5 Day Motorcycle Tour (Fantastic Lanna Kingdom) from Chiang Mai, Thailand

This is Thailand on two wheels. The five-day Fantastic Lanna Kingdom route links Doi Inthanon, the Mae Hong Son Loop, Pai, Doi Mae Salong, the Golden Triangle, and Chiang Rai in one well-organized ride. I like the small maximum group of 10 riders, and I like that the price includes motorcycles, hotels, meals, riding gear, a support van, and a road captain.

The main consideration is the riding itself. You cover about seven hours each day, often on narrow, winding mountain roads. That is the point of the trip, but it calls for real confidence, concentration, and enough stamina to enjoy the final bends of the day.

The tour runs only twice a month, so dates can fill quickly. Past riders have praised the well-maintained bikes, the guides, the food, and the way the company handles airport pickup, luggage, lodging, and mechanical support. Names that come up in the tour team include Pong, Chao, Kai, Noah, and Siam, with Siam serving as a mechanic on some departures.

Key points to know before booking

• 1,864 bends through the Mae Hong Son Loop: Expect proper mountain riding, not a gentle sightseeing transfer.
• Doi Inthanon reaches 2,565 meters: Waterfalls, pine forests, royal pagodas, and botanical gardens add variety to the first day.
• A maximum of 10 riders: The small group keeps the ride more manageable and gives the road captain a better view of everyone.
• The support setup is strong: A van carries luggage, drinks, refreshments, and can take a few riders if arranged in advance.
• The price covers much of the trip: Four hotel nights, motorcycle rental, meals, gear, insurance, and unlimited mileage are included.
• The route crosses several cultures and borders: You visit hill communities, Chinese tea farms, the Golden Triangle, and a Lao village by long-tail boat.

What the five-day route really offers

This is not simply a motorcycle rental with a few sightseeing stops. The route gives you a ready-made journey through northern Thailand, with someone else handling the complicated parts.

You start and finish at Big Bike Tours on Ragang Road in Chiang Mai. Pickup from Chiang Mai Airport is included, and the scheduled start is 8:30 a.m. Once the trip begins, the road captain leads on a motorcycle while the support van carries luggage and supplies.

The practical benefit is clear. You can focus on riding and scenery instead of checking maps, hunting for hotels, or wondering where the next meal will come from. The trade-off is that you follow a set schedule. Route changes may occur because of road works, weather, or new route research, and no refund is offered for a changed route.

Day 1: Doi Inthanon and the road to Mae Sariang

The opening day gives you time to get used to the motorcycle before the more demanding sections arrive. You ride south from Chiang Mai toward Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand’s highest point at 2,565 meters.

The mountain road offers pine forests and steady bends. Stops include a major waterfall, nature trails, royal pagodas, and botanical gardens. These visits break up the riding and give you a good first look at the cooler, higher parts of northern Thailand.

After descending toward Mae Chaem, you stop for lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon continues through pine forest before reaching Mae Sariang near the Myanmar border.

This is a long day of about seven hours. The schedule includes several attractions, but you should not expect an unhurried visit at every stop. The day is designed to get you into the rhythm of riding, stopping, eating, and moving on.

Mae Sariang provides a quieter overnight setting than Chiang Mai. The accommodation is described as peaceful, and the included dinner means you do not need to search for food after a full day on the road.

Day 2: Mae Hong Son, Lod Cave, and Pai

Day two is where the Mae Hong Son Loop becomes the main event. You leave Mae Sariang for Mae Hong Son on narrow, twisty roads. The famous route is known for 1,864 bends, and this section gives you a serious sample of why riders come north.

In Khun Yuam, you stop at a World War II museum. At Mae Hong Son, Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu sits on a hilltop and offers broad views over the town and surrounding mountains.

After lunch, you visit Lod Cave. Its name refers to the stream running through it, and the visit includes a bamboo raft. This adds a slower, more atmospheric stop to a day otherwise shaped by corners and climbs.

