Tours

Chiang Mai motorcycle tour options include many excellent day and multi-day tour options, making the city of Chiang Mai an excellent base for exploring northern Thailand

When you first arrive in Chiang Mai allow yourself a couple of days to acclimatize before setting off up-country on multi day rides.  Do a couple of day trips first, while you are acclimatizing.

The Samoeng Loop is the very first loop you should do.

Check out any of the below to get yourself ready & rolling.

Trip Planning

Day Trips:

Samoeng Mae Wang Phrao- Chiang Dao Phrao – Wiang Pa Pao

Chai Prakarn Mae Ngat San Kamphaeng Mae Kuang

Over Night / Multi-Day Trips:

Doi Inthanon / Mae Chaem Phayao Chiang Rai Phrae

Nan Doi Ang Khang Mae Sarieng

 

Take Your Time: For first timers, the tendency is often to cover as much ground as possible. You end up with general impressions that it is all good, but you want more. Its best to slow down, take your time & explore properly, enjoying the scenery, villages and people. Don’t try and do / see too much in a short space of time. Potter around the loops to take in as much as you can, and learn something about the people, places and culture as you go. If you rush through, it becomes a blur; & you will only want to go back to the same places again because you missed too much. Cornering speeds in the hundreds of kilometres of winding roads are down to 60-80 kph riding “hard & fast.” It takes time, so take your time. Aim to do no more than 250 kms in a day & you will both see & learn something, not just look at the road in front of you.  To start in Chiang Mai, click here.

North Thailand Trip Planner Outline:

From wherever you are in North Thailand you can get back to Chiang Mai in a day, so you can play it as you go.

The Mae Hong Son Loop

Usually start with this as a short primer. The legendary Mae Hong Son loop is good for 3-4 days the first time, & much more if you want to dawdle.

The Way to go:

• Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon  (highest mountain)- Mae Chaem
• Mae Chaem – Mae Na Chon – Khun Yuam – Mae Hong Son
• or Mae Chaem – Mae Sarieng
• Mae Sarieng – Mae Hong Son
• Mae Hong Son – Soppong / Pai
• Pai
• Pai – Chiang Mai

Trip Reports.  Places to go & see on the Mae Hong Son Loop
Pottering Round the Mae Hong Son Loop.
Mapping Towns on the Mae Hong Son Loop.
Mae Chaem a meander.
Mae Sarieng
Pai the Chill Out Town
Rak Thai the Chinese village on the Myanmar border.
Mae Hong Son The Steepest Road
Mae Hong Son-The Kun Mai Sak Bamboo Bridge
The GT Rider Chedi. GT Rider has their own memorial chedi on Doi Kong Mou mountain overlooking Mae Hong Son city. The chedi is in honour of departed riding mates who have lived in Thailand & ridden on the Mae Hong Son Loop.  GTR has an annual ride to Mae Hong Son for which all riders are welcome to join and pay their respects. The event is usually the first or second weekend of November.

The Mae Hong Son loop has three spectacular steep roads to ride.
Rak Thai the Chinese village on the Myanmar border, north of Mae Hong Son.  You can spend a night here. Rak Thai is unique in North Thailand & can be the highlight of doing the Mae Hong Son Loop.  The views over the lake at Rak Thai are sensational.
South of Mae Hong Son are Meo Microwave & Nong Khiew . Use the Nong Khiew road is arguably the steepest in the North. You can use it to cut across to Mae Chaem, or even use it for a day trip from Mae Hong Son. Meo Microwave is a wild steep twisting road that dead ends in a Hmong village on a mountain. The views here are spectacular. 

The Long Necks: if you’re doing the Mae Hong Son Loop here’s the Long Neck Story & History on GTR. Its worth knowing before you go & may assist you in understanding the story of the long necks on the Thai border (and elsewhere in Thailand.)

Overnight in Mae Chaem / Mae Sarieng / Mae Hong Son / Soppong / Pai. Please yourself.
Mae Chaem Accommodation
Mae Sarieng Accommodation
Mae Hong Son Accommodation. 
Rak Thai Accommodation
Soppong Accommodation
Pai Accommodation
Doi Inthanon Accommodation
Hot Accommodation

Night life: Mae Chaem, Khun Yuam & Soppong have none. Pai has good night life; plus Mae Hong Son & Mae Sarieng both have enough to keep you entertained.

