Overview
TBB Tours would like to introduce participants to what has often been described as “one of the world’s top ten motorcycle rides”. They are fortunate, as this is right on their doorstep, so they have built a great four-day tour for their enjoyment. Mae Hong Son Province is officially the most mountainous province in Thailand, so as participants may imagine, that means it is under-populated and has great roads with stunning scenery! The tour is run over four days and three nights, with the itinerary as follows:
Highlights
- Starts and ends in Chiang Mai
- Ride through the scenic 1864 curves of the infamous Mae Hong Son Loop
- Enjoy the ethnic feel of Mae Hong Son as it is close to the Burmese border
- Take a long-tail boat to a highland village where the Karen “Long Necks” (Padaung tribe) live
- Enjoy lunch stop at the beautiful waterfall of Doi Inthanon
- Use of the swimming pool at the hotels
- 3 nights accommodation
Itinerary
Day 1: Chiang Mai to Pai
Depart TBB base after completing the necessary formalities and getting kitted up, and head north out of the city. The traditional route to Pai would have them arriving by lunchtime, so to extend the day and throw in some great curves, they first head to Phrao before taking an exquisite small road back to the main route 107. After a lunch stop, they continue south back towards the city, and about 30 kilometers from Chiang Mai they turn onto the Pai road and the start of the Mae Hong Son loop. This is truly a rider's dream – a mix of fast-flowing curves and tighter switchbacks to keep them on th
Day 2: Pai to Mae Hong Son
In this writer’s view, probably the sweetest section of the loop will be ridden today. It is a favourite for the combo of fantastic roads, lack of traffic, and beautiful scenery. It is not that far (about 150 kilometers) but as with all TBB Tours' tours, they try to avoid going directly. Participants will be taken to a picturesque Chinese village right on the Burmese border for lunch at a restaurant situated on a lake and then backtrack to the main road and arrive in Mae Hong Son mid to late afternoon as again, the hotel they normally stay at has a pool. Mae Hong Son has a very ethnic feel abo
Day 3: Mae Hong Son to Mae Sarieng
After breakfast, participants will leave MHS and head towards the border, where they will swap the bikes for a long-tail boat, which will ferry them to a village where the Karen “Long Necks” (Padaung tribe) live. These are the ladies with the brass rings on their necks. Leaving the Karen people, they head south, stop for lunch and a trip around the Japanese War Museum, then make their way again, along fast, grippy tarmac to their final overnight stop at Mae Sarieng. Once more, the hotel has a great pool and is situated on the Salween River, and also hosts a nice restaurant.
Day 4: Mae Sarieng to Chiang Mai
After breakfast by the river, they start their journey back via peaceful, remote pine forests before heading to the foot of Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain at 2,565 meters. It is a lunch stop at a beautiful waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park then they aim to be back in Chiang Mai for approximately 16:00. That’s it, congratulations, they have now completed the famous “Mae Hong Son Loop”. Total distance covered is approximately 750km.
Ride Details
- Terrain
- Mountain roads, fast-flowing curves, tight switchbacks, forest routes, remote areas, national park roads
- Bike
- Big bikes suitable for long-distance touring (provided by TBB Tours)
- Mileage
- Approximately 750 kilometers / 466 miles
- Riding gear
- Riding jacket, helmet, and gloves
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks during riding days; evening meals not included; soft drinks during meals and breaks
What's included
- 3 nights private accommodation
- Motorcycle
- All riding gear (jackets, helmets and gloves)
- Fuel
- Breakfast and lunch
- Teas, coffee and soft drinks served with meals
- Support crew: an English, French and Dutch-speaking motorcycle tour leader (riding days)
- Support vehicle driver for groups over four riders
- Travel insurance by Tourism Authority of Thailand
- Third-party motorcycle insurance
- Tour guide with TAT license
Not included
- All services not mentioned as included
- Security deposit on motorcycles
- Personal Health Insurance - we recommend World Nomads as it includes motorcycle riding
- Tips for the guides and support truck drivers ( suggested around 50 USD for the whole trip)
Accommodation
During this tour, you will be accommodated in private rooms in hotels carefully chosen by TBB Tours.
Food
A variety of good local food is on offer in all locations and also Western options available.
Getting There
This tour will take place in Thailand, from Chiang Mai to Pai, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sariang and back to Chiang Mai. [+](https://www.tripaneer.com/tbb-tours/4-days-mae-hong-son-motorcycle-tour-in-thailand# "Zoom in") [−](https://www.tripaneer.com/tbb-tours/4-days-mae-hong-son-motorcycle-tour-in-thailand# "Zoom out") [+](https://www.tripaneer.com/tbb-tours/4-days-mae-hong-son-motorcycle-tour-in-thailan
Rider Reviews
We had taken a 5 day tour in the Mae Hong Son loop. We are new to riding in Thailand and this was a fantastic experience for us. We were able to get all our questions answered by email even before we landed in Chiang Mai. The bikes were ready when we landed - and were very well maintained. We had a great guide in David Race who knew the loop, was an experienced rider and knew the local spots very well. Every day was well planned and enjoyable. Our local Thai guide - Limbo - was also very helpful in getting us what we wanted in the towns we stayed. Overall it was a great experience and we look forward to riding with TBB again soon.
