Guided Motorcycle Tour in THAILAND
Dates 2024/2025
24BTAFL01 01.12. - 10.12.2024
25BTAFL01 07.12. - 16.12.2025
Difficulty level:
Description
Fascinating Lanna - The Kingdom in the North
Situated largely in what is now Lom Kao County, the Kingdom of Lanna in northern Thailand was known for its thriving trade in teak and rice. Due to its proximity to Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, but also China, and the influence of these countries over hundreds of years, a very special mix of people, culture and cuisine has developed here. Mountains, temples and a road with 1 864 curves - experience the best of Thailand on this 10-day motorbike tour through the former kingdom in the north, the "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields", the fascinating Lanna.
This tour through northern Thailand offers you a great insight into the country and its people. The roads are mainly two-lane rural roads with different surfaces and wind through sometimes spectacular mountain ranges. From Chiang Mai, the "Rose of the North", we drive to the remote province of Nan, which was autonomous and cut off from the outside world for centuries. You will visit the unique village of Bo Kluea with its salt wells. And the city of Chiang Rai and see the stunning artwork of the nearby White Temple - known as Wat Rong Khun. And you'll visit notorious places like the Golden Triangle on the Mekong River, where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand border each other and where many people lived from opium poppy cultivation in past decades before it was stopped in 1996 after the death of Khun Sa, a legendary drug lord. Experience the main border crossing between Thailand and Myanmar at Mae Sai and drive the spectacular road to Doi Tung and Mae Salong. Between Mae Taeng and Mae Hong Son, there are 1 864 bends and switchbacks that every motorcyclist should ride once in their life. The highlights of the tour also include the long-necked women of the Karen tribe, famous for the brass rings they wear around their necks. Before returning to Chiang Mai, you will "experience" the "highlight of Thailand": Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in the country at 2 565 metres.
Tour dates:
Approx. 1,700 km; medium to moderately difficult with many, partly tight bends and serpentines, 100 % asphalt;
10 days total duration in Thailand, including 8 driving days, 1 rest day and 2 days arrival and departure. Plus flight days.
Click to enlargeOur exclusive travel programme
Day 1: Arrival in Chiang Mai, Thailand
After arrival at Chiang Mai airport (approx. 1.5 hours by plane north of Bangkok), transfer to the hotel. Please plan your arrival in Chiang Mai before 1 pm, because at 3 pm the transfer to the service centre of our partner Bike Tour Asia will take place for the welcome briefing, where all open questions will be answered and the motorbikes will be handed over. This is followed by a short ride back to the hotel and then the first dinner together in this South East Asian country, which is - still - so foreign to us. Overnight stay in Chiang Mai.
Day 2: Chiang Mai - Nan
300 km
On the motorbikes, we quickly leave Chiang Mai behind and start our tour east towards Phayao. For most of the day we ride on a hilly road, a great start to get familiar with the traffic in Thailand and the motorbike. In Phayao we enjoy a nice lunch by the lake and then continue our ride to Nan. Towards the end of the day, we cross a mountain range and enjoy the curves and remote roads. There are plenty of villages and rice fields along the way. Dinner by the Nan River. Hotel check-in for 2 nights in Nan.
Day 3: Day trip Bo Kluea
210 km
Without a doubt, the road to Bo Kluea represents one of the best motorbike routes in all of Thailand. Classic winding roads with virtually no traffic make this a day to remember. The tiny village of Bo Kluea is located in a charming valley near the border with Laos - remote and picturesque. "Bo Kluea" means salt well because the village was built around two natural salt water wells that have been used for centuries. From here we cross the mountains through Phu National Park, enjoying the stunning scenery and empty roads. In the early afternoon we arrive back in Nan and visit the most beautiful temple in the area, Wat Phumin. The temple was built as if standing on the backs of two gigantic snakes. We spend the evening in an authentic local restaurant on the banks of the Nan River. Second night in Nan.
Day 4: Nan - Chiang Rai
250 km
We leave Nan and drive on small side roads in a south-easterly direction through the hinterland. Along the way we pass rice fields and orchards as well as small farming villages. After a local lunch at a picturesque restaurant, the drive becomes more and more spectacular. The next 100 km or so we drive through countless curves and ever more beautiful landscapes. Shortly before arriving at our hotel in Chiang Rai, we visit the impressive Wat Rong Khun Temple (White Temple), which is one of the most visited sights in Thailand. Hotel check-in for 2 nights in Chiang Rai.
Day 5: Chiang Rai (rest day)
0 km
Relaxation is the order of the day today! Enjoy a healthy breakfast at the hotel and spend the day at the hotel pool or in the spa bath. Or take a walk around the city and explore some of the numerous markets and temples. Second night in Chiang Rai.
Day 6: Chiang Rai - Thaton
220 km
From Chiang Rai it is not far to the mighty Mekong River, located at the legendary Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos border each other. We exchange the motorbikes for a boat and explore the river region. We make a short stop in Laos (no visa required, just bring your passport) and then return to our motorbikes. From the Golden Triangle we continue to Mae Sai, the northernmost point of Thailand and one of the most important border crossings into Myanmar. We then ride on even more impressive winding mountain roads to Doi Tung and Doi Mae Salong. Doi Mae Salong is a Chinese settlement built by a unit of the Chinese Nationalist Army that refused to surrender to the Chinese Communists after the Nationalist Kuomintang government was overthrown in 1949. Nowadays, the village still offers genuine Chinese cuisine, beautiful houses with flowers and countless tea plantations as far as the eye can see. The last part of today's route takes us along rolling hills through rice fields and farming villages. We drive along the Kok River for a while and then turn off to our resort at Thaton, where we can enjoy a cold drink and stretch our feet by the pool. Overnight stay in Thaton
Day 7: Thaton - Pai
240 km
You have another great day of driving ahead of you! From the resort we ride a few kilometres to enjoy the great view from the Buddhist temple complex Wat Thaton over the valley, the Kok River and the surrounding area. Make the effort and visit "the Wat", it's worth taking off your motorbike boots for...
From Wat Thaton we follow the main road and stop for coffee at the Hua Luk Royal Project. For lunch we still have the wonderful view of the limestone mountains in the distance. At Mae Tang we turn right and cross the mountains to Pai. Here begins the road to Mae Hong Son, which is famous for having 1 864 curves of varying radius. Before we arrive at the hotel, there is a very special stop: at the elephant camp you have the opportunity to experience these gentle giants up close. At the hotel in Pai we can enjoy the pool for a short while. After sunset we walk to dinner, on the way there we can enjoy one or two Thai delicacies at one of the numerous restaurants.
Try "street food stalls". Overnight stay in Pai.
Day 8: Pai - Mae Hong Son
180 km
Today we have a very scenic ride ahead of us. The route is not particularly long, but there are enough mountains and switchbacks to conquer, so don't worry, you'll need the whole day,
because the second part of the road with its 1 864 curves is on the programme. We cross two mountains with 2 fantastic viewpoints along the way and drive through some wonderful mountain scenery. Around noon we arrive in Ban Rak Thai, where we are treated to delicious Chinese specialities at one of the local Chinese restaurants by the small lake. Ban Rak Thai literally means "the Thai-loving village". The village was built around a lake on the border with Myanmar. After the Communist takeover of China, around 800 people, mainly Chinese, settled here and some of the buildings still have a distinct Chinese character. After lunch, we continue to the pier on the Nan River, where we park our motorbikes. We enjoy a 20-minute scenic boat ride on the Pai River to the Karen long neck women's village. The Karen, an indigenous minority, have historically lived on the hills that lie on the Myanmar side of the border. Some of the women wear heavy brass rings around their necks, forearms and shins. There are many hypotheses about the wearing of these rings. Some think that the rings protected the women from being enslaved by making them less attractive to other tribes. Another theory is that the rings came from the desire to be more attractive. We can ask them and find out the real story ... After the boat ride back to the pier, it is not far to the resort. We enjoy the sunset with a drink at the bar and the fascinating view of the rice fields. Overnight stay in Mae Hong Son.
Day 9: Mae Hong Son - Chiang Mai
300 km
In the morning we leave Mae Hong Son and drive to Khun Yuam. A great road with wide curves. In Khun Yuam we visit the local museum. Imperial Japanese Army troops were stationed here during the time when a trunk road was being built to cross Burma to India. From Khun Yuam we drive along great winding back roads to Mae Chaem. Lunch at a small local restaurant. We continue towards the summit of Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain at 2 565 metres. The next stop is the mighty 80-metre Wachiratharn Waterfall. From here we drive through the last part of Doi Inthanon National Park. After descending into the valley, we have another 50 km to the service centre in Chiang Mai, where we expect to arrive around 5pm. After the transfer to the hotel we have a short time before the farewell dinner. Overnight stay in Chiang Mai.
Day 10: Departure from Chiang Mai
Depending on your departure time, you can use the time to pack or explore Chiang Mai on your own. We hope that you were so enthusiastic about Thailand that you will come back one day for another tour with us to South East Asia!
Included services
● 9 nights in carefully selected hotels and resorts of the good and upper mid-range class
● incl. breakfast and
Lunch and dinner on the driving days
● Water, soft drinks and coffee/tea at meals
All necessary transfers from/to Chiang Mai
Motorbike rental Triumph Tiger Sport 660 incl. unlimited free kilometres
Comprehensive insurance with USD 1,500 excess for Tiger 660 (= deposit to be paid by credit card)
Excess Triumph Tiger Sport 850 USD 1,700 and BMW R 1200/1250 GS USD 2,500
● Fuel for rental motorbike on tour
● Experienced tour guide on motorbike
● English-speaking approved guidebook
● Baggage vehicle
Entrance fees for sights as per tour description
● Side cases and top case for motorbike on request
Not included:
Flights. We are happy to offer these as an option on request. Lunch and dinner except on ride days, alcoholic beverages, motorbike clothing and protective gear. Helmet, jacket and gloves can be rented at the Service Centre (USD 10 per item per day), no trousers and boots. We recommend to bring your own equipment. Poss. future (Covid) visa fees, personal expenses and tips. Furthermore, all services that are not explicitly listed as included.
Also not included, but strongly recommended: Travel insurance with cancellation cover.
Prices:
Conditions of travel
The general conditions of the tour operator apply Bike Tour Asia, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
These will be handed out before booking. Minimum number of participants: 5 drivers.
If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the tour operator reserves the right to cancel the tour up to 42 days before the start of the tour.
Special notes for this trip:
Travel insurance with cancellation cover is recommended.