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How to get to Mae Kampong village from Chiang Mai, and back

Fast answer

To get to Mae Kampong village from Chiang Mai, go about 50 km east on Highway 1317, roughly 1 hour by car, with a tour pickup, a private driver or a hire car with a licence or IDP.

Road essentials

  • About 50 km, 1 hour on Highway 13171
  • Foreign drivers need a licence, IDP or ASEAN licence2
  • Tourist Police: 115510

Map of 31 stops

Mae Kampong and the hills around it, pin by pin

Select a route, then press a pin or stop to read its note and open Google Maps.

Map of the road east from Chiang Mai to Mae Kampong with Tha Phae Gate, the airport, the Arcade bus terminal, the Bo Sang umbrella centre, the San Kamphaeng hot springs and the village

  1. The old-city gate, used here only as the Chiang Mai reference point.

    Google Maps

  2. Chiang Mai International Airport, south-west of the old city.

    Google Maps

  3. The city's Arcade bus terminal, north-east of the old city.

    Google Maps

  4. The umbrella-making centre of Bo Sang village, in San Kamphaeng district.

    Google Maps

  5. The San Kamphaeng hot springs lie in Mae On District.

    Google Maps

  6. The lanes of Mae Kampong sit about 1,300 m above sea level.

    Google Maps

Map data from © OpenStreetMap contributors

The road east into the hills, what the tour does for you, what a private driver or a hire car asks of you, and the honest answer on the bus.

Editorial team, maekampongtour.top · Updated November 12, 2026 · Read in 6 min

Overview

  • DistanceAbout 50 km from Chiang Mai, roughly 1 hour by car on Highway 1317.1
  • By tourOur day collects you in Chiang Mai and drives about 1 hour each way.
  • By hire carForeigners need a Thai licence, an IDP or an ASEAN licence to drive.2
  • The last stretchThe final kilometres are winding, so sickness tablets are advised.
  • Public busWe found no official timetable for a bus to the village.1

How far the village is and which road leads there

An FAO case study measured the trip at about 50 km, with roughly 1 hour at the wheel heading east on Highway 1317 through Sankampaeng district.1 The village itself sits at roughly 1300 m above sea level in Huai Kaeo subdistrict of Mae On district, so the trip ends as a climb into the hills.3 Plan the day around that: the city streets are the easy part, and the hills are where the time goes.

There is an alternative approach. The same paper describes driving along Highway 118 towards Chiang Rai and turning right at the Pongdin intersection after about 50 km.4 A driver using a navigation app may be offered either road on the day, so know both names before you leave the city. If your driver or your phone proposes a different line altogether, ask why before turning off, because a shortcut on a mountain road can cost more time than it saves.

The question of Chiang Mai to Mae Kampong village is really a question of road time, and both distances are a guide, not a promise. The case study is an older document, and road works, traffic through the handicraft district and the weather all change a mountain drive. Our own listing budgets 1 hour of car travel each way, a handy planning figure for a pickup in the city, and it flags a winding finish to the climb.

Side by side

Ways to reach Mae Kampong compared

WayRoad timeGuideWho drives
Our small-group day1 hour each wayEnglishThe operator
Giant Cafe day1.5 hours by vanEnglish, Thai driverThe operator
Private hot springs day1 hour outEnglishThe operator
Minivan with a driver8-hour rentalNo guideA hired driver
Hire car or scooterAbout 1 hour1NoneYou, with a licence or IDP5
Public busNo timetable foundNoneA local operator

Road times are the listings' own legs or the FAO case study figure; they vary with traffic and weather.1

Going with a tour: pickup, the van and the winding end

Our day collects guests in the early morning and has them in the village by 09.40, where the local guide takes over. The itinerary names the pickup point as Chiang Mai Tourism, then a car leg, a village walk and hike, a break in Mae Kampong, a second car leg and the drop-off at the same place. Keep that message handy, because the pickup details live there.

If you book for yourself, the listing says you may be asked to come to a set meeting point, with the details sent by email. That detail is easy to miss when you book in a hurry. So if you travel alone, do not assume the van stops at your door: check your confirmation message the day before. The group is capped at 7 participants.

Other days do the drive differently. The Giant Cafe day lists van legs of 1.5 hours at each end, a short hop of 10 minutes and a jeep or SUV section of 40 minutes, and where it starts depends on the option you pick. The jungle hike with a cooking class counts 1 hour in the van at each end, and a Mon Kuwen day lists legs of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Read the leg times before you book if car sickness is a concern for you.

