Two-Day Jungle Trek & Karen Village Overnight
Two days walking the Doi Inthanon foothills with a night in a Karen village, waterfall swims and a Thai cooking session over the fire.
- Duration
- 2 days / 1 night
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Max group
- 20 pax
If the three-day trek is more than you want and one day is not enough, this is the answer: two days of walking in the Doi Inthanon foothills, one night in a Karen village, and no summit sightseeing at all. It is the cheapest way to sleep in the mountains here and, for a lot of people, the most satisfying shape of trip.
Day one begins with the market stop — forty minutes of driving and then fresh supplies bought for the kitchen — before the road runs out at a Karen village and the walking starts. The morning goes into the jungle and up to a waterfall where you can swim, then further into the forest for lunch and on across local farmland to a second Karen village. Six to seven hours of walking in total, which is a full day by any measure.
That village is where you sleep. In the evening your guide runs a Thai cooking lesson with the day's produce, dinner is eaten around a fire and the conversation runs on longer than anyone expects. There is no electricity to speak of and no reason to look at a screen.
Day two is gentler: a morning walk through the forest, lunch at a hilltribe village, then about three hours down to a waterfall for a last swim before the truck. You are back in Chiang Mai around five. Four meals, accommodation, insurance, guide and transport are all included, and two people are needed for the departure to run.
- Two days of walking in the Doi Inthanon foothills, six to seven hours on day one
- A night in a Karen village, not a tourist camp
- Thai cooking session with your guide and a campfire dinner
- Waterfall swims on both days
- Two hilltribe communities visited on foot
- Morning stop at a working local market to buy the trip's supplies
- Four meals, accommodation, insurance and transport in one price
- Local English-speaking guide from the area
What's included
- ✓ Hotel pick-up and return in Chiang Mai
- ✓ English-speaking local guide for both days
- ✓ Four meals across the two days
- ✓ One night's accommodation in a Karen village
- ✓ Thai cooking session on the first evening
- ✓ Drinking water throughout
- ✓ Accident insurance for the duration of the trek
- ✓ All transport to and from the trailheads
- Breakfast on day one, before pick-up
- A lightweight sleeping bag or liner if you want one
- Alcoholic drinks
- Purchases and donations in the villages
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Gratuities for your guide
- Day 1 — 07:30–08:00
Pick-up and market
Collection from your hotel and about forty minutes to a local market to buy fresh supplies for the trip.
- Day 1 — 09:30
Into the jungle
Arrival at a Karen village where the walking starts, then straight into the forest on the way up to the first waterfall.
- Day 1 — 11:00
Waterfall and swim
A mountain waterfall with time to swim and cool off before pushing on.
- Day 1 — 12:30
Lunch in the forest
Lunch out on the trail before the afternoon's walking.
- Day 1 — 13:30–16:30
Farmland to the second village
Across local farmland with Karen families at work, arriving at the village where you spend the night. Six to seven hours of walking by the time you arrive.
- Day 1 — 18:00
Cooking lesson and campfire
A Thai cooking session with your guide using the morning's market produce, then dinner and a fire under a very dark sky.
- Day 2 — 07:30
Breakfast in the village
Breakfast with the community before setting off.
- Day 2 — 08:30–12:00
Forest walk
A morning through the forest at an easier pace than day one, with your guide filling in the natural history along the way.
- Day 2 — 12:00
Lunch at a hilltribe village
Lunch in the village and time to look around.
- Day 2 — 13:00–16:00
Three hours to the waterfall
About three hours of walking down to a waterfall for a final swim and a rest before the walk out to the truck.
- Day 2 — 17:00
Back in Chiang Mai
Return drive and hotel drop-off at around five in the afternoon.
This route stays in the foothills and farmland and does not go to the summit or the royal pagodas — it is pure walking and village life, and it costs considerably less. The summit version adds Wachirathan Waterfall, the 2,565 m peak and the pagodas on day one.
Day one is long — six to seven hours on forest and farm paths. Day two is easier, with a morning walk and about three hours in the afternoon. Reasonable fitness and shoes with grip are what matter.
A room or sleeping space in a Karen village with basic bedding. No hot water and little or no electricity. Simple, safe and the best part of the trip for most people.
Four: lunch and dinner on day one, breakfast and lunch on day two. Breakfast before pick-up on day one is not included.
Yes, on both days. Bring swimwear and a quick-dry towel.
Two people. Book a few days ahead so the village overnight can be arranged.