| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 823km |
| Time | 11 days |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Terrain | Mainly flat, some hills |
| Highlight | Si Satchanalai to Lampang |
Overview
This 11-day journey starts in Bangkok and takes you north to the Laos border at Chiang Khong.Before you start, spend a few days in Bangkok where the cheap shopping and well-stocked bike shops allow you to pick up anything you forgot to pack. The traffic is really heavy in Bangkok, so get the train north to Ayutthaya and explore the ruins there before you begin the ride.
The first two days are on minor roads through agricultural land and small towns, passing many wats and water buffalo. Our route from Nakhon Sawan to Sukhothai is on more major roads, which can be quite open - but there are alternative routes on minor roads. Once you reach Sukhothai it's well worth taking a day off to ride around the historical park and give your muscles some R&R. From Sukhothai to Wang Chin is minor roads through lovely countryside with rolling hills, before tackling a 7km long, 600m climb on the way to Lampang.
After this effort, reward yourself by taking the train to Chiang Mai as a treat (the roads get pretty busy) and have a few days off. There's loads to see and do in Chiang Mai, and it's cooler than central Thailand too, which will be a welcome relief if you do it at the same time of year as we did! From Chiang Mai it's a three hour bus ride to Chiang Rai (or a 200km very hilly ride), and then one last day of beautiful scenery and gentle hills to get to Chiang Khong at the Laos border.