After the Mae Hong Son Loop start a Golden Triangle / Laos Border Run. Return  to Chiang Mai, & take off North from Chiang Mai on R107; or from Pai go direct to Chiang Dao / Fang, skipping out Chiang Mai, up to you……

The Golden Triangle – Laos Border Run

The Way To Go
Chiang Mai – Chiang Dao – Arunothai – Fang – Tha Ton – Doi Mae Salong – Thoed Thai – Doi Tung – Mae Sai – GT – Chiang Saen – Chiang Khong – Pha Tang – Phu Chi Fah – Chiang Kham – Tha Wang Pa – Pua – Doi Phukha – Nan – Chiang Muan – Phayao – Mae Kachan – Chiang Mai. Or from Nan – Wiang Sa – Na Noi – Khun Satan – Phrae – Lampang – Chiang Mai. Or do these in reverse. Please yourself where you sleep, but you should never be more than 45 minutes away from cozy accommodation.

Chiang Rai province: it should be noted that Chiang Rai province is jam packed with attractions, amazing roads & mountains to ride. The province is # 1 for attractions! Take your time & don’t ride on through too quickly. To get the big picture, use a GT Rider Golden Triangle guide map.

Mountain roads to ride on the GT – Laos border run.
Doi Ang Khang
Doi Larng
The Doi Laem Loop
Tha Ton – Thoed Thai – Doi Tung
Doi Mae Salong
Doi Tung
Doi Pha Tang
Phu Chi Fah
A Chiang Kham Loop & Phu Arnmar
The Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route
Phaya Phipak – the big dipper.
R1148 the Legends Ride
Mountain Roads South of Nan & Phrae
An easy meander round Nan
The amazing Doi Phachi – Santisuk old communist HQs
Phu Phayak the remote last communist HQs

 

For local provincial up-country attractions on the Golden Triangle / Laos border loop start here
Chiang Rai
Nan
Phayao

Trip reports: Places to go & see on the Golden Triangle Loop.
A Top End Meander
Mae Sai Pottering Around.
Doi Pha Tang
The Big Dipper the steepest road on the GT – Laos border run.
Phu Chi Fah

6 nights 7 days in the Top North.
A Chiang Kham Loop & Phu Arnmar
Kaeng Pha Dai & the Mekong End Of the Road
Riding The Mekong @ Chiang Khong
Riding the Mekong @ the Golden Triangle
On the Trail of King Naresuan
Chiang Khong & the Great Roller Coaster Ride & Route

The Sensational Singapore Road
Khun Sa the Opium  Warlord’s 2nd camp
The twisting steep Phu Anma Road
Phayao – Dok Kham Tai’s Amazing Teak Wats
R1148 & Nan Noi

The Peacock Sanctuary Phayao
Riding the Yom River
Chiang Saen Attractions
Pua & Back 1148 The Legends Ride
Riding the Yom River & the Railway Line
Takhong & Amazing Mekong Sunsets
Chiang Khong – Phrae Nan A Loop
Macadamia Nuts in the Mountains
Phan City & Environs, an Off The Beaten Track District
Kruba Boonchum The Most Famous Monk in the North
Phrae & the back roads.
The Sirikit Dam & surrounds
Phrae a classic forgotten city
Sa Iab, Golden Teak & the hooch city
Nan -& the fantastic Wat Bo Kew @ Na Muen

Thoed Thai: You can’t claim to have done the Golden Triangle unless you have a night in Thoed Thai; the ex home of the late Khun Sa, the famous Shan freedom fighter / drug war lord.

Nan province: Has the best riding in North Thailand & you could easily spend 3-4 nights in Nan riding amazing loops & roads.

Some Nan Tip Reports to read
Chiang Mai – Nan Explorer Ride
Return to Nan & Back to the Future
VDO Nan Backyard Race Track
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Go To Nan
Wiang Sa Pottering Around – the 100 year old Bicycle Museum

A Chiang Run
The SSR GTR Ride from Bangkok to Nan & Around
Pua & back – 1148 – The Legend’s Route.
Doi Phukha & the rare Chomphu Phuka Tree

Some waterfalls in the North. 

