MANITABI TOURS · CHIANG MAI & NORTHERN THAILAND
From village stays with ethnic communities to easy local day experiences and Chiang Mai’s classic sights. Our tours come in three styles, so you can choose by how much time you have and how deep you want to go.
3 TRAVEL STYLES
The right tour depends on how much time you have and how far into local life you want to step. Start with the style that catches your eye.
01 / VILLAGEVisit Karen, Tai Lue and Lisu villages and share the day with your hosts: cooking, farming, crafts and festivals.
BEST FORTravellers who want to go beyond the sights and into everyday life in Northern Thailand
02 / LOCAL LIFEStroll the Old City, try a traditional craft, visit a farm. Half-day and day experiences that start and end in Chiang Mai city.
BEST FORShort stays, or a first taste of ManiTabi
03 / CLASSICDoi Suthep, elephants, the Long-Neck Karen village, the Yi Peng lantern festival. See the classics at your own pace by private car or van.
BEST FORFirst-time visitors, families and groups
FIND BY DURATION
A quick index by the time you have. Tours that can run on more than one schedule appear in each column.
About 2.5–6 hours
7–12 hours
Stay in a village
Slow down and stay
Village toursLocal day experiencesClassic Chiang Mai & charter
01 / VILLAGE TOURS
Where ManiTabi began. Visit Karen, Tai Lue and Lisu villages and experience daily life and culture with all five senses, from villages you can reach on a day trip to places where you stay and slow down.
Day trips and one-night stays from Chiang Mai city. A good first village tour.
Karen · 1.5 hrs from the city
Cook, craft and walk through a mountain village on the way to Doi Inthanon, and experience the Karen way of living with nature.
Karen · Coffee farm
From cherry to cup: harvest, process and taste at an organic coffee farm in the hills outside Chiang Mai. An overnight stay is recommended; a day trip is also possible.
Tai Lue · Near Chiang Mai
Walk the rice fields and gardens, collect eggs, learn about Tai Lue culture and share a home-cooked lunch. A half-day village visit close to the city.
Karen · Lamphun
Make your own piece of silver jewelry in a Karen village in Lamphun, guided by silversmiths whose craft has been handed down for generations.
Karen · Near Chiang Mai
Herbal sauna, foot baths and quiet time among the rice fields. Two unhurried days to reset mind and body.
Two to four days, towards Chiang Rai and Thailand’s far north.
Lisu · Chiang Rai
Harvest cacao and make chocolate in a Lisu village, stay at a local guesthouse and discover a way of life in harmony with nature.
Tai Lue · Wangpai Village, far north
About four hours from Chiang Mai. Cook traditional food, head into the forest and settle into village life over three days.
Karen · Coffee
Harvest at the farm, follow the processing steps and join brewing workshops. A deep dive into Chiang Mai coffee for groups.
These tours run on fixed dates. Please check the schedule and get in touch early.
Tai Lue · Wangpai Village
Join Salakapat, a once-a-year Tai Lue tradition: build the elephant floats with the villagers and celebrate together.
Lisu · Chiang Rai
Pound rice cakes, visit the cacao farm and dance in a circle with the villagers on New Year’s Eve. Three days inside a living tradition.
02 / LOCAL DAY EXPERIENCES
Town walks, traditional crafts and farm visits in and around Chiang Mai. Add one of these to your trip and the city starts to look a little different.
Old City · Walking
Rather than rushing between famous spots, stroll the lanes and quiet temples of the Old City with a local guide. Guided in English or Japanese.
Old City · Traditional craft
Walk the Old City, visit a temple linked to King Mangrai and make a Lanna brass flower with a local artisan. Guided in English or Japanese.
Chiang Mai countryside · Cacao farm
See how cacao becomes chocolate at a farm, make your own, then share a home-cooked lunch at a local home. Guided in English or Japanese.
Chiang Mai countryside · Cycling
Cycle quiet lanes with Sawan, who spends half the year travelling the world by bike. Harvest from the garden and cook lunch together.
Chiang Mai & Lamphun · Orchard
Taste mango varieties you rarely find at the market, straight from the orchard, and wander a local market few tourists visit.
03 / CLASSIC CHIANG MAI
The places worth seeing on a first visit to Chiang Mai. Temple and elephant days, hikes, festival tickets and private van charters: we can also take care of getting you around.
Doi Suthep · Temples · Elephants
Doi Suthep and the forest temple Wat Pha Lat in the morning, a Thai royal-cuisine lunch, then an afternoon with elephants. The classics in one day.
Elephants · Long-Neck Karen · Tigers
Maesa Elephant Camp, the Long-Neck Karen village and Tiger Kingdom in one half-day trip by private car, at your own pace.
Doi Suthep · Hiking
Walk through the forest just outside the city, past the moss-covered “hidden temple” Wat Pha Lat, and up to Doi Suthep temple.
Doi Inthanon · Trekking
A one-day trek on the Pha Dok Siew trail on Thailand’s highest mountain: about two hours of walking through forest, waterfalls and rice terraces.
Yi Peng · Lantern festival
The festival of lights, when lanterns rise into the night sky. Compare the four main venues and book your tickets.
Private van · Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai
Go where you want, at your own pace. Comfortable group travel around Chiang Mai, its surroundings and up to Chiang Rai.
VOICES
Stories from guests who joined our tours. See what the time is like in their own words.
Karen village tour
Travel journals written by guests who visited the Karen village with us. (The journals are in Japanese.)
ReadWangpai Village · Student group
Comments from students who spent three days and two nights in Wangpai Village and Pang Sa Village in September 2025.
ReadFamilies with children
Nature experiences, cultural learning and friendly support. For families thinking of joining, with comments from guests.
ReadCONTACT
Tell us your dates, group size and what you’re interested in. Questions alone are very welcome.
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