Truly the best Thai cycling trip. Get way off the beaten path pedaling past ancient temples, through hilltribe communities, over lush mountains and along the mighty Mekong River.
This is THE biking adventure of Thai biking adventures. A great deal of time has been spent selecting routes that are truly ‘off the beaten path’, provide an incredible diversity of locales, terrains, grades and will offer challenges to the most seasoned velophile.
In addition to five huge days biking the kingdom’s northernmost province of Chiang Rai, along the Thai-Myanmar and Thai-Laos borders, you’ll also enjoy a mid-trip day of hiking ancient hilltribe footpaths through terraced tea Oolong tea fields. This trip is the ultimate total-Siamese experience with a wild day exploring the mega-city of Bangkok multitudinous modes of transport and rounding things out by stepping into the kingdom’s glorious past with a visit atop bicycles to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ayutthaya. Hang on for the ride of your life!!
The price quoted is from the first day of the adventure in Bangkok until the end of your planned itinerary. The adventure includes 80% of your meals, 9 nights of quality accommodations, all transport, two domestic airline tickets, Shimano-equipped mountain bike, air conditioned support vehicle, bike mechanic, mobile phone, a personalized Adventure Kit, all admissions, snacks, and the best western and Thai adventure leaders at all times. You will rarely need to dig into your pocket to pay for things during your trip. Prepare to dazzled, hosted and truly taken care of!
Day 01 Arrival in Bangkok
We’ll be waiting when your plane touches down, brush off the airline peanut shells and welcome you to the ‘Land of Smiles’.
A private car will shuttle you to your beautiful home away from home at the Majestic Grande in central Bangkok. Upon check-in you’ll receive your very own ‘Adventure Kit’, full of lots tidbits, including maps, trip overview, tips to help you make the most of your time and even your very own mobile phone!
Day 02 Bangkok Multi Transport Adventure
This day is simply incredible! Today we’ll tick off five must-see sites, while using all forms of urban transport (tuk-tuk, motorcycle, rapid train, boats and taxi) in a citywide blitz of temples, alleyways, rivers, canals and fine eats to give you a true appreciation of the ‘City of Angels’. Today you’ll see the Golden Mount, the stunning Grand Palace, Wat Po (Reclining Buddha), Wat Arun and the urban-canals of Bangkok Noi, to name but a few of our stops. Not only can you tick Bangkok off your list, but you’ll do it in swinging style!
Meals: B, L
Day 03 Ancient Ayutthaya Adventure
A short 90km minivan ride from Bangkok takes us to this UNESCO World Heritage Site where we’ll mount Mary Poppins-style bicycles and explore four of our favorite historical sites. The best thing about these stone palaces is there are no ropes, allowing you to get up close and personal with Ayutthaya’s stunning temples. As the capital from 1350-1767, it was during this period that foreigners first set up diplomatic missions and the country grew to its largest size physically. Along the way we’ll enjoy an authentic ‘Isaan’ (northeastern Thai) lunch and fill you in on lots of nifty historical facts. This intimate exploration of Ayutthaya gives you a genuine appreciation for the city’s significance to the Thai people.
Late in the afternoon we’ll shuttle to the Bangkok airport and fly to Chiang Rai province to begin our northern cycling epic.
Riding: 20km, paved roads
Meals: B, L
Days 04 -10 Chiang Rai “Three Ancient Lands” Biking Adventure
The next seven spectacular days bring us in touch with some of the most unique and memorable characters in northern Thailand. Chiang Rai, Thailand’s northernmost province, borders Myanmar (Burma) on the west and Laos on the east to create the infamous ‘Golden Triangle’ – a perfect venue to truly gain a taste of northern Thai life. Using bicycles as our main form of transport and fun, we’ll see the many faces of Chiang Rai province, from jungles and hilltribe villages to multi-cultural mountain communities and enchanting life along the Mekong River. We’ll use high-quality, brand name mountain bikes, equipped with front suspension to navigate back roads along the three converging ancient kingdoms. Hang on and prepare to be dazzled!
