Full-Day ATV Combo — River Trail & Mountain Viewpoint
Five to six hours of quad biking that links the stream-crossing trail and the mountain viewpoint route into one full day south of Chiang Mai.
- Duration
- Full day (5–6 hours of riding, approx. 8 hours door to door)
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Max group
- 20 pax
This is both half-day routes joined together, and it is the reason most serious riders come here. Five to six hours in the saddle: the whole stream-crossing trail with its fords, mud and forest track, and then the long climb on gravel and mountain road to the 360-degree viewpoint. Nothing is cut short to fit — you ride the two routes in full.
The order matters. You start with the water while your arms are fresh and the mud is still funny, working through crossing after crossing in the forest below Ob Khan. By late morning you are soaked and filthy, which is the correct condition in which to begin climbing. The second half is drier and steeper, on loose gravel and steep pitches, until the trail tops out at the viewpoint with the ridgelines stacked up in every direction.
Because it is the long day it is also the one where the extras count: the elephant farm stop with entrance and a basket of food included, a local picnic lunch and a proper water break rather than a rushed one. Elephant bathing can be added on the spot for an extra fee if you want to make a real afternoon of it.
The machines are 225 cc automatics — no clutch, no gears — and staff ride with the group throughout. Return transport from central Chiang Mai is included with a morning pick-up, which is the only departure that fits a five to six hour ride. This route needs a minimum of two people to run, and each machine takes a driver plus one passenger up to a combined 130 kg.
- Five to six hours of riding — both routes at the site in a single day
- The full stream-crossing trail: fords, mud and wet forest track
- The full climb to the 360-degree mountain viewpoint on gravel and mountain road
- Big-frame 225 cc automatic ATVs, no clutch and no gears to learn
- Elephant farm stop with entrance and a basket of elephant food included
- Local picnic lunch and water break out on the route
- Return transfer from central Chiang Mai included
- Helmet, goggles, rain jacket and personal injury insurance provided
- The operator's best-selling programme, and the best value per hour of riding
What's included
- ✓ Return transfer from central Chiang Mai
- ✓ Automatic 225 cc ATV
- ✓ Guide and support staff throughout the ride
- ✓ Protective gear: helmet, goggles and rain jacket
- ✓ Personal injury insurance, issued before the ride starts
- ✓ Local picnic lunch and a water break
- ✓ Entrance to an elephant farm on the route, with one basket of food to feed the elephants
- Elephant bathing at the elephant farm (2,200 THB per person, payable locally)
- Meals and drinks beyond the picnic lunch and water break
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Damage to the ATV caused by reckless riding
- Gratuities for the guides
- Clothing — bring your own and expect it to get filthy
- 08:30
Pick-up in central Chiang Mai
Morning collection from your hotel or a nearby meeting point and the drive south to Hang Dong. This is the only departure long enough for the combined route.
- 09:15
Registration, gear and briefing
Insurance and paperwork, helmet, goggles and rain jacket, then the controls of the automatic ATV explained and a practice loop before the trail.
- 09:45–11:45
The river trail
Straight into the forest and the water. One natural crossing after another, deep mud in places and climbs onto ridges between the fords.
- 12:00
Elephant farm and picnic lunch
A break at the elephant farm on the route — entrance and a basket of elephant food are included — followed by the local picnic lunch and water break.
- 13:00–15:00
The climb to the viewpoint
The second route in full: sealed mountain road giving way to loose gravel and steep pitches, climbing steadily until the trail reaches the 360-degree viewpoint with views over the ridgelines in all directions.
- 15:15
Descent to base
The long ride back down. Hose off, hand back the gear and change into dry clothes.
- 16:00
Transfer back to Chiang Mai
Drive back into the city and drop-off.
It is a lot, and your shoulders and forearms will tell you so the next day. If you ride motorbikes or do anything physical regularly you will love it; if not, one of the half-day routes is the sensible choice. There is a proper lunch break in the middle, which helps.
The operator sets a minimum of two travellers for the combined day, against one for the half-day routes. Two people can be a driver and a passenger on one machine, or two drivers.
No licence is required to ride on the private off-road trails, and no previous experience is needed — the machines are fully automatic, so there is no clutch and no gear changing. You will be shown the controls before you set off. Do bring your passport or ID card, as riders are registered before the trip.
Yes, and it is a combined limit: the driver and passenger together must not exceed 130 kg on any one ATV. If the two of you are over that, take two machines with one rider each.
Yes. The half-day routes run at 08:30 and 12:30, but the combined day only runs with the 08:30 pick-up — there is not enough daylight otherwise.
A local picnic lunch and a water break are included, as is entrance to the elephant farm with one basket of elephant food. Anything else you buy on the day is your own.
Yes, at the elephant farm on the route, for an additional 2,200 THB per person paid locally. Tell us in advance if you want it so time can be allowed.