Trek lush jungles, find hidden waterfalls and meet hilltribes—Thailand’s hiking is nature, culture and adventure in one!

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Our top picks for hiking in Thailand — lush jungle treks, hidden waterfalls, and hilltribe encounters. A vetted shortlist of the best hikes in Thailand.

Hiking in Thailand: The Best Jungle Treks & Hilltribe Hikes

Hiking in Thailand

Trek lush jungles, find hidden waterfalls and meet hilltribes—Thailand’s hiking is nature, culture and adventure in one!

Hidden Chiang Mai: Trek & Raft to a Remote Lahu Community

Embark on a remote trek & raft adventure.

Doi Suthep Hidden Trail + Coffee Village

Journey through hidden trails, taste local coffee

Kui was a lovely guide! We had a super fun day exploring the mountains and jungle. A really cool non-touristy experience. Would recommend!

Kui was a lovely guide! We had a super fun day exploring the mountains and jungle. A really cool non-touristy experience. Would recommend! 

Kui took us on a great adventure around Doi Suthep and the Hmong Village. It was fun to explore the mountain without many tourists around. In the Hmong Village, we had a delicious lunch and really good coffee. Kui did a fantastic job leading us on the hike as well as educating us on Thai history and the Hmong experience in Thailand. Highly recommend if you're looking for something off the beaten path!

Kui took us on a great adventure around Doi Suthep and the Hmong Village. It was fun to explore the mountain without many tourists around. In the Hmong Village, we had a delicious lunch and really good coffee. Kui did a fantastic job leading us on the hike as well as educating us on Thai history and the Hmong experience in Thailand. Highly recommend if you're looking for something off the beaten path! 

Experience was amazing! We had a lovely hike, saw a local village, and then bamboo rafted. Com and lik were wonderful and tailored the experience to our needs perfectly. We were looking for an authentic experience off the beaten path and this was perfect!

Experience was amazing! We had a lovely hike, saw a local village, and then bamboo rafted. Com and lik were wonderful and tailored the experience to our needs perfectly. We were looking for an authentic experience off the beaten path and this was perfect!

Hidden Chiang Mai: Trek &amp; Raft to a Remote Lahu Community
 The Trekking and Bamboo Rafting with Trailhead team led by Lek, Kom and Daniel was definitely one of the highlights of our Chiang Mai trip.

The experience started off smoothly with punctual hotel pick-up. Before the hike began, the team thoughtfully stopped at a gas station for a toilet and snack break, which we later realized was very much needed as the trekking starting point was in a rural area without proper toilet facilities, especially for ladies.

We were also lucky that it was only my wife and I for the trip, so the whole experience almost felt like having a private guide. Throughout the hike, the Lek &amp; Kom shared a lot about the forest, plants, insects and the local lifestyle. We learned many interesting things that we would never have noticed ourselves, including a type of ant considered a local delicacy that can apparently sell for quite a high value, with only about a one-week harvesting period each year. It was very eye-opening and you could really feel their passion and respect for nature from the way everything was explained.

Lek also brought along a Canon EOS camera during the hike and helped to take photos for us along the way. The photos were later shared with us, which was a really nice and thoughtful touch to the overall experience.

Lunch was simple but incredibly satisfying after the hike — local fried chicken with glutinous rice. What surprised us most was that Daniel even carried a whole watermelon along for the trek. Having sweet, juicy watermelon after lunch in the middle of the forest felt amazingly refreshing and shiok.

The bamboo rafting was also a new and enjoyable experience for us, especially when entering sections where the water current became faster. It added a fun and exciting touch to the whole trip. To end the day, we were even treated to ice cold coconut water before heading back to the hotel. Kom also told us about an ongoing local event we were unaware of — the Inthakin Festival (Sai Khan Dok) at Wat Chedi Luang — and recommended that we visit to experience the local festival atmosphere and food stalls. We took his advice and it definitely did not disappoint.

Overall, everything was very well planned and coordinated, including the timely return back to the hotel. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a more authentic, nature-focused and less commercialized experience in Chiang Mai.

Special thanks as well to our guides — Lek, Kom and Daniel — for making the experience so enjoyable, educational and memorable. Their passion for nature, hospitality and genuine care throughout the trip really made a difference and added a very personal touch to the whole experience.

