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Here are THE BEST activities in Chiang Mai for kids in 2026. Chiang Mai is one of our top pick destinations in south east asia for an epic adventurous family holiday with kids. You can see waterfalls, ride a jungle rollercoaster, fly through the canopy on a zip line. For nature lovers you can have breakfast with elephants and explore temples on a horse and cart. Every activity we recommend in this guide is within a day trip from Chiang Mai.
In recent years it has become more challenging than ever to plan a family holiday. Lots of information is out of date and many places are now sadly closed. Like most of the world, Chiang Mai has changed massively in the past couple of years. This guide is an up to date guide of the best activities in Chiang Mai for kids in 2026.
Here is our LATEST addition for families in Chiang Mai – Take a visit to the Elefin Farm and Cafe to enjoy a drink and meet elephants for free (just buy a bucket of bananas for a few dollars!)
What you need to know about activities in Chiang Mai for kids
If you’re looking for activities in Chiang Mai for kids there is a LOT to choose from. Not all of these activities are purpose-built for kids but they are all bags of fun. We have tried to mix it up. Some of these activities in Chiang Mai for kids are better for young kids. Other activities are more suitable for families with teenagers.
Don’t miss these AMAZING family friendly hotels in Chiang Mai. AND we also have a more specific guide on the best things to do in Chiang Mai with a toddler
1 Ride the Jungle Coaster
The Jungle Coaster is a thrilling jungle roller coaster located at the Pong Yang adventure and zipline park to the north west of Chiang Mai. The Jungle Coaster is a small two person cart that runs along a track down a hillside past waterfalls and through the jungle. There is a lever that allows you to control the speed of the cart. It costs 150 baht to ride the jungle coaster at Pong Yang (this is roughly £3 or $4). You can buy tickets on arrival at the ticket office. This is one of THE BEST activities in Chiang Mai for kids – if you have adventurous teens. They are happy to let younger kids on the Jungle Coaster but we wouldn’t really recommend this activity for families with kids under 5-6 year old. You can also do ziplining, a canopy bike ride and a range of different swings at the Pong Yang Adventure park.
How much do tickets cost for the Pong Yang Adventure Park? You can do individual activities for 150 baht (around £3 or $4). If you wish to do the zipline course you need to purchase a package (ranging between 2,000 – 3,000 baht which is roughly £40 – £60 or $50 – $80). Adults and children’s tickets are the same price. They normally use children’s heights to decide if they are big enough for different activities. As a rough guide, children around 6 years old should be big enough to do most activities at the Pong Yang Adventure Park.
How do you get to the Pong Yang Adventure Park? Rent a bike in Chiang mai (around 150 baht per day) or a car in Chiang Mai for around 700 – 1,000 baht per day. Alternatively pre-arrange a taxi in Chiang Mai for around 800 baht for the return trip (around £16 or $20)
Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE on the Pong Yang Adventure Park.
2 Take a dip at the Grand Canyon Water Park
The Grand Canyon Water Park is one of our favourite activities in Chiang Mai for kids of all ages. If you’re visiting with younger kids there is an epic kids water park with slides, inflatables and splashy things. For older kids there is an inflatable obstacle course with platforms, slides and balancing activities. Life jackets included. At the Grand Canyon water park you can also do a cliff jump (around 10m) and there is a slide with a terrifying drop at the end. There is also a zip line and a wake park for an additional fee. The Grand Canyon can be a little confusing as there are two separate parks next to each other. We are recommending the south west site which is bigger and more developed. The sites are around a 2 minute walk from each other. A visit to the Grand Canyon Water Park is definitely one of the more active Activities in Chiang Mai for kids .
How much do tickets cost for the Grand Canyon Water Park? Adult tickets cost 650 Baht per person (£13 or $16). Adults tickets include access to the aqua park, kids play area, zip line, kayaking and water slide. It costs 500 baht (£10 or $13) for children between a height of 90 – 120cm. Children under 90cm get free entry. The children’s tickets only include the children’s water park. Recently the Grand Canyon waterpark has been offering discounted ticket rates. Adult tickets cost 300 baht (£6 or $8). Children’s tickets for 150 baht (£3 or $4).
How do you get to the Grand Canyon Water Park? Rent a bike in Chiang mai (around 150 baht per day) or a car in Chiang Mai for around 700 – 1,000 baht per day. Alternatively you should be able to arrange a return trip taxi ride in Chiang Mai for 200 – 300 baht (£4 – £6 or $5 – $8)
Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE on the Grand Canyon Water Park.
