RIDER'S PARADISE
“Six days on Thailand's greatest roads”
From $1600 USD · Next ride 3–8 Nov 2026
Book my rideSCHEDULED DEPARTURES
These dates are already on our calendar and open to joining riders — ride with a group instead of alone. Not on the list? We run this tour on your dates too.
The short answer
Rider's Paradise is a six-day guided motorcycle tour from Chiang Mai — 942 km through Chiang Rai, the Golden Triangle, Phu Chi Fa and Nan, from $1,600 per rider, with bike, fuel, hotels, meals and guide included. No security deposit.
Ask a Thai rider where the best roads are and they will say Nan. Six days and 942 km to find out why — north to the white, black and blue temples of Chiang Rai, along the Mekong to the Golden Triangle where three countries meet, then up the switchbacks to Phu Chi Fa, where you climb before dawn and watch the sun come up over a sea of cloud. After that, south into Nan itself: the ancient salt ponds at Bo Kluea, and mountain roads that stay empty for hours at a time.
Wild sunflowers on the hills
Last light
Switchbacks in the wet season
The Blue Temple — Chiang Rai
Regrouping on the mountain road
Famous Route 3 — Nan
The White Temple — Chiang Rai
HIGHLIGHTS
THE ROUTE
RIDING DISTANCES
approx riding time · excludes stops
- NBT → 1 Chiang Rai187 km~4h 15m
- 1 Chiang Rai → 2 Chiang Khong106 km~2h
- 2 Chiang Khong → 3 Phu Chi Fa73 km~1h 45m
- 3 Phu Chi Fa → 4 Pua186 km~4h 45m
- 4 Pua → 5 Nan61 km~1h 30m
- 5 Nan → 6 Lampang228 km~4h 15m
- 6 Lampang → NBT101 km~2h
- Day 1Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai
Scenic ride north featuring Mae Kachan Hot Springs and the famous temples of Chiang Rai — White, Black, and Blue. End at the Chiang Rai Clock Tower in time for the evening light show.
- Day 2Chiang Rai → Chiang Khong
Early departure for the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos converge. Visit the Opium Museum, then settle in along the Mekong at Chiang Khong.
- Day 3Chiang Khong → Phu Chi Fa
Country roads up to Phu Chi Fa with mountainous vistas, ridge riding above the valleys, and a stop at Phu Sang Waterfall and its warm springs. The infamous switchback section is the highlight. Overnight near Phu Chi Fa.
- Day 4Phu Chi Fa → Pua
Optional sunrise hike before riding on. Visit the Lanna-style Santiburi village and the Bo Kluea salt ponds, then drop into the small town of Pua with the evening to wander.
- Day 5Pua → Lampang
Flexible morning — choose classic Route 101 or scenic Route 1091 with an optional Mae Yom National Park stop. Visit Ban Sao Nak (the House of Many Pillars) and the Lampang old town. Khan Tok dinner included.
- Day 6Lampang → Chiang Mai
Stop at Chae Son Waterfall (waterfall + hot spring combo), then visit the Lampang Elephant Conservation Center on the way back to Chiang Mai. Tour ends at our base.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
* Single-room upgrades incur an additional charge and are subject to availability.
* Subject to availability, we offer a choice of bikes — ask at the time of booking.
NOT SURE YOU'RE READY?
Here is what riding with us actually looks like on the road.
You ride your own ride
A guide leads the way and nobody gets pushed. Not sure you're ready? The one-day Samoeng Loop is the place to find out.
Our bikes, our workshop
Every bike comes out of our own workshop with our own mechanics behind it — not a contractor we called.
Nothing held while you ride
No security deposit, and we never hold your passport — you ride with a guide, not a stack of paperwork.
A real person answers, not a bot — usually within 24 hours. We're in Chiang Mai (GMT+7), so an overnight message gets picked up in the morning.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
When are you coming?
Tap a month. We'll tell you what the road is like then — no form, no sign-up.
Every month in one list
- January · Cool-dry season
- January sits right inside the cool-dry season — dry roads, crisp mountain air and the longest views of the year. It is the month we point riders with two spare weeks at, because the dry mountain roads are at their very best. Roll over the high ridges after about 09:00 and you get the valleys below with the morning mist just lifting off them.
- February · Cool-dry season
- February opens with the best of the cool season still in full swing — cold mornings in the hills, clear ridgelines and every road open. The first half of the month is a favourite with riders who want the big views, and we plan every day of the trip around getting you onto the ridgelines at their best.
- March · Hot season
- March is the start of the hot season — long warm days, dry roads, and a relaxed pace built around early starts in the cool of the morning. It is also the tail of the field-burning months, so some days are hazy and the long valley views aren't a promise. What March does beautifully is a shorter, sharper ride: a day loop out of Chiang Mai through the hills, lunch somewhere shady, and back to town before the afternoon heat. Tell us your dates and we'll shape the route to that week.