Hidden Chiang Mai: Trek &amp; Raft to a Remote Lahu Community
The Trekking and Bamboo Rafting with Trailhead team led by Lek, Kom and Daniel was definitely one of the highlights of our Chiang Mai trip.

The experience started off smoothly with punctual hotel pick-up. Before the hike began, the team thoughtfully stopped at a gas station for a toilet and snack break, which we later realized was very much needed as the trekking starting point was in a rural area without proper toilet facilities, especially for ladies.

We were also lucky that it was only my wife and I for the trip, so the whole experience almost felt like having a private guide. Throughout the hike, the Lek &amp; Kom shared a lot about the forest, plants, insects and the local lifestyle. We learned many interesting things that we would never have noticed ourselves, including a type of ant considered a local delicacy that can apparently sell for quite a high value, with only about a one-week harvesting period each year. It was very eye-opening and you could really feel their passion and respect for nature from the way everything was explained.

Lek also brought along a Canon EOS camera during the hike and helped to take photos for us along the way. The photos were later shared with us, which was a really nice and thoughtful touch to the overall experience.

Lunch was simple but incredibly satisfying after the hike — local fried chicken with glutinous rice. What surprised us most was that Daniel even carried a whole watermelon along for the trek. Having sweet, juicy watermelon after lunch in the middle of the forest felt amazingly refreshing and shiok.

The bamboo rafting was also a new and enjoyable experience for us, especially when entering sections where the water current became faster. It added a fun and exciting touch to the whole trip. To end the day, we were even treated to ice cold coconut water before heading back to the hotel. Kom also told us about an ongoing local event we were unaware of — the Inthakin Festival (Sai Khan Dok) at Wat Chedi Luang — and recommended that we visit to experience the local festival atmosphere and food stalls. We took his advice and it definitely did not disappoint.

Overall, everything was very well planned and coordinated, including the timely return back to the hotel. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a more authentic, nature-focused and less commercialized experience in Chiang Mai.

Special thanks as well to our guides — Lek, Kom and Daniel — for making the experience so enjoyable, educational and memorable. Their passion for nature, hospitality and genuine care throughout the trip really made a difference and added a very personal touch to the whole experience.

Kui was absolutely amazing! He provided us with a unique hiking experience, commentating as we went. We tasted farm-fresh coffee beans, walked through the Hmong village and had lunch made for us, enjoyed the best coffee of our lives at a roaster’s cafe, hiked through beautiful landscapes and learned more about Thailand’s rich history. We finished the trek at Doi Suthep where Kui helped us with entry and guided us through the temple also. Absolutely loved it!! 
 Just be wary it is an intermediate track - not easy. So expect ~30,000 steps at least. But so worth it if you’re up to it!!

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Kui was absolutely amazing! He provided us with a unique hiking experience, commentating as we went. We tasted farm-fresh coffee beans, walked through the Hmong village and had lunch made for us, enjoyed the best coffee of our lives at a roaster’s cafe, hiked through beautiful landscapes and learned more about Thailand’s rich history. We finished the trek at Doi Suthep where Kui helped us with entry and guided us through the temple also. Absolutely loved it!! 
Just be wary it is an intermediate track - not easy. So expect ~30,000 steps at least. But so worth it if you’re up to it!!

Fantastic trip really really special
 Challenging at times but beautiful and one of the best guided trips I’ve done.
 Kui fantastic - great knowledge good fun supportive very personable - 20 out of ten if you’re an ok walker prepare and go on the walk of your life

Fantastic trip really really special
Challenging at times but beautiful and one of the best guided trips I’ve done.
Kui fantastic - great knowledge good fun supportive very personable - 20 out of ten if you’re an ok walker prepare and go on the walk of your life

I couldn't have asked for a different/better experience up in the mountains of Chiang Mai. What makes it super fun and doable is Kui and special mention for my hike mates. What you see is the real, raw and pristine side of Chiang Mai. The entire journey was a highlight and not just anything in particular. Thanks Kui.

I couldn't have asked for a different/better experience up in the mountains of Chiang Mai. What makes it super fun and doable is Kui and special mention for my hike mates. What you see is the real, raw and pristine side of Chiang Mai. The entire journey was a highlight and not just anything in particular. Thanks Kui. 

Great experience with super host KOM.