🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Chiang Rai roughly splits into two routes for anyone who loves a cup with a view. The first is the tea farms north of the city, around Mae Chan and Doi Mae Salong in Mae Fa Luang district — terraced green tea fields stepping up the hillsides. The second is Doi Chang coffee in Wawi, Mae Suai district, a long-established Arabica-growing area now lined with cafes set into the valley. We've ranked them by how much the view is worth, how easy each one is to reach, and which reviews actually hold up.
Tea-farm cafes: sip with a hillside view
Choui Fong Tea
Chiang Rai's most famous tea farm. The cafe sits on a rise looking down over terraced tea fields that run as far as you can see, and the photo spot is the wooden deck that juts out into the middle of the plantation. The drinks people order most are the green tea latte and the green tea roll cake. Come in the morning before the sun gets harsh — it's cooler and quieter.
Singha Park (Boon Rawd Farm)
An 8,600-rai farm estate owned by the Singha family, with a large oolong tea plantation you can tour by tram or by bike. The cafe sits inside the M Square building with glass on all sides looking over the fields, and there's a second Thai tea house up the rise toward Bhu Birom. It suits anyone who wants a cafe plus activities in one place, and it's only about 15 minutes from town.
Tea Farm 101 (Doi Mae Salong)
Terraced tea fields up on Doi Mae Salong, ringed by hills nearly 360 degrees — a popular check-in for the photo crowd. You can walk the rows, taste the tea, and buy dried tea and dried fruit. It stays cool almost all year, and it's best in the morning when some days bring mist drifting over the fields.
Wang Phutthan Tea Farm
A tea farm on Doi Mae Salong decorated in Yunnanese Chinese style, with red pavilions and old-Chinese photo corners set against the green fields. The cafe serves several varieties of oolong alongside bakery, and another highlight is the hot Yunnan sukiyaki that goes perfectly with the cool mountain air. There's also glamping if you want to stay the night.
101 Tea Green View
A cafe and guesthouse with tea-field views on Doi Mae Salong. The draw is the terrace, where you sip tea looking out over the fields running in long ribbons. It's great if you want to wake up to a tea-farm view in the morning, and it's quieter than the bigger-name farms — the crowds haven't really found it yet.
A tip on timing
The tea fields look their best in the morning, from 08:30–10:30 — the light is still soft, the green is fresh, and there are fewer people. The afternoon sun is harsh and hot. If you're heading to Choui Fong on a long weekend, go early: the parking fills up fast.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Chiang Rai food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Doi Chang coffee houses in the valley
Doi Chang in Wawi, Mae Suai district, has been a noted Arabica-growing area for several decades. These days it's become a stretch of valley cafes where people drive up to sip coffee over views of the mountains and the sea of mist. The way up is a winding mountain road, so drive in daylight and check your vehicle before you go.
Abonzo Coffee (Doi Chang)
An Akha coffee house in the valley, done up in a minimalist Japanese style with warm wood tones and layered mountains in the distance. The shop has several signature drinks to choose from; people love the hot latte — smooth and slightly bitter — with the macadamia cheesecake. The beans are grown and roasted locally.
More Mountain Doi Chang
A cafe and guesthouse on the Doi Chang ridge with an open view of nearly 180 degrees. The highlight is sipping coffee over the sea of mist in the morning or the sunset in the evening, and there's Thai food too. It suits anyone who'd rather stay the night and catch the morning view without rushing up the mountain at dawn.
Doi Chaang Coffee
The cafe of the Doi Chaang coffee brand people know everywhere. You sip the original coffee right where it's grown and can buy roasted beans to take home. It suits anyone who wants to taste Doi Chang coffee at the source and grab something to bring back.
Le Quar Doi Chang
A bistro cafe with lodging on Doi Chang, warm and easygoing in feel, serving coffee, desserts and food. You sit and take in the quiet mountain view — good for anyone who wants to escape the bustle and spend a long stretch of time with the scenery.
Doi Chang Coffee House
A comfortable coffee shop on Doi Chang with the coffee fields and mountains all around. It's a good stop while you're exploring Doi Chang — order a drip coffee from local beans and sit and catch the cool mountain breeze.
Which one should you pick
- Half a day, close to town — head to Singha Park (Boon Rawd Farm), only about 15 minutes from the city, where you get the cafe and the tea farm in one place.
- Want a postcard tea-field view — Choui Fong is the answer, but go early to dodge the crowds and the sun.
- Love heading up into the cool mountain air — Doi Mae Salong (Tea Farm 101, Wang Phutthan) has gorgeous terraced fields and places to stay the night.
- Here for the coffee — head up Doi Chang to a valley cafe like Abonzo or More Mountain and drink coffee right at the source.
Getting there
Most of the tea farms and mountain cafes are outside town with no direct public transport, so renting a car or hiring a car with a driver is the way to go. The roads up Doi Chang and Doi Mae Salong are winding mountain roads — drive in daylight and fill the tank before you head up.
Plan a full-day Chiang Rai cafe and tea-farm trip
See the cafe–tea farm plan →