Doi Pui Camping Ground is located within Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Chiang Mai province. The site offers opportunities for stargazing at night and watching the sunrise in the morning, with viewpoints available for observing the sea of mist. Facilities include restrooms, shower rooms, parking, and a convenience store. Campers can pitch their own tents or rent one on site. Cooking is permitted in designated zones, with zones A, C, D, and E reserved for light cooking and zone B for foods that produce smoke. Only gas stoves are allowed; charcoal stoves are prohibited. The national park enforces rules including no campfires, no loud noise, no alcohol, no pets, no foam containers or single-use plastics, and all visitors must pack out their trash. The camping ground charges 30 baht per person per night for camping space or 225 baht per night for a three-person tent, and equipment rental is available.
at Doi Pui Camping Ground (1,515m above sea level • 18.88°N, 98.88°E)
☀️ Hot Season (Mar - May) - Very hot, choose shaded areas
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Doi Pui Camping Area is widely considered the best spot in Chiang Mai to experience a "sea of lights" over the city while being surrounded by high-altitude pine forests. Located at roughly 1,500 meters above sea level within the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, it offers a refreshing, cold-climate escape just 45-60 minutes away from the city center. The Atmosphere: Why People Go The main draw is the city viewpoint. On clear nights, the entire grid of Chiang Mai sparkles below you, providing a romantic and peaceful backdrop that is rare to find so close to an urban center. The campsite itself is terraced, which helps ensure that most tents have a view. In the morning, you are often greeted by a thick mist rolling through the pine trees and a vibrant sunrise over the valley. Facilities & Pricing (2026 Updates) As a National Park facility, the amenities are functional but rustic. • Entrance Fees: As of late 2025/2026, foreign adults pay 100 THB and children 50 THB (Thai citizens pay 20 THB / 10 THB). • Camping Fee: If you bring your own tent, it is 30 THB per person per night. • Rentals: You can rent a 2–3 person tent for approximately 225 THB. Full bedding sets (sleeping bag, mat, and pillow) are available for about 60 THB per person. • Restrooms: Clean but basic communal bathrooms are available. Note that there is no hot water, so be prepared for a very bracing morning wash! • Food: There is a small welfare shop/restaurant on-site, but it often closes early (around 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM). Most campers bring their own food or visit the nearby Hmong Village for a meal.
It’s okay but was very cold (11°!) I just passed there but apparently need to pay for entrance fee which I don’t mind. There are many trees including the one that looks like cherry blossoms. But the toilets are a big no no. With entrance fee i just hope that they at least provide a clean toilet with available toilet paper. I paid few hundred baht but left after 10 minutes.
Place to camp. We went there at the time of sakura blossoming just to watch the view. End of December. A lot of tents there . Actually huge plus - no alcohol allowed on site! Payment for entrance : 100 bath for foreigners. We really would like to come back with tent.
I stayed at Doi Pui Camping site for night (Christmas Eve). I rented out a tent from the Department of National Parks as it was much easier than taking your own tent. I was fortunate enough to see the Sakura flowers blossoming. I was told that the flowering season is January but looks like it has started a bit earlier. The camping site is well maintained (I assume by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation). There are sufficient and reasonably clean toilette facilities, paths are well lit (until around 22:00). The spectacular panoramic view in the night as well as during the sunrise over Chiang Mai city is peaceful and mesmerizing. Although no alcohol is allowed, I saw some visitors having beer in the evening (and why not if you keep the noise level down). In fact, somewhere around 22:30, a campsite warden (I assume) came around my tent and asked to keep quite …… and I was not talking at all. Bit weird…. The booking process (the tent) through Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is time consuming and slow (as the online sites including Facebook page) is very slow and difficult to navigate. It is almost impossible to book a tent (maybe also a tent site) online using Facebook (in fact any other web portal). There are at least 4 phone numbers listed but it was very difficult for me to get hold of someone. Also, the reservation/payment process is complicated.
