Trekking the Golden Triangle

Trip Overview

A complete and active tour showing the highlights of the North. Suitable for private groups and families. Perfect trip for active people who don’t like to sit in a tour bus.

Trip Highlights

Detailed itinerary

DAY 1: DEPART CHIANGMAI AND TREK TO HILL-TRIBE VILLAGE

08h30am. Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Chiang Mai, then we will drive up north to the Chiangdao area. Stop at an elephant camp nestled in lush jungle surroundings. Watch elephants bathing and demonstrating their skills. Proceed to the Chiangdao caves for lunch at a local restaurant and pay a visit to the caves. The caves are part of a Buddhist Temples. There are 3 different chambers which can be explored, and some are said to have been inhabited by some Burmese monks in the past. Then drive on to a village to begin our short hike through jungle and countryside, eventually reaching a Palong village. We continue the hike to reach the Padeng Lodge for overnight. Dinner at the Lodge.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

DAY 2: CHIANGDAO TO BAN THATON

After breakfast, we take a short hike to reach a small Karen settlement. Continue the trek to reach another village where our vehicle is waiting for us. Proceed to the Chiangdao caves and Buddhist sanctuary, where we will have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, continue by car to Ban Thaton, a small village near the Burmese border, overlooking the Maekok River. End of the day at leisure, and we suggest you to take a walk to visit Wat Thaton Temple, with it’s giant Buddha statue overlooking the valley. Dinner is at leisure tonight, and you have the choice of eating at the hotel, or going to a small local restaurant down the main road.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 3: BAN THATON TO MAE SALONG AND HILL-TRIBE VILLAGE

Depart to Doi Maesalong, a scenic mountain road leading to remote villages, Akkha and Yao hilltribe village. Reach the Chinese refugee village Santikiri, flanked on the summit. The Kuomintang Chinese are established here over two decades after Shan Khai Checks troops were defeated by the Chinese communist army. They fled their home town in southern China Yunan’s province, and after a short sojourn in Burma, they came to establish themselves in remote areas of Northern Thailand. There is a small museum relating the history which we can visit when time permit.
Drive down the winding road to reach the flat valley, and proceed to Chiangrai town for lunch.

Afternoon depart to a large Karen village, from where we will embark on elephant’s back, ride up the mountain. End up in a small hilltop Lahu village where we spend the night with a local family. A delicious Thai dinner is prepared by your guides (basic accommodation, dormitory style hut).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4: MAE SAI TO THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE AND BACK TO CHIANG MAI

Trek for one hour to a small waterfall and continue to the forestry office. Meet our vehicle and drive north to Mae Sai, Thailand’s northernmost point and an official Thai-Myanmar border crossing. Visit the bustling border market and optionally cross the border and visit the Burmese town of Thakhilek (subject to border opening and border pass fees). After a lunch in Mae Sai, we proceed by vehicle to the famous “Golden Triangle”, the point where three country’s borders meet: Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Optional visit (when timing allows) of the Hall of Opium, an interesting museum relating the history and golden era of the Opium Trade and the infamous golden triangle. We end the visit and drive back to Chiang Mai (3+ hour’s drive), making a stop at the White Temple along the way.
Arrive back to Chiangmai early evening, usually around 7pm, and drop off at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

- End of the tour -

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TREKKING THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE > ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Places related to this tour: Chiang Rai, Chiang Dao