Mae Hong Son Loop: The ultimate guide and itinerary

We drove the Mae Hong Son loop first hand at the start of 2024, so all the information in this article is valid as of January 2024. Please be aware that things in Asia can change quickly so if anyone finds conflicting information, please leave a comment.

The Mae Hong Son loop in Northern Thailand is a bucket list motorbike loop for a lot of travellers in SE Asia. Starting in Chiang Mai, the bustling northern capital of the country, it will take you through the breathtaking roads and scenery of Mae Hong Son province. Showcasing awe-inspiring mountain vistas, enormous caves and serene remote villages, it is the best way to explore this remote and often unvisited part of the country.  

This guide contains everything you need to know if you’re planning to undertake this adventure yourself including where to rent the bike (or car if you prefer), where to stay, what to see, where to eat and importantly, how much it should all cost!

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Where do I start? Getting to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the northernmost large city in Thailand, and is usually on most people’s itineraries when they visit the country of Thailand. It is well connected via bus, train and an international airport, so there are no shortage of transport options to get there.

Cheapest way to get to Chiang Mai

Trains and buses from Bangkok run to Chiang Mai multiple times a day. Train tickets can be bought for as little as 7 euros but take 12-13 hours and can at times be uncomfortable. Our recommendation is either via sleeper train or sleeper bus, which you can book for 15-25 euros. These leave in the afternoon and you arrive early the next morning in Chiang Mai, hopefully well rested and ready to start the loop.

If you want to be prepared in advance, and don’t mind spending the extra few euros, we recommend booking with 12go.asia. They have all the local buses and trains available for purchase online for a small fee and are really great for convenience.

How much to rent a motorbike in Chiang Mai

There are dozens of motorbike rental shops in Chiang Mai, offering everything from automatic 125cc scooters, to full blown touring bikes, and 4×4 vehicles. We rented our 125cc Honda Click scooters from Mr Pop bike rentals. This place is very well reviewed and all the bikes are well maintained and serviced between rentals. The going rate for a 125cc scooter is between 200-300 thai baht a day, or 5-8 euros, but if you look hard enough you can probably find one for cheaper.

Note: If you’re renting anything lower than 125cc, or a particularly old bike, you might run into issues on some of the more hilly areas of the loop. Sometimes it’s worth it to spend a little more for comfort and peace of mind.

For something more powerful than a 125cc scooter, like a manual touring bike or large scooter, you can expect to pay 400-1000 thai baht per day, or 10-25 euros. Cars are also available to rent all over Chiang Mai, starting around 20 euros per day.

Note: Travel insurance is a must for any motorbike rentals abroad, especially in south east asia. Although problems rarely arise, you want to be covered in the case that they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it for anyone travelling around the world.

List of reputable motorbike rental shops in Chiang Mai

• Mr Pop Bike Rental
• Mango Bikes
• Zippy Bike Rentals
• Cat Motors
• Bamboo Bikes

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

These are our top suggestions for places to sleep in Chiang Mai for all budgets. This is based on our experiences and recommendations from friends and other travellers.

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Guide to driving the Mae Hong Son Loop

Interactive Map

This interactive map includes all the stops, places to spend the night, and the must see attractions (in our opinion) that the loop includes. There is an alternative “small” loop shown on the map which skips a stop over in Mae Sariang. This shortcut reduces the distance from 600 km to just over 500 km, offering other beautiful attractions to see.

Which direction to take?

We drove the loop anti-clockwise, and would recommend this for anyone else driving the loop. The scenery gets more and more remote and diverse the further you get into it, so it’s a good transition from cities to towns to villages. This way also saves arguably the best till last, Doi Inthanon national park.

The loop can be driven in either direction though so this is really up to you to decide. Take a look at the map above and work out what you want to see most, and plan around that!

How many days?

