Thailand Heritage By Bicycle - 7 Days

We pick you up from your Bangkok hotel in the morning so please make sure you are in Bangkok at least the night before.  We then transfer about 1.5 hours north to Bang Pa-In Palace. This royal compound, once a summer retreat for Siam’s globalising monarchs, blends traditional Thai architecture with Chinese and European influences – a fitting start to our heritage tour! After exploring the palace grounds, we hop on our bikes and take a short ferry across the Chao Phraya River, followed by a gentle ride on backroads through diverse riverside villages where Buddhist and Muslim communities live side-by-side. By the 20 km point we reach the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya and discover the ruins of Siam’s former capital city - all but destroyed during a war with the Burmese in the late 18th-century. We weave through the city by bike and visit a selection of standout monuments, such as Wat Mahathat, famous for its Buddha head entwined in tree roots, the trio of majestic stupas at Wat Si Sanphet, and the grand Hindu-Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram. We end the day at a boutique Thai-style resort nestled among rice paddies.

‍Cycling Distance: 41km

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Ayutthaya

Departing from the hotel, we start with a 10 km ride out of Ayutthaya, situated on an artificial island between two rivers. We follow one of these rivers, the Chao Phraya, for much of today's journey as we head north. We continue for about 20 km on quiet secondary roads, passing through rice paddies, canals, villages, and local temples. We then follow the main road for about 10 km into the city of Ang Thong. Here, we switch to a narrow lane hugging the Chao Phraya River for around 20 km, offering a glimpse into waterborne life in the Central Plains of Thailand. Our ride finishes at Wat Chaiyo, a temple complex housing a colossal gilded Buddha statue. After our visit, we have a 1.5 hour transfer to a charming lakeside resort in Uthai Thani Province — perfect for a relaxing afternoon before gathering for dinner in the evening.

‍Cycling Distance: 64km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Uthai Thani

We kick off the day early with a 5 km ride to the morning market in the vintage town of Uthai Thani. Walking our bikes through rows of tightly packed stalls, we discover sellers of freshly caught river fish, vibrant fruits and veggies from surrounding farms, and other intriguing curiosities! Back in the saddle, we cycle toward the Chao Phraya for a scenic 10 km stretch along the waterfront. This area boasts a rich local heritage of knife manufacturing, and we stop at a workshop for a closer look. The final 20 km offers a leisurely ride through the rustic countryside, passing rice paddies, quaint villages, temples, and more of the Chao Phraya River. After 45 km, we’ll pack up our bikes and hop in the van to fast-track ourselves to the ancient landscape of Thailand’s first Kingdom: Sukhothai. The drive takes about 3.5 hours, but we’ll break up the journey with a stop at the historical site of Kamphaeng Phet, where we explore the tree-entwined ruins of a once-mighty military outpost that protected Sukhothai from invasion. We arrive at our hotel in Sukhothai in the late afternoon.

‍Cycling Distance: 45km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Sukhothai

This morning, we explore the illustrious capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom - one of Thailand’s premier UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its legacy has profoundly shaped Thai culture, language, and religion, with influences still visible in modern society. Starting from our hotel, we cycle through Sukhothai Historical Park, an expansive area featuring an impressive array of temple ruins, fortifications, moats, and ponds, all connected by well-paved, lightly trafficked roads — perfect for cycling. While many sites can be admired from the saddle, we’ll make several stops for a closer look. Highlights include Wat Si Chum, home to an elegant seated Buddha statue, and Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai’s royal temple, with its towering brick stupas and colonnades. Though the total cycling distance is just 20 km, we’ll spend the entire morning soaking in Sukhothai’s historical splendour.. After lunch, we hop in the van and transfer around 2.5 hours to the northern town of Phrae. Time permitting, we will visit a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion, built at a time when Phrae was the centre of the lucrative teak trade. Dinner is not included tonight, giving you a chance to go local and choose what you like at Phrae's night market!

Cycling Distance: 20km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Phrae

In the morning, we transfer about 1.5 hours from Phrae to our cycling start point in the neighbouring province of Lampang. We are now firmly in the north (or Lanna, as the locals call the region) and you’ll notice the scenery differs significantly from what we have experienced in the Central Plains, with jungle-clad mountains sprawling in the background. As we ride the first 30 km you may also notice the styles of houses and temples have changed, along with the varieties of fruits and vegetables grown – but there’s still lots and lots of rice! We take a break at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, an impressive fortified temple complex dating back to the 13th century. After lunch nearby, we continue for another 25 km along farm lanes and village roads, eventually arriving at the Wang River. We follow the gently flowing waterway for the final few kilometres to a traditional northern Thai-style rural resort where we spend the night.

Cycling Distance: 58km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Rural Resort in Lampang

We start the day with a 1.5-hour transfer into Lamphun Province, Thailand's top producer of longan fruit. Throughout our ride today, we pass rows of longan trees with their distinctive wide canopies. After around 15 km, we stop at the moated town of Lamphun where we visit the glittering Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, one of the oldest continuously worshipped Buddhist temples in northern Thailand. Continuing towards the Ping River, we ride through its lush floodplain to the archaeological site of Wiang Kum Kam, which predates Chiang Mai and boasts beautiful ruins. A short, final burst brings us to our hotel on the Ping River, just south of Chiang Mai City. In the evening, we hop into one of Chiang Mai’s iconic red trucks and head out for dinner, making a few stops along the way to soak in the city's vibrant atmosphere at dusk.

Cycling Distance: 49km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai

On our final morning, we drive up to Wat Doi Suthep, the most sacred temple in northern Thailand. Perched on a mountain top overlooking Chiang Mai, it offers stunning panoramic views on clear days. At the heart of the temple complex is a large, stepped, gilded stupa — a celebrated symbol of Chiang Mai’s deep-rooted spirituality. We then descend the mountain to visit Wat Umong, a 700-year-old temple nestled in tranquil shaded woods, famous for the tunnels beneath its large chedi, originally built to keep a particularly eccentric monk from wandering off into the forest! We wrap up our heritage-infused bike tour of Thailand with a farewell lunch before transferring you to your post-tour hotel. Please let us know if you need assistance with hotel bookings or airport transfers after the trip.

Cycling Distance: 0km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch