Try something new with Chiang Mai’s best workshops

This peaceful oasis in the heart of the city is where you’ll find many traditional (and less traditional) workshops and activities happening throughout the week. Find your inner calm with sunset yoga and meditation, or join a khuatong (brass ornament) workshop every first and second Saturday. On those same weekends, you can also create your own Lanna flower hairpin and spend a moment admiring the various art exhibitions on display.

Other activities include fingernail and umbrella dance, mini loom weaving and biodiversity workshops. Check their website for dates and details.

Prices vary starting from B490. Book here. Kalm Village, 14 Phra Pok Klao Rd Soi 4, Phra Sing, Muang Chiang Mai. Open 9.30am-6.30pm, closed Wednesday

If you've ever felt the sadness of watching a beautiful bouquet wilt after a few days, this workshop has the solution. Posie crafts paper flowers with such attention to hand-painted detail that they're genuinely hard to distinguish from the real thing. You can choose from a few workshop formats – depending on how much time you have – each one letting you ‘pick’ and arrange individual stems. Quicker sessions use pre-made paper flowers, while longer ones let you sit down and make your own – from mini hydrangeas to full bouquets that are packaged in beautiful wooden boxes. Even then, most workshops take under an hour, leaving plenty of time for everything else on this list. 

Workshops start from B250. Walk in or message ahead here. Posie Flowers, 41/1 Taiwang Road, Chang Moi, Muang Chiang Mai. Open 9am-6pm

You don't have to be good at painting to enjoy this one – but that's somewhat the point. Pawmade is part café, part creative space, with easels set up across the floor, paint-splattered tables and a drinks and snacks menu designed to keep you comfortable for a full afternoon. Free painters can work from their own imagination while those who need a starting point can choose from a selection of examples to work from. Staff are on hand throughout and genuinely helpful when things go sideways. Whatever ends up on the canvas, you're going home with something made by your own hand.

Prices depend on canvas. Walk-ins welcome. Thong-urai Cafe & Paw Made Painting, 48 Suan Dok Rd, Suthep, Muang Chiang Mai. 9.30am-5pm

This is one for those who prefer their workshops outdoors and surrounded by greenery. It is Chiang Mai after all. Head north out of the city and you’ll find Araksa Tea Garden, a local tea producer set in the wilderness. This experience takes you directly into the forest – learning from the farmers themselves about how the leaves are grown before picking your own. For an additional cost you can extend the session to learn how to process and brew those same leaves into tea, finishing with a tasting of what you've worked for, alongside a snack included in the package. Needless to say, the kind of afternoon makes you appreciate your next cup of tea considerably more.

From B650. Book here. Araksa Tea Garden, 87 Moo 1, Ban Chang, Mae Taeng. Tour times at 9am, 11pm and 2pm

You've done tea, now for something sweeter. Skugga Estate is a local chocolate producer that opens its doors for hands-on chocolate making workshops on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The experience starts with a plantation tour covering the full journey from harvesting to processing – watching the cacao cracked and ground into powder before moving on to moulding your own chocolate bars and exploring different forms from bars to deliciously melty bonbons. The tasting at the end covers eight different varieties of chocolate which is, by any measure, a very good afternoon. You also go home with an apron, chocolates and teas and coffees to try.

B1000 (B950 for those under 15). Book here. Skugga Estate, Ban Sahakon 2, No. 29, Mae On. Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two sessions at 9am-12pm or 2pm-5pm

If you’ve been to Chiang Mai before, you've probably done a candle workshop – but trust us, it’s not the same at Kajao. Throwing out the standard cylinder candle entirely, they favour molds that mimic shortcakes, matcha lattes, teddy bears and even wheels of cheese. The candles are so well made (even by your hands) that they will feel forever difficult to actually light – but they do look incredible on a shelf. A fun, quick and very photogenic afternoon that requires zero prior experience and produces something worth bringing home.

Prices start from B599 depending on class level. Book ahead here. Kajao Studio, 13/16 Moo 2 Soi 11 San Klang, San Kamphaeng. 10am-4pm

Craft your own signature scent at one of the most well-stocked perfume workshops in the city. Artistic Lab has a wide variety of scents to choose from and the whole setup genuinely feels like a stylish laboratory – knowledgeable staff in lab coats guide you through the process without making it feel overly technical. Walk-ins are welcome and the session is quick enough to slot into a busy day. Beyond perfume, they also offer incense making and herbal inhaler workshops for those who want to explore different forms of scent. A creative and practical workshop with something tangible to take home.

From B390. Walk in welcome or book ahead here for more in-depth sessions. Artistic Lab, The Kannas Mini Mall, Muang Chiang Mai. Open 10am-7pm, closed Wednesday

InClay Studio was founded by a local ceramic artist who draws inspiration from nature and has shown his work across multiple exhibitions. Now a bit of a city legend, he now opens the studio to keen clay enthusiasts with two course options – hand building and wheel throwing – both designed to take you from beginner to finished piece. Whatever you make goes into the kiln (even the mistakes!) and are ready to collect roughly two weeks after the workshop, which means you leave with the experience and come back for the result. If you’re not around for the collect, postal delivery options are very available. 

From B1,090. Book here. InClay Studio, 8/5 Sirorot Rd, Suthep, Muang Chiang Mai. Friday to Saturday from 10am-3pm

Learn silversmithing from an instructor with over 30 years of experience and come away with a ring or pendant made entirely by your own hands. The full-day workshop covers piercing, sawing, filing and silver polishing – a proper introduction to the craft rather than a surface-level taster. Ring makers also get the chance to torch and set their piece before leaving, while those with some time can keep coming back and improving their skills. Come with a rough idea of what you want to make and bring lunch or fuel up beforehand – it's a long, but very rewarding day.

From B3,500 per person. Book here. NOVA Artlab, 179 Tha Phae Road, Chang Moi, Muang Chiang Mai. Monday to Friday from 10.30am-4.30pm

Satee is for those who want their ceramics a little more fun and a little less predictable. Forget standard bowls and plant pots – here you're working with quirky shaped pieces including fox and pig-faced bowls and avocado-shaped trays that reflect the studio's playful personality. You can throw, shape and paint your pieces depending on what you want to make – just contact them directly to discuss what you're after and make a reservation at least one day ahead. Sure, it’s one of those workshops where you're genuinely not sure what you'll end up with, but that’s most of the fun.

Prices vary. Contact them here for booking and more information. Satee Ceramics, 14/2 Soi Tantawan, Chang Phueak, Muang Chiang Mai. 10am-5.30pm