The Chiang Mai loop, day by day.

In November 2025 I took 15 bikes out of Chiang Mai for seven days through the mountains of northern Thailand. Zero incidents. All 15 bikes came back in one piece, and the group chat is still active. That run is why this is the trip we keep coming back to — it sold out for 2026 and returns for a third year in 2027. If you're weighing a Chiang Mai loop motorcycle trip, here's exactly what the week looks like.

Arrival: bikes, orientation, Night Bazaar

Fly into CNX, meet the group at the hotel, pick up your Honda CB500X — it comes with a top case for your gear and third-party insurance. We do a slow orientation ride around the city so the bike feels familiar before the real riding starts, then dinner at the Night Bazaar.

Day 1: the warmup circuit and Doi Suthep

A day loop around Chiang Mai's surroundings — temple stops including Doi Suthep, mountain roads east of the city. The purpose of this day is honest: shake off the jet lag, find your rhythm, and let me see how the group rides before we head into the bigger mountains.

Day 2: 762 curves to Pai

The famous one. The road to Pai has 762 curves — switchbacks through cloud forest, panoramic ridgelines, the kind of riding you flew here for. It ends in the most charming mountain town in Thailand. Night market, live music, strong coffee.

Day 3: Ban Rak Thai, a tea village on the Myanmar border

Single-lane roads and tea plantations take us to Ban Rak Thai — a Yunnan-settled village built by descendants of Chinese KMT soldiers, right at the Myanmar border. Tea terraces, bamboo raft rides, a cultural fusion that has no equivalent anywhere else in Southeast Asia. It's quiet. You'll understand why we come back here.

Day 4: cliffside glamping above Mae Hong Son

We push to the wildflower fields above Mae Hong Son and sleep in cliffside glamping tents over valleys that stretch through the mountains. Bonfire, stories, no Wi-Fi. In 2025 this was the most memorable night of the trip, and sunrise from the tent is something else.

Day 5: Mae Win and the elephants

Down through gold-mining towns and coffee country to Mae Win for hands-on time with rescued elephants — walking, feeding, learning from local mahouts. Not a show, not a circus. Proper wildlife interaction with respect built in.

Day 6: back to Chiang Mai

The final ride back. Drop the bikes, group dinner, goodbyes. Most riders extend a day or two in Chiang Mai — it's worth it.

The pace, honestly

This is not a race. A typical day is ~3–5 hrs of riding, about 100 mi (160 km), with regular stops for food and photos. The route is 90% on-road, 10% gravel, and we regroup at checkpoints — no one gets left behind. You should be an intermediate rider: at least a year of active riding, comfortable with 4+ hours in the saddle and winding mountain roads. Motorcycling has inherent risk. I don't pretend otherwise — but two group expeditions have run so far, with zero incidents.

Riding the loop in 2027

The same Chiang Mai loop itinerary runs again November 15–21, 2027 — year 3. Ten riders, private rooms, CB500X included, $1,999 USD with a $500 deposit. This is a rider-organized group trip, not a travel package: logistics handled, route tested. If this week reads like your kind of week, see the Thailand November 2027 trip.