Doi Inthanon National Park- The Best Things To Do

We feel so lucky to have a house just down the road for Doi Inthanon National Park. For someone that loves the outdoors and nature, I happen to marry a local Thai who’s family is from Chom Thong, the city by this wonderful and perhaps the best park in Thailand. It was by accident, I didn’t even know about Doi Inthanon until I met my wife, and now we get to enjoy this beautiful area whenever we want.

If you enjoy the mountains, wildlife and birding, hill tribe culture, large waterfalls, hiking, sacred sights, picnics, cooler weather, then you will want to visit Doi Inthanon National Park. And since we do frequently, here are my favorite and most recommended things to do in the park. For more detailed information on visiting, please enjoy our Guide To Doi Inthanon National Park.

Doi Inthanon National Park is part of the Himalayan mountain range, with elevations ranging from 800 to 2,565 meters above sea level. Doi Inthanon, the park’s highest peak, is also the highest mountain in Thailand. Due to its elevation, the park experiences high humidity and relatively cool temperatures year round.

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In the winter you probably want to wear long pants and bring and light jacket. It can get actually cold, especially at the summit. There is also a park fee you must pay upon entry. Many people go for just a day trip, but staying overnight is well worth it to enjoy much more of the park and not be rushed.

There are also a few tour companies that offer day trips to the park from Chiang Mai. I would recommend if you are staying in the city and don’t want to drive or rent a car, then sign up with a ‘small group’ all day Tour with Viator. You will at least get to stop at all the popular spots. Go on a weekday to avoid weekend crowds.

Waterfalls

There are spectacular waterfalls throughout Thailand, but no other park has so many, especially this large. Because of it being in the high mountain range and heavy rainy season Jun-October, these waterfalls stay impressive all year round. If I had to pick 3 for a first time visitor, these are a must visit. And besides the waterfall, they offer good facilities including lunch spots, hiking, and one even has a nice coffee shop.

Mae Ya

Many people consider Mae Ya waterfall the most beautiful. is on the southern side of Doi Inthanon National Park, and its access road is separate from the main summit route. So you will not pass it on the main route 1009. It is accessed by a lovely rural road from Chom Thong city. You need a half day set aside to visit.

💦 Huge multi-tiered waterfall — water cascades over a broad series of rocky steps, creating a spectacular curtain during the rainy season.

🌿 Beautiful forest setting — surrounded by lush vegetation and mountain scenery.

📸 Excellent photography — particularly when the water flow is strong.

🧺 Good family stop — the viewpoint and surrounding area are relatively accessible compared with some of Doi Inthanon’s more strenuous trails.

🌧️ Best after rain — typically the waterfall is most impressive during the wet season.

Mae Klang

Personally my favorite waterfall, partly since we live just down the road and visit often. A very impressive waterfall especially September-November at the end of the rainy season. Plus the food stands are great for lunch by the river, and you can take a dip in the river when conditions are safe.

Best of all this waterfall is at the bottom of the mountain, just off the main route 1009, with plenty of parking. You don’t even need to go in to the park. There are nice resorts just down the road like Touch Star Resort.

💦 Easy-to-reach waterfall — one of the more accessible waterfalls around Doi Inthanon.

🌳 Lush tropical surroundings — the falls are surrounded by dense forest and large trees.

🪨 Rocky cascades — the water drops through several levels rather than forming one enormous vertical plunge.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly — a good choice if you’re traveling with children and don’t want a demanding hike.

📸 Great first stop — particularly convenient when approaching Doi Inthanon from Chiang Mai.

Wachirathan

For sure the most visited waterfall, but dispite the tour busses it is a must visit waterfall. Even though there can be a lot of people it is still easy to get photos and up close. Plus the rainbow is amazing, and there is a coffee shop and several good restaurants for lunch. Try to avoid the weekends.

💦 Powerful single-drop waterfall — water plunges dramatically down a rocky cliff.

🌈 Rainbows are common — especially when the sun hits the spray, making it a favorite photography spot.

🌿 Lush mountain setting — surrounded by the rainforest of Doi Inthanon.

🚶 Very accessible — the main viewpoint is only a short walk from the parking area. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Excellent for families — little hiking is required to enjoy the falls.

🌧️ Best during the rainy season — the water volume can be spectacular, although the spray can be intense.

Hiking Popular Trails

With Doi Inthanon being such a large park, it is no wonder there are numerous hiking opportunities throughout the park. Most of the waterfalls will have small trails going to them or from them. However in the rainy season they can become unpassable. Here are 4 of the most popular and our favorite ones. Going during the weekdays is much better for less people.

Siriphun Waterfall Forest Trail

Located in Ban Khun Klang hill tribe village, this trail is the way up to Siriphun Waterfall. The trail itself is the highlight, not so much the waterfall. Also in February, this area of the park will get the cherry blossom tree blooms, and turn a colorful pink.

The trailhead is located past the Royal Project, which is also a good stop, and the entrance is right next to YeeLee Homestay, and nice place to stay overnight. The highlight is a lush fern forested trail winding its way along the river that comes off the waterfall.

The trail is fairly easy with a gradual incline. We have gone several times and only made it to this smaller waterfall shown below. You can keep going on the trail further up, but it gets more difficult, and you can’t really get close to the waterfall itself.

Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail

For a casual, perhaps with the kids, enjoy this relaxing stroll in nature. A shorter circular boardwalk nature trail slightly on the opposite side from the trail to the summit. The habitat around the boardwalk is magical, very dense, mossy, lush forest all year round. This trail is highly recommended, and located across from the summit, by a coffee house.

Pha Dok Siew Nature Trail

If you’re craving a quieter, more authentic trail, one with waterfalls, rice terraces and barely another soul around, this might be exactly what you’re after.

The trail winds through forest paths and hillside farms, eventually leading to Mae Klang Luang village, where coffee is brewed straight from the beans grown on the slopes you’ve just walked past. You must pay a small fee and be accompanied by a hill tribe guide.

Kew Mae Pan

Starting from the main road just a few hundred meters north of the two chedis, this 2.5 km long circular trail must be accompanied by a Hmong Tribe guide for a small fee. The hike is easy to moderate to walk, clear and well maintained. Part of the trail is along a mountain ridge with a beautiful view over west.

Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail is closed from June to October every year, re-opens 1st November.

Wildlife & Birdwatching

Birdwatching is very popular and much easier to do than trying to find animals. There are dozens of mammal species, however they are hard to find. Birding however can be plentiful. With around 500–510 recorded bird species, Doi Inthanon has the highest bird diversity of any national park in Thailand.

Some bird species recorded in Thailand only from Doi Inthanon include the ashy-throated leaf warblers, dark-breasted rosefinches and collared grosbeaks. Several other species are found only in Doi Inthanon and adjacent parks.

Bird migration activity increases around March and continues through the breeding season until June or July, making this one of the best periods for birdwatching.

Hill Tribe Villages

The Doi Inthanon area is home to several Karen and Hmong communities, making a village visit a great complement to the waterfalls and mountain scenery. In fact in the last couple years we have been exploring more places in these two villages and find that they offer many fun and interesting things to do.

Also they are both two of the best places to Stay Overnight in Homestays or Glamping.

🌿 Ban Mae Klang Luang

One of the best-known villages in the park. It is a Karen community surrounded by rice terraces, particularly beautiful during the green growing season.

Worth seeing:

• 🌾 Terraced rice fields.
• ☕ Locally grown coffee – Visit Pati-Non for a wonderful free tours and talks by the owners. Google Maps
• 🏡 Traditional Karen homes.
• 🌿 Several very nice places to stay overnight. See below.
• 🚶 Short walks around the village and fields

🌄 Ban Khun Klang

Located high on Doi Inthanon, Ban Khun Klang is another hill tribe community. It’s cooler and surrounded by mountain agriculture. This community offers many things to do. In fact you could spend several days just in this area. From waterfall hikes, local village, royal gardens, amazing coffee shops, Thai food, and mostly Glamping or Camping are abundant here. For more details read our article.

• 🌾 Terraced rice fields.
• ☕ Great Coffee Shops with Views. The best view is at In-lai-kao (Google Map).
• 🏡 Several very nice places to stay overnight and large campsite. See below. Glamping is very popular.
• 🌿 Royal Gardens. Beautiful setting, educational, and lodging.
• 🚶 Short walks around the village and fields.
• 💦 Best Waterfall hiking trail at Siriphum Waterfall.

Discover the Best Hilltribe Village In Doi Inthanon Thailand

Stay Overnight

There are a lot of options for staying overnight in or near Doi Ithanon, depending on your preferences and schedule. How you will not find any luxury resorts or spas if that is what you are looking for. In the park is more rustic and glamping type places.

There are dozens of smaller places in the heart of the park that are not on the major booking platforms. You can just show up if it is a weekday. November-February would be the busiest time with the best weather. Just outside the main park entrance on route 1009 in Chom Thong are a few nice mid-range resorts.

Inthanon Mountain Camp (Ban Khun Klang) is a popular camping-style accommodation that emphasizes comfort and atmosphere. 

22 Aquarius Glamping Cafe (Ban Khun Klang) Glamping and nice cafe.

Bansuanariya (Ban Khun Klang) Glamping and private cabins. A short walk or drive from the Royal Agricultural Station, Hmong Market, and local nature trails

Mae Klang Luang Villa (Mae Klang Luang Village) is a picture perfect lodge and glamping hotel situated on some of the most beautiful rice fields in the park. Choose from a room in the main lodge or private tent in the fields. Cafe on site.

Touch Star Resort (Outside Park Entrance-Chom Thong) Highly Recommended by us. Located just 5 minutes from the first checkpoint. Very spacious grounds with lush landscape and various types of rooms. Wi-Fi, TV and all the modern amenities.

Doi Inthanon View Resort. Also located right outside the park entrance on route 1009. They have really neat looking individual chalets. This is a higher end resort offering small villa type rooms.

Resources

Agoda is the best place to book cheap affordable hotels in Thailand, especially near national parks. They also book flights as well.

Expedia is my favorite place to book flights, hotels, cars, and more. Their group includes Hotels.com and Vrbo for vacation rentals.

Viator is the top choice for activities. Book everything from a waterfall tour to scuba diving, jungle trekking to cooking classes. 

12Go is the top transportation source for Asia. From busses to trains to regional flights.

This page contains links to affiliate partner websites, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure Page.