With its 1864 curves, the Mae Hong Son Loop is the most spectacular travel route in Thailand. The road leads over countless hills through a densely wooded mountain rain forest. Due to its remoteness, the Mae Hong Son Loop is still an insider tip. Only a few tourists choose to take this tour. In this travel guide, you will find maps and itineraries to complete the Loop in different durations.
This travel guide covers the following topics:
Let's start with the information worth knowing about the Mae Hong Son Loop.
This map shows the Mae Hong Son Loop:
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Following, we will describe the route for readers who want to go by scooter, motorcycle, or car. But you can also travel the Mae Hong Son Loop by public transport.
Usually, Chiang Mai is the starting point. It seems natural to travel counterclockwise to go to Pai first. However, it is more common to drive clockwise.
In this direction, the road begins relatively easy and becomes continuously more difficult. Especially if you decide to rent a motorcycle, you get the chance to get used to the bike enough to master the most difficult stages between Mae Hong Son and Pai and from Pai to Chiang Mai without danger. The same advantages apply to beginners on mountain routes.
The length of the Mae Hong Son Loop is approximately 600 km. Although it seems to be a short distance, it usually takes 3 to 4 days to accomplish the trip.
It is possible to complete the tour in 2 days. It is even possible to finish the circuit within this time by bus. However, you will not have time to make stops to see the different attractions.
If you want to rent a motorcycle and drive the Mae Hong Son Loop by yourself, we recommend planning 5 to 6 days for the trip. You will be on the road with your motorbike for four days and discover the surroundings of Mae Hong Son during the two additional days.
As mentioned at the beginning, the Mae Hong Son Loop is famous for its 1864 turns. However, the whole loop has, in fact, much more curves.
It is most common to start in Chiang Mai by driving the full route of highway 108 via Mae Sariang to Mae Hong Son. It is this part of the way that counts 1864 curves. When you arrive in Mae Hong Son, you, therefore, already qualify to get the Mae Hong Son Loop Certificate of Conquest.
You can then complete the roundtrip by driving on route 1095 via Pai to Mae Rim. This 200-kilometer long intra-province highway contains 2224 curves. Adding this turns means that the whole Mae Hong Son Loop has, in total, even 4088 turns!
From Mae Rim, it only takes about 30 to 45 minutes to drive back to Chiang Mai.
Don't be mad at us. In our guide, we skip a part the section with the 1864 curves. Because the previously mentioned highway 108, from Chiang Mai vie Mae Sariang to Mae Hong Son, is not the most exciting route.
It is much more scenic to drive from Chiang Mai via Mae Chaem to Mae Hong Son. On this route, you can even make a side-trip to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain of Thailand, with a height of 2565 meters.
We propose one of the following itineraries to complete our suggested route:
If you travel according to our suggested route guide, these highlights wait for you, and you will have the chance to do the following things.
The side-trip to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, is the highlight on the way to Mae Chaem. About 5 kilometers to the south of the 2'565 meter high summit, you will find two beautiful chedis. These temples were built in 1987 and 1992 in honor of the 60th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the 60th birthday of Queen Sirikit, respectively.
Here is the route for the first day:
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The journey to Mae Hong Son will take you through the sunflower fields in the Doi Mae U-Kho area. The sunflowers bloom from November to December.
Afterward, the road leads past the Mae Surin Waterfall, where you should also stop to take a photo.
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We would be delighted if you visit us at Mae Hong Son Hostel and tell us about your trip. We will inform you where you can get your Certificate of Conquest.
You should allow 1 or 2 days to discover Mae Hong Son. During this time you can visit the following places:
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On the way to Pai, you have to eat a bowl of the well-known noodles in the small village Ban Ja Bo. In this restaurant, you can let your feet hang down.
Very close to this noodle shop are also Coral Cave and Diamond Cave. You can book a private tour with a guide. Make sure you wear good shoes.
You can alternatively or additionally visit Tham Lod Cave. In this cave, the local guides will guide you on a bamboo raft through the cave system. There are also many other caves in this section.
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The way from Pai leads you via Mae Rim back to Chiang Mai. It is worth it if you start early. Short after driving out of Pai, you will pass the Memorial Bridge. The best photos can be taken early in the morning when there are not so many people there yet.
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In Northern Thailand, there are three seasons. The cold season from November to February, the hot season from March to June and the rainy season during the monsoon from July to October.
It is difficult to say which is the best time to go on the Mae Hong Son Loop.
Our preferred month is November. During this month, the weather is ideal. For us, this is the best time to go on the Mae Hong Son Loop. There are also not as many tourists as in December or January. Besides, in November, the wild sunflowers, which are in Thai called Dok Bua Thong, bloom in the Doi Mae U-Kho region near Khun Yuam.
In general, you can drive the Mae Hong Son Loop in any season of the year. Every month has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, in August and September, one has to put on a rain cover almost every day. But in return, the rain forest is particularly impressive during this time. On the other hand, it is mostly dry in April. Unfortunately, the air quality might be terrible as the locals burn down many forests during this dry period.
The route leads through remote areas in the middle of the mountain rain forest. Therefore, you might not have any mobile phone signal. For that reason, you should carry a map with you.
By the way, Google Maps offers the function of downloading individual map sections to the smartphone. Thus, you can use Google Maps, even offline. The GPS positioning service also works without reception. Under the following link, you will find instructions on how to download map sections from Google Maps to your smartphone: Downloading maps from Google Maps.
It is possible to travel the whole Mae Hong Son Loop by public transportation.
You can complete the 1864 curves on highway 108 from Chiang Mai via Mae Sariang to Mae Hong Son by night coach. Prempracha is driving this route every night. You will leave Chiang Mai at 20:00 or 21:00 and arrive about 8,5 hours later in Mae Hong Son early in the morning.
To travel the more beautiful route from Mae Hong Son via Pai to Chiang Mai, you can take one of the many minivans that are operated by Prempracha as well. This trip will take about 6 hours. There are buses every hour from 06:30 in the morning until 14:30. It is also possible to make a stop and spend a night in Pai.
If you want to travel by bus, we suggest that you take the minibus from Chiang Mai via Pai to Mae Hong Son. Instead of completing the whole route, you can also travel by bus from Mae Hong Son directly to Bangkok. Sombat tour is the operator of this bus service. The bus will also take route 108 until Mae Sariang. Even if you don't take all 1864 curves, you will get a feeling for this winding road. The journey from Mae Hong Son to Bangkok takes about 16 to 18 hours
You can book tickets online by visiting the following links:
Prempracha Transportation: https://premprachatransports.com/
Sombat Tour: https://www.sombattour.com/
You will stay overnight in remote places in the north of Thailand. The accommodations are generally a bit simpler in this region.
We recommend booking the hotels, hostels or guesthouses in advance. Especially in the high season, it is often difficult to find any available rooms in the most popular places.
We would be happy if you choose our hostel while staying in Mae Hong Son.
About the authors:
We are the owners of Mae Hong Son Hostel. We love to travel around Thailand and discover places in other countries.
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