You can not be in Chiang Mai without visiting one of the great weekend markets in the city. Jumping into the Saturday or Sunday night market is a must-do attraction for every tourist. Even if you are not one of the shopping enthusiasts, the atmosphere there is worth everything. Take time to stroll through the city's unique markets and absorb the colors, smells and tastes of Chiang Mai. At the end of the week the streets wake up and are filled with dozens of stalls and local performances, you can find everything there: clothes, art, jewelry, rich and local food and more. All that's left is to just catch a tuk-tuk there and start wandering and haggling.
Sunday Night Market It is the number one shopping attraction in Chiang Mai. The market offers a wonderful combination of handmade crafts, music and cuisine. The market, also known as ""Sunday Walking" takes place every Sunday from 16:00 p.m. to midnight, and is the main focus for all local cultural events. You can watch dance performances there, listen to music and examine local art. The beginning of the market is at Thepae Gate and it stretches for about a kilometer XNUMX. Every Sunday, the walking street is closed to traffic, and the street tends to be very crowded and busy.
The items on offer at the various stalls are mainly handmade goods rather than the mass-produced replica souvenirs on display at the other markets in Chiang Mai, although you can also find some of those sold by hawkers from the surrounding hill tribes. It is worth remembering that it is very common to haggle with the vendors, but this should be done in a friendly manner, and the issue is better accepted if you buy more than one product at the stall.
The temples on both sides of the road turn on Sundays into food complexes and snack stalls where you can sample anything, from fried rice to crickets and various deep-fried insects, for the brave among you. The fresh fruit juice stalls are a real treat, and the kids in the group will love the pancakes on a stick, with an illustration of their favorite cartoon character lovingly glazed in jelly.
It is recommended to arrive on the street after 17:00, then you can stroll in the soft light of dusk while sipping fresh fruit juice, browsing handicrafts and snacking on random delicacies. The walk in the market will probably be accompanied by traditional Thai music played by the street vendors, and will add another pleasant peace to the walk in the market. If you are tired after wandering around a lot, there are quite a few places along the street where you can also get a pampering foot massage at a ridiculous price.
On Saturday there is also a colorful and interesting night market - Saturday Night Market. It takes place in the street Wallahi (Wualai), in Chiang Mai of course, also called "Saturday Walking Street", and come and find a lively and fun night market, a short walk from the old city walls. The market starts its activity in the late afternoon and lasts until around 23:00 PM. Many prefer the atmosphere here to the more famous Sunday evening walking street because it is smaller and less crowded than its big brother the Sunday market, so it makes for a more relaxed trip. The market offers lots of handicraft items and locally produced products, and it is also a good place to pick up some tasty snacks that will add flavor to the experience of wandering through the market.
Walhai Road is connected to Tifnut Street, near the southern side of the ancient city walls, and about a ten to fifteen minute walk from Taha Pai Gate. It is very convenient to get to the market, with the easiest way being a short tuk-tuk ride.
The Saturday market fills up as the hours go by and towards sunset the market tends to be very busy. Despite the growing interest in the market, it is still relatively convenient to walk along one side of it and return through the other side. The market offers a wide variety of stalls, and it doesn't just include hill tribe souvenir stalls or generic "I Love Thailand" shirts, but also interesting stalls selling clothing and accessories from local designers, original paintings and you can even buy yourself an orchid or two, if you think they'll survive the journey home! The Saturday market is also famous for its goldsmiths and silver workshops, and there are a number of shops open in the evenings where it is very interesting to look at the handicrafts on display.
A trip to the market takes between one and two hours, and it depends on how many stops you make to eat, since many people come here for the food and not for the shopping. There are local restaurants that serve hot Thai food: barbecue fish, sam tam, fried rice and Thai pie. There are also plenty of stalls selling snacks to eat while walking, including traditional Thai sweets made from coconut, freshly blended smoothies, and hot peanut sauce vestai. After you've tasted everything you can taste, and checked out the many stalls, you can enjoy one of the massage stalls on the side of the street - there's no better way to end the evening!
The Saturday market is a bit more intimate and highly recommended for people with a lot of patience to bargain, as the prices can be much cheaper compared to other places and the variety of stalls is very interesting. Although the market is alive and bustling, the atmosphere is friendly and pleasant and a visit is highly recommended.
There is no doubt that while the air-conditioned malls offer a pleasant escape from the afternoon heat, the Saturday and Sunday markets in Chiang Mai will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip.
