Why this ride
From Chiang Mai it runs 236 km to Mae Hong Son; allow about 4 h 15 of riding. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 950 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Mae Hong Son Loop: Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 236 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 15
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai rests in a broad valley in northern Thailand, ringed by mountains, and its old centre is a perfect square, bounded by a moat and the remains of brick walls. King Mengrai founded it in 1296 as the capital of the Lanna kingdom, a rich northern state with its own language, script and style of temple, and the old city still holds dozens of wats, glinting with gold leaf and carved teak. Doi Suthep, the mountain rising to the west, is crowned by a temple that is visible from the city at night.
Read the complete Chiang Mai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Chiang Mai is where the day begins. Next is Pai.
2. Pai
Pai is a small town in a green bowl of hills in the far north-west of Thailand, near the Burmese border, and it has been a backpacker retreat for decades. The Pai river winds through a valley of rice paddies and tobacco fields at about five hundred metres, and the mountains around it hold bamboo huts, hot springs, waterfalls and the villages of Shan, Lisu, Lahu and Chinese Yunnanese communities. The town itself is a cheerful tangle of guesthouses, bars, cafes and craft shops, with a night market along the walking street, where stalls sell grilled corn, fruit shakes, noodles and handmade bags.
Read the complete Pai write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Pai comes up about 130 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mae Hong Son.
3. Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son sits at the end of one of the best-known motorcycle journeys in Thailand, in a bowl of hills right up against the Myanmar border. The town is small, with about nine thousand residents, and its southern and western streets are overlooked by mountains that trap fog in the cool season. Locals call it the city of three mists, and on a December morning you can ride out of town into a world where the lake and temples float on white cloud.
Read the complete Mae Hong Son write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 236 km.
Leg by leg
Chiang Mai to Pai
Chiang Mai → Pai is 130 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Pai to Mae Hong Son
Pai → Mae Hong Son is 106 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Chiang Mai · Mae Hong Son Loop Stage · 533 km
- Mae Hong Son Loop (256 km) · 471 km
- Mae Hong Son Loop · 655 km
- Mae Hong Son Loop: Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang · 398 km