Road Cycling Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Day 1 Meet in Chiang Mai

Welcome to Chiang Mai, the “Rose of the North”! We meet at our tour hotel in the early afternoon and transfer a short distance to the Huay Tueng Thao Reservoir. This is a favorite recreation spot for Chiang Mai locals, featuring a large lake surrounded by forests and traffic-free roads. After setting up and fitting the bikes we’ll go for a gentle spin around the area, riding on a cycling & running track before looping around the scenic lake. Keep your eyes out for some large and whimsical straw statues! We then ride along the canal road equipped with a bike lane and a mix of city streets – some busy, others more quiet – leading us to Wat Umong, a 700 year-old temple set in tranquil shaded woods, famous for the tunnels below its large chedi. From there we loop back to our old town hotel via the main road. We reconvene in the evening for a welcome dinner.

The Rim Resort
Dinner
Ride 30km
+213m
-226m

Day 2 Chiang Mai - Lampang

We transfer from our hotel to avoid the Chiang Mai morning rush and begin our ride on tranquil roads that surround the ruins of an ancient city. Following country lanes flanking the Ping River, we pause at a sparkling temple complex in the moated town of Lamphun. The next leg is a scenic 50 km journey across the countryside, dotted with rice paddies, longan farms, and jungle-clad mountains in the distance. After lunch near a historic railway bridge, we prepare for the day’s main challenge: a 10 km ascent through Khun Tan National Park. This climb features narrow, winding roads that cut through a dense forest, with steep gradients that may require us to push our bikes at times. By the 90 km mark, we’ll have mostly completed the ascent, leading into a long, rolling downhill into the Wang River Valley. Back in the plains, we have a final 20 km on winding back roads that take us to the stunning Wat Phrathat Lampang Luang, an impressive fortified and highly revered temple complex dating back to the 13th-century. Finally, it's just a short ride to our secluded riverside hotel south of Lampang.

Lampang River Lodge Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 141km
+953m
-1030m

Day 3 Lampang - Phrae

Departing from our hotel, the first 30 km take us on quiet roads in the countryside of Lampang Province. We then merge onto a main throughway where the smooth tarmac allows for a more fast-paced journey. The road leads over the Baan Mai Pass, a 20 km ascent and descent surrounded by lush jungle foliage. Once we have come down, we turn north on a secondary road straddling the foothills of Phrae Province. At 70 km we’ll take a short detour to check out Thailand’s only Bavarian-style train station, built over a century ago by German engineers. As we continue, you may also be intrigued by roadside stalls selling bamboo products, a specialty of the area. We have a final – short but steep – climb into Doi Pha Klong National Park, known for its intriguing rock formations. Finally, we arrive in Phrae, the provincial capital, where we can see a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion, built at a time when Phrae was the center of the lucrative teak trade. For dinner, we head to the local night market.

Phoomthai Garden Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 115km
+1212m
-1282m

Day 4 Phrae - Sri Satchanalai - Sukhothai

We fast-track ourselves with a 1.5-hour transfer south into the heartland of Thailand’s first kingdom, Sukhothai, which thrived from the mid-13th to late 14th century. Despite this relatively short era, some of the most exquisite examples of early Thai art and architecture originate from this period. Over the next three days, we’ll delve into these historic landscapes, now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their cultural significance. Today’s ride begins with a pavement cruise through Sri Satchanalai, a satellite city of the Sukhothai Kingdom known for its ancient pottery kilns and well-preserved temple ruins. We then follow the course of the gently-flowing Yom River, passing a patchwork of villages and fertile farmland that hug its banks. Our destination is the modern town of Sukhothai where we are based for two nights. Today’s ride is entirely flat and on a mix of narrow, country lanes in varying conditions and well-paved secondary roads. We keep a relaxed pace, taking in our surroundings and stopping at a few standout temple ruins along the way.

Ruan Thai Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 81km
+282m
-309m

Day 5 Sukhothai Exploration

Today, we immerse ourselves in the illustrious capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom. Its legacy has profoundly shaped Thai culture, language, and religion, with influences still visible in modern society. Starting from our hotel, we briefly navigate city streets before transitioning to rural roads that lead us to Sukhothai Historical Park. This expansive area showcases an impressive array of temple ruins, fortifications, moats, and ponds connected by well-paved, lightly trafficked roads, perfect for cycling. While many sites can be appreciated from the saddle, we’ll make several stops for a closer look. Highlights include Wat Si Chum, home to an elegant seated Buddha statue, and Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai’s royal temple, featuring towering brick stupas and colonnades. Although the total cycling distance is just 35 km, we’ll spend the entire morning appreciating Sukhothai’s historical splendor. After lunch, you can choose to return to our hotel by van or cycle back along the main road (approximately 12 km). The afternoon is yours to relax by the pool, and we’ll reconvene later for dinner.

