Northern Thailand · Chiang Mai & Mae Hong Son · 6 Nights

THE MIST VALLEYS

A road journey into the north-west hills, self-drive or with a driver-guide.

A night under the mountain at Chiang Dao, a cave by bamboo raft, two nights in a tea village on the Myanmar border, a night in Pai, and the 762 bends down to Chiang Mai. The route and the stays are designed. You choose who drives.

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The journey, at a glance

Four bases. Two ways to travel.
Mountain → Tea village → Pai → Chiang Mai.

6 NightsChiang Dao, Ban Rak Thai, Pai, Chiang Mai

Self-Drive or With a Driver-GuideThe same route and the same stays, either way

November to FebruaryThe cool, clear season in the north

01Chiang Dao1 nightUnder the limestone mountain, 1.5 hours from the airport

02Ban Rak Thai2 nightsA tea village on a lake, at the Myanmar border

03Pai1 nightA small town in a valley of rice fields

04Chiang Mai2 nightsNimman, the old city and the Sunday market

The first night is under the mountain, not in the city. Then the long road west to Ban Rak Thai, with a cave at midday, and two nights there. Back to Pai for a night, down the 762 bends, and two nights in Chiang Mai to finish.

The Route · Day by Day →

The thinking behind the design

The far north-west,
not from a minivan.

Not a day trip to Pai.
Not the full Mae Hong Son loop either.

A day trip to Pai is mostly road. The full Mae Hong Son loop takes a week of it. This journey goes as far as the tea village on the border, stays there two nights, and keeps every other day short. The route is planned: the long road while everyone is fresh, the cave at midday, the dawn viewpoint on the way out of Pai, the last full day on a Sunday. The freedom is yours, including whether you drive, or a driver-guide does.

The route · day by day

Where you go, and what happens there.

Every day is open below: where you go, what happens, and where you sleep that night.

6 Nights · four places · about 650 km of road

01Chiang Dao1 night · the first
02Ban Rak Thai2 nights · the tea village
03Pai1 night
04Chiang Mai2 nights · the last

Stop 1 · Fly to Chiang Mai, then north to the mountainChiang Dao1 night · the first

Design decisionNo city on the first day. You leave the airport and sleep under the mountain; Chiang Mai comes at the end, when the driving is done.

Doi Luang Chiang Dao above the rice fields

Day 01

Kuala Lumpur → Chiang Mai → Chiang Dao

Under the mountain

A morning flight, then north on Route 107. Chiang Dao is a limestone mountain rising straight out of the paddies.

Morning flight from Kuala Lumpur to Chiang Mai; collect the car, or meet your driver-guide, at the airport
North on Route 107, lunch on the way
Chiang Dao Cave, a lantern walk into the mountain
A café in the paddies, the mountain at sunset
Dinner near the mountain, from our list

Driving todayApprox. 1.5 hours

TonightTHE CAMPIANChiang Dao · Or similar

Stop 2 · The long road west, with a cave at middayBan Rak Thai2 nights · the tea village

Design decisionThe longest drive comes on day two, while everyone is fresh, with the cave in the middle of it. Then two nights in one place.

Day 02

Chiang Dao → Tham Lod → Ban Rak Thai

The long road, and the cave

The long day: west on Route 1095. The break is Tham Lod at midday, with the giant catfish and the two-thousand-year-old teak coffins. Over the last ridge at Doi Kiew Lom and down to Ban Rak Thai, a Yunnanese village around a lake, as the red lanterns come on.

Coffee at a farm facing the mountain
Tham Lod, lantern guide and bamboo raft through the cave, lunch beside it
Doi Kiew Lom viewpoint
Ban Rak Thai, check in for two nights
Yunnanese kitchens by the lake, from our list

Driving todayApprox. 6 hours in all

TonightLee Wine Ruk Thai ResortBan Rak Thai · Or similar

Day 03

Ban Rak Thai · Pang Oung

A day the car hardly moves

Early, before the mist lifts, a wooden boat out onto the lake. The afternoon is tea by the water, and nothing else.

