4 Days Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

DAY 1: CHIANG MAI - CHIANG RAI
Morning, our guide will pick you up at hotel in Chiang Mai and drive to visit Chiang Dao Cave. Tham Chiang Dao is a giant cave with beautiful stalagmite and the stalactite inside that form spontaneously.Then continue drive to Ban Thaton and visit Wat Thaton before lunch is at a local restaurant. Afternoon, board a local long-tail boat from Ban Thaton to Chiang Rai with stop on the way to visit the Hilltribe Villages en route ; Akha, Lahu, Karen villages and also Elephant Village. Arrival Chiang Rai pier, continue short transfer to your hotel for check in and relax at leisure.
DAY 2: CHIANG RAI
Morning, visit the city of Chiang Rai with begin your tour at Wat Rong Khun, known as the White Temple: designed by one of Thailand’s most famous artists - Chalermchai Kositpipat. Next, learn about some of the surrounding areas at the Hill Tribe Museum, where you can explore exhibits touching on the area’s long history of opium and the effect it has had on the lives of the mountain people and hill tribe villages. Next, wrap up your tour with a visit to Wat Phra Kaew, Chiang Rai’s very own Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which features the most highly-revered Buddha image.
Afternoon, discover the rich culture of local hill tribes in the Mae Chan district from Chiang Rai. After lunch is at a local restaurant, head north to a longstanding trading post between the Akha and Yao tribes. Peruse the incredible handicrafts for sale at the local shops and markets before heading further uphill to Doi Mae Salong and visit the Santi Khiri village. Spend some time exploring this enchanting small town, sampling traditional Chinese dishes and visiting local tea, coffee and even fruit tree plantations, in full bloom in December and January.
DAY 3: CHIANG RAI
Get picked up from your hotel in Chiang Rai and driven through the narrow and scenic roads to Doi Tung Mountain, the areas surrounding these hillside tribes, previously poppy fields, now grow crops such as coffee.
Continue on to arrive at the Golden Triangle viewpoint, with incredible views over where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. Then, board a long-tail boat to cruise down the scenic Mekong river, complete with beautiful mountain scenery and distant views of several temples, until you reach the Laos-Burmese border, where - time permitting - you will be able to step foot on Don Island in Laos. Finally, reach the Hall of Opium, where you can learn about the history of the drug smugglers and opium warlords that once ruined the Golden Triangle, as well as current issues of drug abuse and addiction.
DAY 4: CHIANG RAI - CHIANG MAI
Free day at your leisure until check out time, meet our guide and transfer approx. 3hr to Chiang Mai and drop you off at hotel or airport.