Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Northern Thailand: Chiang Mai and a Hill-Country Walk with a Village Homestay
5 days from Chiang Mai: two days on foot in the Doi Inthanon hill country, a night with a Karen family in a community homestay, and the Royal Pagodas on the way back.
5 days · Round trip from Chiang Mai · up to 12 guests
The hill country of Doi Inthanon National Park, south-west of Chiang Mai Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Doi_Inthanon,_View_of_the_mountains,_Thailand.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Chiang Mai
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Moderate: two walking days of about 4 to 5 hours each, roughly 8 to 12 km with 300 to 500 m of climbing on village and forest paths that can be uneven, rooty and muddy, at about 1,000 m. You carry only a day pack. Each walking day has an easy option, with the van taking you to the village or to a short trail, so any long section can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 180 (estimated price)
- Season
- November to February
Highlights
Why this trip
- Wat Umong's centuries-old brick tunnels in the forest at the edge of Chiang Mai, walked in the cool of the morning
- A morning-to-afternoon walk through rice terraces, coffee gardens and forest to a Karen village in the Doi Inthanon foothills
- A night with a Karen family in a homestay run by the village itself, with dinner cooked over a wood fire
- Lunch on the trail, cooked by the village guides and served on banana leaves
- The Royal Pagodas on Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain, with forested ridges below the terrace
- A central Chiang Mai hotel at both ends, so your suitcase waits while you walk with a day pack
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 180 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai International Airport to your hotel in the old city
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Chiang Mai
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX), usually through Bangkok, and aim to land by about 4 pm. The airport is only about 5 km from the old city, so a driver meets you in arrivals and you are at your hotel, inside or beside the old moat, within half an hour.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours to rest or wander the lanes around the hotel. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the walk ahead: how far each day goes, what the homestay is like, what goes in your day pack and what stays in the hotel. If your flight lands later, your guide briefs you over breakfast.
Evening
Then we walk out through Tha Phae Gate, the restored east gate of the 13th-century Lanna city, to a welcome dinner of northern dishes: khao soi curry noodles, sai ua sausage, nam prik ong and sticky rice.
Included
- Pick-up at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)
- Welcome briefing with your guide, including the walk and the homestay
- Welcome dinner of northern Thai dishes
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
The forest temples, then a slow afternoon
Chiang Mai to Wat Umong and Wat Suan Dok, then the old city
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chiang Mai
- Drive about 30 min
A gentle day before the hills. We leave at about 8:30 am for Wat Umong, a forest temple at the foot of Doi Suthep, about 15 minutes from the old city. Its brick tunnels date from the early Lanna kingdom, more than 600 years ago, and you walk through them past niches with Buddha images, then out among tall trees where trunks carry painted proverbs and the pond is full of turtles. We go early, while the forest is still cool. Next is Wat Suan Dok, where the white chedis hold the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family and the large gilded chedi dates from the Lanna period.
Afternoon
Lunch is a bowl of khao soi at a family restaurant your guide uses. The afternoon is free: rest, book a Thai massage or walk the old city.
Evening
At about 5 pm your guide checks shoes and day packs and hands out what you need for the night in the village, so you can pack before dinner.
Included
- Wat Umong, the forest temple with early Lanna tunnels, with your guide
- Wat Suan Dok and its royal white chedis
- Khao soi lunch
- Gear check and packing briefing for the walk
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Chiang Mai
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on flat ground. Shoulders and knees covered at both temples; shoes come off in the halls.
On foot to a Karen village
Chiang Mai to the Doi Inthanon foothills, then on foot to a Karen village
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Karen village homestay
- Drive about 2 h
We leave at 8 am with day packs and drive about an hour and three quarters south-west to Chom Thong and up into the foothills of Doi Inthanon. At the trailhead we meet two guides from the village, who walk with us all day alongside your See Sight Tours guide. The path climbs gently through rice terraces, past coffee bushes grown under the forest trees, and along streams where you cross on stones or a bamboo bridge; the guides stop to show plants used for food and medicine.
Afternoon
Lunch is cooked by the guides on the trail and served on banana leaves. After about 4 to 5 hours of walking, with rests, we reach the village in the middle of the afternoon. It is a Karen community that runs its own homestay group, so the fee goes to the village. Shower, rest, and watch the women at their looms.
