The Northern Loop

Welcome to Chiang Mai! You will be met at the airport or train station and transferred to your hotel where you can drop off your belongings before the tour begins.

We then head to the outskirts of the city to discover the magnificent Doi Suthep temple, located in the mountains at 1200m altitude. Along the way, we stop at Wat Phalat temple. The day is accompanied by a local English-speaking guide.

We settle for the night at De Lanna Hotel in a Deluxe room

With your guide, you take a detour to the Warorot market, where you can find all sorts of northern Thai specialties, such as Sai Ua (northern sausage), Moo Yo (traditional Vietnamese pork sausage), Nam Phrik Num (northern green chili paste) and dried fruits, among other delicacies. In addition to local food, the market also offers clothing, ceramics, fabrics, embroidery tools, flowers, and much more.

Upon arriving in Chiang Mai, you head to the outskirts of the city to discover the magnificent Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, located in the mountains at an altitude of 1200m.

This superb Buddhist temple invites you to pious meditation in an atmosphere steeped in silence and mysticism, where every stone, every statue, every step reveals an aspect of Buddhism. Along the way, a stop at the Wat Pha Lat temple.

This morning, heading to Lampang, a small town in the north renowned for its ceramics.

At the destination, we visit the Baan Sao Nak House, dating from the late 19th century. With Thai-Burmese style, this structure is entirely made of teak wood and rests on 116 pillars. Its museum displays various objects from daily life in the north of the country. A real journey through time

And if we are interested, along the river a few beautiful teak houses that belonged to Burmese merchants who traded in teak in the last century. There is notably the Lampang railway station with very classic architecture from the last century.

Walk through the old Kad Kong Ta street where we have beautiful teak houses and notably the house of Moung Ngwe Zin. Visit the magnificent temple Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao, from the 15th century.

We continue this northern epic towards Phrae, a small town still little known to tourists. On the way, a stop at Khun Bom's, where we will be introduced to traditional instruments of northern Thailand, with the making of a bamboo flute. At our destination, visit the house of Vongbury, in colonial style dating from the end of the 19th century.

Day accompanied by an English-speaking guide. Night at Hug Inn Phrae Hotel in a standard room.

In the morning, we head to a traditional indigo dye workshop, typical of the "Mo Hom" region. Assisted by Khun Paniam, we will get our hands dirty (possibility to dye your choice of earrings, T-shirt, dress, hat, etc. to choose on site, not included).

A 15km from Nan, we make a detour through the weavers' village of Ban Sao Luang, observing the weaving craft and the patterns representative of the locality.

In Nan, visit local craftsmanship: Shops and traditional silver jewelry workshops (Lung Boon Chai and others) Textile shops And a number of magnificent old teak wood houses.

In the evening, (depending on weekend date) possibility to visit the night market in the city center. Nan being a trendy destination for Thai people (and little known to foreigners). Night at Khum Muang Min Boutique hotel in deluxe room.

This morning, at 09:00 if not done the previous day, visit of some temples including Wat Phumin, which is sublime with its murals. Possibility to take the bicycles made available, and visit the city in cruise mode. Also, a detour to a traditional wooden house, which once belonged to Thai nobility. Visit of its associated museum.

Then drive (30 km) in the valley in the Tha Wang Pah region for the Thai-lue weaver village of Ban Nong Bua; some of the village's old houses are beautifully preserved; Wat Nong Bua temple is a superb ancient temple in Thai-lue style as well.

We continue our journey towards Pua, via the small town of Boklua, specialized in salt extraction. (if the season permits, we will be able to witness this activity) We take a mountain road. Views of rice fields. Day accompanied by an English-speaking guide.

Night at the Cocoa Valley Resort in Cocoa Blue room on the terrace side

Early morning wake-up to observe the magnificent sunrise from the resort. Then, after breakfast, we depart at 08:30 for the Chiang Kham region. We take a mountain road, with lovely viewpoints over the valley we leave behind. Upon arrival, visit the Nantaram temple in Shan (Burmese) style built in teak wood.

