Guide · Getting there

How to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, and how long it takes

How to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai depends on whether you want to stay or come back the same day. Here are the distances, the private car, the tours and the stops on the way.

Check availabilityfrom $132 · cancellation is free

Editorial team, chiang-rai-tour.comUpdated October 27, 20266 minutes to read19 sources

On this topic: the tour Chiang Mai Private Car transfer to/from Chiang Rai 4.9 (52 reviews) 3 to 3.5 hours from$132 Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

Quick answer for the road

01Distance: About 172 km one way, roughly 3 hours by road.
02Private car: A transfer of 3 to 3.5 hours with pickup, from $132.
03As a day trip: Tours drive there and back in 11 to 13.5 hours, from $33.
04On the way: Mae Kachan Hot Spring, where visitors soak their feet.¹
05Flying in: Chiang Rai's airport is about 182 km from Chiang Mai Province.²

How far Chiang Rai is from Chiang Mai, in hours

Two day-trip listings give the road distance as about 172 km one way and roughly 3 hours each way. That is how far Chiang Rai is from Chiang Mai in practice: a morning's drive north-east through hills, farmland and small towns, on a road that climbs and winds in places.

The airport gives a similar picture. Airports of Thailand describes Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport as approximately 182 km from Chiang Mai Province.² Distances like these sound short on a map, but traffic leaving Chiang Mai and the slower mountain sections add time, so plan on the higher end.

What matters is what you want to do at the other end. If Chiang Rai is a day out for the temples, a tour that drives you there and back is the simplest answer. If you want to stay a night or more, see the Golden Triangle or move on towards Laos, a private car or a public bus gets you there with your luggage.

The road north

Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, as a day trip drives it

Start

Chiang Mai

Meeting points at Burger King Thapae or McDonald's Night Bazaar.
1.5 hrs

Mae Kachan Hot Spring

The first break, with foot baths and egg-boiling wells.¹
15 min

Hill tribe village

The Mae Kachan Long Neck village; its fee is extra.
2.25 hrs

Wat Rong Khun

The White Temple, on Highway 1 before Chiang Rai.³
3 hrs

Back to Chiang Mai

The day trip returns the same evening.

By private car: door to door in 3 to 3.5 hours

The listing sold on this page is a private car transfer between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai of 3 to 3.5 hours, with a driver speaking Thai and English and pickup included, from $132, rated 4.89 from 52 reviews. The listing sizes its cars by group, so check what the price covers when you book; shared between several people, a car can cost less per head than it first appears.

The listing sizes the car to your group: a sedan for up to 3 passengers and 2 suitcases, an SUV for up to 4 passengers and 4 suitcases, and a van for up to 9 passengers and 9 suitcases. It also allows up to 30 minutes of free waiting at the airport if your flight is late.

A private car is the most comfortable way to move with luggage, and you can ask the driver to stop for photos, coffee or a toilet break. It is also the easiest option with children or older travellers. With free cancellation until 24 hours ahead, booking early costs you nothing if plans move.

Private transfer

Who fits in which car

passengers

Passenger limits per car on the private transfer; suitcases: 2 in the sedan, 4 in the SUV, 9 in the van.

Your options

Ways to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

Option	Time	From	Luggage	Comes back
Private car transfer	3-3.5 hrs	$132	Yes	One way
Temple day trip	11-13.5 hrs	$33	Big Bus option	Same day
Private temple trip	13 hrs	$149	Drop-off extra	Same day
Public bus	Check locally	Check locally	Yes	One way

Journey times and starting prices are the listings' own; the private trip is priced per person.

Pick a way

Three bookable ways north

With luggage

Private car

Door to door, one way

From: $132
Time: 3 to 3.5 hours
Reviews: 52

See the option

Chiang Mai:Chiang Rai White, Blue & Red Temple & Karen Tribe

Most reviewed

Temple day trip

There and back

From: $33
Time: 11 to 13.5 hours
Reviews: 7,712

See the option

Highest rated

Private highlights

Your own car and guide

From: $75
Time: 10 hours
Rating: 4.95

See the option

Decision helper

Which way north suits you?

Choose the line that matches your plans.

I come back to Chiang Mai the same day We are a group with suitcases I travel alone on a budget I want temples on the way in I am flying in from elsewhere

A day trip

11 to 13.5 hours with transport, from $33.

A private car

A van takes 9 passengers and 9 suitcases.

The public bus

Check times and fares at the terminal a day ahead.

A private car

Ask the driver to stop at the White Temple on Highway 1.³

Fly to Chiang Rai

Its airport has service hours of 06.00 to 22.00.⁴

Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport is located in Chiang Rai Province, approximately 182 kilometers from Chiang Mai Province.

Airports of Thailand, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International AirportSource 2

As a day trip: let a tour do the driving

If you only want to see Chiang Rai's temples, you do not need to arrange transport at all. The most booked day trip from Chiang Mai lasts 11 to 13.5 hours, starts from $33 and has 7,712 reviews. Its bus covers the whole route and brings you back to Chiang Mai the same night.

On that day the bus runs 1.5 hours to Mae Kachan Hot Spring, 15 minutes to a hill tribe village, 2.25 hours to Wat Rong Khun, then on to the Blue Temple and Huay Pla Kang Temple, and 3 hours back to Chiang Mai. Luggage travels only on its Big Bus Tour option, for a 290 THB add-on.

That add-on is useful if you want to stay on in Chiang Rai: a day tour can double as a sightseeing transfer if you leave the group at the end. The private trip sold on Viator also offers a luggage drop-off in Chiang Rai after the tour, for 400 THB. Check the details with the operator before you rely on either.

