Plug in your dates, group size and travel style. The total updates live in THB — flip currencies on any tour page if you want USD/EUR equivalents.
What's included in the estimate?
The calculator covers the four cost lines most travellers underestimate on a Chiang Mai trip:
- Tours — per person, per day. The default ฿1,500 reflects what we see for mid-range bookings (elephant sanctuary half-day, cooking class, temple tour with a local guide). Higher for private tours, lower for group-day-trips.
- Hotel — per room, per night. ฿2,200 puts you in a comfortable 4-star Old City room. Drop to ฿900–1,400 for guesthouses, push to ฿4,000+ for the Anantara / 137 Pillars range.
- Food — per day, per person. ฿600 covers two casual meals plus one sit-down dinner. Street-food-heavy trips run ฿300; nightly Western restaurants push past ฿1,000.
- Airport transfer — fixed one-off. ฿800 is the published rate for a metered taxi from CNX to the Old City; Grab is sometimes cheaper, hotel transfers sometimes more.
What's not included
Flights, travel insurance, visas, alcohol, shopping, spa days, scooter rental. Plan ฿500–1,500/day per person on top for "discretionary" if your trip is heavy on those.
Tour budget calculator
All figures in THB. Adjust the inputs to match your trip — totals update live.
| Tours | THB 15,000 |
|---|---|
| Hotel | THB 11,000 |
| Food | THB 6,000 |
| Airport transfer (one-off) | THB 800 |
| Estimated trip total | THB 32,800 |
Frequently asked questions
Are these THB numbers realistic for 2026?
Yes. The defaults reflect the median price-points we see across our own booking funnel in early 2026: ฿1,500 per person for a mid-range half-day tour, ฿2,200/night for a 4-star Old City hotel, and ฿600/day per person for food including one nice dinner. Adjust upward for high season (mid-November to mid-February) or premium tours, downward for street-food-heavy trips.
Does the figure include flights?
No. The calculator is on-the-ground cost only. Flights vary wildly by origin (typically $300–$900 USD return from Europe, $200–$500 USD return from intra-Asia). Add separately.
Why no 5% card surcharge in the estimate?
The defaults already use the price you would see on our tour pages — they're inclusive of the 5% display discount and exclude the 5% card surcharge. The actual cost varies by payment method (cash on the day = no surcharge).