NORD EXPLORER, SLOW TRAVEL (MAX 8 PAX) - versione 7 notti ** TOUR COLLETTIVO **
Tour e Crociere8 Giorni
Chiang Mai, Thailandia
Chiang Mai›Centro elefanti›Chiang Dao›Tha Ton›Mae Salong Nai›Doi Chang Mup›Chiang Rai
Servizi
Esperienze
cultura e tradizione
fuori dai percorsi usuali
natura
paesaggi
popolazioni locali
Da sapere
Penali default
100% penale nei 60 giorni precedenti l'inizio viaggio
Partenze disponibili
Nov 2026
Dic 2026
Gen 2027
Feb 2027
Maggio 2027
Giu 2027
Lug 2027
Ago 2027
Set 2027
Garantito
Starts from
8 days / 7 nights - from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.
Characteristics
Collective tour in English include meals (v. the fee includes) departures are guaranteed (min 2 participants). Subject to availability small groups, max 8 participants small groups, max participants small groups, max participants. Includes a visit to a sustainable elephant centre approved by animal welfare associations. The visit to the centre is conducted by English-speaking local guides. Overnight stay in an Akha tribal village Overnight stay at the Ahsa Farmstay.
Important notes
Flight to Chiang Mai (not included): it is possible to arrive at any time.
Flight from Chiang Rai (not included): it is necessary to book flights departing after 10.15 hours.
Lunches in restaurants along the way: only Thai cuisine.
The scheduled times are indicative; the exact times will be confirmed locally by the guides.
Electronic cigarettes banned: in Thailand it is strictly prohibited to possess, sell, import, and export electronic cigarettes and components. Anyone found in possession of an electronic cigarette, including tourists, is punishable with a fine and a sentence of up to five years in prison.
Museums in Thailand are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Tips are very much appreciated by local staff although they are not compulsory. For guides, drivers, porters, etc. a tip is a sign of appreciation, rewarding the work done. The indicative daily amount to allow for on private tours is approximately 2,000 THB / 50 USD for guides and 500 THB / 15 USD for drivers.
Smoking is not allowed at Ahsa Farmstay. All activities carried out at the farmstay will be conducted by local people who live on the premises and speak English.
Meals
Legend: B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner.
Itinerary
Giorno 1 — Chiang Mai
Arrival in Chiang Mai by air. Welcome by the local staff and transfer to the hotel, located within the "Quadrilateral" surrounded by walls and canals that mark out the old city. Here stand no fewer than 119 Buddhist temples, testimony to the central role Chiang Mai played for centuries as the capital of the Lanna kingdom and an important Theravada religious centre in the North. Check-in to the rooms (available from 14:00). Day and meals not included. Overnight in Chiang Mai. Accommodation De Lanna Boutique Hotel.
Giorno 2 — Chiang Mai
Breakfast. At 08:30 departure for a visit of the city, with two walking tours and journeys aboard the typical "Rot Daeng" (the "red trucks" of the public transport system). We begin on the east bank of the Ping River, once the heart of the international trade in local crafts. Today this is home to the "Ket Community", a mosaic of ethnic groups and colonial architecture. Visit to the Wat Ket Karam temple, with its spectacular five-tiered golden roof. You cross the Chansom Memorial Bridge to reach the lively Warorot market, famous for its flower section and for the crafts of the hill tribes, sold directly by the producers. Next to the market stands the Wat Saen Fang complex, from which you reach Tapae Road, the main thoroughfare leading to the historic Pratu Tapae gate. Lunch in a typical trattoria with dishes of Lanna cuisine. In the afternoon, a walking visit of the old city: Wat Phantao, a splendid wooden temple of the 14th century, the Three Kings square with the Lanna Folklife Museum and the charming Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang, site of the city's foundation stone. To finish, a visit to the Chuan Chom complex, linked to the tradition of former women prisoners trained as masseuses (Optional massage and any additional refreshments are not included). Return to the hotel. Dinner not included and overnight in Chiang Mai. Accommodation De Lanna Boutique Hotel.
PLEASE NOTE: on Sundays, in the afternoon and evening, the old city comes alive thanks to the markets that are held within it at weekends. Here you can also sample the street food (not included).
