Two-Day Mountain Scooter Adventure — 250 km of Northern Backroads
Two days and 250 kilometres of mountain backroads and dirt tracks on a semi-automatic trail bike, with a night at a river homestay.
- Duration
- 2 days / 1 night (approx. 250 km of riding)
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Max group
- 20 pax
There is a version of northern Thailand that only exists at the end of small roads, and this is how you reach it: two days, 250 kilometres, a semi-automatic trail bike and a guide who knows which unmarked turning leads somewhere worth going. The route strings together mountain backroads, viewpoints, hill-tribe country and long stretches of dirt, and it does not go anywhere a minibus could follow.
Be clear about one thing before you book: this is not a beginners' trip. The operator says so in print — it requires riding skill and stamina, and it is not for people who have never ridden. The bike is a Honda CT125, semi-automatic with four gears and no hand clutch, so it is much easier to handle than a full manual, and the route is built to escalate: easy tarmac first, so you get used to the machine, before the dirt roads start. You can also go by the workshop beforehand and try the bike up and down the road, which is a sensible thing to do if you have any doubt.
The night is spent at a river homestay, with a local Thai speciality for dinner and the sound of moving water instead of traffic. Day two carries on through the mountains and works its way back towards the city. Insurance is included, you are collected from your hotel in the morning and dropped back at the end of the adventure, and the printed price covers the trip.
What you get out of it is distance and altitude — 250 kilometres of viewpoints and scenery, hill-tribe villages passed at riding pace, and the specific satisfaction of having ridden somewhere rather than been driven there. Bring gloves, long trousers and clothes for cool mornings; the mountains are noticeably colder than the city before the sun is properly up.
- 250 kilometres over two days on mountain backroads and dirt tracks
- A night at a river homestay with a local Thai speciality for dinner
- Honda CT125 semi-automatic — four gears, no hand clutch
- Route built to escalate: easy tarmac first, dirt roads once you are settled on the bike
- Hill-tribe country and long stretches of scenery well off the tour-bus circuit
- Endless viewpoints — the brochure's own summary is 'loads and loads of view points'
- Insurance included, hotel pick-up in the morning and drop-back at the end
- Option to try the bike at the operator's workshop before you commit
What's included
- ✓ Honda CT125 semi-automatic trail bike for both days
- ✓ Guided route across two days, 250 km
- ✓ One night's accommodation at a river homestay
- ✓ Dinner featuring a local Thai speciality
- ✓ Insurance
- ✓ Hotel pick-up in the morning on day one
- ✓ Drop-back at your hotel at the end of the adventure
- Riding gear beyond what the operator supplies — bring gloves, long trousers and sunglasses
- Meals other than the dinner named on the brochure (breakfast and lunches are not itemised)
- Fuel, if not stated — confirmed at booking
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance covering motorcycling, which we strongly recommend arranging separately
- An international driving permit with a motorcycle category — your legal responsibility
- Alcoholic drinks
- Gratuities for your guide
- Day 1 — morning
Hotel pick-up and bike handover
Collected from your hotel in the morning. Bikes assigned, controls explained and the route for the two days laid out. If you want to test the CT125 in advance, the operator will let you try it at the workshop before the trip.
- Day 1 — first hours
Easy tarmac to start
The route deliberately begins on sealed road so that everyone settles onto the bike before anything technical happens. The city thins out and the road starts to climb.
- Day 1 — midday
Onto the dirt
Once the group is riding well the surfaces change: dirt roads, gravel and mountain tracks, with viewpoint stops wherever the country opens up.
- Day 1 — afternoon
Mountains and hill-tribe country
The long afternoon leg through the highlands, past villages and farmland, stopping at the scenery rather than riding past it.
- Day 1 — evening
River homestay
Arrival at the homestay beside the river. Dinner is a local Thai speciality, eaten with the group, and the evening is quiet — mornings here can be genuinely cold, so keep a layer handy.
- Day 2 — morning
Back into the mountains
The second day's riding. Most people find day two easier and more enjoyable — the bike feels familiar and the pace settles.
- Day 2 — afternoon
The return leg and drop-back
The route works its way back towards Chiang Mai, closing out the 250 kilometres, and you are dropped back at your hotel at the end of the adventure.
No, and we would rather say so plainly: the operator's own brochure states that the trip requires riding skill and stamina and is not for newcomers. If you have ridden scooters or motorbikes with some confidence, you will be fine. If you have not, this is the wrong trip and we will suggest something else.
The Honda CT125 has four gears changed with your foot but no hand clutch, so both hands only deal with throttle and brakes. It is a great deal easier than a full manual motorcycle and it has the ground clearance and torque for dirt roads, which a normal scooter does not.
Yes. The operator offers to let you swing by and ride it up and down the road beforehand. If you have any doubt at all, take them up on it.
Around 250 kilometres in total over the two days, on a mix of tarmac and dirt. It is a long time on a small bike, which is where the stamina comment comes from.
A river homestay — simple, local and comfortable enough, with a Thai speciality for dinner. Not a hotel, which is the point.
Thai law requires a licence to ride a motorcycle, and an international driving permit with the motorcycle category is what you should be carrying. Compliance is the rider's responsibility. We also strongly recommend travel insurance that explicitly covers motorcycling.
Trainers or hiking shoes — no flip-flops — gloves, long trousers, sunglasses, a dry change of clothes, a small toilet bag and something warm for the mornings, which can be chilly in the mountains. You are staying overnight, so pack accordingly but pack light.