Where neighbours share their Chiang Mai
Courtyard Commons is a place to find and join small, hands-on experiences led by local hosts — a morning market walk, an evening stroll through temple lanes, a quiet cook-together session. Real people, real places, at a pace that feels right.
A courtyard for the neighbourhood
Courtyard Commons started on Tha Phae Road in early 2024 when a handful of local hosts — a cooking teacher, a long-time guide, a photographer — decided to list their sessions together rather than going it alone. The name comes from the architecture of old Chiang Mai: the courtyard as a shared, unhurried space where people come together.
Today we work with a small, personally selected group of hosts across the city. Each one runs their own session their own way. What they share is a preference for small groups, a knowledge of their neighbourhood, and a general dislike of rushed itineraries. Most sessions fit into a morning or an evening.
Local hosts
Guests per session
Hosting since
Explore by category
Three broad kinds of experience to start from. Hosts set their own pace and focus — these categories are just a first step.
Hands-on food sessions
Market visits, seasonal menus, and quiet kitchens. Hosts typically keep groups to six or fewer so there is actual room to cook.
Find a session
Slow walks, good stories
Old-town lanes, temple grounds, night-market corners. Guides who grew up here and know the alleys that do not appear on maps.
Find a walk
For experience hosts
B2B media production sessions to help hosts build clearer listing photos and a short clip. On-site, edited files delivered, no fuss.
Learn moreWhat makes a Courtyard Commons session
A few things we ask of every host. Not a long list — just the ones that matter for guests.
Real local hosts
Every session is run by the person who created it. No stand-ins, no franchise model. Guests know who they are meeting before they arrive.
Small, unhurried groups
Sessions cap at eight guests by default. Hosts can set stricter limits. No convoy tours, no tick-box agendas.
Transparent pricing
Prices are set by the host and shown in full before booking. What you see on the tile is what you pay — no add-ons at the door.
The day starts before the sun is fully up
Warorot Market and the lanes around it look completely different at 6:30am. Vendors are arranging produce, aromas are intense, and the light is soft. Our cooking workshop hosts meet guests here first for a quick market walk, picking ingredients together before heading back to a home kitchen for the session.
The walk is part of the experience — not a preamble to it.
Join a sessionOld town at dusk is a different city
After 6pm the moat-side streets cool down and the street-snack stalls open up. Our evening tour hosts take a deliberately slow route — one temple courtyard, a few quiet sois, and a couple of snack stops that they have been eating at for years.
You finish knowing a few corners that most visitors never find.
Book an evening walk
How we keep things worth trusting
No single rule makes a marketplace trustworthy — it is a combination of small, consistent things.
Host screening
Each new host goes through an in-person visit and a sample run before their first listing goes live.
Real guest notes
Post-session notes from guests are collected and shared on each listing. We do not filter for tone.
Local and on-site
Our small team is based in Chang Moi. We visit hosts regularly and attend sessions unannounced.
Clear session details
Duration, group size, what is included, and price — all set before you enquire. No surprises.
A marketplace built around the host, not the algorithm
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Hosts keep creative control
We provide the platform and the guests. How the session runs stays with the host. No scripts, no rigid formats.
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Community over catalogue
We grow by introducing hosts to each other and keeping the network small enough that most people recognise the names.
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Straightforward pricing
Hosts set their own rates. We take a modest commission that funds the platform and our local team. Guests always see the full price first.
Sessions available now
Three sessions running regularly across Chiang Mai. All prices are per person. Check availability via the contact form below.
Market Tour + Seasonal Cooking Workshop
A morning fresh-market walk followed by a hands-on workshop preparing a short seasonal menu in a relaxed home kitchen. Suited to all levels. Includes ingredients, a recipe card, and a shared meal. The host keeps the pace gentle and explains what each ingredient is for.
