Forests and Tribal Culture of Doi Inthanon

Price per person in THB
2 persons3 persons4 persons5 persons6 persons7 persons8 persons
10,600  8,4007,200  6,500  6,000 5,700 5,500
Difficulty
65%

This is a private tour. Doi Inthanon is one of Thailand’s most famous national parks and for good reason. The park boasts the greatest diversity of forest types and bird species found in any single park in the country and features some beautiful waterfalls, dramatic views and extraordinary nature. Your visit to the National Park will help protect this lovely national park. Your overnight in the Karen village will benefit the local people. We consider this one of our Chiang Mai jungle trekking and forest bathing tours.

Total driving time:
Day one: two hours
Day two: none
Day three: two hours

From: 10,600.00 ฿

Day 1: Visit the highest point in Thailand

Vachirathan Waterfall

This is a private tour. Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel at 0800 for your in-depth three-day trekking Forests and Tribal Culture of Doi Inthanon. We leave Chiang Mai in the southern direction towards Doi Inthanon National Park. Doi Inthanon is with 2,565 meters elevation above sea level, the highest mountain in Thailand. The mountain is the source of many rivers and is an important watershed area. Forest types include moist, evergreen, pine, and mixed deciduous forests. The park supports the most significant number of bird species of any site in Thailand. We will visit the spectacular Vachirathan Waterfall.

The summit of Doi Inthanon

We will stop at a local market to buy supplies, after which we will continue to the summit of Doi Inthanon. After a brief forest walk around the mountain, we will descend and stop at the two pagodas erected in honor of the King and Queen of Thailand. We continue to Meo Khun Klang, a Hmong village part of a Royal Project.
After lunch, we will drive to the start point of trekking. We will trek through the dense forest. Your guide will explain the different forest types in Northern Thailand. We will continue our trek today to the White Karen Village. It will take approximately 3 hours.
Dinner and overnight will be in the village, where your guide will tell you the fascinating history of the local people. For information on the Green Trails village Homestays, please have a look here.

Day 2: From Karen village to Karen village

Full-day trekking through the forests of Doi Inthanon

Your guide will prepare a delicious breakfast for you. After breakfast, we will continue our trek.  Walking today will be around four to five hours. In the morning, we will walk mainly downhill to the White Karen village. You will have time to look around the community and practice your language skills while your guide prepares lunch. After lunch, we will walk up and down through the forest until we reach the Karen village of Huay Khao Lip. This is a small and quiet village. Your guide will ask you to assist you with the preparation of dinner tonight. He will explain the herbs and ingredients he uses. After dinner, you will visit a village house to get to know some of the villagers. Overnight in the village.

Day 3: Baan Huay Khao Lip – Chiang Mai

Morning trekking through the forests of Doi Inthanon

After early morning breakfast, we will say goodbye to the village and trek uphill for one hour. Then it is another hour downhill to a pretty waterfall where we will spend some time relaxing, swimming, and enjoying nature. After this, we will continue to the Karen Village Baan Mae Sa Pok. After lunch, we will drive the short distance to the start point of a relaxing bamboo raft trip on the Mae Wang River. Bamboo rafts were, in the past, an essential means of transportation, and roads were abysmal and sometimes totally impassable in the rainy season. Enjoy a relaxed rafting trip. It is not a dangerous river, but we will ask you to wear a life jacket to be safe.

After our bamboo raft adventure, it is time to drive back to Chiang Mai. We will drop you off at the hotel at the end of the afternoon and hope you enjoyed our three-day trekking Forests and Tribal Culture of Doi Inthanon

Highlights

Summit of Doi Inthanon

Royal Chedis

Hmong Royal Project

Jungle trekking

Doi Inthanon National Park

Great food

Vachirathan Waterfall

Hmong Royal Project

Karen tribal culture

Two overnight in homestays in villages

In-depth experience

Inclusions

What is included?

English speaking guide
Transportation by A/C vehicle
Accommodation in a local house
Two breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners
Drinking water during meals
Coffee and tea
Entrance fees
Limited medical insurance
Use of sheet bag or sleeping bag
Use of Mosquito net
Use of Backpack (on request)
Toilet paper & Soap
Towel
A flashlight is provided in the village

What is not included?

Other drinks except water during meals
Personal expenses
Tips

Timeline

Day 1
08.00 – Departure from the hotel
08.30 – Short stop at a local market
09.30 – Arrival at Doi Inthanon National Park
10.00 – Visit the Wachirathan waterfall
11.00 – Visit the summit of Doi Inthanon
11.30 – Visit the two Royal Chedis
12.00 – Lunch at a local restaurant
12.30 – Drive to the starting point of the trek
13.00 – Start trekking about three hours
16.00 – Arrival at a Karen village where we stay overnight, relax at the village
17.00 – Help your guide cook dinner
18.00 – Dinner at the village before free at leisure

Day 2
09.00 – Visit around the village
09.30 – Start hiking about five hours to another Karen village
12.00 – Picnic lunch in the jungle
14.30 – Arrival at the village, rest and relax
15.00 – Visit around the village, meet local people, and join activities at the village
17.00 – Help your guide cook dinner
18.00 – Dinner at the village before free at leisure

Day 3
09.00 – Visit and walk around the village
10.00 – Start hiking about two and a half hours
10.00 – Stop and relax at the waterfall
12.00 – End of the trekking and meet the driver
12.30 – Lunch at a local restaurant
13.30 – Visit the village
14.00 – Drive back to Chiang Mai
16.00 – Drop off at the hotel

What to bring

During this trip, you will have to carry your luggage yourself, so it is essential to pack as lightly as possible. You can leave your big luggage in the storage room of the hotel. If you stay in a different hotel after the trip than the one before, you can leave your big luggage in our office for the duration of the trip. Porterage during the trip is available for 300THB per day.

Three or four short sleeve shirts for the daytime
A warm shirt with long sleeves for the evening (in the winter Nov – Feb, it can be a bit cold)
Comfortable shoes with good grip (especially in the rainy season from May until November)
Swimwear
A hat or cap
Light raincoat
Sunscreen
Flip flops for in the village
Sunglasses
Your toiletries
Personal medication
Fully charged batteries or even an extra battery or power bank for your camera or phone. Most villages have electricity, but it is not always available.
Some money for souvenirs, drinks, and tips. 1500-2000 Thai Baht per person in small notes (not bigger than 500 Thai Baht and plenty of 100 Thai Baht notes).