This 4-hour guided bicycle tour will show you the hidden side of Chiangmai. Experience its bustling market culture and laid back vibes along the Ping river while indulging in the delights of Northern Thai food along the way.
Starting near the famous moat of Chiang Mai’s ancient city walls we explore the quiet back alleys of the city and get a taste of its residents' peaceful day-by-day routine. Pedaling away from the ancient walls we encounter the hustle and bustle of Thailand’s unique market culture. See the most exotic fruit and notice how all types of fish are being traded here to local residents and small shop owners alike. Blend in with the community as we try a variety of delicious local snacks and challenge our taste buds.
Crossing the bridge over the Ping River, an important tributary to the Chao Phraya river and once used to transport teak logs to Bangkok. Here we explore the peaceful environment near the banks of the river where we expose ourselves to, and learn about, typical teak wooden Lanna style Buddhist temples. Slowly winding down as we then enjoy a variety of typical Thai and Northern dishes at a local hidden family-style eatery. Full(filled) we cycle back to the starting point and have experienced Chiang Mai’s food and culture as the locals do on a daily basis.
Due to the ever changing cityscape, festivals and overall dynamic character of Chiangmai we don't have a pre-defined routing that is "set in stone" making each day a new adventure for all of us.
We pride ourselves in being an alternative to the standard tourist experience by taking our customers "off the beaten path" to show them the REAL Chiangmai, away from Chiangmai’’s typical mass tourism attractions (Night market, Doi Suthep, etc). We go behind the scenes into the local communities to places that are typically inaccessible to the average traveler, where our individual fascinations emerge.
We will be sampling several types of streetfood snacks along the way without a fixed menu and induldge in a Thai local style meal. For any dietary restrictions kindly tell your guide before the start of the tour.
Joining one of our bicycle tours in Chiang Mai is a surprisingly refreshing adventure year round as most cycling is taking place in shadowed places. The activity of cycling (as opposed to walking), will always create a breeze to help cool you down. We are also aided by the fact that the Chiang Mai valley is very flat and we cycle at a leisurely pace. In addition, plenty of cold drinks and rest stops along the way will keep you refreshed for the journey.
The weather in Chiang Mai is unpredictable and rain can occur at any time, especially during the 'rainy season' (which typically means 30 minutes rain per day) of June-October. Rain is also a very localized phenomenon, happening in small pockets in places while being completely dry only a few kilometers away. In our vast experience doing the tours, we know that heavy rains rarely last more than 30 minutes and our guides know very well where to take our customers for cover during the deluge.
The vast majority of our guides are English speaking local Thais.
By design, our tours do not contain much talking. Our philosophy is to focus more on the interactive experience of cycling within the local community rather than presentations about facts, figures, or history. In that respect, language does not play a large factor in your tour experience, and it is unlikely that you will feel like you've missed out on anything by not having a native language guide.
On our tours we are guests at local and more conservative communities, including temples. Please allow us to ask you to dress more conservatively out of respect for the local community. A top that covers the shoulders and a sarong for covering the legs in a temple is always appreciated in Thai culture.
We recommend you wear light, comfortable clothing with a hat to keep the sun off your head. For footwear, we recommend closed shoes or sports sandals for maximum protection and control during your tour. For your own safety, we discourage the use of ‘flip flops’ as they often compromise the ability of the rider to control his/her bicycle on the tour. The liberal use of sunscreen is also highly encouraged.
Our tours are on an all-in basis and there is no need to bring any food or drinks. You may however want to think consider bringing the following:
We accept all international payment methods (Credit Card, iDeal, Sofort etc) on our website. For cash payments at our office please select ‘’booking inquiry only’’ on the booking form. Cancelations up to 24 hours before departing time receive a 100% refund.
Children under the age of 12 years old receive a 25% discount on the adult price. Kids joining in a baby- or child-seat are joining free of charge.
We have designed our own custom yellow Co van Kessel city bikes to give our guests the ultimate local Bangkok experience. This means our bicycles are comfortable delivering a straight-up position to look around, open frame to easily step on/off, All of our bikes are adjustable in size and we have bikes suitable for both smaller (1.40m) and taller (2.10m) people.
For children bicycles and more information on children on our bike tours, please read our dedicated blog posts about kids.
We cycle at a leisurely pace and make frequent stops at local, interesting destinations along the way. Children as young as five years and seniors as old as 80 years have joined our tour with no issues, but a certain level of balance and comfort on a bike is required.
On our tours we do NOT cycle on main roads with traffic and are hence as safe as it gets. Following our concept we go off the beaten path, use back roads, alleyways and footpaths (nearly 95% of the tour takes place here). Helmets are also readily available at our office if you wish to wear one.
For your comfort and safety, helmets fo adults and children are readily available and optional; please feel free to take one if you wish.
The Co van Kessel Chiang Mai office is conveniently located in the center of Chiang Mai. We are located not over 150 meter from the famous Tha Phae gate.
Read more detailed directions on how to reach us on our 'how-to-find-us-page'.