Evening
Dinner is cooked over a wood fire with the family you stay with.
Included
- Drive to the Doi Inthanon foothills with your guide
- Guided walk of about 4 to 5 hours with two village guides
- Trail lunch cooked by the guides
- Homestay night with a Karen family in a community-run homestay
- Dinner with your host family
Easier option: Ride to the village in the van, with one of the two village guides, and join a short walk round the rice terraces with them, about an hour. Your See Sight Tours guide and the other village guide stay with the walkers.
Free time: Late afternoon free in the village
Activity: About 4 to 5 hours on foot, roughly 8 to 12 km and 300 to 500 m of climbing on paths that can be uneven and muddy. Bring shoes with grip and a warm layer for the evening.
Through the forest, the Royal Pagodas and back
Karen village on foot through the hills, then the Doi Inthanon Royal Pagodas, then Chiang Mai
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chiang Mai
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
Wake to mist in the valley and eat breakfast with the family. Before we leave, there is time to buy weaving straight from the women who made it. At about 7:30 am we set off with the village guides for a different route back out of the hills, about 4 to 5 hours through forest and over the ridges between the terraces, to meet the van on the road.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the hills, at a local restaurant or in a neighbouring village. Then we drive up Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain at 2,565 m, to the twin Royal Pagodas, built in 1987 and 1992 for the 60th birthdays of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. Their terraces and flower gardens sit at about 2,200 m, and on a clear cool-season afternoon the ridges fall away towards the west. We aim to reach the pagodas by about 2 pm, well before they close in the late afternoon (hours confirmed at booking). The drive back to Chiang Mai is about two and a half hours.
Evening
Sunset is near 5:45 pm in November, so if the walk runs late the last part of the drive is after dark. The evening is free.
Included
- Guided walk of about 4 to 5 hours with the village guides
- Lunch in the hills
- Doi Inthanon National Park entry
- The Royal Pagodas and their gardens on Doi Inthanon
- Drive back to your Chiang Mai hotel
Easier option: Ride ahead in the van with one of the village guides to the Kew Mae Pan nature trail, a loop of about 3 km on the upper mountain with a local guide (we confirm trail status with the park office at booking), or rest in the pagoda gardens until the group arrives.
More active option: Walk the short boardwalk at the summit of Doi Inthanon through the cloud forest, if time and weather allow.
Free time: Evening free in Chiang Mai
Activity: About 4 to 5 hours on foot on forest paths, then cold air at the pagodas: bring a warm layer. The drive back is about 2.5 hours on a winding mountain road.
Chiang Mai morning and home
Chiang Mai old city to Chiang Mai International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
A slow last morning after two days on foot. If you have not seen it on an earlier trip, walk with your guide at about 8:30 am to Wat Chedi Luang in the middle of the old city, a short stroll from the hotel. Its great brick chedi, once the tallest structure in Lanna Chiang Mai, has stood partly ruined since the 16th century, and young monks from the temple's school sometimes sit at the monk chat tables to talk with visitors about their lives and studies. Or sleep in, book a foot massage and pack at your own pace. A driver takes you the 5 km to Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX), about 15 minutes, timed for your flight. Most travellers fly to Bangkok and connect home there. If you are going on to our Northern Thailand trip to Chiang Rai, or staying longer in the city, we can arrange extra nights in the same hotel.
Included
- Drop-off at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)
Optional experiences
- Morning walk to Wat Chedi Luang with your guide
Free time: Morning free in Chiang Mai
Activity: Book a flight from Chiang Mai leaving after about 12 noon.
