Home Page > Thailand > River of Kings Ride
RIVER OF KINGS RIDE
This is a tour through Thailand’s beating heart. Cities that have laid quiet for a thousand years open their doors and expose their history. The Kingdom’s ancient history and colorful culture will be revealed as you ride from one ancient city to the next. The River of Kings Ride offers you an intimate look at Thailand's history and an opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of its culture.
This tour rides from Chiang Mai, the capital of north Thailand, and follows the Chao Phraya river valley where Thai civilization began. It continues south through Lampang, Sukhotai and Ayutthaya to arrive in Bangkok.
The route follows quiet backroads where you will be amazed at how little traffic is encountered. You will also be pleasantly surprised at how few tourists are on this path. Although we do visit many of Thailand’s world famous attractions, by cycling well off the beaten-path, you avoid the masses and get the opportunity to see the real Thailand.
Not only will you visit the magnificent ruins of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, the temples of Chiang Mai and Bangkok, but you will also visit the lesser known towns of Pa Mok and Uthai Thani, where you will definitely find the “land of smiles."
The scenery is ever changing as it starts in the mountainous north, then continues through the emerald paddy fields of the central rice belt and then to the rugged jungles of Kanchanaburi before arriving in the vibrant metropolis of Bangkok.
TRIP PROFILE
The riding is not hard, mostly on flat terrain covering an average of 50 km per day. We spend a fair amount of time sightseeing on this tour and throughout the River of Kings tour we have a guide who specializes in Thailand's history and culture. This is the ideal tour for first time visitors to Thailand or repeat visitors who want to see the country from a different angle.
We stay at the best available hotels en route. All of which are clean and comfortable and very charming. In Bangkok and Chiang Mai, we use 4-star city hotels well situated for sightseeing excursions, shopping and fine dining.
| ITINERARY (14 days / 13 nights - starting in Chiang Mai, finishing in Bangkok) | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, meet and greet in Chiang Mai. |
| Day 2 | Sightseeing in Chiang Mai. |
| Day 3 | Ride along Ping River to Lamphun and in late afternoon transfer to Lampang. |
| Day 4 | Ride small country roads to Uttaradit. |
| Day 5 | Ride to Sri Satchanali Historical Park and overnight in Sukhothai. |
| Day 6 | Ride around ruins and temples of historic Sukhothai. |
| Day 7 | Ride quiet back roads to Kampheng Phet, a former military fortress. |
| Day 8 | Ride to Uthai Thani and relax in afternoon on river boat tour. |
| Day 9 | Visit island in Chao Phraya River before riding on to Ayutthaya. |
| Day 10 | Cycle from temple to temple in Ayutthaya, the best way to visit the ruins. Transfer in afternoon to Kanchanaburi and resort on River Kwai. |
| Day 11 | Ride under looming karst mountains to Kanchanaburi. |
| Day 12 | Transfer to the world famous Floating Market and ride canal paths to see village life firsthand. |
| Day 13 | Transfer to Bangkok and ride ithrough the green lung of the city before farewell dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. |
| Day 14 | Transfer to airport for onward travel. |
| FACTS & FIGURES | |
|---|---|
| Tour Cost | USD $1950, Single Supplement USD $375. |
| BIke Rental | USD $150 |
| Total Distance | 530 kilometers (some rides optional) |
| Number of Days | 14 days / 13 nights |
| Number of Cycling Days | 8 full days / 3 half days |
| Road Surfaces | Prim arily on good quality tarmac roads |
| