Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market Guide + Photos 2024
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Chiang Mai Sunday night market is one of Northern Thailand’s best night markets, packed with hundreds of stalls selling souvenirs, street-food, massages and more.
The biggest weekly night market in Chiang Mai, the sunset shopping experience at Chiang Mai Sunday night market is the perfect place to stock up on crafts, souvenirs and see live music.
With hundreds of stalls dotted along the main and side roads (including several temple food courts), the Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street night market offers some of the best gifts, arts and food that the Northern Thailand region has to offer.
We returned to the Chiang Mai Sunday night market in 2024 and it is bigger and better than ever before, sprawling across Chiang Mai’s old Town.
From prices to panoramic market views from a nearby rooftop bar, here is our ultimate guide to the Chiang Mai.
This article was originally published in March 2020.
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Table of Contents
Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market opening times 2024
The Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street Market generally begins around 4pm running along Ratchadamnoen Road from the ThaPae Gate, finishing at around 10pm to 11pm.
The Sunday walking market is traffic free and reopens to traffic at 11pm. Times correct as of June 2024.
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Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market location
The night market on Sunday takes place in Chiang Mai’s Old Town, along Rachadamnoen Road.
The Sunday Night Market in Chiang Mai begins just outside of Wat Phra Singh temple and runs all the way east finishing at Thapae Gate and the old town walls.
The market is just over 1km long plus has stalls in numerous side streets – it is the biggest weekly market in Chiang Mai, and bigger than the Chiang Mai Saturday Night Walking Market (read our 2024 guide to the Saturday Night Market here).
If you are looking for a nice Chiang Mai Hotel very close to the Sunday Night Market, check out our review of 99 the Heritage Hotel, literally 20 seconds walk from the start of the night market.
Check Chiang Mai hotel rates and availability on booking.com or hostels on hostelworld.com.
You might like – Guide to Jing Jai Farmers Market in Chiang Mai >
Map of Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market
There are several maps along the market route showing all the various side-roads, market zones and main Chiang Mai temples.
Here is a photo of the official Chiang Mai Sunday Night Walking Market taken in 2024:
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Sunday Walking Street Night Market in Chiang Mai
After the ennui of some of Bangkok’s not-so-nice night markets, you’d be forgiven for thinking this isn’t worth your time (although there are some cool things to do in Bangkok at night).
However if you are in Chiang Mai and your trip coincides with a weekend, we’d urge you to visit the Sunday Walking Market. Vendors warmly welcome and greet you with smiles. It feels very different from the likes of say Chatuchak weekend market or Danneramit Train Night Market in Thailand’s capital.
Looking for cheap Chiang Mai day-trips, attractions or group/private tours? We recommend visiting Viator, GetYourGuide, and Klook!
You might like – Our guide to the best temples in Chiang Mai including the silver temple & Doi Suthep >
What to expect / prices
As well as hundreds of stalls, you’ll also see (and hear!) dozens of street-performers, musicians and bands playing – combine this with delicious and tasty Thai dishes that you can buy very cheaply and you have a whole evening of entertainment for just a basic amount of Baht.
Some of the crafts and wares on offer at the Chiang Mai Sunday night market are hand-crafted and unique gifts, but you can still also find the usual tourist trinkets and cliches like 100 THB elephant pants and Chang beer t-shirts.
Other popular items on sale include hand-carved soap, personalised necklaces and key-rings, coconut bowls plus lots of painted wood-carved elephants.
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Food and drink
There are plenty of food stalls here selling delicious snacks, desserts and drinks. Indulge in seafood and meat skewers, papaya salads, noodles, dim sum, mango sticky rice, fresh fruit smoothies and more!
Some of our favourite things to eat at the market include:
Som Tam (papaya salad)
BBQ Pork and wonton noodles
Freshly cooked sausages (the sour flavour is our favourite)
Banana roti
Thai fish cakes
Coconut ice cream
Pad Thai wrapped in an egg
Japanese gyoza
Garlic bread on a stick
Thai rice pudding desserts
Coconut pancakes
Fresh orange juice
Our ‘what we ate at the night markets in Chiang Mai’ food ‘ video
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Sunday Night Market Massages
One of the most incredible sights at both the Saturday Night Walking Markets and Sunday Night Walking Markets are the pop-up Thai massage stalls that appear.
An en-masse of masseuses and massage chairs, these impromptu massage parlours are so much cheaper than the massage shops in Chiang Mai old town.
