Chiang Mai with Kids
Ethical Elephants, a Night Safari & Doi Suthep

This is the number-one pick for kids in Chiang Mai. Newer camps in the Mae Taeng and Mae Wang valleys do things differently — no seats on the elephants' backs, no performances, just children feeding whole bunches of bananas, walking with the elephants along a stream, and going in for a mud bath together. Every child who gets that close to a real elephant talks about it for the rest of the trip. Choose a half-day program for younger kids so it is not too tiring, and you get to teach them about animal welfare along the way.

Nothing excites a child quite like a giraffe leaning its neck towards the tram in the dark. Chiang Mai Night Safari is an after-dark zoo you tour by open tram through a Savanna zone and a Predator zone, passing zebras, deer and more up close. There is also a walking loop around a lake and a musical-fountain show. Little ones ride comfortably, older kids love the thrill, and it sits at the foot of Doi Suthep, not far from the city.

If the kids at home can swim and love the water, Grand Canyon Water Park in Hang Dong is a floating aqua park set in a flooded former quarry with emerald-green water. It has floating obstacle courses, slides and jumping platforms that older kids and teens love. The key point: everyone wears a life jacket and lifeguards are on duty. Younger children who cannot swim should stay in the shallow area and right beside an adult. It makes a great splash-out day to cool off after temple visits.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep might sound like a grown-ups' attraction, but kids enjoy it if you make it fun. To reach the temple there is a long Naga (serpent) stairway to climb, or a funicular cable car up for younger children. At the top, a long row of bells lets kids walk along ringing each one, there is a golden pagoda to circle, and a viewpoint that looks out over the entire city of Chiang Mai from high up. Children get more of a thrill from the view and the bells than from the temple itself. Go early for cooler air and fewer crowds.

On a day when it is too hot or pouring with rain and you have no idea where to take the kids, this is the answer. A 3D illusion museum where you pose to look as if you are inside the painting — falling down a waterfall, riding an animal, or dangling over a canyon. Children run from one scene to the next for hours without getting bored, it is cool and air-conditioned, and it makes a good afternoon when the sun is fierce or on a hazy day when you would rather keep the kids indoors. The family comes away with a phone full of silly photos.

A cooking class is not just for adults. Many cooking schools in Chiang Mai run family classes children can do hands-on — from picking vegetables at a market or farm, to pounding curry paste in a mortar, to cooking khao soi and a sweet dessert. Kids are immensely proud to eat something they made themselves, and it is a genuine everyone-together activity. Tell the teacher in advance about spice levels so the kids can eat it, and choose a morning half-day session to match a child's attention span.

Chiang Mai's Old City sits inside a square of walls ringed by a moat, with the main temples close enough to walk between. The trick with kids is not to enter every temple — pick two or three standouts. Wat Chedi Luang has a huge half-ruined pagoda that looks as grand as a castle, and Wat Phra Singh is beautifully kept. Add some fun by letting kids feed pigeons, ring a bell, or take a samlor (cycle rickshaw) ride round the moat. Break the afternoon with a cafe stop so the kids can sit, and the temple day never feels like a slog.

A good family trip needs a day that is not rushed, and the botanic garden in Mae Rim is a wide, shady space where kids can run and breathe fresh mountain air. The highlight is the Canopy Walkway, a high walkway over the treetops where children look down on the forest, plus a set of glasshouse domes covering plants from different climates. A tram carries you up to the top section, so kids learn and get exercise both. It makes a relaxed afternoon, noticeably cooler than the city.

Chiang Mai Zoo sits on shaded hillside at the foot of Doi Suthep, with plenty of animals for kids to see. The standout is the Chiang Mai Aquarium and its long underwater tunnel, where you walk beneath the water and watch fish and sharks swim all around you — guaranteed wide eyes. The zoo grounds are hilly, but a tram runs up and down so little legs do not have to walk far. It makes a full animal day, or pairs with the Night Safari right nearby.

The evening, when the air cools down, is the best time for kids in Chiang Mai. The Night Bazaar runs every night with toys, food and open-air food courts where the whole family can sit and eat. On Saturday and Sunday nights the Walking Streets close whole roads in and near the Old City — kids can watch live music, try local snacks and pick up handmade toys. The trick is to go early evening before the crowds, keep a firm hold of small hands, and agree a meeting point in case anyone wanders off. It is a far easier stroll than the midday heat.