Samoeng Loop
1 day

SAMOENG LOOP

“Chiang Mai's most popular one day loop — with a twist”

From$259 USD/ $359 USD with passenger
DifficultyEasy — no experience needed
Duration1 day
5.0on Google
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The short answer

The Samoeng Loop is a one-day guided motorcycle tour from Chiang Mai — 147 km of mountain road, from $259 per rider, with the bike, fuel, meals, safety gear and an experienced guide included. No security deposit. No passport held.

The first proper mountain road most riders meet starts twenty minutes from the old city and doesn't stop for 147 km. We ride the Samoeng Loop anticlockwise — climbing early, saving the best corners for the afternoon. On the way: a 700-year-old tunnel temple, a cave you walk into by lamp, forest that closes over the road, and a waterfall the tour buses drive straight past.

Samoeng forest viewpoint

Samoeng forest viewpoint

Novice monks at the cave mouth

Novice monks at the cave mouth

Rice terraces on the way round

Rice terraces on the way round

A roadside encounter — and not a rare one

A roadside encounter — and not a rare one

The other kind of roadside encounter

The other kind of roadside encounter

Mae Sap Cave

Mae Sap Cave

The viewpoint stop

The viewpoint stop

Lunch over the paddy

Lunch over the paddy

Noodles at the roadside stop

Noodles at the roadside stop

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HIGHLIGHTS

◆Wat Umong — walk the 700-year-old temple tunnels
◆Mae Sap Cave — explore the chambers by lamp
◆Tat Mok Waterfall — a cold swim stop
◆Coffee roasted in the hills you're riding through
◆The Samoeng forest viewpoint
◆147 km of jungle curves, twenty minutes from town

THE ROUTE

RIDING DISTANCES

approx riding time · excludes stops

  • NBT → 1 Wat Umong7 km~0h 15m
  • 1 Wat Umong → 2 Mae Rim19 km~0h 30m
  • 2 Mae Rim → 3 Mae Sap Cave44 km~1h 15m
  • 3 Mae Sap Cave → 4 Samoeng10 km~0h 30m
  • 4 Samoeng → 5 Hang Dong54 km~1h 15m
  • 5 Hang Dong → NBT13 km~0h 15m
TOTAL~147 km
  1. Morning
    Departure → Wat Umong → Mae Sap Cave

    Set off at 9 AM from our base, heading northwest to Wat Umong — a 700-year-old forest temple where you walk through brick tunnels dug into the hillside — with a coffee stop nearby. From there the loop runs anticlockwise through farmland and into the forest, climbing to Mae Sap Cave around midday. Bring a torch: the chambers go back further than they look. Optional stop en route at the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden and its canopy walkway.

  2. Afternoon
    Tat Mok Waterfall → Chiang Mai

    Lunch in Samoeng, then Tat Mok Waterfall for a cold swim and a break in the shade. The ride home is the reason we go anticlockwise — a long descent through the Samoeng forest with a viewpoint over the whole valley before the road spills back out at Hang Dong. Back at base by late afternoon.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

✓Bike
✓Experienced guide
✓All meals
✓Fuel
✓Safety gear
✓Entrance fees
✓NBT t-shirt
✓Buff

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

—International flights
—Riding boots and riding trousers
—Accommodation and meals before the tour departs
—Alcoholic drinks
—Your own personal travel insurance
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When are you coming?

Tap a month. We'll tell you what the road is like then — no form, no sign-up.

GOOD TO KNOW

LicenceMotorcycle licence from home, plus an IDP endorsed category A — not the standard category B.
Insured฿500,000 medical cover per rider, per accident — Bangkok Insurance.
Security depositNone taken. We don't hold your passport either.
OperatorTAT-licensed Thai tour operator. Our own guides, workshop and mechanics.
GroupAround five riders. Tours run whatever the numbers.
BikeAutomatics and scooters on every tour except Laos. Lowered bikes from ~155 cm.
Licences, insurance, damage and what to bring →

FREQUENTLY ASKED

+I've never ridden in Asia. Can I handle the Samoeng Loop?
Yes. Samoeng is Chiang Mai's most beginner-friendly mountain loop — the curves are gentle, the surfaces are paved, and you ride at your own pace behind a guide who knows every corner. We do a full safety briefing before we roll out.
+What's the deal with Wat Umong, the tunnel temple?
Wat Umong is a 700-year-old forest temple on the edge of Chiang Mai, built into a hillside with a network of meditation tunnels still in use today. Quiet, shaded, completely different in feel from the gold-and-tourists temples downtown. We stop for around 30 minutes — long enough to walk the tunnels and the surrounding woods.
+What kind of food is included, and where do we eat?
Local Northern Thai at a small family-run place — usually a riverside or hillside spot along the loop, not a tour-bus restaurant. Khao soi, hill-tribe greens, fresh fruit, that kind of thing. Tell us about allergies or preferences when you book and we'll match the stop.
+What's included in the price?
Experienced guide, all meals, fuel, full safety gear, entrance fees, plus an NBT t-shirt and buff to take home. Just bring your licence and your sense of adventure.
+What time do we start and finish?
We depart from our base at 9 AM and return by late afternoon — usually around 4–5 PM, depending on stops and pace. It's a full day, not a rushed one.
+Is this the same loop everyone does on a rented scooter?
Same general route, very different ride. We take the backroads most tourists miss, hit a 700-year-old tunnel temple and a hidden cave on the way, and skip the crowded stops. You'll see why locals call this the loop with a twist.
+Can you customize the route or pace?
Yes. Solo, couple, or small group — we'll adjust the stops, pace, and meal style to your party. Just let us know what you want when you book.

Read before you ride

Route Guide · 14 min read

The Samoeng Loop — the complete route guide

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Tour Comparison · 12 min read

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“My bike was top tier. On arrival I had brand new tires and a freshly gone over machine… There were 3 others plus a mechanic. Having the mechanic come along puts the mind at rest. He is awake every morning before everyone else ensuring your bike is good to go… We did 10 days riding in Laos and it was the trip of a lifetime.”
George Williams · Google review
“Wow what a team!… Such a professional team providing bikes, we had a NX 500, food and accommodation organised for us. My friend and I did the Mae Hong Song loop and it was amazing with a legend as a guide. A big thank you goes to Ling as she was helpful and very knowledgeable.”
Susan Harrison · Google review

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20% booking deposit to reserve. Fully refundable 21+ days before departure.