The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. The tell you where to go for a hike or sunset view point of any question you have in mind. We arrived without a tent so we rented a tent for 225 baht and a pillow for 10 baht and sleeping bag for 10 and mattress for 30 baht: total cost was 345 baht for a nice tent and great view. The staff are up and running and you can charge your phone until 10 pm. However, the snack store is open until 8 pm. Both reopen again at 7 am. We brought out noodle cups with us and enjoyed a relaxing day. We ran out of gas and the staff were helpful, they basically brought us a bottle of gasoline and they would accept any payment for it. I must be thankful for the staff and the people running that place and I’d definitely come back. Btw, it gets cold in the night maybe 17 degrees so make sure you have warm clothes and enough food and most importantly full tank of gas.
Have you camped here?
Share your experience and help other travellers
Doi Pui Camping Area is widely considered the best spot in Chiang Mai to experience a "sea of lights" over the city while being surrounded by high-altitude pine forests. Located at roughly 1,500 meters above sea level within the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, it offers a refreshing, cold-climate escape just 45-60 minutes away from the city center. The Atmosphere: Why People Go The main draw is the city viewpoint. On clear nights, the entire grid of Chiang Mai sparkles below you, providing a romantic and peaceful backdrop that is rare to find so close to an urban center. The campsite itself is terraced, which helps ensure that most tents have a view. In the morning, you are often greeted by a thick mist rolling through the pine trees and a vibrant sunrise over the valley. Facilities & Pricing (2026 Updates) As a National Park facility, the amenities are functional but rustic. • Entrance Fees: As of late 2025/2026, foreign adults pay 100 THB and children 50 THB (Thai citizens pay 20 THB / 10 THB). • Camping Fee: If you bring your own tent, it is 30 THB per person per night. • Rentals: You can rent a 2–3 person tent for approximately 225 THB. Full bedding sets (sleeping bag, mat, and pillow) are available for about 60 THB per person. • Restrooms: Clean but basic communal bathrooms are available. Note that there is no hot water, so be prepared for a very bracing morning wash! • Food: There is a small welfare shop/restaurant on-site, but it often closes early (around 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM). Most campers bring their own food or visit the nearby Hmong Village for a meal.
It’s okay but was very cold (11°!) I just passed there but apparently need to pay for entrance fee which I don’t mind. There are many trees including the one that looks like cherry blossoms. But the toilets are a big no no. With entrance fee i just hope that they at least provide a clean toilet with available toilet paper. I paid few hundred baht but left after 10 minutes.
Place to camp. We went there at the time of sakura blossoming just to watch the view. End of December. A lot of tents there . Actually huge plus - no alcohol allowed on site! Payment for entrance : 100 bath for foreigners. We really would like to come back with tent.
I stayed at Doi Pui Camping site for night (Christmas Eve). I rented out a tent from the Department of National Parks as it was much easier than taking your own tent. I was fortunate enough to see the Sakura flowers blossoming. I was told that the flowering season is January but looks like it has started a bit earlier. The camping site is well maintained (I assume by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation). There are sufficient and reasonably clean toilette facilities, paths are well lit (until around 22:00). The spectacular panoramic view in the night as well as during the sunrise over Chiang Mai city is peaceful and mesmerizing. Although no alcohol is allowed, I saw some visitors having beer in the evening (and why not if you keep the noise level down). In fact, somewhere around 22:30, a campsite warden (I assume) came around my tent and asked to keep quite …… and I was not talking at all. Bit weird…. The booking process (the tent) through Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is time consuming and slow (as the online sites including Facebook page) is very slow and difficult to navigate. It is almost impossible to book a tent (maybe also a tent site) online using Facebook (in fact any other web portal). There are at least 4 phone numbers listed but it was very difficult for me to get hold of someone. Also, the reservation/payment process is complicated.
The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. The tell you where to go for a hike or sunset view point of any question you have in mind. We arrived without a tent so we rented a tent for 225 baht and a pillow for 10 baht and sleeping bag for 10 and mattress for 30 baht: total cost was 345 baht for a nice tent and great view. The staff are up and running and you can charge your phone until 10 pm. However, the snack store is open until 8 pm. Both reopen again at 7 am. We brought out noodle cups with us and enjoyed a relaxing day. We ran out of gas and the staff were helpful, they basically brought us a bottle of gasoline and they would accept any payment for it. I must be thankful for the staff and the people running that place and I’d definitely come back. Btw, it gets cold in the night maybe 17 degrees so make sure you have warm clothes and enough food and most importantly full tank of gas.