- Chiang Mai2 nights
- Karen village homestay1 night
- Chiang Mai1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: November to February is the cool, dry season: clear views, firm paths and warm days, with cool nights in the village and near-freezing mornings at the top of Doi Inthanon in December and January. From about February to April smoke from crop burning hazes the hills, and June to October brings rain, slippery paths and leeches.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want a taste of hill walking and village life without a multi-day trek
- An add-on before or after a Northern Thailand trip
- Walkers comfortable with 4 to 5 hours a day on uneven paths
- Travellers who want their village visit run with and paid to the community
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who needs hotel comforts every night: the homestay is simple and the bathroom is shared
- Serious trekkers after long days or remote multi-night routes
- Step-free access: paths are uneven, with stream crossings
- Travellers who want elephants or Chiang Rai: see our longer northern trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
4 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Chiang Mai2 nights
- Karen village homestay1 night
- Chiang Mai1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 3 nights in a central Chiang Mai hotel of a 3-star-plus standard, inside or beside the old-city moat (nights 1, 2 and 4)
- 1 night in a community-run homestay with a Karen family in the Doi Inthanon foothills: bed or thick mattress, clean bedding, mosquito net, shared sitting toilet and warm shower
- Your luggage stored at the hotel during the homestay night
- Hotel and village named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)
- Our own air-conditioned minibus and driver for the group, staying with us in the hills
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, airport to airport
- Two guides from the village on both walking days, and a local guide on the Kew Mae Pan trail for those who take the easy option on day 4
Activities
- Chiang Mai: Wat Umong forest temple and its tunnels
- Chiang Mai: Wat Suan Dok and the royal white chedis
- Doi Inthanon foothills: two guided walking days of about 4 to 5 hours
- Karen village: homestay night, weaving and village life with your host family
- Doi Inthanon: national park entry, the Royal Pagodas and their gardens
- Chiang Mai: optional morning walk to Wat Chedi Luang on day 5
Meals
- 4 breakfasts
- 3 lunches: khao soi in Chiang Mai, a trail lunch cooked by the village guides, and lunch in the hills on day 4
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Chiang Mai and dinner with your host family in the village
Not included
- International flights, and the domestic flights into and out of Chiang Mai
- Travel insurance (it must cover hiking)
- Visa fees, if your passport needs a visa
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Massages, optional activities and personal expenses
- Handicrafts bought in the village
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 180 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Three nights in a central Chiang Mai hotel, one homestay night, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers, our own minibus and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, village guides on both walking days, the homestay fee, Wat Umong and Wat Suan Dok, and the Doi Inthanon park and Royal Pagodas entries. No cash is owed in the hills.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the group a respectful size for one Karen village, small enough to walk at an easy shared pace, and lets the homestay spread guests between a few family houses.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group from the airport pick-up to the airport drop-off, including both walking days and the night in the village. Two guides from the village walk with us in the hills. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Each walking day is about 4 to 5 hours with rests, roughly 8 to 12 km and 300 to 500 m of climbing on uneven, sometimes muddy paths. You carry only a day pack. On both days you can ride in the van instead and take a short walk, so nobody is stuck.
What is the homestay like?
Simple and clean. You sleep in a family house in a Karen village, on a bed or thick mattress with clean bedding and a mosquito net, often in a shared room divided by curtains. The house has a sitting toilet and a warm shower, shared with the family. The homestay is run by the village, so the fee goes to the community.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want your own hotel room for the three Chiang Mai nights, which is from CAD 180 more and shown before you book. The homestay night is in a shared family house for everyone. A roommate match is not guaranteed: if another solo traveller on your departure wants to share, we pair you and you pay no supplement; if not, the supplement applies.
When is the best time to go?
November to February, the cool, dry season: firm paths, clear views and cool nights in the village, with near-freezing mornings at the top of Doi Inthanon in December and January. From about February to April smoke from crop burning hazes the hills, and June to October brings rain, slippery paths and leeches.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure and request to book: no payment is taken at that point. We confirm your place, hotel, village and final itinerary within 24 hours. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and start from CAD 1,125 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 2,025 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotel, village and drivers.
Can I add this to a longer Thailand trip?
Yes, that is what it is built for. It starts and ends in Chiang Mai and does not repeat Doi Suthep, the old-city temples or the elephant day on our Northern Thailand trips. Take it before or after them and we arrange the extra hotel nights in between.
Do I need a visa for Thailand?
No visa for a short trip like this one. Canadian and US passport holders can enter without a visa for stays of up to 30 or 60 days, depending on the rule in force when you travel, and we confirm it when you book. Every visitor also completes the online Thailand Digital Arrival Card before arrival.
Do you visit the long-neck villages?
No. Many travellers and rights groups see the purpose-built Kayan long-neck villages near Chiang Mai as staged. We stay in a working Karen farming village that runs its own homestay group, where the visit is agreed with the village and the fees go to the community.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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