Road time

Car legs listed by each Mae Kampong day

  • Our gibbon trek1
  • Jungle hike, cooking1
  • Private hot springs1
  • Giant Cafe day1.5

The first car or van leg out of Chiang Mai as each listing states it.

A private driver or a hired minivan

Private tours put the route and the timing in your hands. A private day with the hot springs and Bo-Sang lists a car leg of 1 hour out of Chiang Mai, then 30 minutes to the springs, 30 minutes to the handicrafts centre and 40 minutes back to the city. A private day listed from $67 starts at the San Kamphaeng hot springs and then spends 3 hours in the village.

For a bare ride, there is a minivan with a driver for 8 hours, from $55. The record is plain about the deal: the driver has limited English and there is no guide, so you arrive in the village with nobody to explain it. That suits a group that has read this guide and wants to set its own pace.

A private driver is also the easier answer to the winding last stretch, because you can ask for stops and a gentle speed. A private tour listing that offers an optional Giant Cafe add-on says the cafe is reached only by local truck because of steep and narrow road conditions, so ask the operator what a vehicle will manage on the day. Private fares are for the group, so compare them with the per-person fares by dividing.

Pick your way

Which way to Mae Kampong suits you

Choose what matters to you and see the way from Chiang Mai that fits.

  • If I want a guide and no driving

    The small-group tour

    Pickup is included and the group is capped at 7.

  • If I want my own timetable

    A private day

    A private day with the springs lists 8 hours and a guide in English.

  • If I only need a ride

    Minivan with a driver

    It lists 8 hours from $55 and no guide.

  • If I am confident on mountain roads

    A hire car

    You need a licence or an IDP to rent it.5

  • If I feel sick on winding roads

    A driver you can brief

    The listing advises tablets for the winding end.

Choose your way

Guided, private or behind the wheel

Booked here

Small-group tour

Pickup, guide, gibbons

  • Road1 hour each way
  • GroupUp to 7
  • PickupIncluded
See this way

Private

Private day with springs

Your pace, a driver

  • Road1 hour out
  • GuideEnglish
  • Reviews33
See this way

Self-drive

Hire car or scooter

Your own wheels

  • PapersLicence or IDP
  • HelmetsRequired on bikes
  • RoadAbout 50 km
See this way

Driving yourself: licence, helmets and the mountain road

Per the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a visitor behind the wheel needs a licence issued in Thailand, an IDP, or the home licence of an ASEAN member state.2 The same rule sits at the rental counter, where a valid licence or an IDP must be shown.5 Without those papers you would have to apply for a Thai licence, which is not a plan for a day trip.

Helmets are mandatory for motorbike riders and their passengers.8 The last km to the village are winding, and the booking listing itself warns about the road, so think hard before choosing a scooter for the climb. A hired car is the steadier choice on a winding road, and it lets you keep a spare layer in the boot for the cooler air at the top.

Plan to leave the village before dark. A mountain road that is easy at 10.00 is a different job after sunset, and the northern cold of the dry winter, which can reach around 10 degrees Celsius, makes it chillier still.9 In an emergency the Tourist Police can be called on 1155 and assist in various languages.10

The road in order

From your hotel to the village and back

  1. 08.00 to 08.30

    Hotel pickup

    The van collects you in Chiang Mai on our day.

  2. Out of the city

    Highway 1317 east

    The road runs past Sankampaeng district into the hills.1

  3. About 1 hour

    The drive uphill

    The car leg listed in the itinerary is 1 hour.

  4. 09.40

    Village and local guide

    The group arrives and meets the local guide.

  5. Last kilometres

    A winding road

    Sickness tablets are advised if required.

  6. 15.00

    Back to the city

    The return and drop-off are listed for this time.

The bus question and the other ways in

People often search for a Mae Kampong village bus, and our research found no official timetable for one. The sources we trust, the FAO case study and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, describe the road and the community but name no public bus line.1 If you rely on a local songthaew or a ride app, confirm the drop-off and, above all, the return trip before you leave the city, because a way up is not the same as a way down.

From abroad, the practical gateway is Chiang Mai International Airport, which has operated 24 hours a day since 1 November 2023.12 That matters for late flights: you can land after midnight, sleep in the city and set out in the morning. Travelers coming from Bangkok should plan to reach Chiang Mai first and treat Mae Kampong as a day out from there.

