localrootadventures

A Day of Story and Connection

LocalRoot Adventures — a day with the Karen community near Khun Wang, Chiang Mai. This isn't a typical trekking tour. It's a gentle adventure that brings guests into the world of the Karen people, a warm and welcoming community living in the mountains. The most beautiful thing we take from a trip is the stories, and this day is all about listening and sharing. Guests walk through beautiful rice fields and green hills — not to rush to the end, but to have time to talk and learn. They sit down with village elders and hear firsthand how their traditions are changing with the new generations. Authentic and respectful: not a show, but a real glimpse into their lives. The day begins at a local market, where we feel the energy of the morning. A short, beautiful drive takes us up to a mountaintop temple with 180° views over the hills. From there a gentle 1.5-hour trek begins through quiet landscape. Lunch is home-cooked at a Karen family's house, served in the traditional style — like sharing a meal with friends. After lunch we walk on to the village for the heart of the trip: sitting down and listening to the community's stories. There is an option to visit the village monastery for a quiet moment of meditation. We end the day at a hidden waterfall for a refreshing break before heading back. Duration: 8 hours — depends on the guest's fitness level. Suggested departure from hotel 08:00. Activity level: easy. Available as a private or small group tour. Ideal for travellers interested in eco-tourism, local wisdom and cultural storytelling.

From ฿2,000 per person

Chiang Mai hill tribe adventure

This full-day adventure is a perfect mix of discovery and excitement. It is a journey that begins with a pick-up at your hotel in the city, followed by a one-hour drive and a stop at a local market to gather fresh ingredients for lunch. From there, we will continue driving to trailhead for a great trek, passing through beautiful forest to a remote Lahu village. After a delicious lunch, we will end the day with a thrilling adventure rafting along the Mae Tang River. It's a day packed with activity, nature, and culture."

From ฿2,100 per person

Chiang Mai's Water & Wheels Adventure

A day of playful, active fun in the Thai countryside — climbing a waterfall you can actually walk up, cycling past rice paddies and village life, then floating out to a restaurant on the water. The day opens at the Sticky Waterfall, a limestone cascade with enough grip that guests can climb the rock face without slipping. From there it is an 18 km ride on quiet backroads through rice paddies and small villages, at a relaxed pace, with a flat-road option for anyone who prefers an easier route. The last stretch is a long-tail boat across the lake to a floating restaurant, where lunch is followed by an afternoon of swimming, kayaking or doing nothing at all on the water. Duration: approx. 8 hours. Activity level: easy to moderate — the hills can be avoided with the alternative route. Suits travellers of all ages who want light activity, nature and local culture in the same day.

From ฿2,500 per person

Elephant Trail & Karen Village Ride

A full-day ride deep into Southern Chiang Mai, where the landscape is still wild and the road is mostly dirt. On a bicycle you are not passing the scenery — you are inside it. After a 1.5-hour scenic drive to the starting point, the day covers 38 km of mixed terrain: single-track paths, riverside trails and gravel roads. The route runs past elephant sanctuaries, close enough to see the animals from a respectful distance and hear how local conservation efforts protect them, then through traditional Karen hill tribe villages at the pace of everyday life. The ride finishes at a hidden waterfall, with a swim possible in the dry season, before the drive back to the city. Duration: approx. 9 hours, 38 km cycled. Activity level: moderate to challenging. Suits confident cyclists who want an active, off-the-beaten-path day with real cultural contact.

From ฿2,450 per person

Into the Highlands: Waterfall Village Trek

Two days in the high country, ending at a quiet Karen village where a hidden waterfall is the sound you fall asleep to. The route runs through high-altitude farms and forest trails, guided by the people who live on them. Day one drives out of the city with a stop at a local market, then climbs to Khun Wang for lunch with the whole valley in view. The afternoon trek covers about 6 km — not on a crowded path, but through gardens, flower fields and plantations of coffee and tea. The homestay sits right by a river, simple and beautiful, and guests are treated like family: a home-cooked dinner and stories of the mountains under the stars. Day two starts quietly, then takes a short drive to the trailhead of a waterfall almost nobody visits. After that, a short bamboo raft — an easy float, nothing to do but listen — before the drive back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon. Duration: 2 days, 1 night, roughly 8 hours of activity each day. Activity level: moderate — suits travellers with some trekking experience.