The top roads & rides in the North.

Phu Chi Fah to Mae Hong Son

Take your time. Soak up the culture & history, don’t just focus on the number of kms you can log up. To fully understand the road network & how to get the best out of your trip take a GT Rider Golden Triangle guide map. With so many choices and options available it is important to know where you are in relation to all the towns and the distances involved.

A GTR guide to North Thailand’s Hot  Springs. Most of the North’s hot springs have private bathing houses, or bungalows to stay over night, to have a nice soak & soothe the body after a long ride. In the cold season these places are an absolute delight to spend time at.

Quieter favourite overnight towns
Chiang Dao
Chiang Kham
Chiang Khong
Chiang Saen
Doi Mae Salong
Pha Tang / Phi Chi FAh
Piang Luang / Wiang Haeng
Pong
Pua
Sop Ruak – The Golden Triangle
Tha Ton
Thoed Thai
The smaller towns generally give you a better cultural experience.
GT Rider Dinners: Every month, on the last Wednesday of the month GTR has an up country dinner in a small town to enjoy the ambiance of a small up county town. All riders are welcome to join & meet up the designated rendezvous town.

Overnight towns with night life
Fang
Chiang Rai
Mae Sai
Phayao
Nan
Phrae
Lampang
Phitsanulok

Accommodation: you can check out the GT Rider Accommodation suggestions here

Food – where to eat: GTR has a list of recommended restaurants for every town.

If you looking for dirt rides: check out this GTR directory of dirt options. 

From Bangkok:

If you live in Bangkok & have a few days off consider these loop possibilities

Day 1: Ride up Bangkok -Cnx
Day 2: Rest day Cnx?
Day 3: Cnx – Doi Mae Salong
Day 4: Doi Mae Salong – Doi Tung – Mae Sai – GT – Chiang Rai
Day 5: Return to Bangkok.

OR

Day 1: Bangkok – Sukhothai
Day 2: Sukhothai – Nan
Day 3: Nan R1148 – Chiang Rai
Day 4: Chiang Rai – Tha Ton – Fang – Chiang Mai
Day 5: Chiang Mai – Bangkok

OR

Day 1: Bangkok – Tak / Mae Sot
Day 2: Mae Sot – Mae Mae Hong Son
Day 3: Mae Hong Son – Pai
Day 4: Pai – Chiang Mai, easy
Day 5: Chiang Mai – Bangkok.

Multiple choices & more than likely you will make up your mind on the day, subject to the weather conditions & outlook.

Riding from the bottom to the top: Phuket – North Thailand guide

Rough rain guide – consider this for predicting where the rain’s coming from & where to ride and avoid it. The rain comes from the sea & in North Thailand that means from either;
The Bay of Bengal & Burma way = the west-south-west, or
The Gulf of Tonkin / China Sea & Vietnam way = east-north-east

So if there’s a lot of rain around you just need to know where it coming from – either the West or the East.

If it’s coming from the west-south-west, then there’s a chance that the further east you go the less chance of rain. So if you’re starting from Chiang Mai then head towards the Laos border & Nan to get a dry ride.

If it’s coming from the east-north-east, then there’s a chance that the further west you go the less chance of rain. So if you’re starting in Chiang Mai then head west towards the Burma border & Mae Sarieng / Mae Hong Son to get a dry ride.

 

Nationwide Bike transport

If you want to transport your bike one way from one part of the country to another there are a few options
Train – you can transport your bike by train. You are supposed to travel on the train with your bike.
Post Office yes you can post a bike in Thailand from one post office to  another.
Three Trans Transport –  a professional trucking logistics company for moving motorcycles. Three Trans delivers bulk new model bikes to dealers all around he country – Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Ducati, Yamaha. They all use the same company. They can supposedly pick up & deliver anywhere

 

Other SE Asian Trip Planning Sections

The GT-Rider.com Trip Report Forums have some detailed trip planning information for other S.E. Asian countries.

Vietnam Trip Planning

Laos Trip Planning

Malaysia  Trip Planning