Name: 8 Day Unseen Thailand Guided Motorcycle Tour
Brand: Big Bike Tours
Price: 2400 USD
Availability: InStock

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

08:30

Check-out Time:

16:00

Before the tour, you will spend the night at a relaxing accommodation in Chiang Mai. On your first day, you will stay at a hotel with a fantastic panoramic view, and on the second day, enjoy a hotel with peaceful surroundings. On the third and fifth days, you may stay at your lovely hotel which has a swimming pool where you can relax after a whole day of motorbiking.

On the sixth day, you will be calmed by the tranquil surroundings of your hotel, and on the seventh day, you will stay at your hotel and enjoy the swimming pool.

Program

Departure time

The tour will start at 8:30 a.m. Please be informed, that you should arrive at least one day before the tour started in Chiang Mai. They recommend two days before the tour starts to acclimate and avoid jet lag.

Return time

The tour will finish at about 4 or 5 p.m. back in Chiang Mai, so if you would like to fly back the same day to Bangkok or the beach, you can easily catch any flight from Chiang Mai after 6 p.m.

Itinerary

Day 1: Chiang Mai - Chiang Dao - Tha Ton (210 km / 130 miles)

You take the highway, heading north of Chiang Mai to Mae Sa Elephant Camp, where you will feed the elephants, and see them bathing and performing their talents. Continue to reach Chiang Dao, where you can relax for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, visit the Chiang Dao cave. Then ride along the fantastic mountainous road until reach Tha Ton, where you will visit the Wat Tha Ton on top of the mountains and enjoy the amazing sunset there. Later you relax in your charming accommodation with a fantastic panorama view.

Day 2: Tha Ton - Golden Triangle (144 km / 89 miles)

After breakfast, you leave Tha Ton to visit the long-neck Karen tribe village near the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Ride to Doi Mae Salong, where Chinese mountain tea farmers live. Of course, you will test Thailand´s best tea there. Then back on curvy roads to Doi Tung Royal Villa. Visit the Winter Palace and the botanical garden. Lunch is served at the Royal’s Project restaurant. Continue along winding roads to Mae Sai, the northernmost point of Thailand. Visit Wat Tham Pla where you can feed some food to wild monkeys. Reach the Golden Triangle to take a long-tail boat trip on the Mekong River and visit a small village in Laos (no visa necessary). Visit the Opium Museum before relaxing at your peaceful accommodation directly at the mighty Mekong River.

Day 3: Golden Triangle - Chiang Rai - Nan (328 km / 204 miles)

After breakfast, ride along a scenic farming area road to Chiang Rai city. After that, visit the famous White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) one of the top 10 wonder temples in the world. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. Ride the exhilarating, mountainous highway to Nan. Visit Wat Phra That Khao Noi (Nan hilltop scenic temple) before relaxing in your lovely accommodation and jumping into the swimming pool. Later you will discover and enjoy Nan's nightlife.

Day 4: Rest Day in Nan

A day of leisure. Today you’re doing nothing at all. Relaxing by the pool or shopping in the town. Optionally you can, of course, discover the historical and cultural sites of unseen Nan by bicycle. Laundry service available.

Day 5: Nan - Bo Kluea - Phayao (334 km / 208 miles)

After breakfast, you leave Nan riding through winding mountainous roads via the famous motorcycle paradise road R1081 the Bo Kluea. Here you will visit the Bo Kluea salt wells. Then you continue through Doi Phu Kha National Park to Chiang Klang where you will have lunch in a local restaurant. Ride the exhilarating, mountainous road R1148 to Chiang Kham, ranked in the Top 10 as one of the most fun biking roads to be found anywhere in the world. 120 kilometers of up and down curves through the impressive mountains providing you with pure riding pleasure.

Then you cruise along the highway R1021 through farming areas to Phayao. Discover Kwan Phayao Lake, which is one of the biggest lakes in Thailand. It covers an area of 12,831 rai (21 km²) at an elevation of 380 m. The lake has a mean depth of 2 m. Forty-eight species of fish are recorded for the lake, the most dominant are the artificially introduced Nile Tilapia and the Climbing Perch. The lake was created in 1939 to improve irrigation in the area. It was added to the list of 61 most important wetlands on the 1st of August 2000. There are currently plans to restore the ancient temple Wat Tilok Aram dating back to the end of the 15th century, which was submerged during the construction of the lake. The town of Phayao is at the southeast corner of the lake. Then you arrive and relax at the charming accommodation.

