Best Spas & Massage in Chiang Mai by Area: Old City, Nimman, Night Bazaar (2026)

Old City: the most choice, all walkable

The square inside the moat is Chiang Mai's historic centre, a grid of temples, guesthouses and small lanes, and the first choice for most first-time visitors. Fourteen of the venues in our directory are here, from Lila Thai Massage 90 m from Tha Phae Gate to Makkha's Colonial Gardens branch 1.3 km away on the west side. Every price tier is represented: Green Bamboo and Come Ma at 300–350 THB, ChabaPrai, Lila, Calm and Chinola at 400–450, and the day spas Fah Lanna, Makkha and Zira at 800–990. On Sunday evenings Ratchadamnoen Road, through the middle of the Old City, closes to traffic for the Sunday Walking Street market.

Nimman: the most-reviewed shops

Nimmanhaemin Road and its numbered side streets (sois), west of the Old City, is the café, boutique and co-working district that Lonely Planet recommends for digital nomads. Its three biggest massage shops, Muse, Varalee and Vintage Thai Massage 2, each have more than 5,000 Google reviews, more than any venue in the Old City. We could not find a published price list for any of the three, so ask at the desk. For posted prices, DN Wellness and Malinda are 350 THB for an hour, Cozy 400 and Retreat Nimman 450. Let's Relax on Soi 3 is the premium option, open until midnight.

Night Bazaar and Chang Khlan: east of the moat

The Night Bazaar runs along Chang Khlan Road between the Old City and the Ping River, and is a base for evening food and shopping. SiamDara on Tha Phae Road Soi 1 (700 m from the gate) and Srimantra on Charoen Prathet Road (600 THB for an hour) are close to the market; Kunlarat, 1.4 km south of the gate, has one of the cheapest posted menus we found, at 300 THB. Further south on the river, RatiLanna is a resort spa whose booking terms cover guests staying elsewhere. Calm and Makkha also have branches on this side.

South of the Old City: Wualai and Hai Ya

Wualai Road, just outside Chiang Mai Gate, is the silversmiths' street and hosts the Saturday Walking Street market. Antique Massage has a branch on the market street (550 THB for an hour of Thai massage), and The Home Massage and Spa has two branches in Hai Ya, the area just south of the gate, at 500 THB.

Wat Ket and the east bank: resort spas

Across the Ping River, Wat Ket is an older neighbourhood of wooden houses, former warehouses and riverside cafés. RarinJinda Wellness Spa on Charoen Rat Road, 1.2 km from the gate, has a hydropool and onsen alongside its massage menu, and its spa booking form asks which hotel you are staying at. Divana Lana Spa, inside the Siripanna Hotel on Rat Uthit Road, takes its last booking at 9pm.

North: Santitham and Chang Phueak

North-west of the Old City, Santitham is a local neighbourhood of cafés and bars with fewer tourists than Nimman. It has Thai Massage Conservation Club, where reviewers describe blind therapists, and Lian Linn Massage at 300 THB for an hour. Sport Massage Chiangmai, 2.4 km from the gate, specialises in deep tissue work.

Outside the city: Hang Dong and Mae Rim

Heavenly Spa is at the Kad Farang shopping village in Hang Dong, 11.5 km south of Tha Phae Gate, with an online booking page. Onsen at Moncham, 23.6 km north-west in the Mae Rim hills, sells day entry to its hot baths to guests who are not staying: 650 THB per person, 11am to 5pm, with advance booking recommended. Arrange your return trip before you go.

Getting between areas

• Grab operates in Chiang Mai and shows the fare before you book. Chiang Mai University's 2025 visitor guide puts most city rides at 60–200 THB.
• Red songthaew trucks are shared taxis: flag one down, say where you are going and agree the fare first. The same guide gives 30–50 THB per person within the city.
• On market nights, Ratchadamnoen Road (Sunday) and Wualai Road (Saturday) close to traffic, so arrange pickups on a side street.

Prices for each tier are in our Chiang Mai massage price guide.