Chiang Rai Trips & Tours

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Chiang Rai

Head off radar and escape to nature in the spectacular hills of northern Thailand.

Not to be confused with its ritzier older sister, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai is about as real and authentic as it gets. Tucked into the northernmost point of Thailand against the borders of Myanmar and Laos, the province is a place of bounty in looks, culture and scenery. Highlights range from the rugged mountain-scapes that hide iconic hot springs and waterfalls, to the Buddhist shrines and scattered hill-tribe villages. A trek is the best way to take it all in, and just about everyone who ventures up here dons a pair of walking boots, be it for a multi-day romp complete with white-water rafting, or a simpler, shorter jungle trek. And then there’s the elephants. This is the home of the elephant sanctuary, and thankfully there’s not a whiff of tourist-trap rides or shows in the air. Most are run by wonderful NGOs and you’ll learn the tricks of the trade with the mahouts and then follow the gentle pachyderms through the forest and bathe beside them in crystal-clear waterfalls.

Trips

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Thailand + Laos + Cambodia

The best of Thailand, Laos & Cambodia

13 nights from $6.6K per person

Bangkok Chiang Mai Chiang Rai

Thailand

The best of Thailand from North to South

11 nights from $8.3K per person

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Thailand

Discover Thailand's history

13 nights from $6.3K per person

Ayutthaya Kanchanaburi Bangkok

Design a Custom Trip

Our Experts

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Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Jessica Klauzenberg

Thailand Travel Specialist

Kevin Zimmermann

Thailand Travel Specialist

Meg Yash

Thailand Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Chiang Rai

In the northernmost reaches of Thailand, Chiang Rai is tranquillity personified. Surrounded by nothing but lush, rolling hills, towering mountains and dense jungle, trekking is number one on the 'to do' list. Along the way, learn about the lives and customs of a hill tribe village, take a dip in hot springs or waterfall-replenished pools, go white-water rafting, or spend time with the elephants at a nearby sanctuary. Chiang Rai is home to incredible temples including the gilded Wat Rong Suea Ten, Wat Rong Khun (which looks like it was carved out of ice), Wat Huay Pla Lang's towering goddess statue and the golden clock tower. You can also cycle into the countryside or take in the Cultural Triangle's ancient history.

Open Map

Active

Why you'll love it

The ability to switch off, get back to basics, and breathe, aided by some of the most spectacular and rugged topography in the country.

Off the beaten track

Saddle up and explore the stunning scenery on two wheels (no, we’re not talking motorbikes!), peddling through fields and exploring temples as you go.

Something to think about

Choose your trek carefully – some of the more popular routes become veritable highways in peak season. You know who to ask…

When to go

Best time to visit Chiang Rai

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Dry Season — one of the best times to visit

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Reviews

Based on 15 Feefo Reviews for Thailand

Guest

Beautiful vacation - bucket list

August 2026

10 nights in Thailand

This is our second time using Timbuktu, and have been pleased with both Kenya and Thailand

lana siglinger

Low stress travel the way it's meant to be

June 2026

17 nights in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos

As I mentioned- everything was great. Super easy to work with Meg. the dashboard was pretty straightforward and informative. It was so wonderful being taken care of at every location- having someone meet us at the airport and show us all of the best things in each place. the tours were well thought out and well curated. I liked having tour guides that seemed to have secret handshakes to get us into super crowded lunch spots with our own reserved table- my husband felt like he was in the Godfather. :-)

Paige Rollins-Colombo

The Dreamiest Honeymoon

April 2026

11 nights in Thailand

Timbuktu made our Honeymoon! From all of the excursions, guides, transits and stays, the attention to detail was incredible. I felt safe, relaxed, and in good hands -- while planning the trip, and in Thailand! Jess is a superstar, and we'll definitely be working with her again soon. Thanks!

Guest

January 2026

15 nights in Thailand and Laos

Jack & Debbe Powell

So East Asia was Best Honeymoon ever Thanks to Timbuktu & Megan Yash

December 2025

25 nights in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia

Timbuktu is First Rate and we give credit to Megan Yash who coordinated the whole trip in the best way ever to give us the Trip of a Lifetime. Words cannot express our joy and appreciation to her and the people who helped to make our trip 100% enjoyable from the moment we stepped on the plane to when we landed back in San Diego. Every single detail was attended to, outlined and executed perfectly. We sing Megan's and Timbuktu's praises to all that will listen. We loved our hotels and they were fabulous with outstanding service, friendly and accommodating to our every need, and well located; our personal guides were fantastic, and well educated and informed about the country they represented and very interesting and went out of their way to ensure we had the Best time! The drivers were always timely, made us feel safe and cared for, always available and made meeting our destinations so enjoyable. Dining choices were extremely helpful and thankfully we never had a health issue or any challenges. We can hardly wait until the next opportunity to travel with Timbuktu and have Megan's assistance. Thank you!!

Lisa Keehnel

Very Satisfied

November 2025

11 nights in Thailand

Kevin that I worked with listened to what I wanted and presented a trip with the information I gave him. We had to tweak it a couple of times before we settled on the itinerary.

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