Chiang Mai, an ancient Kingdom dating back 700 years, is well known to tourists around the world but its surroundings are often missed by visitors to Thailand. We invite you to explore Chiang Mai and it surroundings in depth on our Northern Sampler bike tour. Discover ethnic hill tribes still living in thatched villages on the hill tops dressed in their colorful garments, explore ancient temple ruins and city fortications, taste the deliicous cuisine that Thailand is renowned for worldwide and meet the friendly Thais.

Your week long bicycle tour begins in Chiang Mai, where 600 year old stupas co-exist side by side with modern offices, where vegetable and fish markets open every morning at 5 am and where teeming night markets spring up on the sidewalks where business men in suits ply by day. We'll explore the city before heading north through vast farmlands and specatcular landscapes. Ride an elephant through the jungle, soak in a natrual hot spring feed pool and discover daily lives of the Paduang and Karen tribes.

Your cycling holiday winds down in the northern reaches of the kingdom, pedaling along the Mae Kok River through lush forests and green rice paddies. Enjoy a variety of excellent accommodations, ranging for delightful city lodges to remote mountain resorts, and fine dinners at our favorite local restaurants featuring the best of the region's cuisine. Join us for an awesome bike tour through the best of northern Thailand.

Itinerary (day-by-day)

Day 1 - Your bike tour group will gather today in the vibrant northern city of Chiang Mai. After checking into our lodge, we will get everyone set up with their bikes, then head out for a traditional northern Khan Toke dinner with classical and hill tribe dancing.

Day 2 - This morning we head south of town to explore the ruins of Wiang Kum Kam, site of the first city built by King Mengrai some 700 years ago. Unfortunately his choice of land was subject to frequent floods, so after a short while he moved the city to it's current locale. In the afternoon we will wend our way back into the town, exploring the old town area with its historic Wats (temples) and ancient fortifications. Tonight we enjoy dinner at our favorite restaurant perched on the banks of the Mae Ping (Ping River) which flows through the heart of the city. 22 mi / 35 kms

Day 3 - We head north this morning, following small roads along the Mae Ping through villages and past flower farms. Lunch time will find us in the town of Mae Rim, where we will break from cycling to visit an orchid grower, butterfly farm and the Mae Rim Elephant camp, where we enjoy a demostration of the elephant's former work. IN late afternnon, we remount our bikes for a beautiful ride through emerald rice paddies and past colorful temples enroute to our overnight stop in the village of Baan Rai. 31 mi / 50 kms

Day 4 - Our morning ride takes us first to Mae Malai, where we visit a traditional market featuring a broad selection of local vegetables, fruits and fish, along with a tasty array of prepared foods from pad seuy (noodles) to fried insects. We will also visit the magnificient Wat Baan Den, before heading north into the rolling, forested countryside. Our bike tour winds down the day at a picturesque resort tucked in amongst the impressive karst hills ... relax by the lake with a cold Singha beer or on the proch of your teak cottage hidden in the trees. 57 mi / 92 kms

Day 5 - After breakfast this morning, we will pedal up to a beautiful giant Buddha, perched beneath the golden cliffs, then enjoy a thrilling descent onto the agricultural realm around Fang. We will also visit Tham Tub Tao, an ancient temple complex with 100s of Buddha images inside a giant cavern. Each year a gathering of 2500 monks takes place at this temple and has been happening for hundreds of years. In the afternoon we arrive at Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, Thailand's answer to Yellowstone with geysers and hot springs. Our bungalows overlook the geyser field and we can enjoy soaks in pools fed by natural hot springs. 39 mi / 63 kms

Day 6 - The last day of this Thailand bike tour pedals across the flat plains of the far north. Our first stop is in Mae Ai, where we will spend some time exploring Wat Mae Ai Luang, with its historic wooden temple featuring Burnmese architecture. Then we roll further north to Tha Ton, our overnight stopping point. After lunch beside the river, we will set out on a beautiful ride along the Mae Kok through farmlands and forests, culminating in a climb to Baan Yapa, a Padaung Village. The Padaung are also known as Long Neck Women and you have the opportunity to watch them create their traditional woven scarves. Our last night's celebratory dinner will be at a great restaurant overlooking the Mae Kok River. 40 mi / 64 kms

Day 7 - Our cycling holiday must come to an end today. We will shuttle back to the Chiang Mai Airport in our vans, one last chance to enjoy the scenery through which you pedaled for the last few days. Khap khun khap, sawasdee khap

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