3d/2n Authentic Hill Tribe Tour

HIGHLIGHTS

Explore the authentic hill tribes of rural northern Thailand and see parts that most travellers don't get to see ! Travel with our local guides who will take you on a cultural journey through the mountains to show you firsthand how the locals and hill tribes live, work and farm. Option to stay overnight at our Karen Long Neck homestay, a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience !

DESCRIPTION

Get off the main tourist trail to visit traditional hill tribe villages nestled in the mountains and lowlands of rural northern Thailand. This tour visits a variety of hill tribes such as the Hmong, Lisu, Lahu, Palaung, Kayan Long Neck tribe and Shan minority. Experience their hospitality, and learn about local culture, regional cuisine, handicrafts, farming and more. We will visit non-touristic hill tribe villages, in small private groups so the experience is kept highly authentic and personalised.

DAY 1

Pick up from hotel in Chiang Mai -optional visit to an elephant sanctuary and/or bamboo rafting - then we will continue our journey north into the countryside - on the way we will stop to explore local life (roadside markets, areas of natural beauty etc.) - visit a Kayan Long Neck Tribe family - you will have the chance for cultural immersion with them and to learn about their way of life as refugees in Thailand - enjoy preparing a traditional evening dinner together - o/n at Kayan Long Neck Homestay.

DAY 2

After breakfast, option for short trek with the Karen hill tribe to learn about the local ecology, and how they live and farm - depart the homestay and drive up Doi Angkhang mountain, a cluster of peaks and valleys that form a mountain range that borders Myanmar - Enjoy the stunning vistas on the way up. Doi Angkhang is home to colourful minorities such as the Palaung and Lahu hill tribe - Visit their villages, where these ethnic groups still live in bamboo stilt houses and hold belief in the spirit world - We will have the chance to talk to them and learn about their culture and way of life - Visit an outlook point which overlooks the mountainous Thai-Myanmar border - Descend Doi Angkhang - traditional dinner with Lisu hill tribe family, o/n Lisu hill tribe homestay or local guesthouse.

DAY 3

After breakfast, option for nature walk/short trek with Lisu hill tribe villager to learn about how they live and farm - option to visit a terraced limestone waterfall where you can play in the waters- head back to Chiang Mai, on the way we will visit a Lahu hill tribe village and Hmong market - drop off at hotel in Chiang Mai.

Sample Activities

Optional short trek with a village guide
Visit waterfall
Visit an elephant sanctuary

Testimonials of this tour

"AUTHENTIC AND INSPIRING EXPERIENCE"

We had the 3D/2N Hilltribe Stay tour with our 7 year old son and we truly loved every minute of it. We stayed with the Karen Long Neck tribe for 1 night and also visited the local farms and villagers, while the entire time we were guided by locals of the tribes and villagers that thoroughly explained what we were seeing and experiencing. Each of the tribe people that we visited generously welcomed us into their lives. The stories about how they endured through hardships and difficulites was eye opening and extremely inspiring. We really appreciate the fact that this tour provides visitors the opportunity to humbly learn about the real life of the local tribe people, and at the same time, the tour also creates work opportunities for those beautiful tribe people in a very respectful way. (Evelyn Cheng, Visited December 2023)

"AN INSPIIRNG FAMILY EXPERIENCE"

So inspiring!! I travelled alone with my two four-year-old twins for the first time, and this 3-days tour was such a fantastic experience. Our tour guide, Surachai, from the Karen tribe, explained a lot about the hill tribes, their differences, origins and culture, and organised all the details so we could have authentic encounters with these beautiful people. He was so patient with the kids and flexible also to organise seeing some nature wonders such as some fantastic waterfalls and caves. We stayed with a Kayan Long Neck family one night and it was so inspiring. I was unsure about visiting the Kayan Long Neck tribe, so I looked for an ethical and sustainable tour company. But the visit was worth it. The family have created a beautiful homestay. I learned from their resilience and awareness, and hopefully, my children also discovered a new perspective on life, and as a family, we will cultivate a new friendship. Everyone in "Thailand Hilltribe Holidays, Responsible Tours for Northern Thailand" was so responsive. I admire their work, and definitely, their purpose goes beyond any traditional tour company to change the status quo and give local northern hill tribes an opportunity to share who they are and have a sustainable income. Again- as a family- it was just inspiring.
(Maria Fernanda, visited May 2023)

"Local Living"

