Pai, Thailand is a mountainous town in far northern Thailand and is one of our favorite places to visit. It offers a nice balance of natural outdoor activities and a lively little town to enjoy. Pai has a reputation for a rowdy backpacker bar scene, which definitely exists here. But you can also find things for the quieter kind of travelers, like yoga, spas, or simply relaxing in nature.
After visiting a couple of times, here are our top 10 things to do in Pai!
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Pai Canyon
This is one of the most iconic natural landmarks in Pai.
It’s not exactly a typical canyon with two opposing walls. But more like a maze of sandstone ridges that form some really interesting hiking terrain.
And amazingly, last time we visited, it was still only a suggested 1 Baht donation for maintenance ($0.03 USD).
It takes just a couple of minutes to reach the first plateau with views. But if you want to continue from there, good footwear is a must! Because beyond that, it’s just loose sandy ridges with no guard rails.
Some sections are quite narrow or require climbing with your hands and feet. So it’s definitely not the safest place to hike.
But at least while we’re still young and able-bodied, I do appreciate that it remains in a more natural state and not overly built up.
The most popular time to visit is definitely sunset. If you show up about an hour before sunset, that’s usually enough time to explore a little bit and find a nice place to sit and watch the sunset. But don’t expect much solitude.
If you visit in the middle of the day, there are usually very few people. But just be aware that there’s not much shade, and it can be hot. And mornings usually have even fewer people, but mornings are often foggy and cold in Pai.
Pai Night Market
One of the coolest things about Pai is that every night, the main intersection in town becomes a lively night market. Sometimes referred to as Pai Walking Street. It’s definitely catered towards tourists, and some things can be a little gimmicky. But it’s still fun and worthwhile to explore the market in the evenings.
Even if it’s just to take a nice walk after dinner.
The street comes alive with a mix of street food, clothing, art, and performers.
The cuisine ranges from Thai food to cuisines from around the world. One of our favorites is Gyoza Queen, which is a prolific little restaurant that just pumps out hundreds of delicious fried or steamed dumplings.
Tha Pai Hot Spring
The groundwater around Pai is known for geothermal activity, and there are several hot springs in the area. But Tha Pai is our favorite spot. It’s a little pricey at 300 Baht per foreigner ($9.25 USD), but well worth it for access to this beautiful hot springs site.
The temperatures in the springs range from very hot to just mildly warm.
Our favorite time to visit is early in the morning, right when they open. Because there are the fewest people, but even better is the way the sunshine cuts through the morning fog.
The only thing about coming in the morning is that it can be very cold, especially if you ride a motorbike here. It felt like my hands were almost frozen to the handlebars.
But that makes it that much sweeter when you slide into the warm, healing hot spring water.
If you bring a change of clothes, they have cold showers you can use after.
You can also walk up to the top of the property where the natural hot spring water emerges from the ground. Up here, it is hot enough to burn you, so it’s just for looking. Or they even have these little baskets for making hard-boiled eggs in the water.
Khao Soi Pai
If you are looking for really cheap and delicious Thai food, go check out Khao Soi Pai. Named after the northern Thai specialty, Khao Soi. This is a coconut curry noodle soup, typically served with egg noodles, a chicken drumstick, and garnished with red onion, pickles, cilantro, and crispy fried noodles.
It’s our absolute favorite Thai dish, and this was the best one we had on our entire trip! And with self-serve toppings, you can kind of customize it to your liking.
And they do have other things on the menu.
The restaurant is nothing fancy, but for prices like these, and tasty food and friendly service. It’s definitely a worthy spot.
We got two Khao Soi bowls, and split a Large beer, all for about 230 Baht ($7.50 USD)!
Kho Ku So Bamboo Bridge
This is one of the most photogenic places near Pai. Made famous by a bamboo bridge spanning over rice paddies.
The cost is 30 Baht to enter ($0.93 USD).
Both times we have been here in the dry season, when the rice paddies weren’t at their peak. Visit during July to October to see the rice fields at their greenest glory.
And despite how these days it might just seem like a tourist trap, you know, with all the swings, photo ops, fish feeding, archery and more.
But its origins are a lot more authentic and wholesome.
The bamboo bridge was originally built as a community effort to help Buddhist monks cross the muddy rice paddies to reach the temple grounds in the forest beyond. And it still serves that purpose to this day.
Make sure you don’t miss the temple’s grounds at the end of the bridge. It’s just a very peaceful forest setting that is beautiful to explore. But remember the guidelines for visiting temples. Like dressing modestly with clothes that cover past your knees and shoulders.
And as a bonus, there area couple of scenic restaurants nearby that you can visit before or after.
One spot is the Pambok Cafe, which is a trendy cafe and restaurant. We just had a smoothie and a slice of carrot cake, which were both very good.
Coffee View has the better views of the whole valley and feels a bit more like a true family-run business. The Thai food is good, but I wouldn’t recommend the Western breakfast.
Yun Lai Viewpoint
Located on a beautiful hilltop, this popular sunrise spot is one of the best viewpoints around. Just west of town, there’s a community of ethnic Chinese, descendants of refugees who came to Thailand decades ago.
Throughout the neighborhood, you’ll notice the shift to Chinese culture, cuisine, and more.
The Yun Lai Viewpoint itself is 20 Baht to enter and explore the grounds ($0.62 USD). There’s a cafe, some touristy photo op stuff, and even tent camping. But for us, the highlight is just the amazing views of the whole valley.
A lot of the attractions here are very clearly built for tourists, but just the views alone are worth the price of admission.
