Off-Road ATV River Trail — Hang Dong (3–4 Hours)
Three to four hours of quad biking on the signature trail south of Chiang Mai, crossing stream after stream through forest and mountain track.
- Duration
- Half day (3–4 hours of riding, approx. 6 hours door to door)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Max group
- 20 pax
This is the trail the operation is known for, and the reason is simple: it goes through water constantly. The route is laid out to link one natural stream crossing to the next through the hills of Hang Dong, below Ob Khan, so instead of a dusty circuit you get three to four hours of fords, splashes, wet forest track and mud. You will not stay clean and you should not try.
The machines are 225 cc automatics with a big frame — no clutch, no gears, just throttle and brake — which means complete beginners are riding confidently within a few minutes. A guide leads the group and staff ride with you, so the pace is set by whoever is least experienced, and nobody is left behind on a climb. Helmet, goggles and a rain jacket are handed out before you start, and personal injury insurance is issued before the ride begins.
Between the water crossings the trail climbs into forest and opens onto mountain views, and there is a stop at an elephant farm on the route where your entrance is covered and you are given a basket of food to feed the elephants — a genuinely nice half-hour in the middle of a very muddy morning. Lunch is a local picnic with a water break. If you want to bathe with the elephants, that is available on the spot for an extra fee.
You are collected from central Chiang Mai and driven the thirty to forty-five minutes south, so there is no logistics problem at either end. One rider is enough for the trail to run, and each ATV takes a driver plus one passenger, up to a combined 130 kg. Book the morning departure if you want the light and the cooler temperatures.
- Three to four hours of riding on a trail built around natural stream and river crossings
- Big-frame 225 cc automatic ATVs — no clutch, no gears, beginners welcome
- Forest track, mud and mountain paths in the hills below Ob Khan
- Guided in a led group with support staff, at the pace of the slowest rider
- Elephant farm stop with entrance and a basket of elephant food included
- Local picnic lunch and a water break out on the route
- Return transfer from central Chiang Mai included
- Helmet, goggles, rain jacket and personal injury insurance provided
- Driver plus one passenger per machine, so non-riders can still come
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
Collection from your hotel or a nearby meeting point and the drive south to Hang Dong — around thirty to forty-five minutes. An afternoon departure at 12:30 is also available.
- 09:15
Registration and briefing
Paperwork and insurance, then fitting of helmet, goggles and rain jacket. The staff walk you through the controls of the automatic ATV and a short practice loop before anyone heads for the trail.
- 09:45
Onto the trail
Out of the yard and straight into the forest. The first stream crossings come quickly, and the guide demonstrates the line to take through each one before the group follows.
- 11:00
Water, mud and mountain track
The long middle stretch of the route: one ford after another, sections of deep mud, climbs onto ridges with views out over the hills and drops back down into the trees.
- 12:00
Elephant farm stop
A break at an elephant farm on the route. Entrance is included and each guest gets a basket of food to feed the elephants. Bathing with the elephants is available here as a paid extra.
- 12:45
Picnic lunch and water break
A local picnic lunch at a rest point, with drinking water — a chance to sit down, drink and let your arms recover.
- 13:30
Ride back to base
The return leg on the trail, then hose down, hand back the gear and change into dry clothes.
- 14:00
Transfer back to Chiang Mai
Drive back to the city and drop-off. Afternoon departures finish in the early evening.
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. Return transport from central Chiang Mai is included, with a morning collection at around 08:30 and an afternoon collection at around 12:30. The site is in Hang Dong, roughly 30 to 45 minutes south of the city.
Very. The whole point of this route is the water crossings, and mud comes with them. Wear clothes you are happy to write off, bring a complete change including shoes, and put your phone in a waterproof pouch or leave it in the vehicle.
Yes. Each machine takes a driver and one passenger, and the two are priced separately — the driver pays the higher rate because they have the machine. Combined weight must stay under 130 kg.
Yes, a local picnic lunch with a water break is printed as included on this route. One of the operator's two brochure versions is less clear about which routes get lunch, so we confirm it on every booking.
The ride goes ahead — rain jackets are part of the kit and wet trails are arguably better fun. Only serious storms stop the operation, in which case you can move to another date or be refunded.