10 days 9 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A ten-day private road trip around northern Thailand: Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle, Thaton on the Kok River, Pai, Mae Hong Son and Tham Lod cave, then Doi Inthanon and old Chiang Mai, ending with a cooking class.
From US$1,370 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 | Doi Tung, Mae Sai and the Golden Triangle | Chiang Rai |
| 3 | Chiang Rai temples and on to Thaton | Thaton |
| 4 | Chiang Dao cave, hot springs and Pai | Pai |
| 5 | Pai River and the road to Mae Hong Son | Mae Hong Son |
| 6 | Tham Lod cave and hill villages | Mae Hong Son |
| 7 | Mae Chaem and Doi Inthanon to Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 8 | Old Chiang Mai and Doi Suthep | Chiang Mai |
| 9 | Thai cooking class on an organic farm | Chiang Mai |
| 10 | Depart from Chiang Mai | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 10 days / 9 nights · Chiang Rai – Doi Tung – Mae Sai – Golden Triangle – Thaton – Chiang Dao – Pai – Mae Hong Son – Mae Chaem – Doi Inthanon – Chiang Mai
This northern Thailand private tour takes you on a loop through the hill country that most visitors only glimpse. It begins in Chiang Rai with the royal gardens of Doi Tung, the border town of Mae Sai and a boat ride on the Mekong at the Golden Triangle. The next day brings the White Temple and a drive to Thaton, a riverside village on the Kok River close to the Myanmar border.
From Thaton, the road climbs through Chiang Dao to Pai, a small valley town with hot springs and waterfalls on the way. Further west lies Mae Hong Son, ringed by forested hills, with Burmese-style temples beside a lake and the great cave of Tham Lod, which you enter by bamboo raft. Here you also visit Lahu and Lisu villages to learn about the daily life of the hill peoples.
The return to Chiang Mai follows the mountain road via Mae Chaem and Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest peak. In Chiang Mai you explore the old city by foot and by rickshaw, climb to Doi Suthep and spend a day cooking northern Thai food on an organic farm.
Moderate. This is a road trip on winding mountain roads, with daily drives of three to six hours and many stops. Walks are short but include steps at hill temples, a forest trail to Mork Fa waterfall and uneven paths in Tham Lod cave. Travelers prone to car sickness should bring medicine. Good for families with children over 10 and active older travelers.
Nine nights at 4-star level with daily breakfast: Grand Vista Chiang Rai, Maekok River Village Resort in Thaton, Ai Pai Boutique Hotel in Pai, Imperial Mae Hong Son Resort and Bodhi Serene in Chiang Mai, or similar. In Thaton and Mae Hong Son these are among the best hotels available.
November to February is the best time, with dry days, clear views and cool to cold mornings in the mountains, so pack a warm layer. From March to April it is hot and the hills can be hazy from farm burning. The rainy season from June to October turns the north green and the waterfalls full, but mountain roads can be slow after heavy rain.
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 · Royal Echoes of Siam: Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and the North in 10 Days · Thailand Discovery: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in 10 Days · Bangkok, Krabi and Khao Sok: Islands and Rainforest in 10 Days
Photos: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ddalbiez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Slleong, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ – เทวประภาส มากคล้าย, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Truly Northern Thailand: Chiang Rai, Pai and Mae Hong Son in 10 Days is a starting point. Our Hanoi travel designers adjust every day to your pace, interests and hotel style, then run the trip with your own guide and driver.
You are met on arrival in Chiang Rai and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. Chiang Rai is a small, relaxed city, easy to explore on foot. In the evening, stroll to the night bazaar or the gilded clock tower in the center, which lights up after dark, and try a northern Thai dinner nearby.
Overnight: Chiang Rai
Drive into the hills to Doi Tung, the former residence of the King's mother, set in a valley of large flower gardens. Inside you see fine embroidery and paintings, and from the balcony a wide view of the mountains. Continue to Mae Sai, the northernmost town of Thailand, with its busy border market. In the afternoon, reach the Golden Triangle, once a center of the opium trade, and take a boat ride on the Mekong where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.
