Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in five days
Doi Tung
Prices are per vehicle, per day.
Up to 7 people Hyundai H-1
From 3,600 THB
8 to 13 people Toyota Hiace Commuter
From 4,000 THB
- Driver
- Fuel
- Parking
- Drinking water
- Driver's lodging
Entry fees and your meals are paid on the day: about 100 to 150 THB each at the temples on the first day; about 400 THB each on Doi Inthanon on the second, park entry 300 THB for a foreign adult and the Twin Royal Pagodas up to 100 THB; about 550 THB each in Chiang Rai on the third and fourth, the White Temple 200 THB, Doi Tung about 220 THB, Baan Dam 80 THB and the House of Opium 50 THB; and the elephant camp’s own fee on the fifth, which usually includes your lunch. You pay for your own hotel in Chiang Rai.
The final price is agreed with me before your trip.
Ask about this tripFive days around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, with a van and a driver just for your group. You see Doi Suthep and the old city temples, go up Doi Inthanon, spend two days in Chiang Rai with a night there, from the White Temple to the Golden Triangle, and end with a day feeding elephants and watching them bathe.
5 days from your hotel in Chiang Mai, from 3,600 THB per vehicle, per day.
The day, step by step
Day 1
- About 08:00: pickup at your hotel in Chiang Mai
- About 08:30: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, with its golden chedi and the view over Chiang Mai
- About 10:15: Wat Umong, the forest temple with its old tunnels and moss-covered walls
- About 11:30: Wat Phra Singh in the old city
- About 12:15: Wat Chedi Luang and its great ruined chedi
- About 13:00: lunch in the old city
- About 14:00: back at your hotel. The afternoon is yours
Day 2
- About 07:00: pickup at your hotel
- About 09:00: the summit of Doi Inthanon, and the Ang Ka boardwalk through the forest at the top
- About 09:45: the Twin Royal Pagodas and their flower gardens
- About 11:00: your choice: the Hmong market, the Karen village of Mae Klang Luang and its coffee, or Sirithan Waterfall
- About 12:15: lunch at a local restaurant on the mountain
- About 13:30: Wachirathan Waterfall on the way down, a short walk from the road
- About 17:00: back at your hotel
Day 3
- About 08:00: pickup at your hotel, with your overnight bag
- About 09:30: a break at the Mae Khachan hot springs on the way
- About 11:00: the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
- About 12:30: lunch in Chiang Rai
- About 13:30: the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)
- About 14:30: Wat Huay Pla Kang and its big white statue of Guan Yin
- About 15:30: your hotel in Chiang Rai. The evening is yours, and the Night Bazaar opens at 18:00
Day 4
- About 08:00: pickup at your hotel in Chiang Rai
- About 09:15: the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet on the Mekong
- About 09:45: the House of Opium, a small museum by the river
- About 11:00: Mae Sai’s border market, and lunch
- About 13:15: Doi Tung, the Royal Villa and the Mae Fah Luang Garden
- About 15:15: Baan Dam, the Black House
- About 19:30: back at your hotel in Chiang Mai
Day 5
- About 07:30: pickup at your hotel
- About 08:45: arrive at the elephant sanctuary in time for its programme
- About 09:30: prepare the elephants’ food and feed them, with the camp’s keepers
- About 12:00: lunch at the camp, usually part of the camp’s fee
- About 13:00: walk with the elephants to the river and watch them bathe
- About 15:00: leave the camp, and back to the van
- About 16:30: back at your hotel
Overnight stays
You stay at your own hotel in Chiang Mai, and on the third night at a hotel in Chiang Rai, any hotel you like: just send me its name. I arrange your driver’s room and the driver’s meals in Chiang Rai, and they’re in the price; your own meals are not. Your driver is off duty in the evening.
What the price includes
Included
- Driver
- Fuel
- Parking
- Drinking water
- Driver's lodging
Not included
- Entry fees
- Meals
- Accommodation
Which vehicle fits your group
| People, children included | Vehicle | Large suitcases |
|---|---|---|
| 1–7 | Hyundai H-1 | 4 |
| Toyota Hiace Commuter | 6 | |
| 8–13 | Toyota Hiace Commuter | 6 |
Trip facts
- Trip type
- Multi-day hire
- Duration
- 5 days
- Pickup
- Chiang Mai
- Group size
- 1 to 13 people in one vehicle
- Vehicles
- Hyundai H-1 and Toyota Hiace Commuter
- Driver
- Your driver may be one of my network drivers.
What to bring
- An overnight bag for the night in Chiang Rai
- Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, for the temples, the pagodas and the Royal Villa on Doi Tung, and a scarf or sarong, as Doi Suthep checks clothes strictly
- Shoes that are easy to take off, as you go into the temples barefoot
- A warm layer for Doi Inthanon, cool all year at the top, and a light jacket, as Doi Tung is cool
- For the elephant day, clothes that can get wet and muddy, a change of dry clothes and a towel
- Something for car sickness, as the mountain roads have many bends
- Cash for entry fees, about 1,100 THB each over the five days with the camp’s fee on top, plus your meals
Photos
Questions
Is 3,600 THB a day for the whole group?
Yes. The price is per vehicle and per day, for everyone in it, not per person, so the five days cost five times that. It includes driver, fuel, parking, drinking water, and driver's lodging.
Can we change the days?
Yes. Change the order, or swap a day for another of my day trips, such as Mae Kampong or Chiang Dao and the Sticky Waterfall; the two Chiang Rai days stay together. We agree the price for your days in chat before your trip.
Do we book our own hotels?
Yes: your hotel in Chiang Mai, and one night in Chiang Rai, any hotel you like. Send me its name. You don’t book or pay anything for the driver.
Is the fourth day long?
Yes, about 11 and a half hours, from your hotel in Chiang Rai to your hotel in Chiang Mai. That’s why the elephant day comes last: an early start but an easy day, back by about 16:30.
Can we fly out on the last day?
Yes, an evening flight. Tell me your flight time, and we plan the last day around it.
Do we ride the elephants?
No. The last day is about feeding and watching the elephants, not riding them. You choose the camp, or I suggest one.
Who will drive us?
Your driver may be one of my network drivers. Every driver knows the roads to Doi Inthanon and Chiang Rai well, and doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol.
How do we pay?
In cash, in Thai baht. We agree the final price in chat before your trip.