Day 04 Bikes, Boats & Elephants
We’ll cycle through the city of Chiang Rai then place our bikes on a private longtail boat and head upriver to a charming hilltribe village. This Karen settlement is surrounded by limestone mountains and is an ideal venue for an elephant ride, some village cuisine and the starting point for an epic day in the saddle. We’ll navigate country roads leading out of the village passing Ahka and Lisu settlements back Chiang Rai city. Tonight we’ll reward ourselves with outstanding northern Thai cuisine at one of the city’s hippest restaurants.
Biking: 30-50km sealed & dirt road, single-track
Meals: B, L, D
Day 05 Chiang Rai to Wawi
It’s a big ride today as we climb along the Doi Chaang mountain range – famous for northern Thai Arabica-style coffee – and make our way to Wawi. This highland outpost is inhabited mainly by Yunnan Chinese and doesn’t appear on most country maps. Dig in for a challenging day in the saddle as you cruise flats and creep up challenging climbs that will leave you breathless and a wide-eyed from the incredible scenery. Curious locals spur us on with friendly waves and smiles. Tonight we’ll refuel with some Thai-Chinese dishes served on a balcony over looking Wawi valley.
Biking: 55-100km, sealed road, thrilling turns and climbs
Meals: B, L, D
Day 06 Wawi – Mae Salak – Tha Ton – Mae Salak
This is the ultimate combo day designed to please every kind of rider. We start with a short climb out of Wawi, then have an exhilarating 12km downhill on dirt road to the Mae Salak valley in Chiang Mai province. Next we’ll make our way through the valley, following the main river to Tha Ton, a traditional Shan outpost and formerly part of Myanmar (Burma). From here you can enjoy a final 20km spin back to the resort or hop into a boat and cruise downstream to the pier at our riverside resort.
Biking: 20-70km, paved road, some dirt road climbs
Meals: B, L, D
Day 07 Hilltribe Hiatus (Hiking)
Put on your hiking shoes for a day trekking through terraced tea and rice plantations, hilltribe villages and stunning rolling mountains around the Doi Mae Salong area. This region was settled first by indigenous hilltribe groups such as the Ahka and Lahu peoples and more recently by Yunnanese from China, who fled the Cultural Revolution.
Today is a photographer’s dream as great shots and traditional cultures abound.
An afternoon shuttle through the mountains takes us to our incredible digs at the stunning Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort and Spa.
Hiking: 15km, hilly dirt footpaths
Meals: B, L, D
Day 08 Run for the Border
Start with a cup of locally grown coffee before pedaling along a steady 12km, 600 vertical metre ridge to the summit of Doi Chang Mub, one of the province’s highest mountains. From here we’ll glide down along a breathtaking road that literally straddles the Thai-Myanmar border. Hang on to your handlebars as a long, dramatic descent brings you to the country’s northernmost city, Mae Sai. A final flat stretch through farmland takes you to the infamous Golden Triangle.
Biking: 60-90km (over 1,000m descent), thrilling descents, mountain passes, exhilarating climbs
Meals: B, L, D
Day 09 The Mighty Mekong
Start with a visit to the world-class Hall of Opium to learn about the historical importance of this distinctive region and the role this illicit drug played. The final ride of the trip is an epic one. Make your way through lush farmland, weave through quiet rural villages and slither along the banks of the spectacular Mekong River to our final destination of Chiang Khong. This beautiful stretch of road is one of the nicest rides in Asia and is the ultimate capstone to our cycling epic.
Biking: 80km, paved country roads
Meals: B, L, D
Day 10 Back to Bangkok
Enjoy the morning to soak up the majestic views of the Mekong. Around mid-day we’ll bid adieu to this charming town and shuttle to the Chiang Rai airport where we’ll board our Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. Saying goodbye is hard to do, but we hope you’ll leave us dreaming about your next Unique Trails adventure! Krang na, pope gan mai na (see you again next time).
Meals: B
A truly epic journey! The Roof of the World on a bike – what better way to explore Tibet and Nepal, meet the locals, experience the amazing culture and stunning scenery!