Auto
Giorno 3 — Chiang Mai → Centro elefanti → Chiang Dao
Breakfast. At 07:30 departure towards the mountains north of the city to visit an ethical elephant centre, recognised by animal welfare associations. Here you follow the animals into the jungle, observing their habits and behaviour at close quarters, without direct contact. Lunch at the centre. You continue towards the valley at the foot of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, Thailand's third highest peak (2,200 m), an imposing massif surrounded by tribal villages. The local communities – Karen, Palaung, Lisu, Akha, Hmong and others – have varied origins, between Burma, Yunnan and the Himalayas. In the afternoon a visit to some of the villages, including the Palaung, who have remained more faithful to their own traditions, and the Akha, famous for their richly decorated costumes (*). Accommodation in a hotel in Chiang Dao. Dinner not included and overnight. Accommodation The View.
PLEASE NOTE: some of these villages are reached along rough mountain roads that may become impassable in the rainy season. It is therefore not possible to draw up in advance an exact list of the villages that will be visited during the day.
Auto
Giorno 4 — Chiang Dao → Tha Ton
Breakfast. A day dedicated to solidarity and meaningful encounters with local communities. In the morning, visit Chiang Dao Market, an important gathering place for the hill tribes. The vibrant colours of their traditional clothing – the yellow and green of the Palaung, the black of the Hmong, the blue of the Akha and the purple of the Lisu – bring the market stalls to life, with their abundance of agricultural produce forming the basis of the local barter system. Here, supplies are purchased for a remote school and orphanage nestled in the mountains, home to around 120 children, most of whom are orphans or come from disadvantaged families. With the participants’ contribution, the day becomes a celebration: everyone helps prepare a meal alongside the school cook before sharing lunch with the children. Alternatively, lunch can be enjoyed at a scenic homestay. In the afternoon, visit the Chiang Dao Caves, renowned for their impressive stalactites and ancient places of worship hidden within. Afterwards, travel to Thaton, a remote district on the border with Myanmar, crossed by the Maekok River. Check in at a simple hotel near the small town centre. Dinner and evening at leisure. Accommodation Saranya River House.
Auto
Giorno 5 — Tha Ton → Mae Salong Nai → Doi Chang Mup
Breakfast. 07:45 – Departure. The day is devoted to the mountains on the border between Thailand and Burma. You travel up the Maekok River aboard a long tail boat as far as the frontier point, then continue in a north-easterly direction. Stop on Mount Mae Salong, famous for the tea plantations introduced by the Chinese refugees who followed Chiang Kai-shek. Among the rows of Oolong, stretching as far as the eye can see across the slopes, there are also rare centuries-old Assam tea plants. Lunch in a local restaurant on the mountain. You continue towards the Akha villages of Mount Chang Mup, known for the coffee plantations that have grown up above 1,400 m, often replacing the old opium crops. Along the way you come across old military lookout posts, today turned into viewpoints over Burmese territory. Accommodation in a local resort with simple but comfortable rooms and private facilities. Dinner and overnight. Accommodation K2 Phahee.
Auto
Giorno 6 — Doi Chang Mup → Mae Salong Nai
Breakfast. Morning in the village, with splendid mountain views and a glimpse of local daily life. At 10:30 you descend towards the valley to reach the Ahsa Farmstay, a farm run by Akha and Thai Yai families. Accommodation in the rooms and a visit to the farm: among the crops the rubber trees stand out, and the farmer will show you how latex is extracted. Depending on the season, participants can try their hand at sowing or harvesting rice (clothing provided locally). A curiosity: you can try the traditional sauna made from old fighting-cock cages. Lunch in a panoramic pavilion overlooking the rice fields. In the afternoon, a visit to the market of Mae Salong Nai to buy the ingredients for dinner, prepared together with the farm's hosts during an informal cooking class dedicated to Akha cuisine. Dinner and overnight stay. Accommodation Ahsa Farm Stay.
