Small-Group Tour: Golden Triangle, Mekong River and Laos Village Experience from Chiang Rai

Your day starts with pickup from your Chiang Rai hotel by your private guide for the ride to your first destination, Chiang Saen, located about one hour from Chiang Rai on the outskirts of the Golden Triangle.

The sleepy riverside town of Chiang Saen was once the seat of the powerful Lanna kingdom that ruled northern Thailand for several hundred years, starting in the 13th century. Take a look at old temples and other ruins with your guide while you learn a bit about the region's history, and then head to a lookout point to see the Golden Triangle, the tripoint border of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos that's one of the world's largest opium-producing areas.

Snap some photos, then hop back in your private vehicle to drive toward the town of Chiang Khong, stopping along the way at Baan Kiew Karn, a hilltop village populated by the people of the White Hmong and Lahu hill tribes. Chat with some of the villagers with the assistance of your guide, and take in stunning views of jungle-clad mountains.

Next, head to Chiang Khong for lunch at local restaurant. Choose from a Thai menu that includes vegetable and meat dishes served with rice, flavorful soups, and possibly even a rare Mekong River catfish dish.

After lunch, drive 6 miles (10 km) to reach the recently opened Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, which crosses the Mekong River to link Thailand and Laos. Your guide helps you with the visa-on-arrival process, which involves going through Thai and Laos immigration offices on both sides of the bridge and paying the visa fee in either US dollars or Thai baht. (Passport holders from some countries cannot get a visa on arrival; please see the Additional Info for a list of those countries.)

Once you have entered into Laos, go with your guide by local transport to a hill tribe village about 30 minutes away. You have about an hour to see the village, visit a local market and take in the sights of rural Laos before returning to the bridge to cross back into Thailand and head back to Chiang Rai. Your day trip ends with drop-off at your hotel.