3 Explore the Hidden Village
The Hidden Village is a small attraction located to the north of Chiang Mai. It is pretty easy to get to and would be a great activity for a family with younger kids (2-5 years would appreciate the magic the most). The Hidden Village is one of several purpose built activities in Chiang Mai for kids. They have a kids play park, sand pit, farm animals, several small rides and a dinosaur park with scale dinosaur models that even twitch and let out an occasional roar. Feeding the animals and going on the rides costs around 20 baht. The Hidden Village is not one of the most epic activities in Chiang Mai for kids but it’s well worth a visit if you have a free morning or afternoon. The Hidden Village is open daily from 10am – 6pm.
How much do tickets cost for the Hidden Village? For foreigners the entrance fees are 200 baht for adults (roughly £4 or $5) and 100 baht for kids (around £2 or $2.50). Children under 100cm are allowed free entry. You do not need to pre-book tickets for the Hidden Village Chiang Mai, just buy your tickets on arrival at the ticket office (entrance to the park).
How do you get to the Hidden Village Chiang Mai? You can get to the Hidden Village by rented car or bike. Alternatively take a taxi or songthaew. It should cost around 100 – 200 baht for the return journey (£2 – £4 or $3 – $5).
Don’t miss our FULL GUIDE on the Hidden Village Chiang Mai.
4 Learn about herbs and spices at the Ginger Farm
If you’re looking for more relaxed activities in Chiang Mai for kids the Ginger farm should definitely be on your list. The Chiang mai Ginger farm is a small beautiful farm located to the south of Chiang mai. This small site has several gardens and plantations to explore. They also have a small selection of farm animals including a water buffalo. There is a small kids play park located at the Ginger farm and they also offer daily tours including animal feeding for 290 baht at 11am and 2pm (this is around £6). If you miss the tour you are welcome to explore the farm for free. They also have a small cafe serving a range of drinks and food. A visit to the Chiang Mai Ginger farm is likely to take around an hour or two.
How much does it cost to visit the Chiang Mai Ginger farm? The Ginger Farm is FREE to visit. However you can take tours for 290 baht.
What is the best way to get to the Ginger Farm? You can get there by rented car or bike. A taxi from Chiang Mai should cost around 100 baht each way (roughly £2 or $3).
5 Take a horse and cart temple tour
If you’re looking for activities in Chiang Mai for kids it doesn’t get more magical than a tour on a horse and cart around an ancient temple complex. Wiang Kum Kam is a 700 years old ancient city that was abandoned due to flooding. There are no official entrance fees to visit the area. However you can arrange a tour of Wiang Kum Kam on a horse and cart. It costs a fixed price of 300 baht per carriage (this is around £6 or $8). Tours take 60-90 minutes to visit around 10 temple sites and the carriages can take 4-5 people. They tend to stop for 5-10 minutes at each temple site.
How much does it cost to visit Wiang Kum Kam? You can visit the complex for free however if you wish to take a horse and cart it will cost a very reasonable 300 baht for the tour.
How do you get to Wiang Kum Kam? You can get a taxi or songthaew from the old town for around 50-100 baht (£1 – £2 or $1.30 – $2.50)
6 Have a drink at the Carp Cafe
The Carp Cafe is one of the best themed cafes that we have visited. They have a large carp pool, quaint bridges and small coves for seating. There is a small section of walkways that leads through an artificial forest with a misty damp cloud forest feel. The Carp Cafe also serves a range of tasty treats, drinks and fresh sushi and sashimi. The carp cafe is suitable for families with kids of any age. With younger kids careful supervision is needed near the pools and bridges (basically everywhere!)
How much does it cost to visit the Carp Cafe? Like all the best things in life, a visit to the Carp cafe is free. Most food and drinks range between 50 baht and 200 baht (£1 – £4)
How do you get to the Carp Cafe? A taxi from the old city should cost around 100 baht one way (this is around £2 or $3)
7 Learn about insects at the Siam Insect Zoo
The Siam Insect Zoo is a small attraction with a range of insects and small reptiles. This is one of the best activities in Chiang Mai for kids if they love nature and learning. The Siam Insect Zoo had a butterfly garden, beetle world, insect breeding farm and an insect museum. Staff are very friendly and welcoming and there is information in both Thai and English. The Siam Insect Zoo is open daily from 9.00am – 5.00pm.
How much does the Siam Insect Zoo cost? Adult tickets 80 baht and children’s tickets cost 60 baht (3 – 12 years old)
How do you get to the Siam Insect Zoo? Rent a car or bike. Alternatively take a taxi. A return trip to the Siam Insect Zoo should cost around 300 baht – 500 baht (£6 – £10 or $8 – $13). Consider visiting the Siam Insect Zoo along with the Pong Yang Adventure Park.