Early, a boat on the lake in the mist
The tea terraces, and a tasting of the village oolong
Pang Oung, a lake in the pines, lunch under the trees
Tea by the lake; the rest of the day is yours
The village lanes and the Yunnanese kitchens

Driving todayApprox. 20 minutes to Pang Oung

TonightLee Wine Ruk Thai ResortBan Rak Thai · Or similar

Stop 3 · Back east over the ridges, by way of two bamboo bridgesPai1 night

Design decisionTwo bamboo bridges in one day, and a sunset from a temple terrace rather than the canyon edge.

Su Tong Pae, the bamboo bridge over the paddies

Day 04

Ban Rak Thai → Su Tong Pae → Pai

Two bridges, and the white Buddha at sunset

South to Su Tong Pae, then east to Pai for lunch. Sunset from the fenced terrace of the white Buddha, above the whole valley.

Su Tong Pae, a bamboo bridge across the paddies to a temple on the hill
East on Route 1095 to Pai, lunch in town
Kho Ku So, nearly a kilometre of bamboo through the rice fields
Wat Phra That Mae Yen, sunset from the terrace of the white Buddha
Pai Walking Street, on foot

Driving todayApprox. 1 hour + approx. 2 hours

TonightThe Riverfront ReservePai · Or similar

Stop 4 · Dawn above the cloud, then the 762 bends down to the cityChiang Mai2 nights · the last

Design decisionThe city comes last. After five days in the hills, two nights where you can leave the car and walk.

Day 05

Pai → Chiang Mai

The cloud at dawn, and the bends

Up in the dark to Yun Lai, where the cloud fills the valley at first light. Then the 762 bends of Route 1095 down to Chiang Mai, and the car is parked for good.

Yun Lai viewpoint, dawn above the cloud, with tea while you wait
Santichon, the Yunnanese village, before the day-trippers
Brunch in the fields outside Pai, then the 762 bends
Late lunch, khao soi in Nimman
Nimman and One Nimman, on foot

Driving todayApprox. 3 hours

TonightCHINO @NIMMANChiang Mai · Or similar

Day 06

Chiang Mai

The old city, and the Sunday market

A slow day in the old city.

Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh
Coffee in a garden in the old city
Lanna herbal compress massage, 2 hours
Sunday Walking Street, the largest market in the north

TonightCHINO @NIMMANChiang Mai · Or similar

Day 07

Chiang Mai → Kuala Lumpur

Home

A last morning at One Nimman for coffee and the things you want to bring home.

Return the car, or say goodbye to your driver-guide, at the airport
Midday flight to Kuala Lumpur

Driving todayApprox. 15 minutes to the airport

What you will experience

Four chapters.
One road into the hills.

In the order you meet them: the mountain, the cave and the tea village, Pai, and Chiang Mai.

The Mountain

Chiang Dao

A limestone wall rising out of the rice fields, the cave at its foot, and a café in the paddies for the first evening.

The Cave and the Tea Village

Tham Lod · Ban Rak Thai · Pang Oung

A river crossed by bamboo raft inside a mountain, then two nights in a Yunnanese village on a lake at the border.

Pai

Su Tong Pae · Kho Ku So · Wat Phra That Mae Yen

Two bamboo bridges across the rice fields, sunset from the white Buddha's terrace, and the sea of cloud at dawn.

Chiang Mai

The 762 bends · Nimman · the old city

The famous road down from Pai, then two nights on foot: Nimman, the old city temples, a Lanna massage and the Sunday Walking Street.

Where you stay

Four places.
Two of them for two nights.

We choose a place for where it puts you: under the mountain, on the lake, by the river, or within walking distance of the city.

01 · Chiang Dao

Under the mountain

THE CAMPIAN, or similar

1 night

Why here: cabins in a garden facing Doi Luang, so the first night is in the hills, with the mountain outside the window.

02 · Ban Rak Thai

Two nights in the tea village

Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort, or similar

2 nights

Why two nights: chalets among the tea terraces above the lake. The slow day in the middle of the journey happens here, and the luggage stays in the room.

