Arrive at your leisure. We’ll be waiting when your plane touches down, brush off the airline peanut shells and welcome you to the Land of Smiles. A private car will shuttle you to the Arun Tara Resort, a very beautiful hotel. Upon check-in you’ll receive your Adventure Kit that contains handy items, maps, a trip overview and tips to help you make the most of your time. Sleep at the truly beautiful Arun Tara Hotel.

This morning we’ll meet for a Breakfast Greeting (08:30), which will give us an opportunity to officially welcome you to the ‘Land of Smiles’, go over the trip day-by-day, get to know each other, then we’ll meet our biking Team and tweak our bikes and head out for our first ride. It’s a short ride through town to the base of Doi Suthep, the area’s highest mountain and home to its holiest temple, Phra That Doi Suthep, but to get there you’ll first have to pedal 11 km up a mid-grade road. Upon your arrival explore this beautiful temple, marvel at the great views of the city below then it’s a fast coast down the mountain and back to our hotel to enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Tonight we’ll have a guided tour of historic Chiang Mai, learning about its heritage, seeing some of the prime sites then enjoy a fantastic Thai feast. Sleep at Arun Tara Hotel.

This morning we’ll have shuttle out of Chiang Mai to near Mae Rim. Then we head north, passing teak plantations, gorgeous green rice fields, water buffalo and smiling farmers en-route to Chang Dao one of the north’s highest mountains, which we are not climbing. Along the way we’ll stop for a simple, yet delicious Thai lunch. Tonight, sit back, relax and get into the northern groove as frogs and crickets create the ultimate background soundtrack. We’ll have the hotel’s chef prepare a slate of Thai favourites to fill the void before tomorrow’s ride. Sleep at Marisa Resort.

Today we ride beautiful back roads through quaint villages inhabited by ‘Shan’ people originally from Myanmar (Burma). Shan-style temples dot the landscape, glowing-green rice fields form the backdrop and then your hotel truly amazes. The Huai Khum is a piece of paradise tucked in a remote corner along the banks of the Mae Kok River. You’ll enjoy tastefully designed bamboo bungalows with hot showers, big windows with screens and scenery that’s right out of a storybook. In keeping with our ‘eating your way around northern Thailand’ theme you’ll enjoy dinner prepared by Lahu hill tribe people and even get a chance to see them perform traditional dances. Sleep at Huai Khum Resort.

This is it; this morning we see what the group is made of. The day starts out gently but soon we begin a 14 km grunt with some sections as steep as it gets, to Doi Mae Salong, a fascinating town set atop a mountain covered with terraced Oolong tea fields is one of the kingdom’s most enchanting destinations, but a challenge to get to. Enjoy lunch a cup of locally grown Oolong tea, then head up, over and across the mountains a further 35 km to one of the north’s most incredible properties, the Phu Chaisai Resort and Spa. Designed and operated by a well- known Thai architect, you’ll enjoy true paradise on earth. The luxurious, thoughtfully designed bamboo bungalows will blow your mind. Add the infinity pool, spa, walking trails, library, amazing restaurant and you’ll immediately understand why we’re spending two nights here. Soak it all in and be dazzled! Sleep at Phu Chaisai Resort and Spa.

Today is yours to enjoy doing as little or much as you like. The Phu Chaisai truly is a place you don’t want to leave, so kicking back and relaxing is a great option. Read a book by the pool, go for a hike, learn Thai cooking, go bamboo river rafting, ride Mongolian horses, try umbrella painting or book a treatment at the spa – it’s up to you. For those wanting to keep the wheels turning we can head out for a spectacular and challenging ride - along farmers’ fields, 12 km up a mountain, down the backside, up another mountain and back to the hotel. Imagine how good a swim and massage will feel after this day! Sleep at Phu Chaisai Resort and Spa.

This is one of ‘the’ rides of the trip. It’s a three-part ride, starting with a shuttle to the top of Doi Tung, where you’ll learn about this Royal Reforestation Project, enjoy a locally grown coffee, then begin a 12 km climb to Doi Chang Mub mountain on the Thai-Myanmar border. From here get set for Thailand’s most thrilling roads that literally forms the border. Along the way you’ll pass a few Thai military checkpoints, a Burmese military outpost and the views are unreal. Be very cautious on the downhills as they are steep and the turns extremely tight. Enjoy lunch in the kingdom’s northernmost point, Mae Sai before a final 30 km flat ride to the legendary Golden Triangle. Sleep at Serene.

Start the day with a visit to the very interesting ‘Hall of Opium’. This incredibly innovative, interactive museum covers the entire history of opium, the Opium Wars and the role this illicit drug played in this part of the world – truly one of the world’s great museums. Next it’s onto the bikes for one of the most beautiful rides of the trip. Our route takes us out of the Golden Triangle, down very quiet country roads and right along the Mekong River at several spots. Photo opportunities abound and you’ll feel like you’re staring in your own outdoor travel special. Your arrival at the sleepy village of Chiang Khong is a treat as you roll into your hotel room, literally on the banks of the Mekong River. Spend the evening strolling the boardwalk, getting to know curious locals and soaking it all in. Sleep at Namkhong Riverside Hotel.

Today is a big ride along quiet, flat country roads, past rice fields all the way to Chiang Rai city. Take your time to enjoy the scenery and gain an appreciation for rice farmers and the importance of this group. We’ll enjoy a great picnic in a rice field along the way. Tonight, enjoy a delicious barbeque along the banks of the Mae Kok River. Sleep at The Legend Hotel.

We’ll enjoy an easy ride along quiet country roads, past tobacco and cornfields, relishing in those final smiling Thai faces to the Ban Ruammit Elephant Camp. Here we’ll learn about these amazing creatures, go for a ride atop their strong backs, enjoy lunch along the river, then enjoy one more cool mode of transport - we’ll board long tail boats (with our bikes on them), and head down-river back to our hotel, stopping en-route at a Monk’s Cave where we’ll learn to make a traditional Buddhist offering, then it’s back to the city and your amazing room at The Legend, set along the Mae Kok River. Tonight we’ll hit the town for a dinner of champions, share tales of the kilometers behind us and shop for last minute souvenirs at the Night Market. Sleep at The Legend Hotel.

After a relaxing morning lounging by the pool, getting a Thai massage and shooting those final photos we’ll shuttle to the airport for our noon flight back to Bangkok. Upon arrival at the Bangkok International Airport we’ll say ‘farewell.’ From here you can head home or fly south to one of Thailand’s famous beach resorts!