We plan a relatively early lunch, to arrive at the hotel around noon. At 1:00 PM, we depart with our "local guide" for an afternoon of cycling to discover the surroundings of the locality. Vehicle assistance if needed. Return to the resort for dinner (included). Day accompanied by an English-speaking guide. We stay at Rico Resort.

Departure at 09:30 following the valley, at the foot of the Phu Chi Fa hills and the entire mountain range between 1700 and 2000m altitude, which form the border with Laos over the entire northeastern part of the country. It is imperative to arrive at the resort in mid-afternoon to be able to enjoy the place and settle in before nightfall (around 18:00): sunset over the Mekong, stunning views.

Then, drive towards the Mekong River and the Golden Triangle, the convergence point of Thai, Burmese and Laotian borders, drive along the banks of the Mekong. Day accompanied by an English-speaking guide

We resume the journey at 09:00.

Return to Chiang Rai, with a stop at the residence of painter Tawan Dachanee (also called ''black house''), the most famous (contemporary) painter in Thailand. Then, visit the extraordinary Wat Rong Khun "white temple", a contemporary creation by one of Thailand's most renowned Thai artists: Chalermchai Kositpipat. In reality, although the site imitates the appearance of a religious complex, its purpose is quite different: the nine buildings house extraordinary works of art, from Buddha statues in meditation to pop culture idols like Michael Jackson, passing through murals that celebrate the doctrines of Theravada Buddhism. Its immaculate white color gives the building a unique and surprising character..

Continuation to Wat Rong Sua Ten, known as the "blue temple", work of architect Chalermchai's disciple. You will observe Buddha sculptures in lotus position as well as figures of demons, legendary nagas that are half-man and half-serpent, paintings illustrating events from the earthly life of Gautama. Day accompanied by an English-speaking guide. 3 nights at Laluna Hotel & Resort.

Visit the remarkable Opium Museum a modern museum built on a hillside overlooking the Mekong Valley. Through immersive and documented exhibitions, the site traces the history of the opium trade in Asia, the influence of the Golden Triangle and the economic and social consequences linked to this cultivation. A fascinating visit that allows you to better understand the complex history of this border region.

From the small local port, we board a water taxi for approximately one hour of navigation on the Mekong waters, offering beautiful panoramic views of the villages and landscapes bordering the river.

We then continue our journey along the banks to a viewpoint overlooking the Mekong and the impressive casino complex with Sino-Roman style installed on the Laotian bank.

We return to Chiang Rai, with a stop at the Tawan Dachanee Residence (also called the ''black house''), the most famous of Thailand's (contemporary) painters.

Upon arrival in Chiang Rai, discover the extraordinary Wat Rong Khun, better known as the "white temple". Created by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, this site blends Buddhist architecture with contemporary art through surprising frescoes and numerous symbols inspired by Buddhism and popular culture. Its brilliant white color gives it an almost surreal atmosphere.

Continuation towards the Wat Rong Sua Ten, the famous "blue temple", designed by a disciple of Chalermchai. Its deep blue hues, naga sculptures and immense Buddha give it an atmosphere that is both mystical and modern.

Early departure to a village in Mae Chan district to discover rural life.

You will be welcomed by the owner of the place who will offer you tea, and introduce you to her veritable Noah's ark of all the animals that she and her husband have been able to rescue for over twenty years.

Among them are 3 elephants who have found here an ideal refuge to live in complete peace. You will learn more about their lives, and will be able to feed them before setting off in their company and that of their Mahout for a walk in the surrounding jungle where the pachyderms will continue to feed.

Karen specialty lunch by a small lake, with the possibility of a short bamboo raft ride on the water.

Back at the camp, we will finally witness the elephants bathing.

Your driver takes you to the airport for your return flight to Bangkok or the islands.

We wish you a wonderful rest of your stay.