NORTHERN THAILAND BIKING EXPEDITION
Best places to visit: CHIANG MAI - CHIANG DAO - THATON - DOI MAE SALONG - MAE CHAN - MAE SAN - CHIANG SEAN
9 days
Daily Tour
20 people
English & Czech
Starting just outside Chiang Mai you cycle mostly on rural back roads to Chiang Rai, discovering mile by mile spectacular mountain landscape combined with the colourful local population. You meet them by spending night with a hill tribe family. This carefully designed itinerary will show you Thailand at a real pace with more human contact that normally possible.
Itinerary :
Day 2: Chiang Mai ( 20 – 30km) (B)
Day 3: Chiang Mai – Chiang Dao ( 30 – 45km) (B/L/D) /
Day 4: Chiang Dao – Thaton ( 45 – 60 km) (B/L/D)
Day 5: Thaton – Chiang Rai ( 45 – 60 km) (B/L/D)
Day 6: Chiang Rai – Doi Mae Salong ( 35 – 50 km) (B/L/D)
Day 7: Doi Mae Salong – Mae Chan ( 30 – 45 km) (B/L/D)
Day 8: Mae Chan – Mae San – Chiang Sean ( 45 – 55 km) (B/L/D)
Day 9: Chiang Sean – Chiang Rai ( 20 – 35 km) (B/L)
Day 1: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Arrival – Chiang Mai
On arrival at Chiang Mai Airport, you are met by our guide and transferred to hotel. In spite of Chiang Mai being the second largest city in Thailand and the modern capital of the north, the friendliness of the people, the vibrant night bazaar, the interesting old town and the international feel never seems to fail to captivate travellers. No activities planned for this afternoon , however our guide is on hand to advise some available options.
O/N in Chiang Mai.
Day 2: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Chiang Mai (20 – 30km) (B)
Today we spend a full day exploring some major sight of Chiang Mai. After a short drive we embark on a walk to the famous Doi Suthep Mountain, leading us to the magnificent temple of Wat Prathat near the summit. At an elevation of over 1,000 m , the temple grounds affords a panoramic view over the surrounding countryside.
We follow this with a visit to the old and new parts of the town featuring the great diversity. The “Rose of the North”, Chiang Mai has been always noted for exquisite handicrafts whose the combination with the traditional wares of the hill tribe people offers fantastic shopping opportunities. We get on our bike to visit the neighboring villages of Sankampaeng and Borsarng to see the various cottages industries including silk weaving, wood carving, silver ware and umbrellas making.
O/N in Chiang Mai.
Day 3: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Chiang Mai – Chiang Dao (30 – 45km) (B/L/D)
Heading out of town we drive north towards Chiang Dao.
The first stop is the elephant camp where we have a chance to watch elephant taking their morning bath and demonstrating their skills. Afterwards we pedal on rural back roads first and continuing on off road trails past tropical forest.
Along the way we make several stops to visit the Lahu, Lisu and Akha ethnic minorities, who are all friendly and welcoming. We also explore a remote village which is home to the Palaung hilltribe people. This ethnic group migrated from Myanmar and live in only few settlements in northern Thailand. At the end of day we arrival at a hill tribe village where we spend the night as guest of villagers.
O/N at Chiang Dao.
Day 4: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Chiang Dao – Thaton (45 – 60 km) (B/L/D)
The intense and fantastic cycling day begins as we leave the village of previous night and ride through the scenic landscape of undulating terrains and forest. The road is difficult at times, but the escort vehicle is always nearby.
After 30 km riding on exciting trails we arrive at a forestry temple cave where we enjoy a picnic lunch and have time to stretch our legs. We resume our trip, using various trails and paved roads in the valley, riding 25 km mostly off road before we meet up with our vehicle for Ban Thaton, a sleepy riverside village.
O/N in Thaton.
Day 5: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Thaton – Chiang Rai (45 – 60 km) (B/L/D)
An early morning departure to the valley of the Maekok River, which is one of the tributaries of the mighty Mekong River and originates from Burma.
We ride through the valley passing many rice fields as well as plantations before we head towards the river for an exciting ride along the local path. We change the pace while we board a longtail board for a leisurely trip down the Maekok River giving us some fantastic view of stunning mountain landscape.
After the river trip we cycle again to visit a riverside village, home to the Karen hilltribe people and travel to Chiang Rai with a mixture of biking and driving.
O/N in Chiang Rai.
Day 6: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Chiang Rai – Doi Mae Salong (35 – 50 km) (B/L/D)
The extremely beautiful region around Chiang Rai is an ideal place for anyone seeking a true adventure. After breakfast we get to further explore Chiang Rai and meet local people on a day biking from the paved roads to trails.
There are some uphill rides which involve the trip, but it is still an unforgettable experience as we cycle through the scenic mountain backdrop and numerous hill villages. Along the way we stop for lunch at a beautiful waterfall, then embark on a scenic drive to Doi Mae Salong. The mountain roads lead us to the Chinese refugee village where we are toasted as honored guests of villagers.
O/N at Doi Mae Salong.
Day 7: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Doi Mae Salong – Mae Chan (30 – 45 km) (B/L/D)
This morning we can warm up by cycling a very steep roads of 13 km to conquer Doi Mae Salong Mountain before we pedal off road trails down to Mae Chan Valley. A part of the pleasure of riding in the valley floor is the simple joy of exploring the breathtaking countryside and seeing the farmers at works such as logging or tilling the field. The remainder of the day will be free to further discover the region or simply to enjoy a well-earned rest.
O/N at Mae Chan.
Day 8: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Mae Chan – Mae San – Chiang Sean (45 – 55 km) (B/L/D)
Upon leaving Mae Chan we start our ride up to Doi Tung which is topped with a magnificent temple. After a refreshment stop we visit the temple and embark on a scenic ride back down to the valley.
The next stop of our trip is the famous Golden Triangle in which powerful warlords have fought for control the opium trade. We cycle along the border , crossing over some steep climbs before arriving at the border town of Mae Sai. After seeing this town we get back on our bike for few hour ride past the Golden Triangle towards Chiang Sean, our final destination.
O/N in Chiang Sean.
Day 9: Northern Thailand Biking Expedition: Chiang Sean – Chiang Rai (20 – 35 km) (B/L)
The royal capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Saen is nestled on the Mekong riverbank which is now the border between Thailand and Laos. This morning we ride around the town to see its major sights including Wat Phrathat Jom Kitti, Wat Chedi Luang and a nearby museum. Afterwards we travel back to Chiang Rai with a mixture of driving and cycling. The trip ends after transfer to airport for departure.
Include :
- Transportation in private air-conditioned vehicle with driver, tourist bus and pick up on bad road conditions + Meal as mentioned: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner + Accommodation: twin sharing room at mentioned hotels or similar one + English speaking guide + Entrance fee to indicated sights + Boat trip + Bike equipment
Exclude :
- Other meals, tip, drinks, airport tax, single room supplement, personal expenses, travel insurance, visa, flight in / out of Thailand, any optional additional tours or activities during free time, surcharge for peak season, local holiday days and gala dinner
