Neil Aronson (Updated October 2024). Are you looking for the best mountain area near Chiang Mai? Then go to the Mae Rim Valley. This is your ultimate detailed guide to this area which is less than an hours drive north of Chiang Mai.
In this article we are helping guide you through what to do and where to stay in the Mae Rim Valley, just north of Chiang Mai city. No need to look around the internet, we have it all covered here, plus more.
The Mae Rim district is part of Chiang Mai province. The area is just a short drive from the city, offering visitor some of the best attractions in the area. We have gone many times on day trips, but have also stayed overnight which I recommend.
Mae Rim Valley area is one of the best areas near Chiang Mai for its breathtaking scenery, tons of attractions and activities, and amazing cafes. The culture is genuine and you will encounter a lot of friendly locals. I met a handful of locals who own their businesses there, and they could not be more friendly.
There are a couple stunning temples on the way, as well as three top golf courses before you reach the intersection of route 107 and 1096.
The area is also home to a lot of the best resorts and boutique hotels.
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.
Contents:
TIPS
If you are taking a day trip to the Mae Rim Valley, I would leave early in the morning. You want to have the entire day to explore the sights along the way, which we will dig into later.
If you decide to drive out in the mountains, make sure you fill up on gas if you are driving yourself. You can hire a local driver for the day, there are many options for that in Chiang Mai. Just ask your local hotel staff, or look into an option on Viator to hire a drive for your small group for the day.
As a result of being out on the road all day, you should bring snacks and water. Some areas may be hard to find anything.
Bring long pants and a light jacket. Your in the mountains, so you will encounter bugs, weather. November-January are the best months to go. I also noticed when I stayed there that most of the restaurants closed by 6pm. Not all, but options became limited.
Heading North to Mae Rim Valley. Route 107 out of Chiang Mai city. When you hit the Junction of Route 107 and 1096, you can go left to Mon Jam which is well worth visiting. On route 1096 you will find several of the attractions we recommend seeing such as the Mae Sa Waterfall and botanical gardens.
Popular Activities In The Area
Like a lot of outdoor activities you end up doing in Thailand, you never planned doing before you visit. On my first trip to Chiang Mai 13 years ago, I certainly was not planning on going white water rafting. But as I kept walking around town, I kept seeing signs on small shops promising to take you out to the mountains for an unforgettable experience on the river. I finally signed up with my friend and had so much fun, I highly recommend it.
The most popular and closest spot from Chiang Mai is though the Mae Rim Valley north up on the Mae Tang River. There are several good companies to take you, listed below. They also have beginner sections and more advances sections.
In the fall, at the end of the rainy season is when the rivers are craziest, so be aware. January-March are the best time for weather and calmer rapids.
If you are a Kayaker like me, this is also available through most of the tour operators.
ATV Tours is another fun activity through the jungles of the Mae Rim Valley mountains. There are numerous tour companies that will take you, see below.
Zipline. In the Mae Rim Valley there are several opportunities to zipline. The biggest and most popular in the area is Phoenix Adventure Park. They have both zipline and an amazing rope course. Getting to Phoenix is easy, it is just 2 km north of route 1096. Google maps took us there.
For a family adventure park and camping, there is Pongyang Jungle Zipline Camp and Coaster. This park is half way up the mountain to Mon Jam. It is a steep and crowded road going up. Also, I have not been here, but we drove past, and it was insanely crowded.
Tip: If you are looking for a zipline adventure that is more hard core and large, then I would recommend Flight of the Gibbon. It is not in this area, just a tip.
Hiking and Mountain Biking
This area of Chiang Mai Provence is one of the best for both hiking and mountain biking. Hike through the lush tropical forests surrounded by nature. Excellent for birdwatching. In the fall trails will be muddy from the rainy season. Alltrails app has over 70 hiking trails to choose from. Also there are two great easy walking trails from Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens.
Here are a few companies to book these activities in the Mae Rim Valley. It is also easy once in Chiang Mai to book all over town there are places. However some are not reputable, so either go with these, or ask your hotel.
Renting good mountain bikes in Chiang Mai city from trekking around Mae Rim Valley is fairly easy. Check with your hotel for recommended places. If your looking for more hard core rides check out Chiang Mai Mountain Biking.
Right on route 1096 is Extreme. They have bungy jumping on site. Also they do ATV rides, mountain biking and more. They have been there over 20 years, owned by an Australian.
For a road bike trip in this area, many people do a long 110km route through the mountains called the Samoeng Loop.
