Arrival in Chiang Mai. You will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meal Included: N/A
Breakfast at your hotel and travel to a local farmhouse in Mae Rim on the outskirts of Chiang Mai where you will take a leisurely stroll around the grounds. Then board a long-tail boat and enjoy a 30-minute cruise along the rural Mae Ping River. Along the river banks, you will see traditional wooden houses and modern residences. Arrive at a boat landing and walk for about 10 minutes from the landing to Waroros fresh food Market for a visit, experiencing the Northern Thai way of life. From the market, you take a trishaw ride along Tapae Road past City Walls and along Rajdamnern Road to Wat Phra Singh.
Lunch at a local restaurant. Then drive to the mountain temple of Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, the most famous landmark of Chiang Mai. Climb the Naga staircase to visit the exquisite golden pagoda. The sound of temple bells fills the air and the view overlooking the city makes an irresistible photo opportunity. Afterwards drive up the mountain by songtaew onto a rough dirt road to the Chang Khien Coffee Research Project where you can enjoy a cup of the local arabica surrounded by fabulous gardens of flowers. Continue to the white Hmong village of Chang Khien where some of the inhabitants still wear their traditional hill tribe clothes and practice a culture that dates back 500 years.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at your hotel. Depart by minivan for Mae Kampong village in Mae On district, driving through the picturesque countryside of Chiang Mai. The town is nestled 1,300 meters above sea level and has a cool climate all year long. En route a stop is made at a local market to select ingredients for today’s dinner. Continue to Mae Kampong where villagers meet you. Start your visit with a stroll through the community forest, passing tea and coffee fields to a refreshing waterfall where a picnic lunch will be served.
In the afternoon, return to the village to relax with a traditional Thai massage. At the end of the afternoon, join your host family to prepare dinner.
Overnight in Mae Kampong.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A hot breakfast will be served while the morning mist is being swept away from the valley by the cool mountain breeze. Say goodbye to your hosts and head towards Chiang Rai and Wat Rong Khun, the fantastic White Temple, for a visit.
Lunch at a local restaurant in Chiang Rai. Continue up to Doi Mae Salong. The town of Mae Salong was founded in the 1960s by former Kuomintang soldiers who had been expelled from Burma. Here you can see their tea & coffee plantations, and also the co-op store where homemade wines and other locally grown products are sold.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast at your hotel, depart for the Doi Tung region, 2,000m above sea-level. En route visit several hilltribe villages. In the past, the forest area around Doi Tung was destroyed by shifting cultivation. In 1987, the Doi Tung Development Project was established according to the King Mother’s initiative in order to protect the region, eradicate the cultivation of opium, and encourage farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices. Visit Mae Fah Luang Gardens, with its flowering plants and beautiful gardens. Drive on to Wat Phrathad Doi Tung, a sacred hilltop shrine, regarded as the holiest sanctuary by the residents of Chiang Rai and nearby provinces.
After lunch at a local restaurant, depart for Mae Sai, the bustling trading town at the northern-most border between Thailand and Burma. Continue to the Golden Triangle area, where the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos meet. Visit the ancient Kingdom of Chiang Saen on the steep banks of Mekong River, opposite of Laos, where you will see some magnificent ancient ruins and temples. Then embark on a long-tailed boat trip on the mighty Mekong River.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.
Meal Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to Chiang Rai airport for your flight onwards.
Meal Included: Breakfast