Coming here for sunrise is a very popular activity. But it’s always a little bit of a gamble with the weather. It could be an amazing sunrise, and cloud inversions are very common as the morning fog hangs in the valley below. But there’s always the chance that there are too many clouds and fog, and you don’t see anything.
And before or after visiting the viewpoint, as a bonus, you can stop into Santichon Village. This little replica Chinese village has games, activities, Photo ops, souvenirs, and Chinese architecture. But depending on who you are, it might be more of a tourist trap than a worthy attraction, but at least it’s run by Chinese descendants.
Cheese Madness
This is one of our absolute favorite restaurants in Pai. Cheese is so rare in asian cuisines, so we always find ourselves craving cheese when traveling in Thailand.
And Cheese Madness is the answer to our prayers.
They serve decadent grilled cheeses, cheese-forward sandwiches, fondue, and even nice imported wines and cheeses.
If you wanna upgrade any sandwich, you can add double cheese or make it Parmesan encrusted.
Very hard to pick a favorite, but the Pesto Toastie, Buffalo Chicken, Brie Cranberry Bacon, or Spicy Pork are a few we’ve tried. Or, honestly, you can never go wrong with even just the plain grilled cheese.
Visit A Scenic Sunset Bar
On the east side of the valley, there are loads of laid-back outdoor bars built almost exclusively for incredible sunsets. The original one, as far as I know, is Two Huts. But many copycats have sprung up all along this road. Watching the sunset from this side of the valley is just an amazing way to end your day.
Two Huts is known for a laid-back atmosphere and live music.
We decided to look for something a little less busy than two huts, and checked out 10Rai. Their music leans more towards electronic DJs. And I must say the DJ was impeccable, playing a dreamy kind of EDM that we find so perfect for sunset vibes.
So just choose one that fits your vibe and come bask in the golden rays of light, hopefully turning to a gorgeous, colorful sunset.
Big Buddha
This iconic Buddha statue sits on the hillside overlooking the valley. It’s part of a Buddhist temple complex that is a neat place to visit.
You can walk all the way up here from town. But walking up the hill, it will be rather exhausting, so I recommend a motorbike or getting a ride.
There are also a few temples on the property worth exploring.
Remember that the Buddha and surrounding temples are active religious sites. So you need to observe some simple rules of etiquette. Like dressing modestly, which basically just means clothes that cover past your knees and shoulders. And they have sarongs to rent for 10Baht if you don’t have something to use.
And regardless of your religious affiliation, it’s just nice to sit quietly on the platform with the Buddha and admire the view.
Pai Bamboo Mini Golf
If you are looking for a low-intensity outdoor activity that’s fun for all ages, this mini golf course is a unique experience. It’s not like traditional mini golf, but rather an entirely new spin on golf. Kind of like a cross between croquet and mini golf, using tennis balls and bamboo mallets.
The owner is this really friendly Scottish guy who’s happy to show you the course and give you some tips on technique with these unique clubs.
A round of mini-golf is rather expensive by Thai standards at 240 Baht per person ($7.41 USD).
But if you’re the type with a competitive spirit, it’s fun to come out here and battle your friends and family.
And there are free prizes for a hole-in-one on a couple of holes. For example, you can get a free guiness at the Irish pub in town, or a free pizza from a local pizza joint. Which is really some clever cross-promotion from some other businesses in town.
And after the round, you can buy some drinks from the little shack on site. Plus, the owner is a very interesting person to chat with.
Tipsy Tubing
Tipsy Tubing is a classic Pai event that takes place every Tuesday and Friday, from October to May or June. It’s a lively river float with a big group, music, and lots of drinks. Probably would have loved this in our twenties, but now the idea of being on a river with this many drunk people isn’t quite as appealing.
👉 Book A Tipsy Tubing Adventure
Pai High
If you like views, then head up to the rooftop at Pai High. This tiny little rooftop bar is a really cool spot to enjoy the sunset. It’s just a tiny little bar with good music, drinks, and mountain views. But they are also open in the morning, so you can also enjoy a coffee with a nice view too!
Nam Lod Cave
Nam Lod Cave. The day trip to this incredible cave network is a worthy addition to your Pai trip. But after the long drive to Pai, we really just didn’t feel like hopping back on the road for that long.
Daddy Chill
This bar just across the river from the walking street is a great place to sit by the river. And they have the cheapest craft beer we found on our whole trip around Thailand.
How To Get To Pai
Getting to Pai is quite the adventure to start off your trip. It’s about a 3-hour trip along very windy, narrow roads. And for some reason, the drivers act like it’s a racing track. So if you get car sick, then you might consider taking motion sickness pills for this journey. There is one stop along the way for a bathroom and snack break.
Do note that the bathrooms usually require a small fee to use, and they often don’t have toilet paper, so be sure to pack some along on this journey.
👉 We usually book our transportation on 12goAsia.
Where To Stay In Pai, Thailand
Pai has a few different areas you can stay. You can find places out in nature with incredible views, or places right in town, so you can walk to all the best restaurants, the night market, etc.
We’ve personally visited Pai twice now. Our first time, we stayed south of town at Pai Iyara Resort, which we enjoyed for the views. But it was far from town, and you still needed a motorbike to get to some of the destinations south of town.
The second time, we stayed in town at Medio De Pai Hotel, which we enjoyed moreso, because it was close to all the restaurants, and easy to rent a motorbike right in town to go to some of the further away destinations. So personally, we suggest finding accommodation in town.
Use the map below to find the best hotel or resort for your stay.
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