We had this trip in the beginning of January (2018) and we must say that it was the best thing of our holiday. The guide (Pat) knew the places where were no tourists. That's why we had an excellent opportunity to observe real local living. We went to see for example poor hmong tribe, local school and hot springs. The best thing of trip was an unforgettable night with karen tribe family, where we lived together with water buffalos, roosters, chickens, pigs etc. Then we ate local food and had sticky rice from a bamboo. If you want to get rid of big tourist groups and experience local living, you should definately have this trip! (Oskari, Finland, Visited January 2018)

DETAILS :

This tour starts+ends in Chiang Mai. We can pick up+drop off at your hotel/airport/train station in Chiang Mai. If you require pick up from another location please contact us.
The itinerary is an outline only, and not fixed, this leaves opportunity to explore local life along the way.
Optional overnight at a Kayan Long Neck Tribe Homestay. Conditions are basic (very little electricity, no hot showers, sleeping in a bamboo stilt hut) or guesthouse accommodation is also possible.
This tour can be customised. Please contact us for more details.

ETHICAL FACTOR :

- We follow village life, rather than village life following us, so we cannot guarantee what you will see and do in the village. But you will have the chance to meet villagers, be invited into their homes and to see how they live in an ethical and respectful way.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM :

- Option to go on a short trek with our village trekking guide. S/he can show you the local ecology, and how the hill tribes live with nature. This is part of our sustainable tourism policy, to provide training and a livelihood to villagers.
- The homestay costs are payable directly to the host family. We encourage 100% profits to go directly to the locals that provide any services along our tours.

     EXCELLENT  
     Based on 484 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Marta R 
 2023-08-14
 
 
 Verified Amazing trip with great people
The tour was amazing, we did the 2 days tour with a homestay with a Kayan family. Our guide Surachai was really good and knowledgeable, and really made our trip a great one. He was a local from the Karen tribe. We started with a bamboo rafting, which was alright but if you are more into adventure could maybe skip and do something else. Then we drove to see the Hmong village and market and then to the Kayan village. There a local guide took us around to see the rice fields and the village, really nice scenery and he told us all about the local plants and crops. We even stopped at the local shop to have a local drink (a sort of rice liquor) and some snacks with him. When we came back we had dinner with the family and our guides, the food was delicious, our host Massu and her sister cooked a feast and it was all stuff they had gathered or grown. My partner and I stayed at the village , there is an option to go stay at a nearby hotel, which my parents did, but I would recommend staying with the family to both support and get a better understanding of their way of living. We stayed in a bamboo hut with no electricity, and overall it was pretty comfortable. We stayed up after dinner to chat and play uno with our host and her kids and had breakfast with them the next day. It was really nice to chat with them and they shared a bit about their experience as refugees. The next day our guide took us to do a short trek on a mountain where we were the only ones, had dinner at a local place and then waterfalls. Our guide took us to less touristy places which were less crowded but equally beautiful, and we were glad to support the locals. He even offered us to do a long boat tour near his village, which was on the way to our next destination and he then went to pick us up on the other side, saving us some driving which was replaced by a very enjoyable boat ride. Only thing I would add is that if you want to do elephant camp, check with them before to see where they will take you. Our bamboo rafting was in the same place as an elephant camp which offered shows and rides (which we wanted to avoid). We had done our elephant visit the day before at an ethical elephant sanctuary so it didn’t impact us but something to keep in mind. Overall a fantastic and authentic experience and would it a longer tour in the future. 10/10
  
 
       
   Amber W 
 2023-07-12
 
 
 Verified Highlight of not only our trip but of our life as a family
We have traveled all over the world, and this is one of the most magnificent things we’ve done. My husband and 4 children - ages 13, 11, 11, and 11 - did the 4 day 3 night adventure with a home stay. It was amazing and authentic from start to finish. Pat is an amazing guide who knows several languages and all of the locals, which means you get an experience that you absolutely cannot rival anywhere else. I can’t recommend this highly enough for adventurous travelers who want off the beaten path and want a REAL Thai experience. We will always remember it.
  
 
       
   Pau-Ling B 
 2023-07-07
 
 
 Verified Experience life as a local
Wonderful trip with my kids. Guide was so good. Showing us life as a local. We stopped often to see interesting non touristy places and ate like locals. We particularly enjoyed meeting the ‘lisu’ and Karen people and seeing their way of life. The home stays were our highlights. Our guide was warm and enjoyed showing us his country. He was genuine in his desire to help support these small communities. Highly Recommend.
  
