18-day Thailand Cycling Tour from North to South

Upon arrival at the airport, Sonasia’s guide & driver will pick you up and transfer directly to the hotel.
You are free to explore the city.
Overnight in Chiang Mai.

After we leave the Chiang Mai traffic, we head towards Lampang on the old highway – a tree lined boulevard that is a real pleasure to ride along.
The terrain is rolling on this section of the ride, and just passing the halfway point, there is a longish climb that gets quite steep at the end.
Lampang is called the cowboy town – you can still see horse-drawn carriages as a mean of transport.
On the way, we will stop and visit the Elephant Camp and one of the oldest and most religious Chedis in Thailand, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, built around 1044.
Overnight in Lampang.

Today is a tough day as we have some hills to go over. We have three sets of hills and lots of undulating countryside. Some of the hills get steep towards the end so take it easy, but the support vehicle is not far away and ready to give you a lift if needed. We pass through teak forests, reclining Buddha and some beautiful temples. We are now truly into provincial Thailand, and we won’t see many other tourists here – giving you a real Thailand experience!
Overnight in Uttaradit.
 

We really head off the beaten track today as we ride on some of the most secluded and beautiful roads in Thailand as a canopy of palm trees provides some natural protection from the tropical sun.
We pass lush green paddy fields and many villages as we head towards the first capital of Thailand, Sukhothai. The 13th century reign is generally viewed as the “golden age” of Siam due to the fact that its influence spread west as far as Myanmar, east as far as Cambodia and south down into Malaysia.
Overnight in Sukhothai.

Kamphaeng Phet, also known as the “Diamond Wall City,” was a military fortress used to help defend Sukhothai from invading armies. The moss and flower covered ruins give it a quality that is not seen in the more popular and restored neighbor of Sukhothai. We have plenty of time to visit the sites by foot or by bicycle.
The ride to Kamphaeng Phet is on pleasant country roads with plenty of activity going on to keep your attention.

We head into the heartland of Thailand today with our journey to Nakhon Sawan. You will quickly understand why Thailand is the top exporter of rice when you see the many paddies on your route today. Look out for water buffaloes wallowing in a puddle and for ducks taking a dip in a rice field.
This is an area of Thailand which is not visited by many tourists, so you will pique the interest of locals (especially if you tell them you have ridden from Chiang Mai!), and it is a good opportunity to stop and say Sawadee!
Our overnight is at a charming resort surrounded by lily pads in Nakhon Sawan.

Today, we really start to feel we are approaching Bangkok as we see signs of industrialization, but there are still plenty of open spaces with fields as well as small towns and villages along the way.
The ride is again on back roads that pass through many small towns. Don’t forget to look up and wonder at the 60-foot long reclining Buddha in Ang Thong. Today, we reach the old Siamese capitol of Ayutthaya – the centre of old Siam for over 400 years until it was sacked by the Burmese in 1767. Also as a UNESCO world heritage site, this historical park boasts some spectacular temples that are best visited by bicycle in which is our next day program.
Overnight in Ayutthaya.

Our tour today gives us a glimpse into the glory of the Ayutthaya Empire (1350-1767A.D.) by visiting the many remains of temples. The first visit of the day is by van to Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. This well-tended temple was founded by King U-Thong in 1357 as a center for monks returning from study in Sri Lanka.
We then transfer a short way to Wat Phra Mahathat to photograph the famous Buddha head entwined in tree roots before we ride our bikes to Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, the old palace, and Wat Chai Watanaram.
We leave the temples behind and head into the countryside on small back roads that follow the Chao Phraya River to Bang Pa-In, the former summer palace of King Chulalongkorn. Here, we have lunch and visit the palace before we transfer to drop you off at your hotel in Bangkok. After check in quick freshen up before going out for Thai dinner at supatra River house with you guide.
Overnight in Bangkok

Meet your guides and support staff at 8 am at the reception. In Petchaburi a provincial town just a short way down the coast. We shall stop have a break and visit a cave. Then we will continue for about an hour till we reach your first resort in Hua Hin.
From the resort at around 3pm we will take a relaxing ride to a lake with its awesome views, quiet back roads with good surfaces, your first real glimpse of the beauty and peacefulness of riding in Thailand. You will pass farms and plantations and make a short stop a Wat Mongkol, a very popular Buddhist shrine with a huge image of the famous monk.
After you have had time to clean up, take a dip in the pool or generally just relax in this very special resort, we will take you into the centre of town to see what a lovely place Hua Hin is, you will have the opportunity to sample the famous sea food and Thai restaurants and also visit the famous night market.

