Mae Hong Son loop is un unbelievable scooter ride of almost 650km with 1864 curves around north of Thailand. It usually takes around a week to finish. Mae Hong Son loop was one of the best and craziest adventures we had in Thailand. Riding around the country was so beautiful! There are multiple places worth visiting on the way. Everyone chooses a bit different route. It is up to you to include places you find interesting and skip those you don’t like. The following itinerary is the one we chose and did ourselves.
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Renting a motorbike
Renting a good motorbike is crucial for success. Automatic bike will be okay for this trip. Make sure to test your bike, especially the brakes. You should feel good riding it. If you have luggage ask for bungee ropes to strap your bags on the bike. We highly recommend getting a helmet with plastic shield. It will make driving much more pleasant.
We visited multiple shops around Chiang Mai and it wasn’t easy renting a good bike for the loop. Many shops had no bikes left. We recommend checking Mango rental – they have good prices and many bikes. Other good option is Mr. Mechanic. They have three shops in the old town. We rent our biked from them and had no troubles at all!
In Thailand you are required to have an international driving license for a scooter. Unfortunately, in Slovakia we only managed to get driving license valid for cars since we are officially not allowed to ride scooters at home. During the whole loop we never met any police and no one ever checked our license. We were lucky though. Keep in mind police do check tourists in Chiang Mai and other bigger tourist hubs from time to time.
Make sure your bike has:
- good brakes
- bungee ropes for luggage
- helmet with plastic shield
- phone holder
- automatic bike is just fine
Best time to do Mae Hong Son loop
The best time to visit north of Thailand is definitely between December and February. That’s the high season with the best weather, sunny days and unfortunately many crowds as well. February till April is known as burning season. The north of Thailand is full of smog. The views are not gonna be great and air pollution is high during this time. If you really want to enjoy your stay here avoid the burning season. The summer months are the monsoon season.
Is it good for beginner drivers?
None of us have ever been driving a scooter before. This was our first proper scooter experience. The roads in the north are really good, mostly empty. There are many curves but nothings too hard! If we survived you can do it too! Just drive slowly and be careful. There is nothing to worry about. Even as a beginner driver you shouldn’t have a problem.
Some people suggest you go clockwise due to amount of curves between Pai and Chiang Mai. I’m not sure if it was because we were used to riding a scooter by the end of our trip but in my opinion it doesn’t matter. I found the last section as hard (or as easy?) as the first section between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.
Destinations in Thailand
TIP: Did you know that all ATMs in Thailand charge you 220TBH (6€) for withdrawal? It’s a lot, right? Keep this in mind and rather than withdrawing little amounts too often do it once or twice in large amounts.
What to pack for Mae Hong Son loop
We spent on the Mae Hong Son loop little more than 1 week. Apart from you typical luggage I don’t think there’s anything special you will need to do the loop. Just make sure you pack warm clothes. Mornings and evenings are pretty cold in north Thailand. Pack a raincoat just in case.
Mae Hong Son loop itinerary
Once again, there is no fixed itinerary you should follow. On the loop there is sooo many places you can visit and detours you can make. We chose the spots we found most interesting. Original route also includes going all the way to Mae Sariang which we replaced with Doi Inthanon.
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Day 1 - Chiang Mai
This is more like a day 0. Chiang Mai is the starting point for Mae Hong Son loop. We recommend getting a bike here. But Chiang Mai also has a lot to offer. Definitely spend at least one full day here. It is mostly temples you can visit here. In the old town you will find many of them. Get a good sleep because we’re starting day 2 early in the morning.
WHERE TO STAY: Chiang Mai (book here)
Day 2 - Sunrise in Doi Inthanon national park
Price: 300 TBH adult, 150TBH kids, 20TBH bike
Opening hours: 05:30 – 18:30
Distance covered: Chiang Mai – Doi Inthanon 93km
Doi Inthanon is actually not a part of official route. But it is a very nice stop especially for nature enthusiasts. Did you know that Doi Inthanon is highest peak of Thailand? We recommend coming here for sunrise and heading straight to two pagodas. Another attractions you should visit in the park are Ang Ka nature trail and Kew Mae Pan ridge hike. You can find all the nice spots to visit in national park in this article about Doi Inthanon.
WHERE TO STAY: Camp in the park or make your way to Mae Hong Son (book here).
Day 3 - Mae Hong Son town
Distance covered: Doi Inthanon – Mae Hong Son town 193km
Mae Hong Son is a small sleepy town with not much happening. There are a few temples and a nice lake you can visit. Locals here do not speak English well. It is a great place to see real raw not so touristy piece of Thailand. There is a lively night market every single evening. Either make your way here after visiting Doi Inthanon or come early in the morning to spend at least one full day here. Read article about Mae Hong Son town to find out what to see here.
WHERE TO STAY: Mae Hong Son town (book here)
Day 4 - Huay Pu Keng long neck village
Price: 200TBH entry, 20TBH boat
Distance covered: Mae Hong Son – Huay Pu Keng 22km
Huay Pu Keng is a village you shouldn’t skip when doing Mae Hong Son loop. Visiting long neck tribe of Karen people is an experience you will not forget. Visit their simple homes and become a part of their community. We highly recommend spending a night here. We stayed at Ma Pang guesthouse for 500TBH. It is incredible to see how these people live so far from everything. Read article about visiting Huay Pu Keng village to learn more details.
WHERE TO STAY: Spend a night in Huay Pu Keng or return to Mae Hong Son town (book here).
Day 5 - Ban Rak Thai
Price: 20 TBH
Opening hours: 10:00 – 19:00
Distance covered: Huay Pu Keng – Ban Rak Thai 65km
Ban Rak Thai is a Chinese settlement at the borders of Thailand. It is a very small village with picturesque resort Lee Wine Rak Thai. The resort is made up of cute little houses spread in a tea plantation. The whole area is very calm and peaceful surrounded by wonderful nature. There are also few waterfalls you can visit. You can go for a sunset boat ride on the like which is pretty romantic.
WHERE TO STAY: Ban Rak Thai area (book here) or near Pang Oung lake
Day 6 - road to Pai
Distance covered: Ban Rak Thai – Pai 125km
On this day you are gonna travel all the way to Pai with a few stops on the way. These are the places we really liked:
- Phang Ma Pha viewpoint – free viewpoint on the road
- Ban Ja Bo Saolahu cafe – cafe and noodle shop with incredible views
- Tham Lod cave – system of 3 caves, bamboo boat ride in a cave
- Doi Kiew Lom viewpoint – free viewpoint on the road
- Sai Ngam hot springs – crystal clear hot water
You can find more detailed information about all these place in our article from Pai.
WHERE TO STAY: Pai (book here)
Day 7 - Pai
Pai is a small town in the north of Thailand with incredible atmosphere. It is full of backpackers from around the world. Pai is surrounded by incredible nature! There is so many beautiful places to see in the area! And it even has probably the best night market we ever found in Thailand! Read our article to learn more about all the amazing things to do in Pai.
WHERE TO STAY: Pai (book here)
Day 8 - return to Chiang Mai
Distance covered: Pai – Chiang Mai 130km
And so your Mae Hong Son adventure has come to an end. Of course you can decide to spend more time in individual places. We stayed in Pai for a few days and would recommend you to do the same. Anyway, the last section between Pai and Chiang Mai is 130km so it’s gonna take a few hours. Since you’re already in the north we suggest you also visit Chiang Rai for a few days.
WHERE TO STAY: Chiang Mai (book here)
Route map
The whole route is 650km. This only covers the main sections. You are definitely gonna do some more kilometers.