8 Have breakfast with elephants at the Chai Lai Orchid Hotel
This really is one of the best activities in Chiang Mai for kids. The Chai Lai Orchid is an elephant hotel located in the beautiful rolling hills to the south of Chiang Mai (around 90 minutes by road). The Chai Lai Orchid is a resort that has a range of comfortable wooden nature bungalows. In the morning elephants take a stroll round the camp and wake guests up. You can also have breakfast with elephants (if you get any food). The Chai Lai Orchid offers a range of other experiences including elephant treks and swimming in the river with elephants. It is possible to visit Chai Lai for the day or spend a night. One of our favorite things about the Chai Lai Orchid is the ETHICAL nature of the project. They support local staff with training and employment. The majority of their staff are local women who have been rescued from trafficking. All profits are donated to an anti-trafficking charity. They provide a safe happy home for elephants and train the elephant carers (mahouts).
How much does the Chai Lai Orchid Hotel cost? For such a superlative experience the Chai Lai Orchid is very affordable. You can normally get rooms for £50 – £100 per night.
How do you get to the Chai Lai Orchid hotel? Due to the distance and remote location the cheapest and most convenient way to get to Chai Lai is to rent a car or bike. However, if you take a taxi this needs to be pre-arranged at least one or two days in advance. It should cost around 1,000 baht or more each way.
Don’t miss our FULL REVIEW of the Chai Lai Orchid Hotel.
9 Feel like spiderman at Sticky waterfall
Sticky waterfall is definitely worth the trip from Chiang Mai. Sticky waterfall is a natural jungle waterfall located around 60km to the north of Chiang Mai. This is one of our top pick activities in Chiang Mai for kids that love adventure. The sticky waterfall has a limestone surface that allows people to walk up surprisingly steep sections of the waterfall without slipping. This is a very beautiful area. They have great facilities (free toilets and showers) and there is also a beautiful free spring (no bathing). This is a great activity for families with older kids (although families with toddlers and babies can visit too). We recommend leaving at least a full morning or afternoon to visit the Sticky Waterfall Chiang mai.
How much does it cost to visit the sticky waterfall? Impressively it is totally free to visit the Sticky Waterfall.
How do you get to the sticky waterfall? Due to the distance and remote locate the cheapest and most convenient way to get to the Sticky Waterfall is to rent a car or bike and drive there. If you wish to use a taxi to visit the Sticky Waterfall we recommend arranging this at least one day in advance. It should cost around 800-1000 baht for the return trip depending on your bartering skills (this is around £16 – £20 or $20 – $25)
10 Have a bounce at 50FLY! Trampoline Park Chiang mai
If you have energetic little ones this is the perfect activity in Chiang Mai for kids. 50FLY! Is a trampoline jump park with a foam pit, and a soft play areas and a range of trampolines. This is the perfect activity for a rainy day or a great way for kids to burn off excess cheeky beans. You do need to buy special grippy socks. 50FLY! Also has a range of other classes and activities too.
How much does it cost to visit 50FLY!? It costs around 350 baht for one hour (£7 or $10) or 450 baht for 2 hours (£9 or $12).
How do you get to 50FLY! Trampoline park? The 50FLY! Trampoline park is located around 6km to the south east of the old town. We recommend taking a taxi, or using car or bike rental. A taxi from the old town should cost around 100 baht each way (£2 or $2.50).
Activities in Chiang Mai for Kids – Honorable mentions
We also wanted to mention a few more activities in Chiang Mai for kids. Although these activities in Chiang Mai for kids haven’t made our top 10, they are still great things to do with your little ones…
- Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures – small indoor bouldering and climbing center. A little pricey and not huge but lots of fun.
- Ping River Cruise – a boat tour on the Mae Ping River including a visit to a farm
- The Chiang Mai Silk Farm – similar to the Ginger Farm but a bit further away
- San Kamphaeng Hot Springs – Great day trip. Features a kids pool and small play park.
- The Chiang Mai Astro Park – Free space themed museum. Not too far from the Hidden Village.
- Monks trail to Wat Tha Lat – Free amazing trek into the hills to a stunning temple (great for older kids)
- Khom Chocolate house – perfect place for chocolate lovers!
- Much Room cafe – fun themed cafe located to the south of Chiang mai
- Rajapruek park – large public park including gardens and a play park.
- Buak Haad park – small free park to the south west of the old city. Kids play park included.
Looking for more inspiration
Don’t miss our guide to THE BEST things to do in Thailand with kids. If you’re visiting Chiang Mai and want more inspiration – don’t miss our epic 10 day Chiang Mai itinerary. If you’re only in Chiang Mai for a few days you may be interested in our 3 day Chiang Mai itinerary.
