Doi Inthanon is a National Park in Northern Thailand. The mountainous landscape is speckled with waterfalls and spectacular views. Although the peak is around a 2 hour drive from Chiang Mai, you can easily break up the journey with lots of sights to visit along the way. Here is an itinerary from a one day trip to Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai.
Doi Inthanon Day Trip Itinerary
Stop 1: Mae Klang Waterfall
The first part of this road trip journey is quite long and boring. Leaving Chiang Mai, you will drive most of the way along one straight road. Mae Klang Waterfall takes around 90 minutes to reach from Chiang Mai.
Mae Klang waterfall has a short trail leading up to the falls, this also extends further past the falls too if you want a longer walk.
Before driving too deep into the mountain, I would recommend topping up with petrol as there are very limited petrol stations within the national park. It may not seem like you’re going far but it is a lot of uphill driving so you will burn through your fuel!
Stop 2: Wachirathan Waterfall
A short 15 minute drive from Mae Klang waterfall, you will find Wachirathan Waterfall. Along the drive you will pass the Doi Inthanon National Park Ticket Booth and Checkpoint. This looks just like a huge car park, this is where you can buy your national park ticket which may be checked at further points along the mountain. Tickets cost 300 Baht per person, plus 20 Baht for a scooter.
Wachirathan is a taller, steeper fall than Mae Klang and you can get close enough to feel a spray of water. There isn’t much of a walking trail around the waterfall but there is a little coffee shop.
Stop 3: Stupas
The next stop is to see the iconic stupa monuments of Doi Inthanon. This is a 30 minute drive further up the mountain from Wachirathan Falls. Unfortunately entry to this part of the park is not included in the ticket price. Entry is an additional 100 Baht per person.
The monuments, Pra Mahatat Noppamethanedon and Pra Mahatat Nopphonphusiri, are known as the King and Queen’s Chedis. They were built to celebrate the royal’s 60th birthdays from 1989-1992. The pointed monuments are surrounded by colourful gardens and breathtaking views over the mountains.
Stop 4: Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail
The next stop – Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail – is just a few minutes drive or a 10 minute walk from the monuments. The entrance to the trail may well be where you parked to go to the monuments. If you do need to park here, there is a free shuttle service running to and from the car park. There are also a few cafes around the car park if you need to grab some lunch at this point!
Visitors are not allowed to freely wander along the nature trail. Instead they must be accompanied by a local guide, this costs 200 Baht per small group. The guides are very experienced and can quickly rush through the track so don’t be afraid to ask them to slow down or stop for a break! Many of the guides don’t speak fluent English so if you don’t speak Thai, don’t expect a detailed guided tour or even much of a conversation. We conversed with our guide a little via Google Translate and she showed us some bear claw marks on a tree but otherwise there wasn’t much guiding.
However, the nature trail is worth doing for the views alone! The trail begins in a forest then carries you across a meadow, onto the mountain tops. There you can see across the valley and even see the King and Queen’s Chedis. The walk took us around an hour to complete at a fairly quick pace.
Stop 5: Sirithan Waterfall
After the nature trail, its time to begin coasting back down the mountain. If you have time for more stops on the way back (I’d recommend breaking up the journey if you can), there are still several waterfalls to see.
Sirithan Waterfall is around a 25 minute drive from Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail. It is a very quick stop as you can’t actually get very close to the waterfall but you can peer through the trees to see it.
From Sirithan, it should be around a 90 minute drive back to Chiang Mai. Once you’re out of the National Park, there isn’t much to see on the route back but you could stop for food to break up the journey. Nearer Chiang Mai you could squeeze in a visit to Wat Phra That Doi Kham or the Night Safari.
Thailand Travel Posters
How to get to Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai
To travel to Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai I would recommend renting a scooter and driving yourself. This gives you plenty of freedom to travel at your own pace and stop where and when you please. We hired a bike from Sunshine Motors for 250 Baht (approximately £6 or $7) per day. I’d highly recommend them but there are plenty of scooter rentals around the city.
This day trip involves quite a lot of driving. If you aren’t very comfortable on a scooter, you could opt for a shorter day trip to Doi Pui instead.
Alternatively, you could join an organised tour. This will cost more but may be more comfortable for you. Viator has a variety of tour options to suit a range of budgets.
What to pack for a day trip to Doi Inthanon
- Sun cream – you will be out in the sun all day so make sure you are protected.
- Passport – many scooter rental companies will ask to hold you passport as a deposit.
- Cash – you may struggle to find an ATM on the mountain and very few places accept card payments.
- Water and snacks – there are cafes and stalls near the Wachirathan and Kew Mae Pan Trail but its just always handy to have water with you, especially in the heat!
- Insect repellent
- Waterproof jacket – just in case!
- Comfy shoes – for the nature trail. If you’re skipping this, there isn’t too much walking in this itinerary.
Total Costs
Below are the cost of this day trip itinerary. Doi Inthanon is not the cheapest place to visit in Chiang Mai but a day trip for less than 800 Baht isn’t too bad. You can save costs per person by sharing a scooter and joining another couple or small group on the nature trail as this cost is per guide, not per visitor.
| Cost in Baht | Cost in GBP | Cost in USD | |
| Scooter hire | 250 | £6 | $7 |
| Doi Inthanon Entry | 200 | £5 | $6 |
| Doi Inthanon Scooter Fee | 30 | £1 | $1 |
| Stupa Entry | 100 | £2 | $3 |
| Nature Trail Guide | 200 | £5 | $6 |
| Total | 780 | £18 | $22 |
Food and drinks are not included here as this can vary depending on personal preference. Fuel for the scooter is also not included but for a standard scooter, expect to use a full tank for this drive.