03 · Pai

By the river

The Riverfront Reserve, or similar

1 night

Why here: on the Pai River, with the walking street a short walk away.

04 · Chiang Mai

Two nights in Nimman

CHINO @NIMMAN, or similar

2 nights

Why here: the car can be parked for good. Cafés, One Nimman and the old city are a walk or a short ride away.

Six nights · four places

Tham Lod, Pang Oung, the bamboo bridges, Yun Lai and the temples are visited on the way, not overnight stays.

Two ways to travel

The same route, the same stays.
You choose who drives.

Nothing else changes between the two: the days, the order and the places you sleep are the same.

Self-drive

For couples and friends who enjoy the road

You drive a compact SUV, and set your own pace within the day.
Route 1095 is a true mountain road: 762 bends, long climbs and long descents. The driver should be comfortable on mountain roads.
Thailand drives on the left, the same as Malaysia. Licence requirements are confirmed before booking.

With a driver-guide

For families travelling with parents, and anyone who would rather watch the hills

A private car and driver-guide from the airport on the first day to the airport on the last.
Nobody has to drive the bends or find parking in the city.
Your driver-guide takes you through the day; the plan for each day is still ours.

The journey designer

Real places.
Led in person.
One designer, start to finish.

I have led groups in Chiang Mai and designed private journeys into the hills to the north and west. This route comes from that work: how long the drives really are, which mornings are worth getting up for, and where a second night changes the trip.

Every stay and every stop here is one I have chosen and put in order myself. If a road or a morning does not go to plan, I am the one who reworks it with you.

Zelts YangFounder & Journey Designer, ZeL CuraTours

Who looks after you?

Before the journey

ZeL coordinates your journey from Kuala Lumpur and is your main point of contact.

On the road

Self-drive: the car is arranged for you, collected and returned at Chiang Mai Airport, with the road plan for each day prepared in advance. With a driver-guide: your driver-guide meets you at the airport and stays with you for the whole journey.

Local experiences

The cave, the boat, the massage and the other experiences are run by local operators.

During the journey

You have a direct WhatsApp contact with ZeL for coordination and support.

There is no tour leader on this journey. You travel as your own party.

Journeys That Matter.

Season & weather — November to February

The cool season
is the reason to go.

The north is at its best from November to February: cool mornings, clear air, and mist in the valleys at dawn. The cloud at Yun Lai and the mist on the lake at Ban Rak Thai belong to these months.

Nights at Chiang Dao, Ban Rak Thai and Pai can be cold. Bring a warm layer.

Chiang Dao1 night · Mountain

Ban Rak Thai2 nights · Tea village

Pai1 night · Valley

Chiang Mai2 nights · City

Six nights · four places

When to go

November

The rains are over and the hills are green. In Chiang Mai, the month of the Yi Peng lantern festival (see below).

December – January

The coolest and clearest weeks, with the best mist. Also the busiest, so the stays are booked early.

February

Still dry and pleasant, with warmer afternoons.

The published price applies to departures from November to February. From March the hills are often hazy from seasonal burning; other months are quoted individually.

Why the journey starts on a Tuesday

Day 06 is a Sunday

The last full day in Chiang Mai falls on a Sunday, so the evening is the Sunday Walking Street.

If your dates cannot start on a Tuesday, the journey still works; the last evening becomes a different market.

Why it is arranged this way

Not seven days filled up.
The right hour at each place.

Four design decisions hold this journey together. Each one gives something up.

The rhythm of the seven days

Arrive

Day 01MountainNew bed tonight

01 · The long road

Day 02Cave · tea villageNew bed tonight

02 · Ban Rak Thai

Day 03Pang OungSame bed

03 · Pai

Day 04BridgesNew bed tonight

04 · Chiang Mai

Day 05762 bendsNew bed tonight

Day 06Old citySame bed

Home

Day 07HomeFlight

01Design move · Day 01 · Chiang Dao

The city can wait.

Sleep under the mountain first

The first night is at the foot of Doi Luang, an hour and a half from the airport on an easy road. The journey begins in the hills; the city is the reward at the end.