From ฿3,400 per person

Karen Coffee Adventure

A day built around the smell of freshly roasted coffee, the sound of a powerful waterfall and the quiet of terraced rice fields. We take guests out of the city and into a Karen village inside Doi Inthanon National Park, where they learn the traditional art of making coffee from the people who grow it — roasting the beans over a fire, then brewing a fresh cup. The day starts with a morning hotel pickup and a drive into the hills, then a gentle 3 km trek through rice fields and farmland. In the village guests share a local-style lunch, sit with the farmers for the coffee session, and make a local snack by hand with the community. The afternoon closes at Wachiratharn Waterfall before the drive back to Chiang Mai. Duration: approx. 8 hours. Activity level: easy — a 3 km walk on gentle terrain. Suits travellers who want food, culture and nature in one day rather than a long drive to a viewpoint.

From ฿2,900 per person

The Bamboo Raft & Village Escape

Two days living simply and close to the land — a jungle trek, a night in a real Karen village, and a bamboo raft down a quiet river. Guests get to see how people here have lived with the forest for generations, because they live it alongside them for a day. Day one leaves the city for a local market, then Mok Fah Waterfall for a swim before lunch. The afternoon trek through quiet forest is moderate, but the jungle makes it feel shorter than it is. The Karen village homestay comes at the end: cooking dinner with the hosts, sharing stories, and a sky full of stars because there is no electricity and no Wi-Fi to compete with it. Day two wakes up slowly, with breakfast and a view. After goodbyes, the group heads to the river for the bamboo raft — the world goes quiet, the jungle passes at its own speed, and the wildlife stays where it is. A final lunch together, then the drive back to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon. Duration: 2 days, 1 night — about 9 hours on day one and 7 on day two. Activity level: moderate, suitable for active travellers.

The Countryside Pedal & Local Flavors Ride

A half-day ride out of the city and into the Northern Thai countryside. It is not about distance or speed — it is about the pace of local life, which is slower than yours and better for it. The route runs along quiet backroads past green fields, small villages and family homes, with stops to see how farmers grow their crops and to talk with them about it. The centrepiece is a small factory where rice noodles are still made by hand, watched from start to finish. It is a gentle, easy ride built for beginners and families — fresh air, a bit of exercise, and a real connection to the land and the people on it. Duration: approx. 4 hours, morning or afternoon. Activity level: easy, suitable for beginners.

From ฿1,500 per person

The Jungle Cookout & Bamboo Raft Adventure

A day of forest, fire and river. Guests trek into the jungle with a local Lahu guide, cook lunch over an open fire the way the village does it, then float back out on a bamboo raft. The morning starts at a local market to see how the day begins here, then a drive to the trailhead where the Lahu guide takes over and leads the way through thick green forest. The centre of the day is the cookout — a hands-on lesson from a local host, and a meal everyone builds together. After lunch comes the bamboo raft: a slow, quiet float downriver that shows the jungle from a completely different angle, before the drive back to the hotel in the late afternoon. Duration: approx. 8 hours. Activity level: moderate — suits nature lovers with basic fitness. Built for travellers who want eco-tourism, cultural immersion and soft adventure rather than a sightseeing loop.

From ฿2,300 per person

The Karen Village Immersion Trek

The most authentic trip we run. The trek itself is easy and beautiful, but the trek is not the point — the point is the night in a remote Karen village, in a local family's home, living a simple and genuinely peaceful way of life for a day. Day one heads out of the city to a local market, where the group picks up fresh food for dinner, then on to Mok Fah Waterfall to swim and relax before lunch. The afternoon is a gentle two-to-three-hour trek on quiet jungle trails to a village set in its own valley. That evening: learning to make sticky rice together, a home-cooked dinner, and a bonfire with stories. No Wi-Fi, no TV, no electricity, no hot water — which is the whole idea. Day two starts with coffee on the terrace as the sun comes up over the valley. After breakfast guests join whatever the season is doing — planting or harvesting rice, or picking tea. A final lunch at the homestay, then the drive back to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon. Duration: 2 days, 1 night, roughly 8 hours of activity each day. Activity level: moderate — the trek can be skipped entirely with a direct transfer.