- Ingredients & recipe card included
- Shared meal at the end
- All levels welcome
On-Site Photo & Video for Hosts
A production session for hosts who want clearer listing media. Covers a short on-site shoot of an experience in progress, a set of edited photos, and one brief highlight clip for the host's own use. Includes a planning chat before the day, the shoot itself, and edited files delivered within five working days.
- Planning chat included
- Edited photo set + 1 clip
- Delivered within 5 working days
Guided Lantern-Lane Evening Tour
A relaxed evening walk through old-town lanes and quiet temple grounds with a local guide sharing stories and a couple of favourite snack stops. Small groups keep things easy. Includes a printed map you can keep and one street-snack tasting along the way.
- Printed map included
- One street-snack tasting
- Max 8 per group
How reservations work
Three steps from first enquiry to showing up at the meeting point.
Send a note
Fill in the form with which session you are interested in, your preferred date, and how many people. We aim to respond within one working day.
We confirm availability
Our team checks with the host and replies with confirmed timing, meeting point, and what to bring. Payment details are included in the confirmation.
Show up and enjoy
Arrive at the spot, meet your host, and settle in. There is no rush to get started — the pace of the session is set by the host and the group, not a clock.
What guests wrote after
Sunita K.
Bangkok
The cooking session was the best morning I had in Chiang Mai. We went to the market, picked vegetables I had never seen before, and made three dishes with very little instruction — mostly by watching and copying. The host was patient. I stayed two hours longer than scheduled.
May 18, 2026
Paul L.
Singapore
We did the evening walk on our second night. The guide stopped at a small temple we would have walked past every single time and explained why it is significant to the community there. The snack stops were really good. Four of us, completely relaxed, home by 9pm.
May 29, 2026
Nadia W.
Chiang Rai
I arranged the media session for my cooking listing. The team came to my kitchen, watched how I normally run things, and worked around the group rather than staging anything. The photos look like a real session. That is what I wanted.
Jun 3, 2026
Questions guests often ask
How far in advance should I book?
Most hosts appreciate at least 48 hours' notice, particularly for the cooking workshop where fresh ingredients need to be organised. The evening walk is a bit more flexible — same-day bookings are sometimes possible depending on the host's current roster.
Can I book for a group of friends visiting together?
Yes — and it is actually a popular way to use the platform. Group maximum is 8 people across all current listings. If you have a larger group, send us a note and we will see whether the host can accommodate or suggest alternatives.
What if I need to cancel or change the date?
Cancellations more than 48 hours before the session are straightforward to reschedule. Within 48 hours, it depends on the host's situation — some sessions involve ingredient purchases or travel that cannot easily be undone. We will always try to find a workable option and be clear about any charges before confirming.
I am a host — how do I list a session with Courtyard Commons?
Use the contact form and mention you are a host. Our team will get back to you with details about the onboarding process, which includes a brief in-person meeting and a sample run before your first listing goes live. We work with hosts across Chiang Mai and the surrounding area.
Are sessions conducted in English?
Most hosts on the platform are comfortable conducting sessions in English. Some also offer Thai-language sessions — this is noted on the individual listing. If you have specific language requirements, mention it in the booking enquiry and we will confirm with the host.
How is my personal data handled?
We collect only what we need to process your enquiry and booking. Details are in our Privacy Principles. We do not share your information with third parties outside of what is needed to confirm your session, and you can ask us to remove your data at any time.
Book a spot or send a question
Use the form for bookings, host enquiries, or anything else. We read every message.
Get in touch directly
Address
61 Tha Phae Road, Chang Moi
Mueang, Chiang Mai 50300
Phone
+66 63 907 5184Working hours
Mon – Sat: 8:00 – 19:00
Sun: 9:00 – 16:00 (enquiries only)
Sessions typically run in the morning (8–12) or evening (17–21). We will confirm exact timing when we reply.
Send us a note
By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy Principles and Terms of Use. We use your details only to respond to your enquiry and arrange your booking.