Mae Hong Son Tour
Travel from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son stopping in Pai where a variety of outdoor activities can be enjoyed. Around Mae Hong Son, visit hot springs, take a long-tail boat ride, explore Burmese-style temples and experience the unique culture of the Padaung hill tribe.
Touring style: Professional English speaking guide and driver, private basis.
Best time to visit: From November to March.
Prices are seasonal, include hotels, breakfast, private touring and transfers. Starts from:
GBP 425 per person sharing a twin room, Standard Class Hotels. International airfares are extra..
- Day 1: Chiang Mai - Pai
- Day 2: Pai - Mae Hong Son
- Day 3: Mae Hong Son - Departure
Day 1: Chiang Mai - Pai
Today you will depart with your driver and guide by car northwards to Pai along winding mountain roads. Along the way, you can stop to admire the pretty, 60-metre high Mok Fah Waterfall and Pong Duad Hotspring located in the Huay Nam Dang National Park. You will arrive in Pai in time for a local lunch. Pai is a colourful town of just over 2000 people set in a picture-perfect mountainous valley with a strong cultural influence of the Shan people from Myanmar. After lunch, various activities are available in and around Pai. Bike riding, soft treks, tubing on the Pai River, bamboo rafting, or simply enjoy a walk around the scenic Pai valley.
In the evening, enjoy a stroll through the colourful Pai night markets. Overnight in Pai.
Distances and journey time: 149 km, 3.30 hrs
Day 2: Pai - Mae Hong Son
Following breakfast, continue further north to Tham Lod cave in the small town of Soppong (1.5 hours). This must-see historic cave is explored by bamboo raft via a tiny river that winds through the cave. You will disembark the raft several times to explore the huge caverns that contain remains of ancient teak coffins that date back over 2,500 years and simple cave painting. Continue onwards to Mae Hong Son with a stop at Tam Pla Park. The park features a number of creeks running out of a cave and the waters are filled with carp fish. After the visit, resume your drive to Mae Hong Son.
Mae Hong Son is Thailand’s most remote town, nestled in a scenic mountainous setting with the Pai River as its thoroughfare. Mae Hong Son shares a border with Myanmar and as such its population is a cultural melting pot of Thai and Shan people with Lisu, Lahu, Karen and Hmong hill tribes populating the surrounding mountain regions. Overnight in Mae Hong Son.
Distances and journey time: 107 km, 2.30 hrs
Day 3: Mae Hong Son - Departure
Following breakfast, leave with your guide to visit the morning market. Embark on an exciting “long-tail” boat journey along a scenic route with marvellous cataracts on the Pai River, to Baan Nam Piang Din, a small Thai-Burmese border village. You may wish to make a stop at a long neck Karen (or Padong) village. The people of this hill tribe inhabit an area in Myanmar territory which shares its border with Thailand’s Baan Nam Piang Din.
Return to Mae Hong Son town for lunch. Continue to Wat Phra That Doi Kong Moo which dominates the provincial city. Constructed by Phaya Singhanatracha, the first King of Mae Hong Son, the hilltop temple affords wonderful views of the city and surrounding mountains and valleys. Make a visit to the Burmese-style temples, Wat Chong Klang and Wat Chong Kham.
In the late afternoon, transfer to Mae Hong Son airport for your flight back to Chiang Mai.
Distances and journey time: 9 km, 20 mins