You can see the best of northern Thailand in seven to ten days without driving: start in Chiang Mai, take a minivan to Pai, come back through Chiang Mai and ride the Greenbus to Chiang Rai, then visit the Golden Triangle before flying out. Every leg runs on scheduled public transport.
The north is shaped like a fan with Chiang Mai at the handle. Pai lies to the northwest in the mountains, Chiang Rai to the northeast, and there is no fast road between the two. That is why this route goes back through Chiang Mai in the middle, and why it works better as a loop than as a straight line.
This page is about the order, the legs and the pace. For the things to do in each town, follow the links to our city guides, and for single days out from Chiang Mai see our article on the best day trips from Chiang Mai.
The northern loop at a glance
- Order
- Chiang Mai → Pai → Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai (→ Golden Triangle) → fly or bus out
- Length
- 7 nights minimum; 10 nights with Mae Hong Son or a slower Pai
- Chiang Mai–Pai
- Prempracha minivans every hour, 06:30–17:30, 220 baht (listed for 8 October 2026)
- Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai
- Greenbus, about 11 departures a day; X-Class 218 baht (about 3 h 45), VIP 339 baht (about 3 h 20)
- Best months
- November to February: cool nights, dry roads, clear air
- Months to think twice
- March (smoke haze peaks) and the wet months, May to October
Seven nights or ten: two versions of the route
| Night | 7-night version | 10-night version |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 3 | Pai | Chiang Mai (day trip) |
| 4 | Pai | Pai |
| 5 | Chiang Mai (transit night) | Pai |
| 6 | Chiang Rai | Pai |
| 7 | Chiang Rai, then fly or bus out next day | Chiang Mai (transit night) |
| 8–9 | – | Chiang Rai, with a Golden Triangle day |
| 10 | – | Chiang Rai or Chiang Saen, then out |
The ten-night version is the one we would choose. It adds a full day trip from Chiang Mai, a slower stay in Pai and a separate day for the Golden Triangle, so no day is spent only on the road.
Nights 1–2: Chiang Mai, the hub you will pass through twice
Arrive by night train or flight from Bangkok; our comparison of ways from Bangkok to Chiang Mai weighs them up. Spend the first two days in the old city and on the temple hill above it. Our Chiang Mai guide covers the city, and the page on visiting Doi Suthep explains the songthaew, the steps and the walking trail.
Since you return to Chiang Mai later, keep the same hotel for both stays if you can, and ask to leave a bag there. Pai's guesthouses are small, and a light bag makes the minivan far more comfortable.
The Monk's Trail now costs 100 baht. Since 1 October 2025 foreign adults pay 100 baht (children 50, cash) to hike the forest path to Wat Pha Lat, according to the park chief quoted by Thai PBS. The road up the mountain stays free.
Leg 1: Chiang Mai to Pai by minivan or plane
Prempracha Transport's vans leave Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal every hour from 06:30 to 17:30, at 220 baht, for the mountain road through Mae Malai. The company publishes no fixed journey time and warns that it depends on weather and the road, so plan for a half-day. The hundreds of bends make many passengers sick; our guide to getting from Chiang Mai to Pai covers seats, motion sickness and why we would not ride a scooter on it as a beginner.
There is now also a short flight. EZY Airlines scheduled one daily Chiang Mai–Pai flight for October 2026 (12:10 to 12:55, with the return at 13:25), according to Chiang Mai Citylife. It is a small regional airline, so check that the flight is still running and what bag allowance it gives before you rely on it.
Pai: two or three nights at a valley pace
Pai is a small town in a wide valley, with hot springs, a canyon, waterfalls and viewpoints spread out over the surrounding hills. Two nights is the minimum; three lets you see the valley without rushing. Our Pai guide lists what to see, and where to stay in Pai compares sleeping in town with staying out in the valley.
Most visitors get around Pai by scooter. If you are not an experienced rider, hire a driver for a day or join a local tour instead; the gravel tracks and steep ramps near town cause many falls.
Optional detour: Mae Hong Son instead of the return to Chiang Mai
With ten nights, you can carry on west from Pai to Mae Hong Son and fly back to Chiang Mai, instead of taking the van back down the same road. Prempracha sells seats from Pai to Mae Hong Son, and EZY Airlines scheduled two daily flights from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai in October 2026. Our guide to Mae Hong Son without the loop covers the town and both ways of getting there. This takes the place of Chiang Rai's extra night, not the Pai stay.
Leg 2: back through Chiang Mai
We do not know of a scheduled public bus straight from Pai to Chiang Rai, and we have not verified the private minivans that some guesthouses sell for it. The dependable way is the Prempracha van back to Chiang Mai (hourly from Pai, 07:00 to 17:30) and a night there.
