Sa-wat dee! Welcome to Thailand. The most vibrant city in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has many famous temples and an interesting old city area. Renowned for dazzling beauty and extremely welcoming locals, the ‘Rose of the North’ will leave you spellbound. Chances are, you won’t want to leave. Today is an arrival day and you can arrive at any time before the welcome meeting tonight at 6.30pm. An airport arrival transfer is included. This transfer is only valid if arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through Intrepid. Please provide your arrival details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 15 days prior to travel to organise this. There are so many things to do here – spectacular temples, delicious food, an enormous night market, a picturesque river-front and fantastic shopping, so perhaps arriv...

This morning around 8:45am, leave Chiang Mai with your local guide by songthaew and head north (approximately 3 hours). At Mae Malai market stock up on snacks and water for the trek, then continue on to Chiang Dao Caves. Explore a set of five interconnected caves, thought to expand more than 12 kilometres into Doi Chiang Dao Mountain. The caves are among the most extensive in the county and are a popular pilgrimage spot for both monks and ordinary Thais. Tham Phra Nawn and Tham Seua Da are illuminated by electric lights and contain hermit images, a reclining Buddha, and stunning stalagmite and stalactite rock formations. Have lunch at a local restaurant near the cave entrance, then take a short drive to an Aha village called Baan Huay Go, the start of the trek. The first 2-3 hours of the trek is along an easy undulating path, t...

Wake up to the sounds of roosters and pigs, fuel up on breakfast around 8:30am, then maybe chat with local women and see the handicrafts that they sell, perhaps choosing to purchase some – spending your money on community enterprises directly can help support community development. Farewell your hosts and begin today's walk, which will take around 4-5 hours. Make your way through agricultural land, jungle, and then climb a hill through bamboo forest to reach a lookout (approximately 2.5 hours). Enjoy a quick rest and admire the view across the beautiful scene of Chiang Dao below. Descend for around 45 minutes, and then make friends with some elephants at a local camp as you set up for lunch. Enjoy noodles, vegetables, and fruit – maybe using some chopsticks that a porter has shaped from bamboo along the way. After lunch, cont...

Enjoy a natural animal wakeup call around 8am this morning, try and chat with the locals and discover more about their culture, then get some fuel – maybe pancakes or French toast! – on-board for today’s walk. Then it’s the start of your last day of trekking, and an easy walk to finish it off. Spot the local agricultural practices as you trek through farmland for the last 2 hours of the trek, before meeting your driver at the village of Baan Pang Dang Nok. Drive 40 minutes before stopping for lunch, then continue back to Chiang Mai (approximately 2 hours), arriving around 3pm and checking into your accommodation. The rest of the day is free to relax and explore the city. Maybe take a scenic, winding drive up a mountain (around 45 minutes) to one of the country's most stunning temple complexes, Doi Suthep. A 300-step naga-gu...

This adventure comes to an end today. There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. A transfer to the airport for your departure flight from Chiang Mai is included.