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Chiang Rai Small Group Tours & Trips
28 Chiang Rai trips. Tours from 7 tour companies. 55 reviews. 5/5 avg rating.
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Chiang Rai Reviews & Ratings
Customized Tour
I didn’t take this tour exactly, but made some changes based on my schedule and interests and travel dates. It was my first time in Southeast Asia and I was a travel...
Really had a positive experience. Rong had
Really had a positive experience. Rong had a very p...
The small group with an amazing guide
The small group with an amazing guide made for a great trip.
Top of my list of preferred travel operators
Has now put Explore on top of my list of preferred ...
Chiang Rai Tour Selection Trips
- Some tours of Chiang Rai view it only as a quick stopover from nearby Chiang Mai, or Bangkok. If you are really interested in the area, make sure you spend at least a couple of days in the city to get a better feel for it.
- The tourist industry in Chiang Rai is a lot less developed than in Chiang Mai, which means its a lot less likely that the average Thai person will speak English to help with directions, a menu, or just generally chat. For this reason, it’s highly recommended that you take a guided tour of the city.
- It is very difficult to reach some of the out-of-city locations, such as the Black and White Temples, by public transportation. If you are on a tour, expect to be taken to these sites by coach or car.
Additional details
When to Visit Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai has nearly the same climate the nearby, and much larger, Chiang Mai, which is only three hours away. You are likely seeing them both in one fell swoop, and the best time to travel to both of them is during the cool season.
This falls between November to February, and is the time of year with the lowest temperatures and amount of humidity. Average highs are in the high seventies (Fahrenheit) during this time, so it’s very comfortable weather to be outside in, and you won’t have to worry too much about the rain.
Festivals in Thailand
With that being said, there are several festivals that occur during this time that you may want to plan you trip around. These festivals happen at the largest scale in Chiang Mai, but are still important in planning your trip in Chiang Rai.
In early November, the larger of the two cities celebrates the Yee Peng and Loy Krathong festivals in honor of the full moon, and it is one of the most exciting times to be in the city. During this festival, floating lanterns are released into the sky, Buddhist monks meditate, and there is a generally joyous atmosphere. In February, Chiang Mai also celebrates a totally different holiday with their yearly flower festival.
If you plan on traveling during the off-season during the hottest season of the year (which takes place from March to May), try to plan your trip in April. This is when Songkran, or Thai New Year, is celebrated with a massive water festival.
Monsoon season happens during the remaining months of the year, and is not the most ideal time to make the trip to Chiang Rai.
Chiang Rai Caves
One other main attraction in Chiang Rai is its deep systems of tropical caves. Many of these caves have never been explored, while others are popular tourist attractions in which guides lead several tours a day.
You may have most recently heard about Chiang Rai’s caves in all of the reporting during the summer 2018, when a young Thai soccer team became trapped in one cave.
The boys entered the cave during the monsoon season, and the cave flooded rapidly as a tropical storm struck while they were inside. It took several weeks, and aid from multiple countries before the entire team could be rescued.
Despite this tragic incident, there are still plenty of places to go caving in Chiang Rai very safely! Of course, it is always recommended that you go with a guide. One popular cave is Tham Ku Kaeo, which houses several spiritual shrines within it, and also has a good 30 minute route to explore into the cave. If you want to see the incredible cave where the boys were trapped, it is located in the bordertown of Mae Si, and is called Tham Luang, or Great Cave.
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