The final ride brings you to Pai. You have the option of visiting Tha Pai hot spring for a mineral bath, then settle into accommodation with a swimming pool.

Pai is one of the more popular stops on the route, so this is a good place to enjoy the hotel facilities rather than race around looking for more sights. If you are tired, skip the hot spring and save your energy for the next day. Seven hours of mountain riding can feel longer than seven hours on a highway.

Day 3: Pai, Chiang Dao, Doi Angkhang, and Tha Ton

Day three begins with an unusual cultural option. Before breakfast, you may offer food to monks along the streets near Pai’s local market. This is an early start, and you should treat it as a quiet religious moment rather than a photo opportunity.

After breakfast, the group visits the Pai World War II Memorial Bridge before returning to the mountain roads. You then ride toward Chiang Dao for lunch.

Chiang Dao Cave provides the main sightseeing stop after the meal. The route then climbs through Doi Angkhang before continuing toward Tha Ton. The roads remain the focus, with mountain scenery and repeated curves rather than long stretches of flat riding.

At Wat Tha Ton, high on the mountain, you can watch the sunset. It is a well-placed end to a demanding day, especially because the overnight accommodation offers a panoramic view.

This day may appeal most to experienced riders who enjoy technical roads. Beginners are not automatically excluded, and one past rider described completing the tour as a first long-distance motorcycle trip. Still, you should not confuse a supportive guide with an easy route. You need to control the bike confidently on bends and be comfortable riding for several hours.

Day 4: Tea country, Doi Tung, and the Golden Triangle

Day four shifts from the Mae Hong Son region into Thailand’s far north. The first stop is a long-neck Karen village near the Thailand and Myanmar border. This is one of the places where you should approach respectfully and remember that cultural visits involve real communities, not just attractions arranged for a quick photograph.

From there, the route climbs to Doi Mae Salong, an area associated with Chinese mountain tea farmers. You stop to taste local tea, which gives the day a calmer pace after the previous mountain sections.

Next comes Doi Tung Royal Villa and its botanical garden. Lunch is served at a Royal Project restaurant. The combination of mountain roads, gardens, tea, and royal development projects gives this day more variety than a pure riding route.

At Mae Sai, you reach Thailand’s northernmost point and visit Wat Tham Pla. The site is known for wild monkeys that you can feed. Keep food handling sensible around animals, and listen to the guide’s instructions.

The final destination is the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. A long-tail boat trip on the Mekong takes you to a small village in Laos, and no visa is required for this short visit according to the tour information. You also visit an opium museum before reaching the night’s accommodation.

This is another seven-hour day, with several border-related and cultural stops. The route is rewarding, but it is busy. You are not spending a full day at any one site.

Day 5: Chiang Rai, the White Temple, and the ride back

The last morning begins on scenic roads through farming country toward Chiang Rai. The main stop is Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple.

Its unusual white design and decorative details make it one of northern Thailand’s most memorable temple visits. It is also one of the route’s more popular sights, so your time there is likely to feel structured around the wider riding schedule.

After Chiang Rai, the route includes a longer highway section to Phayao. At Kwan Phayao, one of the largest lakes in northern Thailand, you stop for lunch at a restaurant facing the water.

The final stretch returns to mountain roads, with stops at Than Tong waterfall, Mae Kachan hot spring, and a local market for refreshments. Then you ride back to Chiang Mai and the original meeting point.

The last day combines highway riding with bends, so it is not a soft landing. You should be prepared to finish the trip with several hours in the saddle.

Bikes, equipment, and support on the road

The motorcycle rental includes unlimited mileage. Past riders have described the bikes as relatively new and well maintained, which matters greatly on a five-day mountain route.

The company provides helmets, jackets, gloves, and knee guards. Protective clothing is strongly encouraged, and helmets are compulsory in Thailand. If you need unusual clothing sizes, bring your own gear because the supplied range may not fit every rider comfortably.

A support van transports luggage throughout the trip. It also has space for a few riders if arranged beforehand. That gives you a useful safety valve if fatigue, illness, or a minor riding problem makes part of the route difficult.