Day 6: Phayao - Sirikit Dam - Uttaradit (331 km / 206 miles)

After breakfast, leaving unseen Phayao. Ride first south a bit on the main highway and use later the back roads via Mae Yom National Park. Later ride again fantastic motorcycle dream roads and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Khun Sathan National Park. Lunch is served in the middle of nowhere with a million-dollar view at a local restaurant. Highlight of this day will be, of course, crossing the Sirikit Lake. You take the motorbikes on a wooden ferry across the Sirikit Dam reservoir. Sirikit Dam is the largest earth dam in Thailand. It's used for irrigation, fisheries, flood control, and as well as hydroelectric power generation.

Then you continue on the highway passing through rice fields until you reach charming Uttaradit. It is a small city near Lampang and a few kilometers away from Denchai. Very few tourists come here to visit the area, but Uttaradit City and its surroundings are worth coming to. If you want to see authentic Thailand, the one not many tourists see, you have to come here. Later you enjoy the beautiful accommodation with a swimming pool.

Day 7: Uttaridit - Sukhothai (89 km / 55 miles)

After breakfast, you leave Uttaradit riding again on backroads and passing through massive rice fields until you reach Sukhothai. A short day of riding gives us plenty of time to discover one of the highlights of this amazing motorcycle tour: the Ancient Sukhothai Historical Park, designated World Heritage site number 574 on 12 December 1991 by UNESCO, and enjoy the amazing sunset in the old ruins. A magical and memorable scene. Later you arrive at the guest house, where you enjoy the charming classic wooden Thai accommodation with a swimming pool.

Day 8: Sukhothai - Lampang - Chiang Mai (343 km / 213 miles)

After breakfast, you leave Sulhothai riding biker's paradise roads via the “Columnar Mountains” road R101 to Den Chai and visit a large reclining Buddha. Then riding through winding mountainous roads to Lampang. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. Visit the Thai elephant conservation center and the world´s first elephant hospital. Continue riding through national parks and farming areas. Visit the local market, stopping for refreshment, before heading back to Chiang Mai.

Gear

They recommend bringing your gear to be the most comfortable. BUT they also offer helmets, jackets, gloves, and knee guards (European high-quality brands in many sizes). Please be informed, that they do not offer boots and trousers due to hygienic reasons.

Skill level(s)

Beginner:

can ride for 2-3 hours
minimal riding experience
assistance required
comfortable with curves and leans
basic experience with unsurfaced roads
short distance ascents and descents

Intermediate:

can ride for 3-4 hours
average riding experience
little assistance required
comfortable with extreme curves and leans
average experience with unsurfaced roads
steep ascents and descents

Advanced:

can ride for 5-6 hours
extensive riding experience
assistance on demand (if required)
experienced with riding a variety of motorcycles
comfortable with any terrain and weather conditions

Rules on the road

You will drive on the left as in England and Australia. All speed limits are in kilometers per hour, 30 to 50 for towns, 60 for suburbs, and 90 for major (A) roads and dual carriageways. You will happily cruise along the open road at a good clip, but you must always slow right down through the towns and villages, 50 kilometers per hour maximum. There are often kids, dogs, chickens, yak, etc., kicking around in the streets.

Also, if you see your guide braking, there’s a good reason - and you should brake, too! Many Thais ignore the typical unwritten rules of road positioning and merging you are used to in the West. You will go over this in person so don’t worry. There is always a “sweeper” and a service vehicle to make sure any riders caught by a traffic light or water buffalo crossing delay do not get separated from the group!

Instructors

Nirin Chaiyapan (Noah)

With a close-knit unit of 10 enthusiastic and experienced motorcyclists, Big Bike Tours has a professional team, highly skilled at leading and designing motorcycle tours. The Tour Team Members have of course also undertaken international first aid training. Big Bike Tours is managed by NIRIN CHAIYAPAN, who has more than 25 years of varied riding experience and many miles riding all over Asia and especially the region of Thailand. We combine professionalism with a fun and informal atmosphere to give clients a memorable riding experience.

