The Mae Hong Son loop
The Su Tong Pae bamboo bridge
Prices are per vehicle, per day.
Up to 7 people Hyundai H-1
From 4,500 THB
8 to 13 people Toyota Hiace Commuter
From 5,000 THB
- Driver
- Fuel
- Parking
- Drinking water
- Driver's lodging
Entry fees come to about 500 to 650 THB each: Mok Fa Waterfall 100 THB for a foreign adult, Pang Ung about 30 THB, Khun Yuam’s war museum about 100 THB and Ob Luang 100 to 200 THB. At Tham Lod you pay the lantern guide 150 THB and the bamboo raft 400 THB, each shared by up to 3 people. Su Tong Pae, Ban Rak Thai, Doi Kong Mu, the sunflower hills and the temples are free. Doi Inthanon, if you add it, is 400 THB more each. You pay for your own meals and your three hotels.
The final price is agreed with me before your trip.
Ask about this tripThe Mae Hong Son loop over four days, with a van and a driver just for your group: north through Pai to Mae Hong Son on a road famous for its bends, and home by Mae Sariang. You float through Tham Lod cave on a bamboo raft, drink tea by the lake at Ban Rak Thai, cross the bamboo bridge at Su Tong Pae and, from mid-November to early December, see the hills at Doi Mae U-Kho turn yellow with wild sunflowers.
4 days from your hotel in Chiang Mai and back, from 4,500 THB per vehicle, per day.
The day, step by step
Day 1
- About 08:00: pickup at your hotel in Chiang Mai
- About 09:00: Mok Fa Waterfall, a short walk through the forest
- About 11:45: Pai Canyon, then the Memorial Bridge over the Pai River
- About 12:45: lunch in Pai
- About 14:00: your hotel in Pai. The afternoon is yours, and the Walking Street runs every evening
Day 2
- About 08:00: pickup at your hotel in Pai
- About 08:50: the Kiew Lom viewpoint, the highest point on the road
- About 09:30: Tham Lod cave, by lantern and bamboo raft with a local guide
- About 11:45: lunch at Ban Jabo, a Lahu village with noodle shops on the cliff edge
- About 14:00: Pang Ung, a lake ringed by pine forest
- About 15:00: Ban Rak Thai, a Chinese tea village by a lake, for a pot of tea
- About 17:15: your hotel in Mae Hong Son. The evening is yours, and the temples by Jong Kham lake are lit up at night
Day 3
- About 08:00: pickup at your hotel in Mae Hong Son
- About 08:20: Su Tong Pae, a bamboo bridge 500 metres long across the rice fields
- About 09:15: Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu, the hilltop temple above the town
- About 11:15: Khun Yuam, for lunch and a small museum of the Second World War
- From mid-November to early December, about 13:15: the hills of Doi Mae U-Kho, yellow with wild sunflowers. The rest of the year, about 12:30: Wat To Phae and its old Burmese tapestry
- About 17:00: your hotel in Mae Sariang, a small town on the Yuam River, or about 15:30 outside the sunflower season
Day 4
- About 08:30: pickup at your hotel in Mae Sariang
- About 08:45: Wat Jong Sung, a Shan temple with three large chedis
- About 11:00: Ob Luang, a narrow gorge on the Mae Chaem River with a suspension bridge
- About 12:00: lunch in Hot
- About 14:30: back at your hotel in Chiang Mai, or about 18:00 if we stop at Doi Inthanon
Overnight stays
You book and pay for your own hotels, one night each in Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang, any hotels you like: just send me their names. I arrange your driver’s room and the driver’s meals, 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
- 4 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 three nights
- Warm layers, as the mornings in the hills are cold from November to February
- Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, for the temples
- Shoes that slip off easily, as shoes come off inside the temples
- Walking shoes with a good grip, for the cave, the canyon and the bamboo bridge
- Something for car sickness, as the roads have hundreds of bends
- Cash: about 500 to 650 THB each for entry, plus your meals. Away from the towns there are few cash machines
Questions
Is 4,500 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 four days cost four times that. It includes driver, fuel, parking, drinking water, and driver's lodging.
Do we book our own hotels?
Yes, one night each in Pai, Mae Hong Son and Mae Sariang; send me their names. You don’t book or pay anything for the driver.
Which way round do we go?
Through Pai first, the way most guides go: the winding road to Pai comes on the first morning, while you’re fresh, and the last day is on the easier road from Mae Sariang, with time for Doi Inthanon if you’d like it.
Will we get car sick?
The roads to Mae Hong Son have hundreds of bends. If you get car sick, take something before we set off each morning and sit at the front. Your driver takes the bends slowly and stops whenever you ask.
Can we see Doi Inthanon on the way back?
Yes, on the last day: tell me when you ask. It adds about 3 hours, so you’re back in Chiang Mai at about 18:00. The park is 300 THB for a foreign adult and the Twin Royal Pagodas up to 100 THB.
When should we go?
November to February is cool, dry and clear, and the sunflowers bloom from mid-November to early December. In March and April smoke from burning fields often hides the views, and from June to October the rain can close roads.
Do you stop at a Long Neck village?
No. Many Mae Hong Son tours do, but I leave them out.
Who will drive us?
Your driver may be one of my network drivers, and stays with you for all four days. Every driver knows the mountain roads 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.
