Chiang Mai Trekking – Everything you need to know

Chiang Mai Hill Tribe Trekking

Trekking in Chiang Mai has been one of Chiang Mai and North Thailand’s major tourist activities since the 1970s. The ecology and hill tribes made it a perfect setting, capturing the curiosity of travellers from around the world and their sense of adventure. The trekking industry in Chiang Mai boomed in the 1990’s along with a wave of backpacking. As you can imagine back then, tribal villages were still very primitive, comprised of bamboo houses and structures made out of natural materials only. Today the scenes are quite different, and whilst it is still possible to find some hill tribe villagers living primitively, many villages now have paved roads and their houses maybe partially built from concrete and wood.

Trekking is still a hugely popular activity for tourists today in Chiang Mai, and there are so many different types of treks available, it’s hard to know which to choose. Here are a few handy pointers to consider when looking for a trek in Chiang Mai.

1 Day Treks

Whilst one day treks might be a good choice for those with limited time, you will spend a large portion of the day driving out of Chiang Mai to start the trek, and then you will need to drive back, so it’s not a very efficient use of time. That’s why we always recommend going for 2d/1n tour or trek, to optimize your trekking experience.

2 Day Treks

Going for a 2 day trek, and staying overnight in a village will give you a better all-round experience and cultural insight. You’ll have time to visit hill tribe villages such as the Karen and Hmong, to observe and learn about how they live in the lush sub-tropical forests. You’ll get to explore a wider variety of landscapes and nature.

3 Day Treks

And of course if you can go on an even longer trek, such as a 3 day trek this would give you a much deeper experience, and chance to fully immerse yourself in nature and the hill tribe way of life. You would probably get to see a wider variety of hill tribe groups along the way (ie: Karen, Hmong, Lahu, Lisu) depending on the area you travel to.

Things to ask before going on a trek

Before deciding on a trek, you may want to consider or ask the following :

• Is it a private or group trek ?
• How does this trek positively impact surrounding communities or villagers ?
• Who will be my trekking guide ?
• Will we come across any locals or visit villages on the way? If so, what is the best way to support them directly ?

We will look at each of these aspects below:

Lahu Hill Tribe Village Trek

Things to think about when choosing a trek

Private or Group Trek ?

Group treks are often much cheaper than private treks. If you join a group trek, group size will vary depending on the operator and the time of year (whether it’s low or high seaon). The tourism peak season in Chiang Mai is from November to January, and many hotels and service providers will be busy then.  As with anything done in a large group, a group trek is more likely to feel like a ‘canned’ experience whereas going on a private trek will feel much more authentic and personal. Private treks will be slightly more expensive but you won’t have to worry about keeping up with the rest of the group, and you can tailor your trekking itinerary with your guide.

Treks for all levels – Hard or Soft

As our treks are private, they can be as long or short as you want. If you have problems walking uphill your guide can customise the route according to your requirements.

When is the best time to go on a trek ?

Although it is possible to go trekking in northern Thailand at any time of the year, for obvious reasons it’s not the best time to go trekking during the rainy season which runs from May to September. There are dry days during this period, and it does’nt rain every single day. However there are some days when there is a lot of rain. The summer season months of March to April, also known as the ‘smokey season’ should also be avoided. This is due to the hot and dry weather, when temperatures can reach the high 30’s during the day, and the air pollution caused by agricultural burning across northern Thailand.

Things to ask before going on a trek

Before deciding on a trek, you may want to consider or ask the following :

• Is it a private or group trek ?
• How does this trek positively impact surrounding communities or villagers ?
• Who will be my trekking guide ?
• Will we come across any locals or visit villages on the way? If so, what is the best way to support them directly ?

Thailand HillTribe Holidays – Our Ethical Treks with Hill Tribe Guides

As part of our hill tribe tours there’s the option to go on a short trek with one of our village hill tribe guides. Going on a hill tribe trek is a great way to learn about how the hill tribes live with nature, you can see how they pick herbs and ferns which can be eaten or used for medicinal purposes. You can learn about how they farm the land and the local wildlife.

Ethical and Sustainable

As part of our sustainable travel policy and dedication to uplifting village communities through tourism, we select and train hill tribe villagers on how to take tourists for guided treks. This enables tourists to learn firsthand from a hill tribe villager and is a pivotal opportunity for hill tribes to earn a livelihood and therefore improves their future prospects.

As a tourist you will gain a unique insight and chance to ask questions to your guide about all things hill tribe and about their life in the mountains and forests. We are also the only tour operator to visit the areas on our treks, so this means your trek will be highly authentic and cause no damage to the environment.

Leave a Positive Impact – Working with communities

We have built up strong and trusted relationships with the villagers in the areas that we travel to. We work closely with homestay owners and village guides, training them on how to host visitors, providing continuous feedback and investment into the maintenance of their homestays and services.

Child Trekking Chiang Mai

Kid-Friendly Treks

Our treks are always kid friendly! As our tours and treks are private only, you don’t need to keep up with anybody else. You can go as slow or as fast as you like, stop whenever you want or ask questions and learn about what interests you the most.
This means that your guide can customise the whole experience based on your families needs and wants. If you need to stop, go a little faster, or have a particular interest, our guides can accommodate your needs and customise the trip accordingly.

If you are interested in trek or would like to include a trek as part of an overall tour, please contact us or visit our tours and homestays pages.