The tour includes third-party liability insurance and motorcycle damage insurance with a deductible of up to 25,000 Thai baht. Accident cover is listed up to 100,000 baht, and life insurance up to 1,000,000 baht. You still need your own travel insurance, which the operator strongly recommends.

The road captain holds a Tourism Authority of Thailand license and leads the group on a motorcycle. Past departures have included guides such as Pong, Chao, and Kai, with Siam providing mechanical support on some trips. Their role is important here because the route demands more than simply pointing riders toward the next town.

Meals, hotels, and the value of $1,875

The listed price is $1,875 per person. That is not a budget motorcycle rental, but it includes far more than the bike.

You receive four nights in selected hotels and resorts with leisure facilities, five lunches, four dinners, and four breakfasts. Water, soft drinks, coffee, and tea are provided with meals. The support van also carries bottled water and cool refresher towels.

The price includes airport pickup, motorcycle rental, riding gear, luggage support, the road captain, insurance items, and unlimited mileage. When you add those pieces together, the cost becomes easier to justify, especially if you value convenience and do not want to arrange a multi-day route yourself.

Alcohol is not provided, and you cannot drink during the day while motorcycles are in use. Alcohol is permitted in the evening when the bikes are parked.

The value is strongest for riders who would otherwise pay separately for a rental bike, hotels, meals, airport transfers, route planning, and mechanical backup. It is less attractive if you already own a suitable motorcycle in Thailand or prefer to choose your own guesthouses and stop whenever you wish.

Who should book this ride?

I would choose this tour if you want a structured motorcycle holiday with strong scenery and a broad range of northern Thai experiences. It suits riders who enjoy long days, mountain roads, and a mix of temples, caves, waterfalls, tea farms, border towns, and local food.

A small group helps. Ten riders is the maximum, and a compact group is easier to manage on winding roads than a large convoy. The support van and guide team also make this more approachable for a capable rider who is new to touring in Thailand.

You must be at least 21 and show evidence of a motorcycle driving license with at least four years of riding experience. That requirement should be taken seriously. A beginner to Thailand may be fine, but a beginner to motorcycles is not the right fit.

Specific dietary requirements should be given at booking. A current passport is required on the day of travel. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time, but changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded.

Should you book the Fantastic Lanna Kingdom tour?

Book it if you want the hard work handled for you and the riding to remain the main pleasure. The route is unusually full, the mountain roads are the star, and the combination of Doi Inthanon, Pai, Doi Mae Salong, the Golden Triangle, and Chiang Rai gives you a strong introduction to northern Thailand.

Think twice if you want slow mornings, short riding days, or complete control over your route. This is a demanding five-day circuit, not a relaxed hotel-to-hotel holiday.

For a confident rider who values good bikes, careful support, included meals, and a small group, the $1,875 price can represent solid value. I would ask about the motorcycle model, clothing sizes, exact departure dates, and the planned daily mileage before paying. If those answers suit you, this is a well-rounded way to ride the north without spending your holiday solving every logistical problem yourself.

FAQ

How long is the motorcycle tour?

The tour lasts approximately five days, with around seven hours of riding and stops scheduled on each day.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts at Big Bike Tours, 134 Ragang Road, Chang Khlan, Chiang Mai, at 8:30 a.m. The tour ends back at the same meeting point.

Is airport pickup included?

Yes. Pickup from Chiang Mai Airport is included.

What motorcycle equipment is provided?

The tour provides helmets, jackets, gloves, and knee guards. Protective clothing is strongly recommended, and you may wish to bring your own gear if you need a special size.

What meals are included?

The package includes five lunches, four dinners, and four breakfasts. Water, soft drinks, coffee, and tea are provided with meals.

What license and experience do I need?

You must be at least 21 and provide evidence of a valid motorcycle driving license with at least four years of riding experience.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 10 riders. A support van carries luggage and can take a few riders if this is arranged in advance.