Viator is an excellent place to book these activities.
Play Golf
The area is home to several great golf courses. As a result of the loop location, this makes a great home base for a few days if you are a golfer. Play great courses and explore the drive and its attractions.
Summit Green Valley Country Club is one of the most beautiful and popular golf courses in Northern Thailand. I little further off route 107 to the east is Mae Jo Golf Resort and Spa. Another spectacular golf course with a four star resort and spa.
A third golf resort choice in the Mae Rim Valley in The Royal Chiang Mai Golf Resort. For championship golf in Chiang Mai with a high end resort. The course was designed by Peter Thompson, who won the British Open 5 times.
Wat Pa Dara Phirom
Wat Pa Dara Phirom is a 100-year-old royal temple in the Mae Rim Valley. This is one of the most significant temples in Chiang Mai, and my local mother in law’s favorite of all the temples. It has stunning grounds and buildings.
To get to this temple, you will reach it off route 107, before you get to Mae Rim. It is located before the junction of route 107 and 1096. As you are going north, it is off to the left on a side road. When you leave the temple and go north, you can take an amazing side road to get to route 1096. There you will pass many great coffee shops and boutique hotels.
Mae Sa Waterfall
Mae Sa Waterfall is a popular 10-tiered cascading waterfall along a nearly 2.5 km trail into the forest. This is a very popular local attraction for the area.
There is a very nice trail going all the way to the 10th tier. Some of it is boardwalk and bridges, giving you great views for photography. Each tier is marked by a sign. Since the individual falls are not that high or fast-moving, they are ideal—and popular—for swimming.
This is a favorite picnic spot for locals. Swimming is also good. Not actually swimming, just getting wet.
There is a minimal Entrance Fee. There may be a few food vendors in the parking lot, however don’t count on it. As a result make sure you bring water. It is also a great place to bring a picnic, but can get crowded with locals. The best two sections are five and six. Number five is called Wang Thao Promma.
Along the trail, there are no boundaries to keep you out of the river or falls, so you can get in the water. But a lot of it is granite, so it gets slippery, be careful. You will also encounter lots of butterflies and birds. And the occasional huge spider, as I found this one.
Ethical Elephant Camps
One of the true ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand is Mae Sa Elephant Camp. They have evolved over time and since Covid no longer allow riding of elephants or shows. As a result of changes, this is a care and educational facility run by donations.
Visiting The Chang is by appointment only, and you must reserve either a full-day or half-day activity program. The programs are fun as well as educational.
Because this is not a quick activity, it’s recommended you plan a visit if staying overnight in the area.
Elephant Nature Park Sanctuary, is a leading elephant rescue and rehabilitation center, established by the esteemed elephant rights advocate, Saengduean Chailert, known as Lek. Actually not in Mae Rim, but further north about 45 minutes in Mae Taeng district. However I am mentioning it as people are always looking for a good one.
Elephant Nature Park offers ethical half day tours, full day tours as well as overnight with full board accommodation, to stay close to the elephants at the park. Volunteer opportunities are also available to become part of the caring team helping with the feeding and various manual efforts required to support the elephants at the park.
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden
Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens is without a doubt one of most impressing botanical gardens you will see. The gardens offer a mix of natural beauty along with curated gardens and glasshouses showcasing the richness of Thai, and other flora.
As a result it is also home to a great number of valuable Thai plants, with a focus on rare, endemic, and endangered species.
And if you are not totally into looking at plants, there are other things on the site to do. There also is a Natural History Museum. As well there is a really cool Canopy Walk. Which is along walking bridge above the tree canopy, allowing you to view across the tree tops.
There are also several amazing trail hikes, which will take from 45 minutes to 2 hours. So this would be something if you were staying in the area. There is also the The Golden Gardenia Coffee Shop, with views of the surrounding mountains.
More Things To Do
Visit Flower Fields
During certain times of the year, a beautiful thing to look at is the flower fields in the Mae Rim Valley. There are several good one’s, one of the most popular being Aunty Nok. After the rainy season in the fall seems to be the peak time. Open daily to the public.
If you want to stop by this place, I would recommend doing it on your way up. As it is before you get to the route 107 and 1096 turn. You need to take side roads east of the 107, through some stunning villages and landscapes. It is about 15 minutes out of the way. Google maps was able to find it.
Located in Mae Rim district’s Muang Kaew area, this expansive garden has become a medley of blooming flowers, including Marguerite daisies, blue salvia, roses, cosmos, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums.