Kay Kaesler

Motorcyclist and Photographer Kay Kaesler is the author of many articles in blogs, forums, and magazines about the scenic motorcycle routes in Thailand, Asia, and all over the world for over 25 years. In 2009, Kaesler began sharing his experiences with others and founded Big Bike Tours. Kaesler speaks four languages: German, English, Russian, and Thai. He currently lives with his family just outside of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

Location

This motorcycle tour will take place in different places in Thailand namely Chiang Mai, Tha Ton, Golden Triangle, Nan, Sirikit Dam, and Phayao.

Kwan Phayao Lake

It is one of the biggest lakes in Thailand. It covers an area of 12,831 rai (21 square kilometers) at an elevation of 380 meters. The lake has a mean depth of 2 meters. Forty-eight species of fish are recorded for the lake, the most dominant are the artificially introduced Nile Tilapia and the Climbing Perch. The lake was created in 1939 to improve irrigation in the area. It was added to the list of 61 most important wetlands on August 1, 2000.

There are currently plans to restore the ancient temple Wat Tilok Aram dating back to the end of the 15th century, which was submerged during the construction of the lake.

Sirikit Dam reservoir

Sirikit Dam is the largest earth dam in Thailand. It's used for irrigation, fisheries, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation.

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Food

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Drinks

The following drinks are included:

Water

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Regular (typically includes meat and fish)

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

Things to do (optional)

Every day, Motorcycle Tours Thailand will offer advice on the best things to see and do, but you’re under no pressure to follow the (small) crowd. You can strike out on your own at any time and simply meet back up with the group when you’re ready. Motorcycle Tours Thailand will have preferred routes mapped out for you - but anyway, your choice to arrive at the booked hotel is up to you! There are elephants and water buffalo although you might not get there in time for dinner.

In your free time, you have the option to enjoy any of the following activities:

Ride the Bo Kluea Loop 193 kilometers, on amazing roads to visit the Bo Kluea salt wells
Visit a local market to buy souvenirs and gifts
Visit the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) one of the top 10 wonder temples in the world

What's included

7 nights accommodation at carefully selected quality hotels and resorts with leisure facilities
7 lunches, 7 dinners, and breakfast every day
Water, soft drinks, and coffee / tea in connection with the meals
Motorcycle rental with unlimited mileage
Third-party liability insurance for motorcycles
Full First Class Comprehensive insurance for motorcycles with a deductible of up to 30,000 THB in case of damage
Pick-up service from Chiang Mai Airport
English-speaking professional road captain with a TAT license (Tourism Authority of Thailand) on a motorcycle leading the group
Support van for luggage transportation, drinks, and space for a few guests on the entire tour upon prior request
All entrance fees to national parks and historic sites
Riding gear (helmets, jackets, gloves, and knee guards)
Famous Big Bike Tours “On zee bikes!” T-Shirt
Accident cover insurance up to 100,000 THB, life insurance up to 1,000,000 THB, and much more!

What's not included

All services not mentioned as included and all items of a personal nature
Alcoholic beverages
Travel insurance (cover against cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation, in the event of accident or illness). They highly recommend you arrange appropriate insurance in your home country
Airfare
Visa fee

How to get there

Recommended Airports

CNX

Chiang Mai International Airport

3 km

Transfer included

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flights to arrive at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX). Transfer from this airport is included in the price. Motorcycle Tours Thailand will pick you up at the airport. Most customers touring with Motorcycle Tours Thailand usually come from Bangkok and in this case, they recommend traveling up to Chiang Mai by one of the many flights operating on this route. It is not expensive and with companies such as Air Asia. The earlier you book, the cheaper the flight.

Arrival by train

The train (night train) is another option; however, the Thai train network needs a serious overhaul. Take a look at the difference between the train cost and the flight costs compared to one-hour flying time or a 12-hour train journey along with the fact that the trains are notoriously unreliable. The train option is usually the odd one out.

Arrival by bus

A lot of buses start every hour from Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit - Chatuchak) to Chiang Mai. Travel time with the bus will be around eight hours.

Airport: Chiang Mai International Airport Airport transfer included: Chiang Mai International Airport No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 10% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid 14 days before arrival.

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