Overview
Book online and enjoy exclusive savings on G Adventures 8 Day Northern Thailand: Hilltribes & Villages. Now's the time to explore northern Thailand on your terms with this tour that's affordable for young travellers. Take in the gleaming high-rises and bustling pace of Bangkok, go face-to-face with the colourful cultures of hilltribe communities, and keep up with the night markets and cuisine of Chiang Mai. Take on Southeast Asia with us, and you'll find the perfect balance of fun and flexibility to help you make the most of it all.
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Our Price From
US$509 per person
Price shown based on twin share
Save up to $182 per person
Trip Length
8 Days
Trip Starts
Bangkok
Trip Ends
Bangkok
Departures
Apr 2026 to Dec 2028
Countries Visited:
Operator
G Adventures
Trip Style
18-to-Thirtysomethings
Budget
Affordable
Age Range
18-39 Years
Max. Group Size
18
Pace
Moderate
Guide Style
Fully Guided
Tour Code
ATHV
Itinerary
Arrive at any time and welcome to Bangkok - Thailand's bustling capital! This evening, the famous Khao San Road is on the itinerary for your first night out. Explore this buzzing traveller hub with your CEO and check out the lively bars and dance parties that line the street. Grab a Thai beer or tea and connect with your fellow travellers. Don't forget to sample local delicacies, and try a deep fried scorpion if you dare!
Accommodation: New Siam 2
Included Experiences
- Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
- Connect With New Friends: Connect with new friends on your first night out in a new destination. Only available on 18-to-Thirtysomethings tours.
This tour is off to a colourful start with a day to freely explore Bangkok. Visit Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, National Museum, or Jim Thompson's House. Try a riverboat trip along the Chao Phraya River and through the canals (or klongs) for a different perspective of daily life in this busy city. Tonight, you'll take the overnight train to Chiang Mai.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Get out and explore bustling Bangkok!
- Basic Overnight Train (beds): Experience overnight travel like a local. Sit back and get some well-earned (and likely much-needed) rest en route to your next stop.
Optional Experiences
- Klong Riverboat Tour: Travel by longtail boat on the busy Chao Phraya River and through the small canals of western Bangkok's Thonburi district. Observe colourful scenes of everyday life along the river banks.
- Entrance - Royal Barge Museum: Located along the Chao Phraya River, the museum is home to many ceremonial barges. The barges are only used for special occasions so this is a chance to catch a rare glimpse of their ornate decorations and symbolic features.
- Thai Massage: Lie back and soothe aching muscles with a wonderful Thai massage. Affordable and amazing—don't miss out! (15-30 USD per person)
- Wat Po Visit: This temple is known for its reclining Buddha, its feet covered with mother-of-pearl engravings of Buddhist symbols. Explore the large grounds and other compounds to see other Buddha figures, murals and the chedis that contain the ashes of Buddha. This is also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage.
- Grand Palace Visit: Visit the King’s official residence (made up of many buildings, halls, lawns, gardens, and courtyards) on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Please note the cost of this optional activity does not include the entrance fee.
Make sure you've got room for more than three meals today, because you're heading to the best street food spots in Chiang Mai. Besides eating, there's lots to do here — like a visit to Doi Suthep temple or taking it easy with a soak in the Sankampang Hot Springs.
Accommodation: Chiang Mai Gate Hotel
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Get out and explore this bustling city in northern Thailand.
- Chiang Mai Street Food Crawl: Bring your appetite and your wallet. The CEO will bring the group to the best spots to eat and teach everyone about the local street food. Yum!
Optional Experiences
- Northern Thai Cooking Class: Channel your inner chef with a home-style Thai cooking class. Take a trip to the market with your teacher and learn about regional flavours as you pick out fresh ingredients. Head back to the cozy kitchen for a hands-on lesson in whipping up delicious local favourites like hot and sour soup, green curry, and sticky rice.
- Doi Suthep Temple Visit: Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a golden Buddhist temple outside of Chiang Mai on the Mt Doi Suthep. Climb 300 steps to reach the temple and be rewarded with an unforgettable view. Admire the many Buddhist relics at this sacred temple and visit the white elephant shrine. Legend has it that the location of the temple was chosen after a white elephant carried a relic to the mountain and trumpeted three times before dying on the spot. Also, with a little luck, you may witness the chanting of the monks.