What we give up: A first night in the city
What you get: A first evening in the rice fields, with the mountain going gold

02Design move · Day 02 · the long road west

One long day, broken by a cave.

Do the hard driving once, early

The road to the tea village is the longest of the journey, about six hours, and it comes on day two while everyone is fresh. Tham Lod splits it in the middle. After that, no day has more than about three hours of driving.

What we give up: An easy second day
What you get: A whole slow day on day three, and short stages for the rest of the week

03Design move · Days 02–03 · Ban Rak Thai

Stay long enough to see the mist.

Keep one room at the border

The best of the tea village happens early: the mist on the lake, the terraces before the sun is high. Two nights mean you are there for a morning, not just an afternoon, and nobody packs in between.

What we give up: A night in Mae Hong Son town
What you get: The lake at dawn, and a day with the car hardly moving

04Design move · Days 04–05 · Pai

Arrive when it is quiet.

Time the day, not just the place

Sunset from the fenced terrace of the white Buddha, not the crowded, unfenced canyon edge. Dawn at Yun Lai before the day-trippers. And the last full day on a Sunday, for the Sunday Walking Street.

What we give up: The canyon at sunset, and any day of the week as a start
What you get: The best hour at each place, on safe ground

Yi Peng · November only

One more night,
under the lanterns.

A seasonal add-on: one night added in Chiang Mai
Once a year, on the full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month, Chiang Mai sends its lanterns into the sky. On a November departure, one night can be added in Chiang Mai for a ticketed lantern release: a seat at the release ground, transport there and back, and the extra night at your hotel.

1 night

Added in Chiang Mai, at the end of the journey

Seated release

A ticketed release ground, with transport there and back

Date set by the moon

It changes every year; your departure date follows it

Tickets are limited and the date moves each year, so ask early. The add-on is quoted with that year’s ticket price.

Journey investment

Two ways to travel.
Two prices, clearly stated.

Price per person · two ways to travel

RM 5,980

Per person · self-drive · 2 travellers

How would you like to travel, and how many of you?

A car and driver-guide cost the same for two or for four, so the price per person is lower for a larger party.

Pricing
Party	Self-drive	With a driver-guide
2 travellers	RM 5,980	RM 7,980
4 travellers	RM 4,980	RM 6,980
Single room supplement	RM 2,800	RM 2,800
Other party sizes	Individual quotation	Individual quotation

Three of you, or more than four?

The price is set for two and for four. Any other party size is quoted individually. Tell us how many of you there are and when you would like to go.

Request a Quote →

Prices per person, sharing a twin or double room, departing November to February. Single room supplement RM 2,800 per person. Not included: international flights, lunch and dinner, and the other items listed below.

Included

✓6 nights in the four stays named above, or similar, with breakfast
✓Self-drive: a compact SUV with zero-excess insurance, collected and returned at Chiang Mai Airport
✓With a driver-guide: a private car and driver-guide for the whole journey
✓Road journey planning, with the road plan for each day
✓Chiang Dao Cave, and Tham Lod with the lantern guide and bamboo raft
✓The boat on the lake at Ban Rak Thai, and a tea tasting in the village
✓Entry to Pang Oung, Su Tong Pae, Kho Ku So and Yun Lai
✓Lanna herbal compress massage · 2 hours

Not included

✕International flights · Kuala Lumpur ↔ Chiang Mai
✕Lunch and dinner
✕Self-drive: fuel and parking
✕Entrance fees at temples and sights not named above
✕The Yi Peng add-on, quoted separately

Meals

Every dayBreakfast at the hotel
Lunch and dinnerYour choice on the day · own expense
Our listRestaurants and cafés we recommend along the route, sent with your road plan

Only breakfast is included, on purpose. We send you our own list of restaurants and cafés for every stop, and you decide each day where and when to eat. Some of the best food in the north is at a roadside kitchen or a market.

International flights

Not included. Choose your own airline, fare or cabin class.

Meals

Breakfast at every stay. For lunch and dinner we recommend restaurants and cafés, and you choose on the day.