From ฿3,750 per person

The Lost Capital & Riverside Cycle

A half-day ride that starts 700 years back. Wiang Kum Kam was the first capital of the Lanna Kingdom, founded by King Mengrai in 1286 and later swallowed by the Ping River — today its temples and ruins sit half-sunk in the fields, and the best way through them is on a bicycle. From the ruins the route follows the Ping River at an easy pace, past the ordinary riverside life that still defines this region. There is a stop at a local temple where the guide explains its history and the basics of Buddhism, then a stretch through rice fields and fruit orchards — the agricultural heart of Northern Thailand, and the best photography on the route. The ride finishes with a break at a local market for a snack or fresh seasonal fruit. Duration: approx. 4 hours over a flat 20 km. Activity level: easy to moderate — suitable for anyone with basic riding skills.

From ฿1,350 per person

The Monk's Trail & Hidden Temple Hike

Everyone visits Doi Suthep. Almost nobody walks the path the monks have used to get there for hundreds of years. This half-day hike leaves the city noise behind and climbs through quiet forest to a hidden temple, then on to one of Chiang Mai's most famous landmarks — arriving on foot, the way it was meant to be reached. The walk is about 4 km with a steady climb. It starts at a quiet trailhead and enters the forest on the Monk's Trail. The first stop is Wat Palad, an old temple that feels like a secret kept by the jungle — worth sitting still in for a while. From there the trail continues under thick green canopy up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where the whole city opens out below. Duration: approx. 4 hours, morning or afternoon. Activity level: moderate — a steady incline over 4 km. Lunch is not included.

From ฿1,000 per person

The Old City Backroads & Hidden Temples Ride

Chiang Mai's Old City has a particular kind of magic, but the only way to feel it is to slow down. This half-day cycling tour follows quiet backroads and narrow alleyways most visitors never find — a relaxed, gentle ride through the historic heart of the city. The route traces the ancient earth walls and stops at some genuinely special places: Wat Srisuphan, the Silver Temple, covered end to end in hand-worked silver; Wat Chedi Luang, six hundred years old with its enormous ruined pagoda; and the Three Kings Monument, where the story of the city's founding begins. In between are the hidden corners and local artisan shops that make up ordinary daily life here. Duration: approx. 4 hours over a flat 10 km. Activity level: easy. Runs morning, afternoon or evening.

From ฿1,650 per person

Wild Trails & Karen Tales

Two days deep in the wild heart of Mae Wang — a chance to disconnect completely and connect with two things instead: the hard, green nature of the jungle, and the people of a remote Karen village. Day one starts with a drive out of the city and a stop at a local market for fresh food. Then the real work begins: a 10 km hike, three to four hours through forest and hills, with a break at a secluded waterfall along the way. The village welcome comes at the end of it, in a traditional Karen homestay — an evening of learning to wrap sticky rice in banana leaves, cooking together, and eating what you made. Day two opens with the village's own rhythm: rice processing or whatever the season calls for, done alongside the people who do it every day. After goodbyes, the trek continues to the jungle cookout, where the guide turns forest ingredients into lunch, and finishes at one more waterfall before the drive home. Duration: 2 days, 1 night, roughly 8 hours of activity each day. Activity level: challenging — for experienced hikers and genuinely active travellers.

From ฿3,500 per person

Wild Water & Tribal Way

Two days of forest, fire, river and a Lahu village — trekking, a jungle cookout, a bamboo raft, and a night hosted by a local family in Thung Yua. Day one starts at the hotel and takes in a local market before driving to Mok Fah Waterfall, where the cool air and a swim make a good start to a long day. From there it is on to the village to meet the local Lahu guide, who leads the trek through thick green forest. The best part of the day is the cookout: the local guide teaches jungle cooking with fresh ingredients, and the group eats what it makes. Afterwards comes the bamboo raft — a slow float that shows the jungle from the water — and then the Lahu village of Thung Yua, where a local family hosts guests for the night over food and stories. Day two is quiet: breakfast in the village, goodbyes, and the road back. On the way there is an option to stop at Huai Sathan waterfall, a 3 km round-trip walk and a good last memory of the jungle before the city. Duration: 2 days, 1 night — about 9 hours on day one and 6 on day two. Activity level: moderate, for nature lovers with basic fitness.

From ฿4,400 per person