The time to drive the Mae Hong Son loop really depends on your pace and timescales. If you really want to explore everything the loop has to offer, and visit all the optional extras that add some distance to the total (such as Ban Raak Thai and Doi Inthanon), we recommend a full week. This will give you plenty of time out of the saddle to visit attractions and not be too tired after a long day’s drive to enjoy everything. If you just want to hit the main stops and are rushed for time, the loop can be completed in as little as 3-4 days. Be warned though, completing the loop in 3-4 days means spending most of the time just driving and won’t give you much room for visiting attractions, although the breathtaking scenery whilst driving is one of the main attractions for some people.

Mae Hong Son Loop Itineraries

A 4 day itinerary for the Mae Hong Son Loop

1. Chiang Mai -> Pai (147 km)
2. Pai -> Mae Hong Son (107 km)
3. Mae Hong Son -> Mae Sariang (162 km)
4. Mae Sariang -> Chiang Mai (196 km)

This itinerary allows for 1 night in each of the 4 main stops, and will allow you to visit attractions on the drive between each. It does not include Ban Rak Thai and Doi Inthanon as this would greatly increase the distance covered on day 2 and day 4, but if you’re feeling up to it then it could be done.

A 7 day itinerary for the Mae Hong Son Loop

1. Chiang Mai -> Pai (147 km)
2. Explore Pai
3. Pai -> Ban Rak Thai (118 km)
4. Ban Rak Thai -> Mae Hong Son (48 km)
5. Mae Hong Son -> Mae Sariang (162 km)
6. Mae Sariang -> Doi Inthanon (152 km)
7. Doi Inthanon -> Chiang Mai (87 km)

This is our preferred itinerary to explore the Mae Hong Son loop and all it has to offer. Day 2 is spent in the town of Pai, exploring waterfalls, rice paddies and feasting on street food at the famous walking street in the evening. The 3rd day takes you to Ban Rak Thai, a Chinese mountain village on the border of Myanmar with breathtaking tea plantations. Day 4 is a leisurely 50km ride to the remote town of Mae Hong Son to explore it and the surrounding area. This route also allows for an overnight stay in Doi Inthanon national park, so you can see the sunrise and / or sunset over the tallest peak in Thailand!

Short loop 

1. Chiang Mai -> Pai (147 km)
2. Explore Pai
3. Pai -> Ban Rak Thai (118 km)
4. Ban Rak Thai -> Mae Hong Son (48 km)
5. Mae Hong Son ->  Mae Chaem (157 km)
6. Mae Chaem -> Doi Inthanon (84 km)
7. Doi Inthanon -> Chiang Mai (87 km)

This is an alternative loop that you can take to reach Chiang Mai. The drive is really beautiful, crossing hills, local villages, rice fields, flowers fields, and a lot of wild nature compared to the main road of the classical loop. From Mae Hong Son you take a shortcut and you cross the countryside to reach the remote village of Mae Chaem. This village is a remote farming village, full of rice fields, guest houses and campsites to spend an authentic night with locals. From there, you can head directly to Chiang Mai if you are short in time, or stop at the wonderful Doi Inthanon national park on the way back. 

Best time of the year to drive the Mae Hong Son loop

November to January is the best time to experience the Mae Hong Son loop. The weather is cooler than most of the year and the amount of rainfall is low and weather is predictable. You will need a jacket and some warm clothes for the mountainous parts of the loop, but for the most part the weather will be ideal.

Note: In northern Thailand from January to March it is the burning season, where farmers burn their fields to prepare for the next planting. Air quality and pollution in this time makes northern Thailand one of the worst polluted places on the planet and is very dangerous to breathe in for extended periods. Visibility can also be affected making this more dangerous. Our recommendation is to try and start the loop before January in case the farmers burn earlier than usual.

March to April is when Thailand is its hottest and most humid, so unless you can handle the heat we would say avoid this period. If you can handle it though there is minimal rainfall so this can be a good time to drive the loop if you can’t come in the cool season.

