One of us had ridden these trails plenty of times. The other was a complete beginner on a CRF250 Rally. The plan was a weekend up to Chiang Dao and back: tea-estate tracks and pine forest on the way up, a night in town, and a long loop home through Phrao on Sunday. Spoiler: the beginner was fine. Better than fine, actually.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Days | 2 |
| Total distance | 290 km (116 km on Saturday, 174 km on Sunday) |
| Riders | 2, on a Honda CRF250L and a Honda CRF250 Rally |
| Season | End of the wet season (October) |
| Surface | Firm forest dirt and tea-estate tracks, a rutted pine-forest climb, one wet clay descent, a shallow river ford, tarmac between |
| High point | 1,729 m on Saturday, 1,264 m on Sunday |
| Sleep | Chiang Dao |
| Notable | Ramming tea estate, Doi Chiang Dao, the Pha Ngom viewpoint |
| Skill level | Beginner-friendly in good conditions. The rutted climb to 1,700 m on Saturday is the hardest bit |
The Whole Loop, in One Map
It's a loop from Chiang Mai. Saturday heads straight up the west side of the valley to Chiang Dao. Sunday swings out east, over the hills to Phrao, and comes back down into Chiang Mai from the north-east.
The Route at a Glance
| Day | Route | Distance | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Sat) | Chiang Mai → Ramming Tea Estate → Chiang Dao | 116 km | Chiang Dao |
| Day 2 (Sun) | Chiang Dao → Phrao → Pha Ngom → Mae Chedi → Chiang Mai | 174 km | Home |
Both days are built on routes you'll find on our routes page. Saturday is, more or less, The Ramming Tea Estate to Chiang Dao. Sunday's ride home follows a good chunk of The Phrao Loop. Grab the GPX from either one if you want to ride it yourself.
Can a Beginner Do This?
On this weekend, yes. The Rally rider was a complete beginner and had no issues at all. They did well over both days. The trails were in good condition. Nothing was washed out, and the surface was mostly firm. The one slippery bit was a short wet clay descent on Saturday, and it was manageable at a slow pace. Don't take that as a promise for any weekend, though. After heavy rain, those same climbs would be a very different job.
Day 1 — Up Through the Tea Estate to Chiang Dao (~116 km)
Saturday is more or less The Ramming Tea Estate to Chiang Dao. Our track covers almost all of the published route, with the GPX and the detail on the route page.
We left the south-west side of Chiang Mai at half nine and rode north through Mae Rim on tarmac. Things got interesting near Inthakhin, where the road climbs into the hills. The first proper stop was at a café on the tea estate, about 67 km in and just over 900 m up. It has a terrace, white umbrellas and one enormous tree hanging out over the valley. We stayed half an hour.
Past the café, the tarmac gives way to dirt tracks through the tea, covered in leaves. It's the ideal first dirt: wide, firm and shaded, with nowhere much to get into trouble.
This is where the Rally got its first taste of dirt, and it handled it without fuss.
We weren't the only ones out. Over the weekend we passed a few tour groups and a couple of other riding groups. These trails are no secret, and on a Saturday you'll have company.
Then the climb starts in earnest. Around 1,500 m the forest turns to pine, and the weather does too. It was grey up there, with mist hanging between the trunks, and riding under the trees in the mountains was great. It's a big part of the reason to come up here at all.
The last push to the top, at 1,729 m, is the hardest riding of the trip. It's a steep, rutted climb through the pines with a couple of lines to choose from. Pick one, keep the revs up and don't stop halfway.
The way down to Mae Na is a forest road, and one stretch of it was wet clay. Slow and steady got us through, and it was the only slippery surface all weekend.
Out of the trees, the valley opens up and Doi Chiang Dao appears with its top in the clouds. We rolled into Chiang Dao at about twenty past one, ready for lunch. The plan was Jern's. Everyone else had the same plan, and the line was out the door. So we went to The Fam, Chiang Dao, instead.
Day 2 — The Long Way Home via Phrao and Pha Ngom (~174 km)
The ride home follows a good chunk of The Phrao Loop. The full loop, with the GPX, is on the route page.
Sunday morning was clear, with Doi Chiang Dao standing over the ripening rice and a cloud parked on its summit. There was no rush. We went to the sauna at The Elements first and set off for home after it, just after one. That's late for a 174 km day, and we'd pay for it later.
Rather than ride straight back down the valley, we went east. It's about 40 km over to Phrao. From there the route heads into the hills past Mae Pang, on red dirt climbing through coffee forest and banana palms. It's rutted in places but it was dry, and after Saturday the Rally rider was comfortable on it.
Near the top of the day, at about 1,200 m, is the Pha Ngom viewpoint, with a rocky crag sitting on top of the forested ridge. Then it's downhill, into the river valley.
Down at the bottom there's a ford under an old steel footbridge. It's a concrete crossing with the water running over it, shallow when we were there. If you're unsure, walk across the bridge first and look at it from above.
From there it's the long run south through Mae Chedi and into the north-east side of Chiang Mai. We got home just after six, as the light was going. That's the cost of the lie-in and the sauna, and honestly it was worth it.
If You're Thinking About Doing This
- ·Season: we rode it at the end of the wet, with the trails in good condition. Into the cool season should be just as good. After heavy rain, expect the pine-forest climb and the clay descent on Saturday to be a lot harder.
- ·Beginners: our Rally rider was a complete beginner and was fine. Ride with someone experienced, take the rutted climb at your own pace, and walk anything you don't like the look of.
- ·Company: expect tour groups and other riders on the tea-estate trails at weekends.
- ·Food in Chiang Dao: Jern's had a line out the door at Saturday lunchtime. Have a backup. Ours was The Fam.
- ·Timing on Sunday: the Phrao loop is 174 km and has real climbing in it. We left at one and got home just after six. Leave earlier if you want slack in the day.
- ·Do it in pieces: both days are published as standalone routes if you just want one of them.
There's also an earlier ride report covering Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao as a single day, if you can't get away for the weekend.
FAQ
- Is the ride from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao suitable for beginners?
- This route was, on the weekend we rode it. One of us was a complete beginner on a CRF250 Rally and had no problems. The trails were in good condition. The hardest section is a steep, rutted pine-forest climb to 1,729 m on day one, followed by a short wet clay descent. After heavy rain both would be much harder.
- How far is Chiang Dao from Chiang Mai by dirt bike?
- Our day-one route through the Ramming tea estate and the pine forest was 116 km and took a little under four hours, including a half-hour café stop. The way back through Phrao and Pha Ngom was 174 km and about five hours.
- What bikes did you ride?
- A Honda CRF250L and a Honda CRF250 Rally, each carrying a soft dry bag strapped on the back. Both were well suited to it.
- When is the best time to ride to Chiang Dao?
- We rode at the end of the wet season in October. Everything was green, the trails were firm, and the weather in the forest up in the mountains was great. The cool season that follows should be just as good.
- Can I ride just one of the two days?
- Yes. Day one follows the Ramming Tea Estate to Chiang Dao route almost exactly, and day two covers part of the Phrao Loop. Both are on the routes page with their own GPX files.
GPX Downloads
2 files · 1.1 MB
Day one follows the Ramming Tea Estate route almost exactly, and day two rides part of the Phrao Loop. Both are on the routes page with the GPX and the detail.
