What staying in the Old City is like
The Old City is the original walled settlement, laid out as a square and still bordered by its moat, with sections of the old brick wall and several restored gates — Tha Phae Gate on the east side is the most famous and busiest. Staying inside or just outside the walls means you can walk to most of the major temples, several markets, and the start of the Sunday Walking Street.
Accommodation style
Expect a huge range here, from simple guesthouses and hostels down narrow sois to converted teak houses and small boutique hotels built around a central pool courtyard. It's generally more budget-friendly on average than Nimman, though a handful of higher-end boutique properties sit at the top of the range too.
What's within walking distance
- Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang, two of the city's most significant temples.
- Tha Phae Gate and the Sunday Walking Street market, which closes the main east–west road to traffic every Sunday evening.
- A dense concentration of small restaurants, massage shops and cafés down almost every soi.
Things to weigh up
The Old City's popularity is also its trade-off — the busiest streets and the area right around Tha Phae Gate can feel very tourist-oriented, and traffic on the surrounding moat roads gets heavy at peak times. Rooms down quieter side sois tend to strike a better balance than those directly on the main roads.
For a more modern, café-oriented alternative, see where to stay in Nimman; for the full area-by-area comparison, see best areas to stay in Chiang Mai.