All the other months are considered to be a rainy season, and though the weather is a little cooler than the summer months, you will also be seeing a lot more rain which might make traversing the loop more dangerous and difficult due to all the curves (over 1860 curves!).

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What to see on the Mae Hong Son Loop?

Pai

Pai needs no introduction, and is firmly positioned on the tourist map of Thailand as a spiritual, backpacker paradise. Yoga retreats, cannabis cafes, rice paddies, waterfalls and jungle parties that last until the early hours of the morning; Pai really has something to offer all types of travelers. The drive to Pai from Chiang Mai is famous for its 762 curves, and this part of the route is one of the most enjoyable parts to drive on a motorbike.

This is actually one of our favourite places in Thailand and we spent 10 days here at the end of 2022 just exploring the area and soaking up every day life here in this northern paradise. If you have the time we recommend allotting at least a full day here whilst you drive the loop. If you are interested to know more about what Pai has to offer, have a look at our article.

Tham Lod Cave

Tham Lod Cave is a massive cave system situated on the drive between Pai and Mae Hong Son. It takes about 2 hours to see the entire cave system, which includes a boat ride and a guide to lead you through. Guides are mandatory and cost 150 thai baht (4 euros) for a group of up to 3 people. If you’re travelling solo it can be worth joining with some other people at the main cave office so you can share the cost.

If you stay around until the evening you can watch the daily migration of 300,000 birds that fly back into the cave around sunset time.

Baan Rak Thai

Baan Rak Thai is a tiny village, about 30 kms away from the Myanmar border, and it was built by a group of former nationalists from Yunnan who used it as a checkpoint for trading jade. Now it has turned this history to its advantage and the town is full of Chinese style buildings, cafes and homestays, which are a drastic contrast to the rest of the area. There are a number of tea plantations in the area with vast fields of tea plants and very typical houses that you can visit for a cost of only 20 baht; some of them also double as homestays too. Moreover, the village has a very lovely and peaceful lake that you can admire whilst having lunch or coffee in one of the restaurants there.

Mae Hong Son

Mae Hong Son town is the main town for the province of Mae Hong Son with a number of nice hotels and homestays to spend the night in. In the evening you can walk the short hike to the top of the hill at the centre of town to visit Wat Phra That Doi Kongmu, and watch the sunset behind the Burmese style temple. Check out the lively walking street in the town centre next to the lake for some cheap eats and street food, and sit with the locals enjoying a Thai beer on the waterfront.

There are a number of temples, caves and viewpoints in the area to check out the next morning before you start the next leg of the journey. If you have the time to spend a full day here you can do some hiking in the nearby Namtok Mae Surin National Park.

Mae Sariang

Mae Sariang is a sleepy town surrounded by breathtaking nature and scenery. Due to being so remote, don’t expect to see many other tourists here. There are a number of cheap hotels and homestays in the area to stay at, and temples to visit. Wat Phrathat Chom Mon is a great spot on the top of a small hill with a small temple to watch the sunset over the town and rice fields. We had an incredible meal at Ing Doi Secret Garden in town; it’s a small restaurant set in the back of a Thai woman’s garden. Everything is cooked fresh and it was one of the best meals we had on the entire loop.

If you have the time you can take the small detour to visit Salawin National Park for some trekking.

Thung Bua Tong Fields at Doi Mae U Kho

The Tong Fields are very vast and stunning wild sunflowers fields, located in the hilly-mountain area of Doi Mae U-Kho. The sunflowers in that region bloom during November, so we really recommend you to go if you are doing the loop in this period. Once there, you can stop at one of the many platforms available to admire the landscape: the whole area will be covered and painted in brilliant yellow. From there you can reach the Namtok Mae Surin National park and explore the area and the waterfalls. 

Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon is the tallest peak in all of Thailand, and the national park it shares its name with is full of coffee plantations, hill tribe villages / homestays and some of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. Visit the Pagodas on the top of the mountain for sunrise or sunset. We loved the Kew Mae Pan nature trail for an experience hiking through the jungle. Check out Wachirathan Waterfall and Sirithan Waterfall on your drive back to Chiang Mai. The cost to enter the national park is a steep 300 baht, or 8 euros, but this is inclusive of all waterfalls and other sights in the park, so you won’t have to fork out any more once entering.

Before you set off on the drive back, make sure you stop in at one of the many coffee plantations to taste the local coffee grown in the national park, and give you the caffeine boost needed for the final leg of the journey.

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Mae Hong Son Loop full cost on a budget

We drove the loop at the end of 2022 , and this cost breakdown is for 2 people with 2 motorbikes, and sharing a bedroom each night, so solo travellers can expect to add €5-6 euros per night  to the accommodation costs, unless you stick with really cheap hostels.

• Motorbike Rental (250 baht * 2) x 7 days = 3500 baht / €90 euros
• Gasoline (50 baht * 2) x 7 days = 700 baht / €18 euros

Average Daily Costs

• Breakfast 50 baht per person = 100 baht * 7 = 700 baht / €18 euros 
• Lunch 50 baht per person = 100 baht * 7 = 700 baht / €18 euros 
• Dinner 80 baht per person = 160 baht * 7 = 1120 baht / €30 euros 
• Accommodation 380 baht per night * 7 = 2660 baht / €70 euros 
• Breakfast 50 baht per person = 100 baht * 7 = 700 baht / €18 euros 

Attraction costs

• Tham Lod Cave fee 150 baht per group = €4 euros
• Doi Inthanon National Park fee 300 baht per person = 600 baht / €16 euros
• Namtok Mae Surin National Park fee 40 baht per person = 80 baht / €2 euros

Total cost = €284 euros or €142 euros per person. 

	Euros	British Pounds	US Dollars
Total	€284	£242.92	$315.74
Per person	€142	£121.46	$157.87
Per person / Per day	€20.29	£17.35	$22.55

That’s an average cost of €20 euros per person per day. This price will increase depending on the amount of sights you see, how much you budget for food, as well as snacks and coffee breaks etc. But as you can see, you can ride the Mae Hong Son Loop for very cheap!

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Safety, Concerns and Useful Information

• The best time to drive the loop is the cool season in northern Thailand, which runs from November to January. 
• When picking up your bike, especially during peak times of the year, get to the rental shop as soon as it opens. This is usually around 9am. Otherwise you can be caught out with no bikes left to rent, or just the more expensive ones.
• Allow at least 4 days for the loop, ideally 7 if you don’t want to rush.
• Bring sunscreen and apply liberally, as it can be hard to tell on the bike when you’re getting sunburn. Bring mosquito repellant for the evenings.
• When you find a gas station, it’s advisable to fill up the tank to full. There are large stretches of the loop without regular gas stations.
• Travel insurance is a must for any motorbike rentals abroad, especially in south east asia. Although problems rarely arise, you want to be covered in the case that they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it for anyone travelling around the world.
• When spending money abroad we use the WISE international debit card. You can withdraw up to 200 euros in cash per month free of charge. After that, you only pay a very low withdrawal fee.
• If you don’t have your accommodation booked make sure you arrive at your intended homestay as early as possible, as place book up quickly on the loop in the evenings. Best to book before you arrive to avoid any issues!

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What to do after the Mae Hong Son loop?

The loop is home to the Wat Pa Tam Wua monastery where you can stay for a meditation retreat. The monastery operates on a donation basis only, so you can pay what you feel is acceptable. Camilla spent a week here, which you can read all about in this article.

One other option is to head north to Chiang Khong on the border with Laos, and take the slow boat down the Mekong river to Luang Prabang. You can read about our experience taking the slow boat here. If more motorbike loops are your thing, there are 2 incredible ones in Laos, the Thakhek loop, and the Bolaven Plateau loop. Check out our guides on them so you can know what to expect!