Thailand Biking Tour

Thailand Biking

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Trip Highlights
  • Bike gorgeous backcountry lanes through remote villages, where schoolchildren rush out to greet you
  • Jungle trek aboard an elephant - hold on!
  • Intriguing interactions with Buddhist monks at ornate temples
  • Float down the Maekok River in traditional long-tail boats
  • A fascinating convergence of Thai, Laotian, Burmese and Chinese cultures
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Exploring the Golden Triangle near Laos & Myanmar

Language barrier, embrace it. Bookstore travel guide, dump it. Fear of street food, chuck it. Liberate yourself from all that. Wake up expecting anything. Mai pen rai (keep smiling). Because "hey, you’re in Thailand." Bike an uncharted oxcart path among lush rice paddies and garlic fields. Be startled by an ornate Buddhist temple quietly sitting in the middle of a jungle-filled valley. Relish a truly homemade curry and stare at the jagged limestone hills that have not changed for thousands of years. Say to yourself, "Is it Tuesday?" Even that doesn’t matter because you're in Thailand. So mai pen rai.

Days 1-2 Receive a blessing from the village elders and visit with the resident monk  Meet Ghing and Diak, our Thai guides who know the back roads of northern Thailand better than anyone Ride into the countryside on hard-packed paths, cutting through thriving rice and garlic fields, and stands of papaya and teak  Light a traditional fire balloon and make a wish.

Days 3-4 Bike gorgeous backcountry lanes through remote villages, where schoolchildren rush out to greet you  Fall for the handmade jewelry at an Akha hilltribe village A scenic descent leads to the trading center of Fang and temple-rich Thaton Savor Thai cuisine at an atmospheric café - and find inspiration for your upcoming cooking class.

Day 5 A jungle trek aboard an elephant - hold on!  Beneath the White Buddha, offer alms to monks at sunrise Float in long-tail boats down the Maekok River Pedal on narrow lanes past small villages into vibrant Chiang Rai.

Days 6-8 A fascinating convergence of Thai, Laotian, Burmese and Chinese cultures  Bike alongside the Mekong River on the Laos and Myanmar border, passing tobacco fields and rice paddies on the way to the ancient Burmese kingdom of Chiang Saen It’s up to you: relax poolside, indulge in a massage or spin to the spectacular Chom Kitti temple - en route you can browse Sop Ruak’s market for delectable Thai iced tea and unique handicrafts.

Guests Reviews About This Trip

This was my third Backroads trip, each of which has been fabulous. The Thailand trip was the best trip yet!!! The leaders were fabulous and incredibly accommodating.
Paula Rosen - New York, NY
The immersion into the local Thai culture along with the Backroads' leadership made this trip a truly amazing experience. The daily itinerary with all the special "surprises" was beautifully orchestrated. After 23 trips with Backroads, I can say with no hesitation that the quality of Backroads trips remains superb...off the charts in every way!
Jean Knox - Minneapolis, MN
It was a great way for me, as a solo traveler, to experience Asia for the first time.
Jackie Hunt - Saint Petersburg, FL

Premiere Inns*

Suanthip Vana Resort
Suanthip Vana Resort

Mae Suai (2 nights) A simple countryside retreat blending Thai and Western comforts, with an open-air restaurant in forested surroundings. (pool)

Maekok River Village Resort
Maekok River Village Resort

Ban Thaton (2 nights) Basic teak-framed rooms and a fantastic riverside setting at this authentic Thai-style inn. (pool)

* Casual Inn

The Legend Chiang Rai
The Legend Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai (1 night) With panoramic views of the hills, mountains and river, this small boutique hotel offers an ideal location for exploring Chiang Rai. (pool, spa)

Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa
Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa

Chiang Saen (2 nights) This Travel + Leisure World's Best Award winner is described by Hideaway Report as a "stylish hill country retreat amid 160 acres of tranquil gardens in the Golden Triangle overlooking Burma." (pool, spa)


Bali Biking

Island of Exotic Culture & Tranquil Beauty

Bhutan Multisport

Temples, Traditions & Sacred Peaks in a Himalayan Oasis

China Biking

Ancient Treasures & Modern Icons in Beijing, Xian & the South

India Biking

The Caravan Routes & Desert Palaces of Rajasthan

Vietnam & Cambodia Biking

Old Indochina from Hanoi to Angkor Wat

This Trip Is Rated Level 2-5

Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Road Bike Average Mountain Bike Average* Walk & Hike Average
Level 1 2-3 hours 10-20 miles 10-15 miles 2-5 miles
Level 2 2-4 hours 21-30 miles 16-20 miles 5-7 miles
Level 3 3-5 hours 31-40 miles 21-25 miles 7-9 miles
Level 4 4-6 hours 41-55 miles 26-30 miles 9-11 miles
Level 5 5-7+ hours 56-75+ miles 31+ miles 11-13+ miles

*Mountain bikes are used in locations where the best riding is on a combination of dirt and paved roads. View trip locations

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • 5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 1 to 2  2 Route Options Available
  • 21, 25 miles
  • 430 - 520 feet elevation gain
  • Optional Walking 1.5 hours  
Day 3
  • Levels 2 to 4  2 Route Options Available
  • 25, 45 miles
  • 1000 - 2000 feet elevation gain
Day 4
  • Levels 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
  • 16, 29 miles
  • 1200 - 1250 feet elevation gain
  • Optional Walking 1.2 miles
Day 5
  • Level 1  1 Route Option Available
  • 15 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  • Elephant Riding
Day 6
  • Levels 2 to 5 3 Route Options Available
  • 28, 40, 58 miles
  • 800 - 1600 feet elevation gain
Day 7
  • Level 2  1 Route Option Available
  • 24 miles
  • 330 feet elevation gain
Day 8
  • Conclusion of Trip 

For 33 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Thailand tour experts. See our award-winning Asia & the Pacific biking tours, Asia & the Pacific walking and hiking tours and Asia & the Pacific multisport tours.

Biking

Premiere Inns

8 days, 7 nights
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Trip Price*
  • $3,898 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+$700 for sgl. occ.)
Meet/Depart

Chiang Mai, Thailand/Chiang Rai, Thailand


* Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Trip Notes

All meals included except 1 dinner, 1 lunch

Recommended Reads

Essential trip reading

Cancellation Policy

View cancellation policy

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If an outfitter lists hotels in its brochure and website, are the descriptions meaningful? How do you decipher the term “best available”… which can refer equally to a rustic national park lodge or a splendid Loire Valley château? Backroads has removed the guesswork by putting our hotels into Casual and Premiere Inn designations so you know what you’re getting into.

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"The accommodations were all special, striking architecture with soaring spaces, evoking the past and in some, defining
the future."

Harvey Strauss
Chicago, IL

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