Cycle Bangkok to Chiang Mai

After a comfy night’s sleep you will awaken in the small town of Uttaradit. Well rested, head to a guesthouse to shower and enjoy a hearty local breakfast. All geared up it’s time to get on those bikes as you pedal out of town and into never-ending countryside.

After the long journey, verdant sights are just what’s needed as you slalom through sugar fields and orchards. Just as you leave town, there's a stop at the ancient temple of Wat Phrathat Thung Yang. Still in use today this temple has an odd image of Buddha that will be sure to prompt some discussion. After this visit and breezing through the Thai countryside, you'll eventually stop at the town of Si Satchanalai. As it’s the first day of riding you can take it easy and finish cycling in the early afternoon, allowing ample time to explore the area and relax a bit.

Every day of this tour is varied and you'll be on your toes with what could be around the next corner. The anticipation on this tour is always heightened and today things are changed up with a glorious ride on roads that run parallel to the beautiful Yom River. While fantastic in its own right, it’s the artisans near the river who demand your attention.

You'll be fortunate to observe locals weaving gold into cloth, while elsewhere there are others making stunning pottery. Leaving behind these sights, head for the Si Satchanalai Historical Park where the ruins of the ancient town remain. It’s quite poignant and intriguing to observe before pointing the bikes in the direction of the hotel on the outskirts of Thailand’s first capital, Sukhothai.

Today’s ride combines a spot of everything and perfectly blends history, comfort and excellent food. It pretty much sums up Thailand in a nutshell. You are in a fascinating country and after polishing off breakfast you'll finally get to stretch out on the bike and clock up a good amount of distance. As always a gentle start is vital and there’s no better place for this than in the Sukhothai Historical Park. One of Thailand’s most impressive World Heritage Sites, the park boasts 190 ruins from the ancient city and former capital of the 13th and 14th centuries. With an incredible array of lawns, lakes and trees, this is a great spot to begin the day’s riding.

Leaving behind the park, head south past the bottom of mountains to the mesmerizing Ramkhamhaeng National Park and onwards to a great final spot: hot springs. With some much needed soaking up, sheer bliss follows before transferring back to Sukhothai for the evening.

Today enter what could quite aptly be called hill country. After an initial drive out, jump on the bikes and the undulating road that will greet you is pleasant as you check out the startlingly great views on the way. Tackling a few twists and turns is worth it just to see the vistas, stupas and temples at the hilltops. The best of these is the Wat Prathat Huai Thom, which is also the largest in the district and will leave you with a feeling of awe. After finishing up this glorious ride, there will be a 1 hour drive to Chom Thong where you will spend the night.

Starting in the shadows of Thailand’s tallest mountain Doi Inthanon, wend your way across ride paddies, small villages and towns to the site of the ancient Kingdom of Haripunchai, nowadays called Lumphun. From Lamphun, ride out of town through magnificent tree-lined roads, fruit orchards, irrigation canals and paddy fields. You will eventually arrive in the artisan village of Ban Tawai.  From Ban Tawai you'll transfer that last bit by van into the city of Chiang Mai. This evening there will be a special dinner to mark the final evening of your tour.