Doi Inthanon trekking – Culture, Nature and Wildlife

This three-day trek is for those who wish to explore the cultural and natural diversity in Doi Inthanon National Park

From 210 USD per person on a 4 person tour, to 480 USD per person on a 1 person tour

Quick facts

Tour type: Private
Operated by: Next Step Thailand
Location: Doi Inthanon national park

Tour duration: 3 Days / 2 Nights

Pickup: 8 AM in Chiang Mai
Drop off: Afternoon in Chiang Mai
  • Trekking difficulty

Get a unique opportunity to see the diversity of Thailand’s premier national park. You get a chance to explore its unique flora and fauna and learn about local ways of life in an unspoiled Karen village. This trip also involves helping out at our school project which is based here. On the second night we camp alongside a waterfall and you are taught how to cook and survive jungle style, using the Karen’s traditional knowledge of bamboo. This is a challenging trek with none of the commercialization of other tour operator’s treks.

Pickup and drop off

Peak of Doi Inthanon

King and Queen Pagodas

Royal Agriculture Project

Mae Klang Luang home stay

Watchiratan waterfall

Tour highlights

Trekking Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon Waterfall
Scenic trail Doi Inthanon
Karen village home stay

Itinerary

Day 1

We start the day trip to Doi Inthanon early as we pick you up at 7 AM from your accommodation or convenient location in Chiang Mai city. Then we drive straight to the highest peak in Thailand – Doi Inthanon at 2,565 metres above sea level. We have a short hike at the top to take in the views and take some photos and then drive to King and Queen twin pagodas just a short distance away. This is another spectacular sight with neatly trimmed bushes and an abundance of flowers surrounding the pagodas.

From there it’s another short drive to our trekking start point. We trek for two hours before lunch and enjoy the unusual flora and fauna surrounding us at high altitudes. This is a wonderfully scenic trail amid green jungle.

After the trek we have a lunch break at a local Hmong village near park’s headquarters. Your guide can show you around the village and explain about the lifestyle of this community.

During rainy season (May to November), some trails are closed, and trek before lunch might not be possible. In this case we will only do an afternoon trek.

After lunch we start a 1,5 hour trek in an area studded with waterfalls and you can also stop and refresh along the way. This is an area with virtually no tourists where you can enjoy the pristine beauty of this natural park.

Our final destination is Mae klang Luang Karen village surrounded by beautiful rice terraces and also a sight of Royal Organic Agricultural Project. Here local villagers grow a variety of fruit, vegetables and flowers and they also have a coffee plantation where they grow organic Arabica coffee. You will be able to buy local products and souvenirs.

We spend the night in either Pa Mon or Mae Klang Luang hill tribe village.

Meals included: Lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Karen village home stay

Day 2

We have breakfast in the village and first explore the surrounding rice fields and learn about the life in hill tribe communities. You could pop into the school or learn about the local farming methods.

Then we start trekking for about two to three hours until we reach Hun Poy village. We have a lunch on the way and you have a chance to learn how the local Karen tribes use bamboo for cooking as you steam the dishes in it to make a delicious meal, jungle style!

After lunch we trek for another two to two and half hours before our driver picks us up to take us to our accommodation.

You can choose if you want to spend the night at a Karen hill tribe village, at a waterfall camp, or at Spicy Villa bungalows.

For an idea of the diverse range of flora and fauna you can see and learn about on the way, check out the National Park’s website. Don’t worry though our guides are locals who would be more than happy to share their knowledge.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Choose between Karen village home stay, Waterfall hut, or Spicy Villa

Day 3

The amount of trekking for today is your choice. Your guide can choose different routes and you can trek from two to four hours before lunch. Discuss your wishes for today’s trek with your guide in advance, and he will choose an appropriate route for you.

If you feel tired after two days of trekking, you can also opt to spend the time before lunch just relaxing at your accommodation or visiting a local school where you can teach children some English.

After that, we grab lunch and head back down to Chiang Mai.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

Tour options

Based on your wishes there are several options for customization of Two-day trek Doi Inthanon.

Visit Mae Ya waterfall

Instead of driving to the peak and visiting King and Queen pagodas, we can take you to see Mae Ya cascading waterfall. We can also do both, but in that case, you will only have a short afternoon trek.

Itinerary with more trekking

For the trekking enthusiasts, we can prepare an itinerary that includes more trekking than the default itinerary. We skip the peak and pagodas which leaves us plenty time for trekking.

Add elephant camp and/or bamboo rafting

These activities can be added instead of the trek on second day. Additional price for bamboo rafting is 500 THB per person and additional price for elephant camp visit (bathing and feeding elephants) is 1,000 THB per person.

Skip the visit to the peak and pagodas

This is suggested for those who would like to stay off the beaten path.

More info

Pickup & drop off

Pick up and drop off in Chiang Mai city is included in the price for this trip. Pick up and drop off locations include accommodations in Chiang Mai city (15 km area around the old city centre), Chiang Mai airport, Chiang Mai train station and bus stations.

If you would like us to pick you up outside of Chiang Mai city, for instance in Mae Rim, Sankampaeng and similar, additional charges might apply, please enquire about options.

Meals
All meals are prepared with fresh ingredients by your guide or bought fresh at a local market. Each meal consists of several northern Thai dishes. For breakfast, we also prepare some western dishes, such as toast or pancakes for instance. Let us know if you would prefer to eat only Thai dishes.

If you have any kind of dietary restrictions, let us know in advance, and we will make sure to provide suitable meals for you. We can cater to most dietary restrictions and prepare vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, milk free meals and more.

Guides
Your private guide will be with you at all times, from pick up to drop off. He is local and speaks good English and will be able to tell you a lot about local plants, animals, culture and traditions. He will also adjust trekking route and difficulty according to your wishes, but please let us know in advance how long and difficult you would like your trek to be, so we can prepare a suitable route. You will also have an assisting guide.
How to pack
We have prepared a packing guide with instructions on how to pack for our tours. We hope you find it useful. You can also have a look at our article that covers how to dress for activities.
Insurance
In accordance with Tourism Authority of Thailand regulations, we provide accident insurance for every traveller for the duration of the booked trip.

Tour pricing

One guest

Private tour for one guest

USD

480

Per person

Two guests

Private tour for two guests

USD

300

Per person

Three guests

Private tour for three guests

USD

270

Per person

Four+ guests

Private tour for four or more guests

USD

210

Per person
Included

Prices include:

  • Transportation – choice of JEEP (up to six passengers) or covered pickup with benches
  • Accommodation in Karen tribe village
  • Meals as mentioned in the itinerary
  • Private guide
  • Guide’s assistant
  • All entrance fees
  • Compulsory insurance
Excluded
Prices do not include:

  • Drinking water
  • Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Personal expenses

Questions and inquiries regarding Three-day trek in Doi Inthanon

If you have any questions or inquiries about this tour, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you in one working day.

Inquiry about Three-day trek in Doi Inthanon

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