Map

From Chiang Mai to the temples of Chiang Rai and the Mekong

The road north from Chiang Mai with its stops, then the temples around Chiang Rai and the border country up to the Golden Triangle.

Map of northern Thailand from Chiang Mai past Mae Kachan Hot Spring and Mae Suai to the White Temple, Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle — Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

Map of Chiang Rai with the White, Blue and Red Temples, Baan Dam, Doi Tung, Mae Sai, Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle — Around Chiang Rai

1
Chiang Mai
Start of the site tour: meeting points at Burger King Thapae or McDonald's Night Bazaar for the English tour, with pickup on some options.
In Google Maps ↗
2
Mae Kachan Hot Spring
The first stop of the site tour, 1.5 hours by bus from Chiang Mai; visitors soak their feet and boil eggs in separate wells.¹
In Google Maps ↗
3
Mae Suai
Wat Sang Kaew Phothiyan, a 30-minute stop on the private trip, lies in Mae Suai.
In Google Maps ↗
4
White Temple
Wat Rong Khun, 15 km from Chiang Rai city centre on Highway 1.³
In Google Maps ↗
5
Chiang Rai
The provincial capital, with the Saturday walking street on Thanalai Road and the Night Bazaar on Prasopsuk Road.⁵ ⁶
In Google Maps ↗
6
Blue Temple
Wat Rong Suea Ten, at 306 Moo 2, Mae Kok Road in Rim Kok.⁷
In Google Maps ↗
7
Wat Huay Pla Kang
The Guan Yin statue of 69 meters and the 9-story chedi.⁸ ⁹
In Google Maps ↗
8
Baan Dam
Thawan Duchanee's Black House in Nang Lae, open 09.00 to 17.00.¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗
9
Doi Tung
The Royal Villa at 1,630 metres and the Tree Top Walk in Mae Fah Luang Garden.¹¹ ¹²
In Google Maps ↗
10
Golden Triangle
More than 70 km from Chiang Rai city, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.¹³ ¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
11
Mae Sai
On TAT's Golden Triangle route from Chiang Rai to Sop Ruak.¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
12
Chiang Saen
The district of the Golden Triangle; the green public bus runs here from Chiang Rai.¹³
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before the drive north

Book

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Choose the car size for your group
Give your hotel or flight details

Pack

Water and snacks for the road
A light jacket for the air-conditioning
Temple clothing if you stop on the way

On the day

Leave early to beat traffic
Be on time for a day tour
Cash for drinks and small fees

Video

Riding the bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai

No video data loads before you press play.

By bus, and by air

Public buses link the bus terminals of the two cities and are the budget way to make the trip. Timetables, classes of bus and fares change, so check them with the bus company or at the terminal a day ahead, and buy your ticket early in the high season, when seats can sell out.

Once you reach Chiang Rai, the local green buses go further north. Airports of Thailand notes that the green public bus on the Chiang Rai - Chiang Saen line reaches the Golden Triangle area for 40 baht per person, and advises checking the fare with the staff.¹³

For the short hop between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai the road is the practical choice, but the airport matters if you arrive from elsewhere. Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport has service hours of 06.00 to 22.00, so you can fly in from elsewhere in Thailand and start your Chiang Rai stay without passing through Chiang Mai at all.⁴

Stops worth making on the road north

Mae Kachan Hot Spring sits on the road between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and Airports of Thailand says visitors soak their feet there and boil eggs in separate wells.¹ It is the first stop on the most booked day trip and a natural break on any drive.

Further on, one temple day stops for 15 minutes at Doi Chaang Caffe in Mae Suai, and the Viator private trip spends 30 minutes at Wat Sang Kaew Phothiyan in Mae Suai. Both make good stretches on a private drive if you ask your driver in advance.

Closer to Chiang Rai, the White Temple sits on Highway 1, 15 km from the city centre, so you can visit it on the way in rather than doubling back.³ Arriving via Wat Rong Khun in the early afternoon and checking in afterwards makes the travel day feel like a sightseeing day. Keep a change of clothes in your day bag, so you can leave the suitcase in the car and walk round the temple comfortably.

Which way suits your trip

If you are coming back to Chiang Mai the same day, take a day tour. It is the cheapest way to see the temples with transport included, and someone else handles the timing. If you dislike big groups, the private trip on Viator does the same route with your own guide, from $149 per person.

If you are moving on with bags, a private car is the easiest choice for a couple or a group, and the bus for a solo traveller on a budget. With 3 to 3.5 hours door to door, the car leaves you most of the day to explore once you arrive.

If you are heading on to Laos, Chiang Rai is the natural stepping stone. The Mekong forms the border at Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province and Huay Xai in Laos.¹⁶ Spend a night or two in Chiang Rai for the temples, then continue east to the river. Ask your hotel in Chiang Rai to help with onward transport, as local drivers know the border routes well.

Tips for the journey

Leave early. Traffic in Chiang Mai builds through the morning, and an early departure gets you to Chiang Rai with daylight to spare. On a day tour, be at the meeting point on time: the most booked day does not wait for latecomers and does not refund them.

Pack for the road. Water, snacks, a light jacket for the air-conditioning and motion-sickness tablets if bends bother you will all make the drive easier. If you plan temple stops on the way, dress for them from the start: TAT asks for sleeves and clothing that covers the knees.¹⁷

In the rainy season, allow extra time. In 2026 the rains set in on May 15 by the Thai Meteorological Department's count, and Chiang Rai's August brings 374 mm on average.¹⁸ ¹⁹ Wet roads slow everyone down, so avoid tight connections on the day you travel.

Your temple day