Ruan Thai Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 35km
+136m
-128m

Day 6 Sukhothai - Khampeng Phet

We start with a brief transfer to avoid retracing our steps from yesterday. Beginning at Sukhothai’s ancient moat, we ride along a tree-lined boulevard towards Ramkhamhaeng National Park. The gently rising, forested hills provide a pleasant backdrop for the first 30 km as we skirt along the edges of the National Park. The remainder of our journey takes us along peaceful secondary roads through a vast expanse of rice paddies. At around 60 km, we pass through Phran Kratai, a charming community with vintage wooden houses. Finally, we arrive in Kamphaeng Phet, known as the 'Diamond City' for its fortification walls from the Sukhothai Kingdom era. Before reaching our hotel, we’ll detour through this historical fortress, passing by walls and ruins embraced by tree roots.

Navarat Heritage Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 93km
+238m
-216m

Day 7 Kamphaeng Phet - Nakhon Sawan

Today’s ride takes us along the plains of the Ping River, all the way to the city of Nakhon Sawan, where it merges with the Nan to form the much-revered 'River of Kings,' the Chao Phraya. Departing from our hotel in Kamphaeng Phet, we quickly find ourselves on a provincial throughway that we’ll follow for most of today’s journey. Alternating between busier and quieter sections, the road cuts through a broad swathe of rice-covered central plains, exposing an interesting cross-section of rural life in Thailand. The smooth tarmac allows for a fast-paced ride, challenging your endurance as we cover nearly 140 km. We stop regularly for refreshments and have lunch along the way. Before reaching our hotel in Nakhon Sawan, we make a short but worthwhile detour to an avant-garde art installation marking the meeting point of the Ping and Nan Rivers, forming the Chao Phraya, which will be our companion for the remainder of the tour!

Bonito Chinos Resort
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 135km
+501m
-551m

Day 8 Nakorn Sawan - Singburi

Another long and rewarding ride in the Central Plains awaits. The first 20 km out of Nakhon Sawan can be a bit busy, but it quiets down as we venture deeper into the network of rural roads connecting the towns and villages of this fertile rice-growing region. At the 60 km mark, we cross a scenic bridge over the Chao Phraya, bringing us to the river's east side for the first time. Long stretches of beautiful roads hug the riverbank, offering glimpses into the slower-paced, waterborne lifeways of the people here. The final 50 km take us along a canal road to Singburi, the provincial capital, where we’ll spend the night at a riverside hotel. Today, we’ve crossed through 4 of Thailand’s 76 provinces – Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, and Singburi – no small feat!

Chaisaeng Palace Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 142km
+596m
-614m

Day 9 Singburi - Ayutthaya

Today’s century ride takes us across hallowed ground, traversing a temple-dotted landscape steeped in centuries of Buddhist spirituality. First, at around 25 km, we visit Wat Chaiyo, a temple complex housing a colossal gilded Buddha statue, commissioned by one of Thailand’s most revered monks. While the statue stands impressively at 20 metres tall, it pales in comparison to the much-larger-than-life seated Buddha at Wat Muang, which we encounter around the 50 km mark. The towering figure, nearly 100 metres tall, stands in the open and is visible from miles away. As we hop from temple to temple, we ride along secondary roads and occasionally zip down major roads through the agrarian hinterland, where hints of industrialization signal our growing proximity to Bangkok. Finally, at the end of our ride, we arrive in Ayutthaya, Siam’s once-glorious capital just north of Bangkok, where further holy sites await discovery. We check in at a well-appointed city hotel and have the afternoon to relax, saving our exploration of Ayutthaya for the next morning.

Krungsri River Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 100km
+374m
-373m

Day 10 Ayutthaya - Bangkok

This morning, we uncover the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya, exploring the ruins of Siam’s former capital. Nearly destroyed during a war with the Burmese in the late 18th century, Ayutthaya captivates with its faded remnants of former glory. We weave through the city by bike, visiting standout monuments like Wat Mahathat, famous for the Buddha head entwined in tree roots, the trio of stupas at Wat Si Sanphet, and the grand Hindu temple of Wat Chaiwatthanaram. We then head further south, making our way along backroads through diverse riverside villages where Buddhist and Muslim communities live side-by-side. Around 30 km in, we take a short ferry across the Chao Phraya River and pause near Bang Pa-In Palace, once a summer retreat for Siam’s globalising monarchs, blending traditional Thai architecture with Chinese and European influences. For the home stretch, we follow a canal road for about 25 km to the northern outskirts of Bangkok. We saddle off and transfer for about 1.5 hours to our hotel in the city, reconvening in the evening for a celebratory farewell dinner!

Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 59km
+199m
-206m

Day 11 Bangkok Departure

Our tour has ended but feel free to extend your stay in the “Big Mango” and discover what this world-class city has to offer. Please let us know if you require assistance with post-tour hotel bookings or airport transfers.

Breakfast

Disclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.