General

This is a perfect tour for mountaineers who enjoy challenging treks. While, for the most part, this is a difficult uphill trek, you will be rewarded with spectacular sunset and sunrise at the peak and stunning views of surrounding mountain ranges covered in a sea of mist in the early morning.


Please note: This tour is only available from 1st November to 31st March. The rest of the year, the trails are closed.


Day 1

Your guide picks you up at 07.30 am from Chiang Mai. We then drive for 45 minutes to a local market to get supplies for the trek. Afterwards, we continue to drive for another hour to Chiang Dao cave. On the way, we make a short brunch stop and see how locals cook sweet sticky rice with coconut milk in bamboo.

We explore the caves for 45 minutes and afterwards continue to drive through the jungle and uphill to the other side of Chiang Dao mountain until we reach our trekking start point where we have lunch.

We start trekking at 1,100 metres above sea level. We hike uphill; the trail is steep to sloped with some flat areas. We trek for about four hours and a half (about 6 and a half kilometers) until just below the peak of Doi Luang Chiang Dao where we set up our tents and have some refreshments.
Before sunset, we do a short climb to the peak which takes 25 minutes. At 2,225 meters above sea level, we enjoy the views at sunset. We might be lucky and see the sea of fog below us. After sunset, we hike back to our camp area, have dinner and spend the night.

Day 2

Today, we wake up before sunrise and trek for 45 minutes to the peak of the another mountain to watch the sunrise from there. Enjoy the stunning views at a break of a new day. We have a cup of tea or coffee with the sunrise.
When we’re ready, we return to our campsite and have breakfast before we start trekking. We first trek back on the same trail for about an hour until we reach an intersection and take a different trail for one and a half to two hours to national park’s headquarters (8.5 km).

Here we have lunch and meet our driver who will take us to our next hiking start point about 10 km away. We hike for about one and a half hour to Lahu tribe village with mountainous landscape surrounded by tea gardens.

We have dinner and spend the night with the villagers at 1,200 meters above sea level.

Day 3

After breakfast, we hike for about one and a half hour on a dirt road surrounded by jungle and take a small trail to visit a waterfall on the way. We also have lunch at the waterfall and boil water in bamboo for our tea or coffee. After lunch, we continue hiking for another 45 minutes to our pick up point at the local village.

We drive back to Chiang Mai for about one and a half hour.

Available departures

This tour is only available from 1st November to 31st March when Doi Luang Chiang Dao is open for trekking.
Unfortunately, no places are available on this tour at the moment

Chiang Dao Mountain

Chiang Dao Mountain

Doi Luan Chiang Dao (Chiang Dao mountain) is the highest limestone and the third highest mountain in Thailand at 2,225 meters above sea level. “Doi” means mountain in northern Thai language, “Luang” means large and “Chiang Dao” is a slang expression, meaning  “close to the stars”. When looking at the peak of Doi Luang Chiang Dao from below, it looks like it’s nearly touching the stars.

Chiang Dao district is named after Chiang Dao mountain. Below the mountain is a cave sistem which was discovered 160 years ago. Locals used to believe this area to be sacred and have bult a number of temples and shrines in and around the caves. 

The peak of Chiang Dao mountain is cool all year round and freezing in the winter. Thai people like to travel to Doi Luang Chiang Dao for the scenery as well as the cool temperatures.

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Chiang Dao

Chiang Dao

Chiang Dao is located to the north of Chiang Mai and offers many opportunities for challenging treks. Trekking tours to Chiang Dao mountain (Doi Luang Chiang Dao) are among the most difficult and rewarding treks in northern Thailand. Views from the top are just breathtaking and camping in this serene natural resort is an experience that should not be missed.

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Activities

Caving

Mountaineering

Trekking

Camping

Lahu village home stay

Activities photo

Accommodation

First night: camping in a tent

Second night: Home stay in a Lahu tribe village

Accommodation on this tour is basic.

Accommodation photo

Pricing

Pricing depends on the size of your group. Please make an inquiry about the pricing by using the inquiry button on the right.

Prices include:

  • Tent, mattress, sleeping bag
  • Seven meals
  • Fruit
  • Transportation
  • Accommodation during trek
  • Tickets and fees fro national park, cave, camping
  • Accident insurance
  • Private guide
  • Drinking water, tea, coffee

Notes

Free pick up and drop off in 6 square kilometers of old Chiang Mai city centre, if you stay outside of the city, you might have to pay extra for transportation and your pick up time might change as well.

Before trek, we need to make reservations for the national park, prepare supplies, book porters and transportation so we will require a deposit at the time of booking.

If you want to have more hiking, we can add extra hikes on this tour.

You can buy drinks at Lahu tribe village. We suggest that you buy from villagers to help them with income.