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How to Get from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai

The return leg is the same road and the same three to three and a half hours. What changes is that most people making this journey have a flight out of Chiang Mai at the end of it, which makes the buffer you leave more important than the fare you pay.

Private taxi · Chiang Rai → Chiang MaiFixed fare per car, tolls included. Pay the driver at the end. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup; after that 25–100% of the fare.

Sedan: ฿2,500
SUV: ฿3,000
Van: ฿3,500

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The journey at a glance

From	Chiang Rai
To	Chiang Mai
Distance	≈ 190 km
Journey time	3 – 3.5 hours
Private taxi fare	Sedan ฿2,500 · SUV ฿3,000 · Van ฿3,500 — per car, tolls included
Payment	Cash in Thai baht to the driver at the end. Nothing is charged when you book.
Cancellation	Free up to 24 hours before pickup; after that 25% (less than 24 h), 35% (less than 12 h) or 50% (less than 2 h) of the fare, and 100% for a no-show, also when you pay the driver in cash.

Every option compared

Option	Typical cost	Total time	Departures	Door to door	Booking
Private taxi	฿2,500 per vehicle	3 – 3.5 h	Any time you choose	Hotel to hotel or airport	Same day usually fine
Green Bus (VIP / A-class)	≈฿170 – 290 per person	3 – 4 h	Frequent from Terminal 2	Terminal to Arcade station	Book ahead in high season
Minivan	≈฿250 per person	3 – 3.5 h	When full	Terminal to terminal	Buy at the terminal

Bus, minivan, train and ferry fares are approximate and were last checked in September 2026. They change without notice. Our own taxi fares are live from our booking system.

If you have a flight from Chiang Mai

This is where the two options genuinely diverge. A private car goes straight to the airport terminal, so the journey is three and a half hours and finished. The bus arrives at Chiang Mai Arcade station, which is on the far side of the city from the airport — add a songthaew or taxi and the traffic between, and you are looking at another 30 to 45 minutes with your luggage.

Working backwards from a flight, allow five hours from your Chiang Rai hotel if you are driving, and six if you are taking the bus. Departures on this route are frequent enough that leaving earlier costs you nothing but a coffee at the airport.

Practical tips

Chiang Rai Terminal 2 handles the long-distance buses and is a few kilometres outside town — Terminal 1 in the centre is for local services only.
A car can collect you from your hotel, from the White Temple, or from anywhere else you have ended up. The bus cannot.
If you are flying out, book the car to the airport rather than into the city — it is the same fare and saves a transfer.
Give us your flight number even on a departure. If your morning runs late we would rather know than guess.

Frequently asked questions

How long is Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai?

About 190 km and three to three and a half hours by road. Add 30 to 45 minutes if you take the bus and then need to cross Chiang Mai from Arcade station to your hotel or the airport.

How early should I leave Chiang Rai for a flight from Chiang Mai?

Allow five hours from your hotel if you are travelling by private car, and six by bus. That covers the drive, the transfer across Chiang Mai if you need one, and normal check-in.

Can the taxi take me straight to Chiang Mai airport?

Yes, and it is the same fare as a city drop-off. Give us the terminal and your flight number when you book.

Is the bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai comfortable?

The Green Bus A-class and VIP coaches are genuinely good — air-conditioned, reclining seats, and frequent departures. For one or two people travelling light it is the sensible choice.