Tha Phae Gate

This city gate is the best known entrance to the old city of Chiang Mai. Often times you will find loads of tourists posing for photos among the many pigeons. Also a center for many festivals and events. This is a great starting place for your walking tour around the old city...just follow the moat that surrounds the city and enjoy the trees and flowers, especially beautiful in April and May as rainy season gets underway. Spend two or more hours strolling around the perimeter of the old city, following the old city walls and moat, and seeing beautiful temples, having a coffee or food at one of the many cafes, and enjoying the sites of old Chiang Mai.

I visited Tha Phae Gate and absolutely loved the vibe—this iconic eastern entrance to Chiang Mai’s 13th-century walled city has been beautifully conserved and even rebuilt in the 1980s to echo its original grandeur. Walking through the gate, you feel part of centuries of history, as monks, traders, and diplomats once passed right where you stand. Today it’s a lively square surrounded by crumbling city walls, temples, cafés, street vendors, and occasional festivals like Loy Krathong, Songkran, and the colorful Sunday Walking Street . You can see Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, and grab amazing local food—think khao soi and sausage nearby . To get there from The Astra Sky River, I hopped in a Grab for about 60–80 baht (~$2 USD) and was there in 5–7 minutes—super easy and cheap. It’s the perfect spot to soak in history, grab a coffee, and explore the heart of Chiang Mai!

We visited early morning around 6 am, and literally no other tourists were around. But when we finished taking pictures, a group of local tourists came. Lots of pigeons, like hundreds of them. You can feed them if you want. I recommend going here early in the morning, just after the sunrise is best.

It was pretty chaotic since there were people throwing metal pieces on the ground so that the many pigeons would fly up in the air. Then, the tourists can take a picture with a lot of pigeons flying very close to them. Other than that the gate is pretty nice and you can see the mountains and the busy road in front which creates a nice picture.

The ancient city wall is of great historical value. There are a lot of pigeons gathered in front because someone is doing photography business. Before you go, you can go online to learn about the history of this place, and then you can take pictures of the ancient city walls and white pigeons as souvenirs.

The main gate towards the east of the old city. The area is popular as a photo spot and play with the pigeons. The area is very busy and has a lot of restaurants and bars. Staying near this gate would be ideal place to stay in Chiang Mai.

It is a magnificent stone structure that the Chiangmai old city. It serves as the gateway to enter and exit the old city. The areas near the gateways is usually bustling with tourists taking pictures and exploring and locals selling things from souvenirs to eatables. It is a very calm location in the early morning hours and thorns into a very busy area as the day wears. The canals immediately inside the wall give it a even more iconic look.

I recently visited Tha Phae Gate (ประตูท่าแพ) in Chiang Mai, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The gate itself is a beautiful, historic structure that gives you a glimpse into the city’s ancient past. It’s also a favorite photo spot for tourists—myself included! What I loved even more was the surrounding area. It felt like a park, with vendors selling food, drinks, and all kinds of items. There's a relaxed, open vibe, almost like a "freedom park" where people can gather, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere. On the other side of the gate, you’ll find the Sunday Night Market, which is a must-visit. There are so many stalls offering handmade crafts, souvenirs, clothes, and delicious local food—all at really great prices. I scored a few nice items without breaking the budget. Tha Phae Gate is not just a historical site—it’s also a lively, social space that really shows off the spirit of Chiang Mai. Whether you're into culture, shopping, or just chilling out, it’s worth spending time here.