- Khantoke Dinner and Show: Enjoy dinner northern Khantok style, with local entertainment. The main dishes on the Khantok usually include sticky rice, Hang-le curry (Burmese-styled curry), and some chilli pasted with crispy pork.
- Chiang Mai Cycling Tour: This Chiang Mai half-day ride takes you on a memorable tour of the countryside's most interesting sights. You'll go beyond the city to see local Buddhist temples, markets, organic farms, rice paddy fields and more. Get a sense of how the locals live, stop when you want for photos, and check out the nature along the city's main river, the Ping.
- Yoga Class: Stretch and hold poses in this gentle but effective form of exercise.
- Massage: Lay back and soothe aching muscles with a famous local massage. Affordable and amazing, don't miss out.
It's time for a change of pace. Today, drive from Chiang Mai to Mae Malai village, where you'll set off on a trek through rugged forests to see how diverse this region of hilltribe communities really is. Every village you'll see has its own language, belief system, style of dress, and traditions. It's a few hours to the first village of hilltribe thatch bungalows, but every step is worth it as you get to know the lay of the land.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Pickup Truck: Hop into the back and ride along to the next destination.
- Hilltribe Trek Day 1: Hit the road in an open pickup truck for Mae Malai where there is time to visit a local market to purchase food and snacks. Start the trek through forests and rugged terrain to Baan Mae Jok, a Karen village.
Trek for 2–3 hours before stopping for lunch. Then head to a Karen village to see how traditional blankets and scarves are made. Keep trekking for a few more hours (you've got this!) before stopping in the next village for the night. Along the way, you might get the chance to stop at Mae Tang River to learn to fish using local tools or build a raft using bamboo.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Hilltribe Trek Day 2: After breakfast, trek 3.5-4 hrs to reach the lunch stop. Take in the beautiful scenery along the way. Enjoy lunch before carrying on another hour or so to the Karen village of Ban Pa Khao Lam.
After breakfast, leave the village by bamboo raft and get a closer look at other villages along the way. Meet the van after lunch and head back to Chiang Mai, a foodie's paradise. Try the city's most famous dishes like khao soi (noodles in curry broth) and sai oua (northern Thai sausage) and get ready for your big night out. Venture to the best bar in town to cheers to a completed trek and life-changing adventures!
Accommodation: Chiang Mai Gate Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included Experiences
- Bamboo Rafting to Lahu Village: Board the traditional bamboo raft for a leisurely ride down the Mae Tang River. Reach the Lahu hill tribe village near Ban Pong Ngan. Enjoy a visit with the locals here and learn about the life and unique culture of the Lahu tribe.
- Lahu Village Visit: Take a bamboo raft down the Mae Tan River for one hour journey to a Lahu village to witness a lifestyle that dates hundreds of years.
- Bamboo Rafting to Shan Village: Board a traditional bamboo raft and enjoy a ride through some small rapids on the Mae Tang River.
- Pickup Truck: Hop into the back and ride along to the next destination.
- Chiang Mai Celebration: Tonight's the night to celebrate all the wild and humbling adventures you've just shared with new friends. Head out into the city and reminisce the night away!
Make the most of Chiang Mai with more free time, where you can go shopping in the market, get a Thai massage, or explore any of the many temples. Or, hey, you could always go back for another taste of khao soi curry. Tonight, catch up on sleep during an overnight train and wake up in Bangkok.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Enjoy a final day to check out Chiang Mai.
- Basic Overnight Train (beds): Experience overnight travel like a local. Sit back and get some well-earned (and likely much-needed) rest en route to your next stop.
Optional Experiences
- Doi Suthep Temple Visit: Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a golden Buddhist temple outside of Chiang Mai on the Mt Doi Suthep. Climb 300 steps to reach the temple and be rewarded with an unforgettable view. Admire the many Buddhist relics at this sacred temple and visit the white elephant shrine. Legend has it that the location of the temple was chosen after a white elephant carried a relic to the mountain and trumpeted three times before dying on the spot. Also, with a little luck, you may witness the chanting of the monks.
