Skip to Content

Discover the Magic of Chiang Mai. The Perfect Vegan Travel Guide to Thailand’s Cultural Capital

Many local restaurants and street food stalls in Chiang Mai offer delicious and affordable vegan options. You will find a great selection of dishes made with fresh vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and various plant-based proteins.

chiang-mai-wat-pha-lat-

Chiang Mai is a charming city nestled in northern Thailand. The city is known for its rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality. Chiang Mai offers you a blend of traditional and modern experiences.

thailand-chiang-mai

The Old City of Chiang Mai is full of narrow streets filled with temples, traditional houses, and vibrant markets. You can stroll around the old town by foot or hop on a bicycle to discover hidden gems at your own pace.

WHERE TO STAY IN CHIANG MAI?

The city has many excellent hotels, but our top favourite choice is Aksara Heritage. The rooms are luxurious, and the staff is fantastic. There is also a beautiful pool. It is a true oasis right in the Old City.

chiang-mai-aksara-heritage-

 

VEGAN FOOD IN CHIANG MAI

Chiang Mai is a wonderful place if you are a vegan foodie. The city offers a vibrant vegan food scene with many amazing restaurants.

chiang-mai-vegan-food-

Don’t forget to try some delicious traditional snacks like mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream!

PURE VEGAN HEAVEN

It is a vegan restaurant located between Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham and Baan Kand Wat art village, so it is in an excellent location for lunch between sightseeing.

chiang-mai-pure-vegan-heaven-

They have a great variety of food. You can choose between poke bowls, wraps, pasta, and many others. I tried rice curry, and it was very good.

GOODSOULS KITCHEN

It is a nice vegan restaurant in the Old Town. We stopped there for breakfast, but you can also have lunch and dinner.

vegan-goodsouls-kitchen

They have vegan pizza, burgers, wraps, and traditional Thai dishes. We tried tofu scramble and oats.

AUM VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

It is one of my favourite choices in the city because the atmosphere and food are amazing. The prices are also very affordable and most of the things are vegan.

chiang-mai-aum-vegetarian-

Their menu is wide with many different healthy dishes and juices to choose from. I had my beloved dish, Khao Soi.

REFORM VEGAN CAFÉ

It is a vegan garden restaurant and plant-based hotel in Chiang Mai. It has an amazing atmosphere, and the food is delicious. You can go there for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They have Asian dishes as well as some of the Western favourites.

khao-soi-reform-cafe-vegan

It was the first restaurant where I tried Khao Soi in Chiang Mai, and it blew my mind how something can be so delicious. From that moment on I ate Khao Soi everywhere I could find it vegan. It is a traditional Northern Thailand dish.

V SECRET VEGAN CHIANG MAI

The restaurant is in the Poen Ruedee night market. You can choose from different dishes like Pomelo salad, drunken noodles, rice noodles with cream curry, cabbage rolls, and many more.

night-market-v-secret-vegan-

RAD RABBIT VEGAN PIZZERIA

It is the first fully vegan Western restaurant and pizzeria in Chiang Mai. For starters, you can have cauliflower wings, sweet potato fries, garlic bread, and bruschetta.

vegan-rad-rabbit-

They have various pizzas, sandwiches, and wraps. You can even build your own vegan pizza.

CHADA VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT CHIANG MAI

It is a vegetarian restaurant with many vegan options. You can choose between traditional Thai dishes like Pad Thai, Fried rice, Massaman, Green curry, and many more.

chiang-mai-chada-vegan-

Thailand is the destination for foodies and Chiang Mai won’t leave you disappointed.

HOW TO GET TO CHIANG MAI

Usually, your trip starts at Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) airport which has the best connections for travelling in Thailand. I recommend that you take the domestic flight to Chiang Mai right away.

Many different airlines are flying back and forth every day so you can find the one which has the best connection for your international flight arrival. Chiang Mai is also well connected with other parts of Thailand.

temple-chiang-mai-

WHAT TO DO IN CHIANG MAI?

There is so much to do and see in Chiang Mai. If you are not a beach person you could easily spend more than 5 nights in this area. If you have more time, you could stay in Chiang Mai for weeks.

Elephant Rescue Park was built especially for elephants that live with them permanently. They purchase and rescue elephants from places like circuses, the logging industry, mistreatment camps, hardworking sites, and unfortunate accidents.

chiang-mai-elephant-rescue-park-

You have half-day tours and full-day tours. It is not the cheapest activity but it is worth it. Here is the official website. There are many different sanctuaries for Thai elephants but not all of them are good.

sticky-waterfalls-

Sticky waterfalls are a little bit out of the city centre of Chiang Mai. The waterfalls are like the name says sticky. You can walk upstream easily. This is a very unique experience you cannot skip.

MARKETS IN CHIANG MAI

The number one thing you have to do in Chiang Mai is to visit the Sunday Night Market. Thailand is known for its night markets but this one is the best one we have ever visited. The market is every Sunday.

chiang-mai-sunday-night-market-

At this market, you will be able to find the most delicious vegan Thai food, souvenirs, and massages. There are so many tourists and locals enjoying the evening.

There are so many other markets in Chiang Mai. It is hard to choose which ones to visit. One of the best ones is Poen Ruedee Night Market. It is very touristy but there are a lot of different food varieties and vegan options. Just a few steps away there is also the Night Bazaar.

chiang-mai-art-village-

TEMPLES IN CHIANG MAI

There are so many different temples in and around the city. Wat Chedi Luang Buddhist temple is right in the Old Town.

1_Wat-Chedi-Luang

One of the most fascinating temples in Chiang Mai is Wat Pha Lat and to get there you can take the Monk’s trail. The trail is taking you through beautiful nature. It is around a 30-minute walk so I recommend you go in sneakers.

temple-wat-pha-lat

Nearby is also a temple called Wat Umong Suan Putthatham which is worth visiting and when you are in the area you can also go to the Baan Kang Wat art village.

DAY TRIP TO CHIANG RAI

Chiang Rai is about a 3-hour drive away. The easiest way is to rent a car for the day and go on a road trip. There are two famous temples you can visit The Blue Temple and The White Temple. There are also organized tours provided by TripGuru; you can check availability here.

chiang-rai-white-temple-

You can also drive to the Golden Triangle, but it is a lot of extra driving if you are visiting for only one day.

Thailand is famous for its delicious Thai food. In Chiang Mai, you can take a cooking class and learn so much about ingredients and food preparation. Most of the popular classes have the option to choose vegan recipes but just to be sure check before booking.

In conclusion, Chiang Mai is a paradise for vegan food lovers. The city offers a wide range of vegan options, from traditional Thai dishes to international cuisine. You will definitely not be hungry here!

SEE ALSO: Is Koh Phangan a True Vegan Paradise? Unraveling the Island’s Vegan Food Gems in a Tropical Wonderland