Giorno 7 — Mae Salong Nai
08:00 – Tribal breakfast at the Farmstay with local specialities, including sticky rice grilled in banana leaves and other delicacies. This is followed by a curious experience: the traditional sauna practised inside… fighting-cock cages! At 10:00 transfer to Mae Chan, a lively district capital and home to the largest market in the area. After exploring it you continue towards the Golden Triangle, the meeting point between Thailand, Laos and Burma, once the heart of the opium trade. Visit to the museum dedicated to the history of the poppy and opium and a stop at the Phrathat Doi Pu Khao temple, which overlooks the confluence of the rivers. You then follow the Mekong eastwards, admiring the mountains of Laos on your left, until you reach Chiang Saen, the ancient first capital of the Lanna kingdom. Here you visit the historic ruins, including Wat Phrathat Chedi Luang, with its imposing pyramid on an octagonal base. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, a stop in a village of the Thai Leu ethnic group, known for its refined weaving tradition. The older women still work at large wooden looms, passing on a slow and complex technique considered among the finest in the North. The families grow the cotton they need and, thanks to a community consortium, the looms are made available to those most in need. With a little luck you will be able to watch several craftswomen at work at the same time. Return to the Ahsa Farmstay in the afternoon. Tribal dinner with dishes different from those of the previous evening, and overnight stay. Accommodation Ahsa Farm Stay.
Auto
Giorno 8 — Mae Salong Nai → Chiang Rai
06:45 – Tribal breakfast at the Farmstay with sticky rice, eggs grilled in banana leaves and other local specialities. 07:30 – Check-out and transfer with a private driver to Chiang Rai airport. End of the tour.
Price includes
Transfers and tours by bus or minivan with assistance and local guides
Guide to local places during visits (in English, when not available in Italian)
Entrances, visits and excursions as per the itinerary
Accommodation at the scheduled hotel (or similar)
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners
Price does not include
Opening fee and Zero Risk coverage
Medical-luggage-cancellation insurance
Unmentioned meals, beverages and extras in general
Christmas or New Year's Eve dinner (mandatory supplement)
Tip
Porterage
Flights and airport taxes
Everything not expressly mentioned in "The fee includes"
Notes
ROOMS: Triple rooms are always double rooms with an additional bed, often smaller than the two existing beds; triple rooms are subject to availability at the time of booking. Requests for smoking rooms, connecting rooms, adjacent rooms, higher or lower floors, etc., are always on request and not guaranteed. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Participants must ensure before departure that they have the necessary and valid documentation for entry into the countries visited during the tour. HOTEL FINAL LIST: indicated in the travel documents HOTEL, CHECK-IN: as a rule, rooms are assigned starting from 2-3 pm; any early check-in is at the hotel's discretion. The request for a guaranteed early assignment requires booking an extra night prior to arrival. HOTEL, CHECK-OUT: The room must be vacated in the morning, by the time indicated by the hotel; the surcharge for late check-out is equal to 50% of the extra night for check-out by 6 pm; for check-out after that time, an additional night will be charged. HOTEL / ITINERARY, CHANGES: The organizing company reserves the right to modify the itinerary and/or hotels with others of similar or higher category, means of transportation, etc., if required by unforeseen circumstances and necessary for the safety and normal continuation of the trip. Furthermore, when it is not possible to accommodate all participants in the same hotel, the group will be divided among different hotels of equal category. TIMETABLES: departure times are indicative and depend on the number of hotels from which pick-ups are scheduled for each day; the pick-up start time indicates when customers should be ready in the lobby for departure; in hotels reached last, a wait of at least fifteen minutes or more compared to the indicated time is likely. The return times to the hotel are purely indicative and variable depending on a considerable number of factors including the time dedicated to visits and the intensity of traffic. PUNCTUALITY: we recommend respecting the scheduled times. No refunds are provided for services missed due to customer delays. TIPS: not included, at the discretion of the tourist MEALS: not included unless specified. REFUNDS: There are no refunds for parts of the tour or excursions not carried out due to force majeure; in any case, no refund is due to the customer who decides to interrupt the trip or stay. TRANSFERS: not included unless specified; if included, they are exclusively for/from the hotels scheduled for the tour on the days of the tour's start/end; in case of extending the stay, for transfers to/from other hotels, or for arrivals/departures from other airports, a supplement applies. The supplement always applies if the passenger is traveling alone. Requests for booking transfers not included or for different hotels must be received at least 3 weeks before departure, or an additional urgency supplement will be applied.
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