Chiang Rai trekking tour: Bamboo cooking & hot spring

Walk 15 kilometers through jungle and farmland, then cook your meal in bamboo over open fire

A full-day trekking tour in Chiang Rai that covers jungle, rice fields, hilltribe villages and a waterfall, with a licensed guide from the Lahu or Akha community who speaks English. The tour includes hotel pickup, all entry fees, and a bamboo cooking lunch prepared over an open fire using handmade utensils. You'll swim at Huay Kaew Waterfall and soak in the mineral water of Phra Soep Hot Spring before returning to your hotel. Total walking is around 15 kilometers across 8 hours.

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel and a drive to Phra Soep Hot Spring, where the trek begins. From there you walk through jungle, past farmland and rice fields, heading toward the villages and the waterfall. Your guide is a licensed trekker from the Lahu or Akha hilltribes and speaks English, so you get someone who knows the terrain and the communities you're moving through, not just a tour operator reading from notes.

You'll pass through an Akha village and a Chinese tea plantation village, then reach Huay Kaew Waterfall, the second largest in Chiang Rai, where you can swim. After that comes the bamboo cooking: your guide prepares lunch over an open fire using only natural bamboo utensils, no pots or pans. It's a working meal, not a demonstration, and the food is cooked in front of you. Once you've eaten, you head to the mineral water hot spring to soak and cool down before the drive back to your hotel.

Bring a swimsuit and towel for both the waterfall and the hot spring. The walking covers about 15 kilometers total, spread across the full 8 hours, so it's steady but not rushed. Hotel pickup and return transport are included, as are all entry fees and taxes.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transport to your hotel.
• all entry fees and taxes.
• a full-day English-speaking guide from the Lahu or Akha hilltribes.
• bamboo cooking lunch prepared over an open fire with handmade utensils.
• swimming at Huay Kaew Waterfall.
• access to Phra Soep Hot Spring mineral water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (10 to 78 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Yada Travel Chiang Rai

Is this one for you?The 15-kilometer walk and 8-hour day suit travelers who are comfortable on their feet and ready for a full immersion in the jungle and villages, not a quick stop-and-look tour. The guide is from the hilltribe community itself, so you're learning from someone who lives there, not hearing about it secondhand.

Traveler reviews

4.93★★★★★★★★★★

57 verified traveler reviews

5 ★53

4 ★4

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How much walking is involved on this Chiang Rai trekking tour?

The tour covers approximately 15 kilometers of walking across the 8-hour day, moving through jungle, farmland and rice fields between the villages, waterfall and hot spring. The pace is steady but manageable for couples, families and groups of mixed fitness levels.

What exactly is the bamboo cooking part of this tour?

Your guide prepares lunch over an open fire using only handmade bamboo utensils: no metal pots or conventional cooking gear. You watch the meal come together and eat it on the trail as part of the day's experience.

Which hilltribes will I visit on this trek?

You'll pass through Lahu and Akha villages, and also visit a Chinese village with its tea plantation. Your guide is from one of these hilltribe communities and speaks English, so you get insight from someone who lives there.

Is swimming part of this tour?

Yes. You'll swim at Huay Kaew Waterfall, the second largest waterfall in Chiang Rai, and later soak in the mineral water at Phra Soep Hot Spring. Bring a swimsuit and towel for both stops.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and return transport, all entry fees and taxes, the bamboo cooking lunch, and access to both the waterfall and the hot spring are included. Your guide speaks English and is licensed to lead jungle treks.