The tour listings are the practical way to remove the uncertainty. On our day pickup is included, the drive back belongs to the same booking and the return is scheduled for the middle of the afternoon. If a day trip does not fit, a homestay in the village turns the access problem into a 2-day plan, at THB 500 to 2000 a night by the figure the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office quotes.13

Video

The mountain village an hour from Chiang Mai

SilkyRonTheRoad on YouTube · The video waits until you tap play to load.

An alternative route to the village is to drive along Highway 118 towards Chiang Rai before turning right at Pongdin intersection after about 50 km.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations4

Driver checklist

Before you set out for Mae Kampong

Papers and rules3

  • A Thai licence, IDP or ASEAN licence2
  • Helmets for riders and passengers8
  • Your licence or IDP when renting5

For the road3

  • Water and sickness tablets for the winding end
  • A warm layer for the cooler hills9
  • Leave the village before dark

If something goes wrong3

  • Tourist Police on 115510
  • Check your pickup message the day before
  • Check Air4Thai on hazy days11

Getting back, car sickness and a safe return

The programme closes with the gibbon area at 14.30 and departure at 15.00, so the van is back in Chiang Mai while the afternoon is still young. Because the running order flexes with the caretaker's timing, the finish can slip, so avoid a tight evening on the same date. A relaxed return beats a rushed one on a winding road.

The booking advice is to carry sickness tablets if you need them, since the final stretch winds. Sit in the front if you are prone to it, take the tablets before the winding section instead of during it and keep water within reach. The same advice appears on a Mon Jam listing, which tells prone guests to take medication before the tour.

Finally, check the air on the day. An older advisory from the national tourism board pointed travelers to the Air4Thai app of the Pollution Control Department when northern air quality was poor.11 The road trip itself is the same in a haze, but views from the cafes and viewpoints are not, so a clear day is worth waiting for when your dates are flexible.

FAQ

Fast, clear answers, short.

How far is Mae Kampong from Chiang Mai?
About 50 km.

The FAO case study gives about 50 km, around 1 hour by car on Highway 1317.1

How long is the drive on our tour?
About 1 hour each way.

The itinerary lists car legs of 1 hour out and 1 hour back around the village time.

Is there a public bus to the village?
We found no timetable.

No official source we could fetch names a bus line, so confirm a return trip before using local transport.1

Can I drive there myself?
Yes, with the right licence.

Foreigners need a Thai licence, an IDP or an ASEAN licence, and motorbike riders must wear helmets.2,8

Is the road difficult?
The end is winding.

The listing calls the last few km a winding road and advises sickness tablets if required.

Which airport do I use?
Chiang Mai International.

The airport has operated 24 hours a day since 1 November 2023.12

Who do I call in an emergency?
The Tourist Police.

Call 1155 for the Tourist Police, who can help in various languages, whatever the problem you have on the road.10

Sources

  1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations · The contribution of community forestry to rural livelihood in Thailand (case study of Baan Mae Kampong) ↩
  2. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Driving in Thailand: Essential Guidelines for Tourists and Foreigners ↩
  3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations · The contribution of community forestry to rural livelihood in Thailand (case study of Baan Mae Kampong) ↩
  4. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations · The contribution of community forestry to rural livelihood in Thailand (case study of Baan Mae Kampong) ↩
  5. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Driving in Thailand: Essential Guidelines for Tourists and Foreigners ↩
  6. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Vijitr @ Chiang Mai ignites: myriad of colours lights up San Kamphaeng Hot Springs
  7. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · 37th Bo Sang Umbrella and San Kamphaeng Handicraft Festival 2020
  8. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Driving in Thailand: Essential Guidelines for Tourists and Foreigners ↩
  9. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Thailand comfortable, cooler months of November-February are a fantastic time to travel ↩
  10. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Tourist Police Thailand: Your First Friend for Safe and Secure Travels ↩
  11. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · TAT advises tourists to Northern Thailand to take precautions amid air quality concerns ↩
  12. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom) · Chiang Mai International Airport operates 24/7 from 1 November 2023 ↩
  13. Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (intergovernmental) · Baan Mae Kampong: Exploring a Pioneering CBT Project in Thailand ↩

Related reading

More for your Mae Kampong day

GuideMae Kampong tour pricesGuideThe gibbon trek day at Mae KampongGuideWhere to stay in Mae KampongGuideIs Mae Kampong worth visiting?

Before you leave

Keep a place for the gibbon trek.

Reserve the Mae Kampong day now and pay later; cancel free up to 24 hours before the start.

Check open dates