one of the more photogenic markets in Chiang Mai, with plenty of spots for a selfie among the rows of palms.

There are food stalls if you want a proper feed, though we’d already had breakfast so just picked up a snack. Beyond the food, stalls lean toward clothes, leather goods and accessories. We picked up some leather pieces and a few pet accessories worth a look if you’re after gifts.

Where: 94 Moo 3, Soi Ban Tong 2, Fa Ham, Mueang Chiang Mai District

Chamcha Market

Chamcha Market was one of the best surprises of this trip. It sits in San Kamphaeng district, about 20 minutes from the city centre, and is part of a larger permanent artisan neighbourhood called Long Him Khao.

The pop-up market itself runs weekends only, 9am to 4pm, with dozens of stalls selling handcrafted jewellery, clothing and handbags rather than the usual cheap souvenirs. Prices are higher to match, and so is the quality. We visited around midday and found it quieter and more spacious than similar markets, with music playing as you wander.

Look out for the pay-what-you-like coffee stall along the way. Grab a seat, make a postcard, try the coffee, then leave whatever you think it’s worth on the way out.

If you’re visiting on a weekday, the pop-up stalls, food trucks and live music won’t be running, but some permanent cafes and craft shops in the area stay open, along with Meena Rice Cuisine for lunch.

Where: San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai (about 20 minutes from the city centre)

Daily Markets in Chiang Mai

The markets below all happen every single day of the week. Sundays are the slowest days for each market, with not every stall opening. Fortunately, on Sundays, you have the huge Sunday Night Market to keep you busy!

Chiang Mai University Market

This night market sits near Chiang Mai University, aimed squarely at students and younger shoppers. Expect trendy, budget clothing, second-hand sections and cheap prices, rather than handicrafts or souvenirs.

Food here is a mixed bag depending who you ask. Some rate it highly, others find it unremarkable. We felt it was the latter. If you’re after a standout food market, this isn’t the one, but if you want cheap young fashion and don’t mind a student crowd, it’s worth a look.

Where: ซอย สุเทพ Tambon Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District,

Chiang Mai South Gate Market (Bumrung Buri Market)

The Bumrung Buri Market is all about food. A Chiang Mai food paradise that stretches along the river on the south side of the old city. It’s open daily from 6am until midnight, perfect for any time of the day.

In the mornings and during the day, there is a fresh market with stallholders selling fresh Thai delicacies and cooking ingredients. You’ll find everything you need to whip up an authentic Thai meal. You’ll also find plenty of delicious northern Thai food if you’re looking for an incredibly cheap and tasty meal.

During the evenings, food vendors spill out all along the river, selling every type of food you can imagine. All your Thai favourites can be found here, in many iterations. If you’re overwhelmed by choice, the BBQ sticks are always a good option.

If you come here on Saturday evening, you’ll kill two markets with one trip. The Saturday Walking Street is across the road. Either eat, then walk. Or walk, then eat. You really can’t make a poor decision.

Where: 19/2 Nantaram Rd, Haiya Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District,

Chang Phuak Gate Night Market

The Chang Phuak Night Market is located on the North Gate of the Old City. This is more of a local market with only street food vendors.

With all the variety of great food, you can find something for every appetite. The prices are very reasonable with fruit juice and smoothies available for around 50 baht. Most street foods can be had in the 50-100 Baht range.

It’s a pleasant way to get dinner like a local, and while a small market, of the three stalls we tried none disappointed!

The South Gate market is much larger and will provide you with a much larger range of options, but this market is the home of the famous Cowboy hat lady from Anthony Bourdain’s TV series and we decided we needed to know if her pork was still as good as he had found it.

As of September 2026, the Cowboy hat lady of Chiang Mai is still making her famous pork leg rice, the stock really is as wonderful as we remembered and we had to restrain ourselves from having a second helping!

Where: 248/70 Manee Nopparat Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District

Warorot & Ton Lamyai Markets

These two markets sit in adjoining buildings on Wichayanon Road and are often talked about as one of Chiang Mai’s must-see markets. We visited on a weekday around 11am and found it quiet, close to empty in parts, with none of the energy the reviews had led us to expect. This may well come down to timing, so weigh this against your own visit if you go at a different time or day, particularly a weekend.

Warorot Market has stalls of packaged dried fruit, local snacks and nuts on the ground floor, with fabric and clothing upstairs. There’s also a small food court if you want to eat while you browse.

Ton Lamyai, next door, felt similar but leans more toward souvenir stalls. Based on our visit, we’d treat these as a lower priority than the other markets in this guide, unless dried sweets or souvenirs in bulk are specifically what you’re after.

If you’re looking for any kind of fabric, it’s likely to be found here.

Where: 88 1 Wichayanon Rd, Tambon Chang Moi, Mueang Chiang Mai District

Anusarn Market sits under a covered canopy in the Night Bazaar district, so it’s one of the few markets where rain won’t cut your visit short. The space is clean, spacious and easy to navigate.

Shopping here is a mix of the usual tourist souvenirs, counterfeit clothing, and genuinely handmade local crafts. Prices run higher than the Old City or Bangkok, though there’s still room to negotiate. Most stalls take credit cards, useful if you’re low on cash.

Beyond the shopping, there’s a food court with a broad spread of Thai dishes, plus live music, small bars and a cabaret show for entertainment. Some visitors rate the food a highlight, others find it overpriced for what you get.

Where: 14-15 Changklan Rd, Tambon Chang Khlan, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai

White Market @Nimman One

This pop up market is only around Friday-Sunday. However, it’s well worth a stop if you’re already in the trendy area of Nimman. White tents are set up and the theme of this market is Japan.

You’ll be surprised by how many stalls there are, as it just seems to keep going on and on. The White Market is a bit more expensive, with prices about 10-20% higher than other markets on this list.

Where: 1/4-1/5,1/7-1 10 Nimmanahaeminda Road, เมือง Chiang Mai 

Think Park Night Market

Think Park runs daily from 4pm to late, in Nimman, across the road from Maya Mall. White tents cover a small collection of stalls selling a wide mix of goods, from clothing and coffee equipment to crystals and the odd stall of butterflies or handmade pieces.

We stopped by on a Tuesday evening in Sept 26 and found only a few stalls open. It barely felt like a market. This may be a weekday thing, since other markets nearby run stronger on weekends, but based on what we saw, we wouldn’t plan a special trip here. If you’re already in Nimman for the White Market next door, it’s worth a quicklook, but don’t go out of your way for it.

Where: Nimmanahaeminda Road, Tambon Su Thep, Mueang Chiang Mai

Heading to Phuket? We have a Phuket market guide and another for our favourite Bangkok Night Markets.

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