 
       
   Brian D 
 2023-07-01
 
 
 Verified Wow fantastiske oplevelser med fantastisk guide, der selv var fra bjergområderne
Vi var på 4 dages tur fra Chiang Mai og op i den nordligste del af Thailand. Afhentning i lufthavnen af Surachai, vores guide. Han talte ok engelsk, og vi forstod stort set alt. Han var den bedste guide, der gav os nogle fantastiske oplevelser og informationer. Største øjeblikke på turen: Ophold og Overnatning i bambushytte i Hilltripe hos Masu) Besøge den gyldne trekant Trekke opad Thailands 2. højeste bjerg Doi Ang Khang (det var ret udfordrende og man skal ikke være bange for højder eller være usikker på benene) Grænsen til Myanmar Grotten hvor fodboldholdet blev reddet Bådtur på flod Gå opad vandfald (Buaton waterfall) Vær forberedt på at du bliver spurgt meget til hvad du har lyst til - så lidt forberedelse hjemmefra kan være smart. Eneste minus ved turen var sidste overnatningssted - Chiang dai in love. Toilet var beskidt, der var små insekter/biller i sengene og området var meget forfaldent, så jeg ville bede om et andet hvis du bliver forslået at overnatte der (bambushytte var bedre) Vi var totalt overvældet allerede efter de 2 første dage og 4 dag var vi lidt mættet og droppede bambusrafting.
  
 
       
   Maria Fernanda G 
 2023-06-25
 
 
 Verified An inspiring family experience!
So inspiring!! I travelled alone with my two four-year-old twins for the first time, and this 3-days tour was such a fantastic experience. Our tour guide, Surachai, from the Karen tribe, explained a lot about the hill tribes, their differences, origins and culture, and organised all the details so we could have authentic encounters with these beautiful people. He was so patient with the kids and flexible also to organise seeing some nature wonders such as some fantastic waterfalls and caves. We stayed with a Kayan Long Neck family one night and it was so inspiring. I was unsure about visiting the Kayan Long Neck tribe, so I looked for an ethical and sustainable tour company. But the visit was worth it. The family have created a beautiful homestay. I learned from their resilience and awareness, and hopefully, my children also discovered a new perspective on life, and as a family, we will cultivate a new friendship. Everyone in "Thailand Hilltribe Holidays, Responsible Tours for Northern Thailand" was so responsive. I admire their work, and definitely, their purpose goes beyond any traditional tour company to change the status quo and give local northern hill tribes an opportunity to share who they are and have a sustainable income. Again- as a family- it was just inspiring.
  
 
       
   Claire 
 2023-06-20
 
 
 Verified Wonderful, authentic experience!
We loved our authentic home stay experience. Thank you for arranging everything Melissa and a big thank you to our private guide, Pat for his insights, knowledge and big, generous heart. I love that he is trying to change lives through training and teaching. Our driver also provided excellent, kind service. The highlight was being able to meet Masu and her beautiful family. We loved speaking with her and getting to know them. Her story is heartbreaking. And she served incredibly delicious food which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Your tour was exactly what we wanted…exploring and meeting people off the tourist path and not going to a “human zoo”. The home stay was a deeply meaningful experience for my kids as well. We included the elephant sanctuary and we also really enjoyed the waterfall stop! Thank you again!!
  
 
       
   George T 
 2023-02-11
 
 
 Verified One of our best experiences
It was a reals life experience and not just a tour. Melissa and Pat our trying to do something out of ordinary and. They are showing you how is really the north thailand.
  
 
       
   Andrea A. 
 2023-01-25
 
 
 Verified Amazing tour by expert guide
What an amazing experience! Anan was our guide. He is also a part of the tribe and is the perfect guide for this tour. The itinerary was perfect. It is customizable and he helps make sure you have a great time. We loved every part of this tour, from the elephant sanctuary, to the visit to the villages, the homestay, the food, farm tour, market tour, and seeing the waterfalls, and many more! We did so much within 2 days and it was just perfect. I will definitely do another experience with Anan and this tour agency in the future. Thank you so much and all the best to you!
  
 
       
   Vicky 
 2023-01-17
 
 
 Verified Recommended!
We had a wonderful time exploring part of Northern Thailand. We visited many hilltribes in a very respectful and authentic way. We would definitely recommend this company for your travels. Thank you again!