If you are short of time, it can be done in one long day: an early van from Pai, then an afternoon Greenbus to Chiang Rai from the same Arcade terminal. Leave plenty of margin; a delay on the mountain road would make you miss a bus you have already paid for.
Leg 3: the Greenbus to Chiang Rai
Greenbus runs about eleven coaches a day from Chiang Mai's Arcade terminal to Chiang Rai's town-center terminal, with X-Class at 218 baht (about 3 hours 45) and VIP at 339 baht (about 3 hours 20), as listed for 8 October 2026. Tickets are sold through the fairfair booking system. Our page on Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai has the departure times, the two terminals and the difference between the classes, and our guide to long-distance buses in Thailand explains bus classes in general.
Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle: the last two or three nights
Chiang Rai is smaller and calmer than Chiang Mai. Visit the White Temple early, before the tour coaches arrive; the ticket has cost 200 baht since 1 January 2026, and our page on the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) explains the hours and the rules. The Chiang Rai guide covers the Blue Temple, the clock tower and the night bazaar.
The Golden Triangle is the point where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak rivers, near the old town of Chiang Saen. Local buses run north from Chiang Rai's Terminal 1 towards Chiang Saen; we could not find an official timetable or fare, so ask at the terminal the day before. From Chiang Saen, a songthaew (the shared pickup trucks) or a tuk-tuk covers the last stretch. Leave before noon so that you are back before dark.
Readers who prefer to drive the whole circuit will find the roads, distances and stops described by our sister site in its Golden Triangle drive. This page assumes you are not driving.
Leaving the north
From Chiang Rai you have three ways out:
- Fly from Mae Fah Luang–Chiang Rai airport to Bangkok, the simplest end to the loop.
- Take the Greenbus back to Chiang Mai and fly or take the night train from there, which often gives more flight choices.
- Cross into Laos at Chiang Khong and take the two-day slow boat down the Mekong to Luang Prabang. Our guide to the slow boat from Chiang Khong covers the border bridge, the Lao visa and the boat.
If the north is only part of a longer trip, our two-week Thailand itinerary shows how to connect it with Bangkok and the islands.
When to go: cool season, smoke season and rain
The cool, dry months from November to February are the best time for this route. At the Thai Meteorological Department's Chiang Mai station, January nights average 15.7 °C, and the mountains around Pai are colder still, so bring a fleece. Book buses and rooms ahead for the Christmas and New Year weeks and for Yi Peng; in 2026 the festival runs from 23 to 25 November, and our page on Yi Peng in Chiang Mai explains the rules on lanterns.
From about January to April, smoke from field and forest burning settles in the northern valleys. The same weather station records haze on about 27 days in March, the worst month. Our article on Chiang Mai's smoky season explains the causes; anyone with asthma or heart problems should check air-quality readings before booking for March.
The rains run from about May to October, with August the wettest month in Chiang Mai (223 mm on average). Buses and vans keep running, but mountain roads can be hit by landslides, journeys take longer and some waterfall trails get slippery. Leave a spare day in the plan.
Do not ride the mountain roads after dark or in heavy rain. If you rent a scooter anywhere on this route, ride only in daylight, wear a helmet (required by law for riders and passengers) and carry a license that covers motorcycles. The UK Foreign Office warns that riding without the right licence can invalidate your travel insurance.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for northern Thailand?
Seven nights covers Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai at a steady pace, with two nights in each and one transit night in Chiang Mai. Ten nights is more comfortable: it adds a day trip from Chiang Mai, an extra night in Pai and a separate day for the Golden Triangle.
Can I go from Pai to Chiang Rai directly?
We found no scheduled public bus between Pai and Chiang Rai. The reliable route is the minivan back to Chiang Mai and the Greenbus from there. In one long day it is possible with an early van, but a night in Chiang Mai in between is less stressful.
Do I need a car or scooter to travel in northern Thailand?
No. Minivans link Chiang Mai and Pai every hour, and Greenbus coaches run about eleven times a day between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. In the towns, use songthaews, Grab or a hired driver. A scooter is useful in Pai only if you are already an experienced rider.
What is the best month for a trip to Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai?
November to February. Nights are cool, the roads are dry and the air is usually clear. March is the peak of the smoke-haze season, April is the hottest month, and from May to October rain slows the mountain roads.
Sources
- Prempracha Transport – Online booking (Chiang Mai–Pai, Pai–Mae Hong Son) (checked October 2026)
- Prempracha Transport – Chiang Mai–Pai route (checked October 2026)
- fairfair – Greenbus ticketing and timetable search, Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai (checked October 2026)
- Chiang Mai Citylife – EZY Airlines October 2026 schedule for Mae Hong Son and Pai (checked October 2026)
- Thai PBS – Fee for the Monk's Trail on Doi Suthep (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Thai Meteorological Department – Climatological data of Thailand 1991–2020 (Chiang Mai station) (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand: safety and security (checked October 2026)