At 8 am, we shall depart for the next leg of our cycling adventure, heading south along some of the new specially built cycle paths to wards Prachuap Kiri Khan.
During this day of cycling you will ride along through national parks. The leg of the journey will see you leaving the large tourist area of Hua Hin and head into areas not often explored by most tourists, you really will start to see the real Thailand.
In the afternoon (optional) Elefant Safari to the Kuiburi National Park.

On this leg of the journey we will ride through an army base.
As we pass the expansive pineapple plantations your Thai guide will explain how they operate, its mostly likely you may have already eaten or seen them in your local supermarket back home, as a huge amount is exported all over the globe. After lunch we will continue towards Haad Baan Krut, passing small rural villages and the Wat Tang Sai Tempel.
Your accommodation for the night will be the Sunshine Paradise Resort, from feedback of previous tour clients, this is one they all seem to really enjoy, for its sense of calm and as its directly on the beach, we are pretty sure you love it too.

During this leg of the journey you will start to really see the tropical environment come to fruition, this is really where the waters become abundant with tropical fish that you would often see in aquariums the forests and vegetation start to change and become truly tropical.
On this leg of the journey, you will pass a large Buddha sitting on the top of a steep hill, with great panoramic views. We will stop for lunch at a Thai Wooden House, where you will be able to enjoy your food whist gazing at the fantastic view of the sea.
You will arrive at your hotel by the sea, if you haven't already gone for a swim, here is a good place to try, putting your feet into these waters is like getting into a warm bath, very relaxing and a good place to put on a snorkel and see what's under the water.

As with even the best riders on the Tour De France, we all need a rest day sometimes, enough to legs the legs recover and the heart and head take in this beautiful environment.
For those that want to take back some tastes of Asia for themselves, family and friends, our Thai guides will offer you the opportunity to join a Thai cooking class, they will take you through step by step how to create some traditional Thai meals and you will be able pick up the pans and try for yourselves. Thailand's culture is heavily based on food and socialization around it, this is your opportunity to learn how to make and enjoy this world famous cuisine.
You will also have a many other opportunities to relax and unwind, you can either relax by the pool, swim in the fabulous warm see waters or take one of the world famous Thai massages.

Today's flat stage leads past shrimp farms, coconut plantations and mangrove forests. In the numerous fishing villages that we will pass you will see the typical colored fishing boats with the Thai sea in the background. Due to the short stage, you have plenty of time in the afternoon to relax by the hotel pool or on the beach.

We continue cycling, south along the beach where tourism has not yet arrived. Our journey leads to Chaiya, one of the oldest cities in Thailand. Lunch will be on the beach and for the last 55km to Surat-Thani you can do it by bike or on the minibus..

A new day, a new experience during your bike tour through Thailand. Longtailboat to the floating huts of the Cheow Lan Lake.
We cycle to the Ratchapraba dam, where we take a long tail boat, which will brings us to floating huts in the lake . The day at the lake is at leisure. We swim in the lake or can use the small canoes to explore the lake. In the evening we take a boat tour to see the wildlife at the lake.
 

We leave the beautiful lake landscape by boat. On small, scenic roads we cycle south along the Klong Phanom National Park to the temple named Wat Bang Riang, which is considered one of the most beautiful in southern Thailand. A short bus drive takes us to Phuket Nai Yang Beach and we are no doubt you will have been moved, inspired and immeasurably surprised by all the wonderful things will have seen and experienced on your cycle odyssey.
 

You are free to stroll around the town for your own exploration before taking the departure flight