Party size and rooms

Priced for two and for four, sharing a room. A room of your own is RM 2,800 per person. Any other party size is quoted individually.

Driving costs

On a self-drive, fuel and parking are paid locally. The rental carries zero-excess insurance.

Yi Peng

November departures can add the lantern night, quoted with that year’s ticket price.

Room types and operating schedules are subject to final supplier confirmation.

Tell us your travel month, who is coming, and whether you would like to drive. We will come back with the full plan.

Enquire About This Journey →

Questions

Questions People Actually Ask

01. Do we need to drive?No. You choose: self-drive, or a private car and driver-guide. The route and the stays are the same either way.

Thailand drives on the left, the same as Malaysia. For a self-drive, licence requirements are confirmed before booking.

02. How long are the drives?The longest is Day 02, about six hours with the cave in the middle. The other driving days are two to three hours.

Route 1095 has 762 bends between Pai and the valley, and the climb to Ban Rak Thai is steep. With a driver-guide, nobody in your party has to drive them.

03. Is it suitable for travelling with parents?Yes, with a driver-guide. Two nights at Ban Rak Thai, two in Chiang Mai, easy walking, and the Pai sunset from a temple terrace with a railing, not the canyon.

Anyone who gets car sick should bring their usual remedy. The cave has wet steps, so closed shoes with a grip are needed.

04. Why does the journey start on a Tuesday?So that Day 06 falls on a Sunday, and the last evening in Chiang Mai is the Sunday Walking Street.

If your dates cannot start on a Tuesday, the journey still works; the last evening becomes a different market.

05. Can we add the Yi Peng lantern festival?Yes, on a November departure. One night is added in Chiang Mai, with a seat at a ticketed lantern release.

The date changes every year and tickets are limited. The add-on is quoted with that year’s ticket price.

06. Are international flights included?No. You choose your own airline, fare type or cabin class. Ticketing assistance is available once your dates are known.

07. How do I confirm the journey?A deposit is required to confirm the journey.

The exact deposit amount and payment schedule will be stated in the formal quotation.

08. What is the cancellation policy?Cancellation and refund conditions depend on the confirmed services, suppliers and booking terms.

They will be stated clearly in the quotation before any payment is made.

This is a reference itinerary. The final arrangements may be adjusted to suit your actual departure date, flight schedule and local operating conditions.

Share your next journey with us. We would love to design a journey around you.

Begin

Go as far as the tea village,
and stay.

Seven days. Six nights.
Self-drive or with a driver-guide.

The mountain at sunset, a river inside a cave, mist on a lake at the border, the cloud at dawn above Pai and a Sunday night in the old city. Tell us your month and who is coming.

Start a Conversation → WhatsApp Download Full Itinerary (PDF)

hello@zelcuratours.com

Every enquiry is answered by the person who designs the journey.

ZeL CuraToursJourneys That Matter.

The journey, at a glance

The thinking behind the design

Not a day trip to Pai.Not the full Mae Hong Son loop either.

The route · day by day

Kuala Lumpur → Chiang Mai → Chiang Dao

Chiang Dao → Tham Lod → Ban Rak Thai

Ban Rak Thai · Pang Oung

Ban Rak Thai → Su Tong Pae → Pai

Pai → Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai → Kuala Lumpur

What you will experience

The Mountain

The Cave and the Tea Village

Pai

Chiang Mai

Where you stay

Under the mountain

Two nights in the tea village

By the river

Two nights in Nimman

Two ways to travel

Self-drive

With a driver-guide

The journey designer

Who looks after you?

Season & weather — November to February

When to go

Why the journey starts on a Tuesday

Why it is arranged this way

The rhythm of the seven days

Sleep under the mountain first

Do the hard driving once, early

Keep one room at the border

Time the day, not just the place

Yi Peng · November only

Journey investment

Three of you, or more than four?

Included

Not included

Meals

Questions

Begin

Go as far as the tea village,and stay.

Not a day trip to Pai.
Not the full Mae Hong Son loop either.

Go as far as the tea village,
and stay.