- Cooking Class: Pick out the best ingredients at a local market and learn how to make delicious Thai dishes.
- Chiang Mai Cycling Tour: This Chiang Mai half-day ride takes you on a memorable tour of the countryside's most interesting sights. You'll go beyond the city to see local Buddhist temples, markets, organic farms, rice paddy fields and more. Get a sense of how the locals live, stop when you want for photos, and check out the nature along the city's main river, the Ping.
- Massage: Lay back and soothe aching muscles with a famous local massage. Affordable and amazing, don't miss out.
- Chiang Mai City Tour: Enjoy a tour of spectacular Chiang Mai, a delightful city surrounded by rolling hills and filled with impressive architecture. Explore the great cafes, shops and accommodations of the old city; an important Buddhist centre since the 14th century, it is home to more than 300 temples. Many visitors come here to attend meditation retreats, massage classes or yoga lessons.
Today is departure day, but do not fret! There is no such thing as goodbye, only until next time. Be sure to sneak in some last-minute photos with your newfound friends and exchange social medias before you head on your way. This adventure ends in Bangkok, on arrival at the train station (approximately 8am).
Trip Inclusions
- Experience the bustle of Bangkok.
- Explore the vibrancy of Chiang Mai.
- Trek through northern hilltribes and meet the locals.
- Float downstream on a bamboo raft.
- Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
- Your First Night Out Moment: Connect With New Friends
- Your Discover Moment: Bangkok
- Your Discover Moment: Chiang Mai
- Your Big Night Out Moment: Chiang Mai Celebration, Chiang Mai
- Hilltribe trek
- Bamboo rafting
- Street food crawl
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
- Local bus, songthaew, train, walking, river raft
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, trekking staff
- Simple Hotels (twin-share) (3 Nights), Basic Hilltribe Huts (2 Nights, Multi-share), Sleeper Trains (2 Nights)
- A variety of styles of hotels/guest houses are used on this trip. In many instances they might not be like what you are used to back home as service and efficiency can vary. In some areas we stay in simple local guest houses in stunning locations - rooms are small and simple and there may only be shared toilet facilities and showers.
- Accommodation will be varied throughout your adventure. Some nights on this tour will be multi-share. This may involve 4-6 group members sharing a room. The majority of accommodation will have shared bathroom facilities.
- Where we use multi-share hostels, rooming requests of any kind cannot be taken. For private accommodation please see our Classic Travel Style.
- 5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included.
Operator
G Adventures came from a desire to deliver authentic and responsible small group travel adventures that were equally life-changing for travellers and the communities they visit. And we’re been doing just that for almost 30 years. Our award-winning trips span seven continents and over 100 countries, giving you meaningful more experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, as well as offering you the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
Trip Style: 18-to-Thirtysomethings
Built for young travelers ready to break free from the everyday grind, these trips bring together a safe and supportive group of like-minded people in their twenties and early thirties.
Connect on the First Night Out, explore with a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), enjoy free time, and celebrate unforgettable moments with new friends - without breaking the bank. Travel confidently, respectfully, and affordably.
Dates & Pricing
USD
Saturday
11 Apr 2026
11 Apr 26
Bangkok
Saturday
18 Apr 2026
18 Apr 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$679
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Thursday
16 Apr 2026
16 Apr 26
Bangkok
Thursday
23 Apr 2026
23 Apr 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$679
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Saturday
18 Apr 2026
18 Apr 26
Bangkok
Saturday
25 Apr 2026
25 Apr 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$679
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Monday
20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 26
Bangkok
Monday
27 Apr 2026
27 Apr 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$679
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Thursday
23 Apr 2026
23 Apr 26
Bangkok
Thursday
30 Apr 2026
30 Apr 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Exclusive Savings
Was: $679
US$509
Save $170
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Saturday
25 Apr 2026
25 Apr 26
Bangkok
Saturday
02 May 2026
02 May 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$679
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Thursday
30 Apr 2026
30 Apr 26
Bangkok
Thursday
07 May 2026
07 May 26
Bangkok
Details
Definite Departure
Exclusive Savings
Was: $679
US$509
Save $170
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Note
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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