For a massage at Chiang Mai Sunday Night Walking Market, expect to pay just 80 THB for a 30 minute head / neck / shoulder/ back / foot massage or 150 THB for a one hour massage – these prices were available as of 2024.
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Bartering, haggling and fixed prices
Can you haggle at the Sunday Night Walking Market in Chiang Mai? Well, yes and no. Many of the stalls have fixed price labels and signs – generally if a price is on show, this is the price you are expected to pay.
We have seen and heard some tourists haggling and bartering on prices for higher value goods like artworks and more premium clothing.
However, we have genuinely heard tourists trying to haggle on items that cost less than 40 THB (like £1 / $1 USD) so please don’t be that person – traders have to make a living too.
The best view of Chiang Mai’s Sunday Night Market
If you’ve done with shopping or want to just enjoy the Sunday Night Market in Chiang Mai without the crowds, we recommend one of Chiang Mai’s best rooftop bars for an unspoilt view of the markets and nearby temples at sunset.
The best rooftop bar in Chiang Mai old town, Thapae Grill (formerly Improvise Bar) looks out over the old city walls and has several levels of lounges, booths and dining rooms. However, keep going up the stairs for several stories and bag a table on the top floor which is outdoors.
From Thapae Grill, you can look out towards the mountains and even see Doi Suthep hillside temple glinting in the sunset rays, with the Sunday market bustling ight down below you. It is such a cool thing to do in Chiang Mai at night.
Find out more about Thapae Grill and other brews with views in our Chiang Mai best rooftop bars guide >
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Alcohol at the Sunday Night Walking Market
Visitors to the Sunday Night Walking Market should be aware that alcohol is banned from the main Ratchadamnoen Road walking street area with the threat of large fines in place for those who do not comply.
Several signs along the way say ‘No Alcohol’ with the possibility of a 10,000 Baht fine for imprisonment of up to 6 months (or both!)
That said, you can drink in the bars and restaurants along the Sunday night walking market.
Sunday Night Walking Market vs Saturday Night Walking Market in Chiang Mai – which is better?
A very good question. If you have to be in Chiang Mai the whole weekend, we’d recommend going to both of the walking markets as the experience is a little different for both.
If you can only go one, the Sunday Night Walking Market is bigger than the Saturday Night Market and more spread out – however, if you don’t like crowds, the Saturday night market is marginally less busy.
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Other things to know about the Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market / Walking Street
- No smoking or vaping is allowed
- It gets very busy after 6pm so if you don’t like crowds, arrive just after 4pm or after 9:30pm
- No pets are allowed according to the official market signs (but many seem to ignore this)
- No vehicles or mopeds are allowed along the Sunday Night Market street between 4pm and 11pm
- Tuk-tuks congregate both at Wat Phra Singh and Thapae gate, should you need to take one home.
After visiting Chiang Mai’s charming Sunday Walking Market, there really is only one quandary – will you have enough space in your backpack / suitcase to fit all your new purchases? If not, the best solution we can offer is to just buy another bag from the market (you’re welcome!)
Hotels near to the Chiang Mai Sunday night market
Here are some accommodation options within walking distance of the night market for all budgets:
99 The Heritage Hotel ($$$)
Gorgeous boutique hotel set in a colonial building with outdoor pool. Check out prices and availability for 99 The Heritage on booking.com and agoda.com
99 The Gallery Hotel ($$)
Cheaper sister hotel of 99 The Heritage with outdoor pool. Check out prices and availability for 99 The Gallery on booking.com and agoda.com
Hostel Lullaby ($)
Highly rated clean and comfortable hostel with private rooms and dorms, and free WIFI. Check out prices and availability for Hostel Lullaby on hostelworld.com and agoda.com
Other Thailand posts you might like
- A Chiang Mai food tour – eating like a local!
- Best Chiang Mai night markets
- Best places to eat Khao soi noodles in Chiang Mai
- Guide to Jing Jai (JJ) Weekend Farmers Market in Chiang Mai
- Guide to Chiang Mai Friday Night Market (Kad Kongkao Walking Street)
- Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai
- Chiang Rai itinerary – the perfect 1 or 2 days in Chiang Rai
- 99 The Heritage Hotel in Chiang Mai review
- Thai Farm Cooking School in Chiang Mai
- Top things to do in Chiang Rai
- Bangkok on a Budget – Backpacking in Thailand
- Exploring Bangkok at night by Tuk Tuk
- Visiting Mahanakhon Skywalk – Bangkok’s Newest Observation Deck
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