- April · Hot season · Songkran 13–15
- April is Thailand at its most alive. Songkran falls on 13–15 April and turns every town into a joyful, friendly water fight — one of the great festival experiences anywhere in Asia. Pair a few days of riding either side of it with the celebrations in Chiang Mai, and you get the roads and the festival in one trip.
- May · The first rains
- The first rains arrive and the whole north turns green almost overnight. Mornings are the riding window, the air is freshly washed, and the roads are about as quiet as they ever get. Genuinely underrated: green hills, fresh air, and the switchbacks nearly to yourself.
- June · Green season
- Green season proper — lush jungle, washed air, and fewer riders out than almost any month of the year. Mornings are made for riding and afternoons for a long lunch while the rain passes. We build the trip with flexible days, so you ride the best of every morning.
- July · Green season
- The landscape at its most dramatic — deep green valleys, mist in the mountains and waterfalls in full flow. The 762 bends on the Pai road are a different ride entirely in the green season, and a guide riding in front of you makes every one of them a pleasure. Bring proper rain gear and enjoy a side of the north most visitors never see.
- August · Green season
- August is the north at its greenest, with rice fields glowing and the hills alive. It is a month for a relaxed trip with spare time built in — ride the mornings, take the long way when the weather is kind, and slow down for coffee in the hills. Tell us your dates and we will shape the trip around the best riding of each day.
- September · Late green season
- The rain eases through September and the rice terraces are as green as they get all year — some of the most beautiful riding scenery of the whole calendar. The roads are quiet and the countryside is at its most photogenic. A flexible trip gets the very best of it.
- October · The golden shoulder
- The rains fade through October, the hills are still green, and the roads are wonderfully empty — late October is one of the best-value weeks of the year to be on a bike here. It is a lovely time for the Pai road.
- November · Cool-dry season · the best month
- The cool-dry season opens around mid-November and this is the single best month of the year to ride Northern Thailand: fresh air, cool mornings, ridgelines you can see the whole way along. The Bua Tong sunflowers on Doi Mae U-Kho come out from about mid-month — up the spur road off Route 1263. And Yi Peng and Loy Krathong fall on 24–26 November 2026, the most magical week in Chiang Mai's year, when the city glows with lanterns and candlelit krathongs.
- December · Cool-dry season · peak
- Full cool-dry season — dry roads, long views, and crisp mountain air before the sun gets to work, so bring a warm layer for the early hours. Pai is at its liveliest in December and Ban Rak Thai is at its prettiest, which is exactly why rooms along the loop are worth booking early. Cross the high ridges after about 09:00 and the valleys open up below you.
GOOD TO KNOW
FREQUENTLY ASKED
+How much actual riding per day?
+What bike will I ride?
+Where do we stay?
+Phu Chi Fa's switchbacks look intense — should I be worried?
+Can I do this solo?
+I'm not a marathon rider — will I be sore?
+The Khan Tok dinner on Day 5 — what is that?
+Can you customize the tour?
+What's the biggest bike you have?
Read before you ride
Route Guide · 17 min read
Chiang Mai to Nan by motorbike — the Route 1148 guide
Read the guide →Season Guide · 6 min read
The best time to ride Northern Thailand — month by month
Read the guide →Got a different amount of time?
Fewer days · 4 days, 3 nights
Mae Hong Son Loop
From $999 USD →More days · 11 days, 10 nights
The Last Frontier: Laos
From $2499 USD →“What an experience! One of the main reasons I chose this company was how quickly they responded to me. I contacted them at the last minute and they messaged back almost instantly and were able to take my booking with no hassle at all… Every bike looked and felt practically brand new… And then there's Tom. By the end of the trip we didn't just consider him our guide, we considered him a friend… If you're thinking about doing a motorcycle tour in northern Thailand, I couldn't recommend these guys enough.”
“Absolutely brilliant experience with Nomad Bike Tours doing the Mae Hong Son Loop… a huge part of what made the trip so good was our guide, Tom, aka Peter Pan… He knew the roads, the best stops, the local areas and plenty of little places we would never have found ourselves… by the end of the trip it felt much more like travelling with a friend than being on a guided tour… Would 100% recommend Nomad Bike Tours to anyone thinking about doing this trip, and if you can get Tom as your guide, even better.”
Get in touch
BOOK THIS TOUR
20% booking deposit to reserve. Fully refundable 21+ days before departure.
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You send this
Nothing is charged and nothing is booked. It is a message, and it costs you nothing to change your mind.
- 2
A rider writes back
Usually within 24 hours, with the dates we have, the bike we'd put you on, and the total. We're in Chiang Mai (GMT+7).
- 3
A 20% deposit holds it
Only once you've said yes to the plan — and it's fully refundable up to 21 days before you ride.
A rider answers, not a bot — usually within 24 hours. We're in Chiang Mai (GMT+7).