8 days 7 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
An eight-day private tour of northern Thailand: Chiang Rai's White Temple and Black House, the Mae Salong tea hills, the Golden Triangle and Chiang Saen, then Chiang Mai with Doi Suthep, a cooking class, a Ping River cruise and a hike on Doi Inthanon.
From US$1,120 per person for the whole tour, based on 4 travellers sharing double rooms in 4★ hotels as listed (couples travelling alone pay a little more). It changes with hotel level, season and group size, and is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
| Day | Route and highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Chiang Rai | Chiang Rai |
| 2 | Chiang Rai temples, Black House and White Temple | Chiang Rai |
| 3 | Mae Salong tea hills and the Golden Triangle | Chiang Saen |
| 4 | Old Chiang Saen, Chiang Dao cave and Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 5 | Old Chiang Mai and Doi Suthep | Chiang Mai |
| 6 | Thai cooking class and a Ping River cruise | Chiang Mai |
| 7 | Hiking on Doi Inthanon | Chiang Mai |
| 8 | Depart from Chiang Mai | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 8 days / 7 nights · Chiang Rai – Mae Salong – Golden Triangle – Chiang Saen – Thaton – Chiang Dao – Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon
This Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai private tour shows you the two main cities of northern Thailand and the mountains between them in eight days. In Chiang Rai you see the dark wooden halls of the Black House and the dazzling White Temple, then drive up to Mae Salong, a hill town founded by Yunnanese settlers and surrounded by tea gardens. A boat ride on the Mekong at the Golden Triangle ends the day in the old river town of Chiang Saen.
On the way south you explore the ruins of ancient Chiang Saen, learn about traditional Chinese herbal medicine and walk through the cave temple of Chiang Dao. Chiang Mai is your base for the last four nights: walk and ride a rickshaw through the old city, climb to Doi Suthep, cook a full Thai meal on an organic farm and cruise the Ping River.
The final full day is spent on Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain, with a forest walk to a hidden waterfall, coffee in a hill village and the royal chedis near the summit.
Moderate. Most days involve two to three hours of walking at temples and markets, and day 7 includes a guided forest hike of two to three hours on narrow mountain trails. Drives are two to four hours on mountain roads. Ideal for families with children over 10 and fit older travelers; the hike can be shortened.
Seven nights at 4-star level with daily breakfast: Grand Vista Chiang Rai, The Imperial Golden Triangle Resort in Chiang Saen with views over the Mekong, and Bodhi Serene in Chiang Mai, or similar.
The best months are November to February, with dry, sunny days and cool mornings in the hills, ideal for hiking on Doi Inthanon. March and April are hot and often hazy. During the rains from June to October the rice terraces and waterfalls are at their most beautiful, though trails can be muddy.
Your guide and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, so the pace, the stops and the start time each morning follow you. The standard version has an English-speaking guide; guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese can be arranged on request.
More ideas: All private tours in Thailand · Unusual Thailand: Isan, Khmer Temples and the Mekong in 8 Days · The North of Thailand: Bangkok, River Kwai, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in 9 Days · Royal Echoes of Siam: Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and the North in 10 Days
Photos: Ddalbiez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Index Librorum Permissorum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ – เทวประภาส มากคล้าย, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
You are met on arrival in Chiang Rai and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. In the evening, walk to the golden clock tower in the center of town, which comes alive with a light show after dark, and browse the stalls of the night bazaar for a simple northern Thai dinner.
Overnight: Chiang Rai
Start at the local market to see the produce of the hills. Then visit Wat Phra Kaew, where the Emerald Buddha was first found, and Wat Phra Singh, home to a revered Buddha image. A short drive takes you to Baan Dam, the Black House of national artist Thawan Duchanee, a collection of dark teak halls filled with horns, skins and carvings. In the afternoon, see the contrast at Wat Rong Khun, the gleaming White Temple of artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.
Overnight: Chiang Rai · Meals: B
Drive up winding roads to Mae Salong, where tea plantations cover the green hills, and taste the local tea at a family estate. Visit an Akha village and a Lisu village nearby to learn about their crafts and customs, then continue to the Mae Fah Luang botanical gardens at Doi Tung. Reach the Golden Triangle in the afternoon and take a boat ride on the Mekong, with Thailand, Laos and Myanmar on either side. Overnight in Chiang Saen.
Overnight: Chiang Saen · Meals: B
Begin with a walk among the brick temples and old city walls of Chiang Saen, a Lanna capital founded in the 14th century beside the Mekong. Then head toward Thaton and visit a traditional Chinese medicine shop, where an herbalist explains the use of roots, plants and ointments. In the afternoon, drive south to Chiang Dao and walk through its cave temple, a maze of chambers full of stalactites and Buddha images. Arrive in Chiang Mai in the early evening.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Spend the morning on foot in the old city, starting at the moat and an old gate. Visit Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phan Tao with its teak prayer hall, and the great brick chedi of Wat Chedi Luang. Ride a rickshaw along small lanes of traditional houses, then walk through Warorot Market. In the afternoon, drive up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep for the golden chedi and the view over the city. The night market is yours to explore in the evening.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
The cooking school team collects you at 8:30 for a morning class on their organic farm, shared with a small group of other guests. Visit a local market, learn about Thai herbs in the garden, cook jasmine and sticky rice, pound a curry paste from scratch, and make a curry, a soup, a noodle dish and a dessert. You eat what you cook for lunch. In the afternoon, take a two-hour boat trip along the Ping River, past old teak houses and green riverbanks.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L
Drive about two hours to Doi Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand's highest peak. Hike for two to three hours along a narrow forest trail to a hidden waterfall, passing coffee plantations, flower farms and rice terraces. Stop in a small hill village for a cup of coffee grown on its own slopes. Then visit Wachirathan Falls, a thunderous 70-meter cascade, and the two royal chedis near the summit, built to honor King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. Return to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L
Enjoy your last morning in Chiang Mai at your own pace, perhaps with a final coffee in the old city. At the right time, you are taken to Chiang Mai airport for your return or onward flight. The airport is only about 15 minutes from the old city, so even a short morning leaves time for a walk along the moat, a visit to Wat Phra Singh or a few last souvenirs from the market.
Meals: B
It is a moderate walk of two to three hours on a narrow, sometimes steep forest trail. Good walking shoes are a must. If you prefer a gentler day, your guide can shorten the walk and spend more time at the waterfalls and the summit chedis.
Yes. Teens tend to love the White Temple and the Black House, the boat on the Mekong, the cooking class and the hike to the waterfall. The days are varied, and the drives are rarely more than a few hours.
No. The tour starts in Chiang Rai and ends in Chiang Mai, and flights are not part of the land package. We can book them for you, for example as part of a longer trip with Bangkok.
Yes. This is a private tour with your own English-speaking guide. We also arrange private guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese: tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the December to April high season.
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
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