Fun Nature Attractions
There are several small nature attractions you can visit. Each one takes only an short time, they are fairly small, and worth seeing. All of them are in close proximity to each other.
Bai Orchid & Butterfly Farm. If you like or love seeing amazing butterflies, then you should definitely make a stop here. Right on route 1096, not far from the 107 interchange. For 60 baht, you can take a stroll through a large enclosure, where dozens of different species will land on you, and easily let you photograph them.
There is beautiful landscaping throughout the facility, and a somewhat small Orchid Farm. There is a restaurant and coffee shop. I was there on a weekday, but tour busses still made it fairly crowded, but not too bad. It is a stop on most of the tours.
Siam Insect Zoo, is just down the road from the butterfly farm, on the way to Mae Sa waterfall. Obviously you need to want to see and enjoy bugs. They do a lot of kids educational programs, and have a live insect zoo.
Amazing Cafes and Coffee
If you read any of my other articles, you see I also mention when I find cool coffee houses. To my surprise, in the area, I find some amazing ones. So much so it is worth the trip up just to hang out at and enjoy them. I found four amazing ones in just a couple days, just by looking at Google Maps.
Rim Nara Cafe and Bistro near Mae Sa Waterfall. I was just looking for a cappuccino before heading back to Chiang Mai, and found this gem. About a km from Mae Sa waterfall, on the south side of the 1096. You have to turn on a small road, which I missed even with GPS, so go slow.
There is plenty of parking. The cafe, bakery, and coffee house are on a large lot with multiple places to sit. Best of all it is on a nice creek that runs along the property. Very shady and peaceful setting. I did not eat at the cafe, but saw some dishes and they look fantastic. Different types of food, and Thai of course. When we were there, they had it all decorated for Christmas. Excellent coffee.
Zombie Cafe, also near Mae Sa Waterfall, just off the 1096. I did not figure it out, but it must have been some sort of plantation before. The buildings and property are huge for a restaurant. It is on a creek as well, with lots of trees and shade. There is a bar, coffee, and food menu. Best part is sitting in the creek having a drink. There is a large tree house out back, looking out over rice fields and the mountains.
Vans Coffee Shop, is on the 1096 and close to the road you take to Pak Ram hotel and the Tat Mok Waterfall. Almost in the center of town, if you will, close to the 7-11, but on the north side of the road. It is a nice coffee shop, and quiet place to relax. The met the daughter of the owner who was working there. Her mom has a fresh bakery there as well.
And Ann Coffee Shop in the Mae Rim Valley, is not of the 1096. It is located on a small road, 7 Don Kaeo. It is very close to the Groveyard Cafe mentioned above, which is how we found it. Also down the road from Wat Pa Dara mentioned above. Ann has a great little spot, with shady, decorated patios. Inside is a thrift store, so that is fun as well. Great coffee and nice owner.
Grooveyard Cafe This was an amazing find in the Mae Rim Valley we just stumbled upon when looking for lunch. If your looking for fantastic pizza, Thai food and more, go here for lunch. Amazing property are setting. More information below in the hotel section. This place has cabins for rent.
If you are looking for some higher end food in the Mae Rim Valley with an amazing garden atmosphere, check out Arrom Orchid Restaurant. At first driving by a couple of times, I thought it was an Orchid Farm, since it looks more like that from the outside than a restaurant. There is a large parking area in front. The restaurant has a large variety, with lots of amazing grounds to walk around. Of course themed with orchids.
Mon Jam (Mon Cham)
Mon Jam is a mountaintop farming community with panoramic views, accommodations, hilltribe shops & small local restaurants. It is somewhat of a side trip off the loop route but worth the visit. Beautiful views, local shops and local food. It is a well know area and considered up top for best day trips among Thai people.
Getting there is more of an effort than I thought it would be. Past Mae Sa Waterfall a few kilometers, you will take route 4051 up the hill. It is a windy road and very very steep. More considered to be in the Mae Sa Valley, not the Mae Rim Valley.
Take a tour to Mon Jam with Viator.
What to do in Mon Jam
Eat lunch at Nong Hoi Royal Project Vegetable Development Center. This is an incredible restaurant of local Thai food. Farm fresh food as a result of using their own locally grown crops.
There are also several local places to eat along the roads. In the main parking lot there is also food stands. The couple of the coffee shops have food as well.
