pai day trip

Thailand has always been an attractive and cheap tourist paradise for young people, but if you want to change the atmosphere a little bit compared to the familiar heat of Bangkok or the waters of Pattaya, Phuket, then a bit cold and cool of Northern Thailand is a great suggestion for you! Especially the beautiful small town called Pai – also known as dear Dalat of Thailand will be a destination not to be missed if you visit the northern mountainous area. But if you only have 1 day in Pai, so where to go and what to do? Follow Living Nomads team to explore! Now, let’s check it out our Pai day trip on how to spend one day in Pai Thailand perfectly?

pai-thailand-place-to explore
The peaceful scenery of Pai
thailand-pai-holy-bamboo-bridge-hut
Come to Pai is come to nature.
Bungallow-pai-thailand
A green bungalow in Pai
Pai-Canyon-Sunset-1
Chasing sunset at Pai Canyon
tham-lod-cave-paithailand-best places-to-explore-pai-thailand
Tham Lot cave
Pam Bok Waterfall in Pai Thailand
Pam Bok Waterfall
trekking- Pai Thailand-place-to-visit-in-pai-thailand1
Trekking in Pai
pang-ung-lake-Pai-Thailand-perfect guides to explore Pai-Thailand2
Pang Ung Lake
pai thailand travel guide
Pai Town
how to get to pai
Getting around Pai by motorbike.
nightlife-Pai-Thailand-perfect guides to explore Pai-Thailand1
Vibrant bar

Pai day trip: How to get to Pai?

getting to pai from chiang mai

The distance between Pai and Chiang Mai is about 130km. There are 4 popular ways to get to Pai from Chiang Mai.

Public bus: You can traveling to Pai by public bus with travel time from 4 hours or more, depending on traffic situation. The price for one-way is about 90 baht ($2.96). The bus has no air conditioning and the road is quite winding. To catch the bus you can go to Arcade Bus Station in the north of Chiang Mai (also known as New Terminal). The bus departs at 7AM, 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM and 4PM.

public bus to chiang mai
Public bus to Pai

Minibus: You can also rent a Minibus to get to Pai, this is the most popular way. Travel time is 3 to 4 hours with ticket price of about 180 baht ($5.92). Minibus bus departs at 7:30AM until 5:30PM. You can book through travel agents such as Klook, KKDay or 12go.com.

getting to pai from chiang mai
Minivan

Airplane: You can also getting to Chiang Mai by plane. Although this way is less common. You can book air tickets from Wisdom Airways from 1790 baht ($58.84) per person and must book at least 7 days in advance before the travel date.

chiang mai to pai-1
Flight from Chiang Mai- to Pai

Motorbike: In addition to the above 3 ways, you can also rent a motorbike to getting to Pai. Many backpackers choose this way, quite adventurous but freedom and you can stop along the way to admire scenery, drink coffee ..

The twisting mountain road from Chiang Mai to Pai
The twisting mountain road from Chiang Mai to Pai

Pai day trip: Where to go and what to do in one day in Pai?

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge)

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

This seemingly boring wooden bridge is actually a very cool virtual living spot that you should not miss when you coming to Pai, with the highlight of the two dark green fences bearing a classic appearance, eye-catching, poetic and the dreaming scenery on both sides of the Pai river. Previously the bridge was built to connect the route between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces, then destroyed by war and natural disasters. The people decided to restore the wooden bridge as a historical monument to the war and accidentally turned it into an extremely famous tourist attraction. You can visit the bridge at any time of the day and there is no cost!

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)
| pai day trip

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)
| pai day trip

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)
| pai day trip

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)
The bridge at dusk
Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)
| pai day trip

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)
Pai bridge at sunset

Tha Pai Memorial Bridge (World War II Memorial Bridge),pai day trip, one day in pai (1)

Watch the sunset at Pai canyon

pai canyon thailand (1)
Sunset at Grand Canyon in Pai

Not far from the wooden bridge is the most famous Pai gorge named Pai Canyon, and the best time you should visit here is in the afternoon to have a full view of the beautiful sunset in Pai. The road leads to Pai Canyon has many levels from easy to difficult so you do not need to worry if your health is not good (but be aware of wearing sneakers for easy movement). Although this canyon area is not too large, if you climb hard, you will discover more unique photographic spots.

 

pai canyon thailand (1)
Geological Magic at Pai Canyon
pai canyon thailand (1)
Pai Canyon

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)
| one day in pai

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)
| one day in pai

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)
| one day in pai

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

1pai day trip,pai canyon
Stunning sunset

1pai day trip,pai canyon

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)
| one day in pai

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)
| pai day trip

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)

pai day trip,pai canyon (1)
| pai day trip

“Chill” at the lovely cafes in Pai

Coffee-In-Love (7)

People come to Pai not only for sightseeing, but also to find peace and fresh air in this beautiful town. With its unique feature of cold climate and majestic scenery of mountains and hills, dropping yourself in relaxing cafes with spectacular views will be a “specialty” that cannot miss in Pai. Coffee in love, The container@Pai … are two of the must-go cafes when you visit Pai. Why? Just look at the pictures below you will understand immediately! Coffee in love stands out with a lovely yellow house in the classic style of the “Little House on the Prairie”, and The container@Pai is attracted by the swing chairs for you to admire floating clouds in the sky.

Coffee-In-Love (7)
Coffee In Love

Coffee-In-Love (7)

Coffee-In-Love (7)

Coffee-In-Love (7)
| one day in pai
Coffee-In-Love (7)
Coffee-In-Love (4)
Coffee-In-Love (7)
I Am Pai sign at Coffee-In-Love

Coffee-In-Love (7)

pai-thailand-place-to explore
The container@Pai

The container@Pai (6)

The container@Pai (6)
| one day in pai

The container@Pai (6)

The container@Pai (6)

The container@Pai (6)
| one day in pai

The container@Pai (6)

Explore the Pai night market

Explore the Pai night market (1)

Where to go in Pai to fill your stomach after a tiring day of touring? The answer is a night market! Pai town is small but the night market occupy most of the big and small streets in the center. Although small, but you want to fully explore the night market, it also takes a lot of time, because here you can find all kinds of unique souvenirs made-in-Thailand such as clothes, postcards, pretty bags … , very-very-many delicious dishes at very cheap prices, such as pad thai, skewers, dumplings, fresh strawberries covered in chocolate, pancakes, smoothies …, along with many vibrant pubs and bars.

Explore the Pai night market (1)
People walking on Pai night market at twilight.
Explore the Pai night market (1)
| pai day trip

Explore the Pai night market (1)

Explore the Pai night market (1)
| pai day trip
Explore the Pai night market (1)
Souvenirs

Explore the Pai night market (1)

Explore the Pai night market (1)

Explore the Pai night market (1)
Boom Bar
nightlife-Pai-Thailand-perfect guides to explore Pai-Thailand1
Vibrant bar

nightlife-Pai-Thailand-perfect guides to explore Pai-Thailand

End of a Pai exploration in a day, though short, but also very interesting right? The thing I miss most during the trip to Pai is the cool weather, warm atmosphere, friendly people and the scenery here, the clear starry sky, the beautiful night market that makes me don’t want to leave. Goodbye Pai and continue the journey to conquer the North Thailand. See you again!

Mor Paeng Waterfall in Pai, Thailand

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in and from Pai you can refer to

thailand-pai-holy-bamboo-bridge-hut
Come to Pai is come to nature.

Are you looking for the fullest Pai travel guide. Let’s read: Pai blog — The fullest Pai travel guide to explore Pai, Thailand.