5 Day Spirit of the North Motorcycle Tour

Northern Thailand has two riding regions that rarely get combined in one trip: the mountain roads on the Burmese border in the west, and the temple country around Chiang Rai in the east. This five-day loop takes both. The first three days replicate the operator's shorter Mae Hong Son tour. Day one is about 230 kilometres through Doi Inthanon National Park, with Wachirathan Waterfall and the Twin Royal Pagodas on Thailand's highest peak, finishing in Mae Sariang. Day two is around 260 kilometres north to the sunflower viewpoint at Doi Mae U Kho, on to Mae Hong Son for lunch and its lakeside temples, and over the mountains into Pai. Day three is the 700-curve road from Pai with a guided walk through Chiang Dao Cave, but instead of continuing into Chiang Mai the group stops in Chiang Dao itself, at a Thai-style lodge or a boutique mountain resort, which is what makes the rest of the loop possible. Day four covers roughly 220 kilometres east on rolling mountain roads and technical hillside corners into Chiang Rai, where the afternoon is given to three landmarks: Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple; Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple; and the Big Buddha complex at Wat Huay Pla Kang. The night is in a modern hotel near the city centre with the Kok River and the markets close by. The last day is about 190 kilometres back to Chiang Mai by way of Phayao, with a coffee break beside the lake, then farmland, quiet villages and a final mountain viewpoint before the run into the city and a celebratory drink at the office. Bikes default to a Honda CB500X with a CB650F and others available for a supplement. Each rider gets a private single room in three- and four-star accommodation. The price covers bike hire, rooms, breakfast and Thai lunch, fuel and oil, all entrance fees, safety gear and the guide; dinner is left out on purpose so riders can pick their own places in the evening. Full mechanical support runs with the group and road tours carry built-in bike insurance with liability capped at 25,000 baht.

Five riding days and roughly 1,040 kilometres in a loop that takes the western Mae Hong Son roads and then swings east to Chiang Rai instead of turning for home. The first three days follow the shorter Mae Hong Son itinerary through Doi Inthanon, Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son and Pai, but finish in Chiang Dao rather than Chiang Mai. Day four crosses to Chiang Rai for the White Temple, the Blue Temple and the Big Buddha complex at Wat Huay Pla Kang, and the final leg returns via Phayao and its lakeside town. Let's Ride bills it as a tour for riders of all levels who want long scenic days and the region's best-known cultural landmarks. The published price is 42,000 baht per rider and covers bike, accommodation, breakfast and Thai lunch, fuel, entrance fees, gear and an English-speaking guide.