Overnight: Chiang Rai · Meals: B
Start at Chiang Rai's morning market, where local people buy vegetables and fruit. Visit Wat Phra Kaew, where the Emerald Buddha was once found, and the Mae Fah Luang Art and Culture Park with its fine collection of Lanna teak art. Then see Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, an ongoing work of artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, with murals that mix Buddhist themes and pop culture. In the afternoon, drive to Thaton and climb to the hilltop temple for a view over the Kok River.
Overnight: Thaton · Meals: B
Drive to Chiang Dao and explore its cave temple, a long network of chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites and Buddha images. Continue toward Pai, stopping at the market of Mae Malai. Walk a shady forest trail to Mork Fa waterfall, which falls from a cliff into a pool and flows all year. Then stop at Pong Duet, a quiet geothermal park where hot springs bubble up and natural pools are warm enough for a swim. Arrive in Pai in the evening.
Overnight: Pai · Meals: B
Begin with a boat trip along the Pai River to see the valley and the simple riverside life. Then follow the mountain road west, with its many curves and viewpoints, to Mae Hong Son. In the afternoon, drive or climb the long staircase to Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu on the hill above town for a view over the valley. End at the twin temples of Wat Jong Kham and Wat Jong Klang, built in Burmese style beside the lake, which are especially pretty at dusk.
Overnight: Mae Hong Son · Meals: B
This morning, visit Tham Lod, a huge limestone cave with a river running through it. A local raftsman poles you on a bamboo raft into the dark chambers, full of stalactites and home to bats and swifts. In the afternoon, visit a Lahu village, where families farm rice and corn on the hillsides, and a Lisu village, known for its bright embroidered clothing and silver work. Your guide explains their customs and daily life before you return to Mae Hong Son.
Overnight: Mae Hong Son · Meals: B
Visit Mae Hong Son's morning market around 7:00, then set off for Chiang Mai on a scenic mountain route via the valley of Mae Chaem. The road crosses Doi Inthanon National Park, the highest mountain in Thailand, rich in plants and birdlife and home to several hill communities. Stop at some of the finest waterfalls in Chiang Mai province on the way. It is a long but beautiful day, and you reach Chiang Mai in the evening.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Explore the old city on foot. Visit Wat Phra Singh, one of Chiang Mai's most sacred temples in pure Lanna style; Wat Phan Tao with its teak prayer hall; and the vast brick chedi of Wat Chedi Luang. Then ride a rickshaw through lanes of old houses and walk through Warorot Market, where local people shop. In the afternoon, drive up Doi Suthep and climb the staircase or take the lift to the golden chedi and a view over the city. The evening night market is yours to explore.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Spend the day with a Thai cooking school on its organic farm outside the city. After a visit to a local market, learn about Thai herbs in the garden, cook jasmine and sticky rice, pound your own curry paste, and prepare a curry, a soup, a noodle dish and a dessert. You eat your creations for lunch. The rest of the afternoon is free for a massage or shopping in the old city.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L
Enjoy a free morning in Chiang Mai. Depending on your flight time, you can visit a last temple or a café in the old city. At the right time, you are taken to Chiang Mai airport for your onward flight. Chiang Mai airport is only about 15 minutes from the old city, so even a short morning leaves time for a walk along the moat or a visit to the market for a few last souvenirs.
Meals: B
Yes, for travelers who enjoy being on the road. There are many short stops, from caves and hot springs to markets and hill villages, which keep the days varied. The mountain roads are winding, so it helps to sit in front and take breaks, which your driver is happy to do.
Most days have three to five hours of driving, split by stops. The longest day is Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai via Doi Inthanon, which takes about six to seven hours with sightseeing.
No. You fly into Chiang Rai and out of Chiang Mai, and these flights are not part of the land package. We can book them for you, or start the trip by road from Chiang Mai instead.
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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