About this trip
Five days behind the wheel of your own tuk tuk, driving up into the mountains of Northern Thailand and away from the usual tourist routes. Your tuk tuk has been specially converted to handle the mountain roads, with a driving seat up front and comfortable seats in the back for when you swap over.
Expect remote temples, hill tribe villages, elephants, bamboo rafting and trekking woven into the days, along with plenty of local food. It's a hands-on, active way to see a side of Chiang Mai and the surrounding hills that most travellers miss.
What you'll do
- Drive your own specially converted tuk tuk through the mountains of Northern Thailand
- Visit remote temples off the main tourist trail
- Spend time in hill tribe communities
- See elephants and go bamboo rafting
- Trek through the hills between stops
- You'll need an International Driving Permit with a Category A stamp to drive the tuk tuk yourself
- Active and hands-on — you're driving mountain roads, not just riding along
- A chauffeur-driven version of this trip exists if you can't get the Category A permit
Worth it if you want a genuinely different Thailand experience with excellent guides and memorable elephant time. Think twice if you need luxury accommodation or prefer passive touring.
- Driving your own tuk tuk is the real draw—multiple reviewers did it twice or wished they'd booked longer.
- Food quality stood out even for seasoned Thailand travellers; specific praise for Milk's family restaurant and hilltop rice paddy dinners.
- Guides genuinely care—Nam, Yuth, Win, Graham, Boi, Ken and Jaya named individually; they add activities like tie-dyeing and help find lost items.
- Second accommodation noted as less luxurious than first, though still comfortable—pack flexible expectations on comfort standards.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Mar is cheapest — from £645, about 31% below the priciest month (Jan).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Chiang Mai · 12 Mar – 13 Mar
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