Get Coffee at one of the many coffee shops. In fact, I was a little surprised how many there were. At the summit there are two really great ones with panoramic views of the valley below. YODDOI is this picture.
Go hiking: There are a number of hiking trails in Mon Jam, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Selfies in the flower fields. There are many smaller local flower fields run by the hilltribe. They are great for pictures and lots of butterflies. You will be charged a small fee to enter any of them. But you can take pictures standing outside.
Shop till you drop. Along the roads and in the parking lots are stalls with local products made by the hilltribe residents. Get anything from home made wine to table cloths.
Go Glamping. There are a handful of unique resorts here, some run by the hilltribes. See options below.
Pongyang Jungle Coaster Zipline Camp & Resort (Mae Rim/Mon Jam) is an extremely popular place for kids and families. Getting there is a little bit of a drive however as it is located on the mountain on the way up to Mon Jam. Built for kids and families, enjoy zipline courses, small roller coasters, jungle courses, and lots of other activities. My nephews loved this place when they were younger. Stay overnight with different room options, and are available to book on Agoda.
Stay Overnight
Mae Rim is close enough to the city that it is perfect for day trips. However I would recommend a couple nights if possible. This way you can really take advantage of the area. As you will see there are a lot of things to do.
Here are some recommended great options.
I would recommend using Agoda to book your hotels.
Mae Rim Valley Hotels
The costs of our listed hotels are very reasonable, as is most of the hotels in the area. Mon Jam area is a little more expensive as it has unique places and is very popular.
There are a couple exceptions if you want ultra luxury in the Mae Rim Valley. The Four Seasons Resort is located right in this area. I have not stayed there. I just snuck in with a friend to hang out. Also Onsen At Moncham is an ultra luxury resort.
Pak Ram Is my personal recommendation for the Mae Rim Valley. I stayed here in November 2023. It is located a couple KM off route 1096, set back in the hills. I think it only has 8 rooms, and they are all private Villas with a huge room and huge bathroom. Also a large covered patio. Breakfast was included and was great. In the countryside with mountain Views. Beside being central of all activities, down the road 8 Km is another waterfall, Tat Mok Waterfall.
Mae Jo Golf Resort and Spa Located on the east side of the Mae Rim valley set against the hills. Fantastic golf and spa resort. A little bit outside of the area we are focusing on, but an option if you also want to play golf. See more below under golf.
Mesa Greenery Hill Beautiful Boutique hotel setting on river. Very close to Mae Sa Waterfall and some great Cafe’s.
Grooveyard Cafe This was an amazing find we just stumbled upon when looking for lunch. So far it is my favorite place to eat in the Mae Rim Valley.
It is more of a restaurant than anything, however they have 3 super cool cabins for rent. The cabins are in a garden setting with mountain views. We had their wood fired pizza for lunch, which was near perfect. They also have Thai food and lots of other options. In the evening they have live music. When I was there they were closed on Mondays, so check.
Mon Jam
Hmong Hilltribe Lodge Beautiful setting in the hilltribe village. A great opportunity to stay and learn the culture. Nestled among the mountains and rice fields of Mae Rim, Hmong Hilltribe Lodge offers rooms, spread throughout 10 main houses. Rooms share a communal living area, complete with open fireplace. One of the few that has a pool.
Phu Morinn Cafe & Camping Very popular unique ‘glamping’ experience. A recently renovated homestay, Phu Morinn Cafe &Camping Monjam offers accommodation in Mon Jam. This property offers access to a terrace, free private parking, and free Wifi. Every room is fitted with a balcony with mountain views.
MonLannaHomesty offers accommodations in Mon Jam, 6.7 miles from Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. Every room has a private bathroom with a shower, while selected rooms are equipped with mountain views. At the luxury tent, every unit has bed linen and towels. Guests can enjoy an à la carte breakfast, and breakfast in the room is also available. The luxury tent has a picnic area where you can spend the day outdoors.
Onsen At Moncham is an Ultra Luxury Japanese style resort at the bottom of the hill, as an alternative to Glamping. Nestled among a rolling green landscape, where you can embrace nirvana in an area where the countryside is naturally abundant and the environment peaceful. Retreat and be one at one with nature while experiencing a harmonious blend of Japanese Onsen Rituals and Northern Thai Culture.
I hope this article helps to plan your trip to Thailand and the Mae Rim Valley. Help us out by using any of our partner links. If you have any questions please send us a comment. And do not forget Travel Insurance, to protect you, your family, and your trip.
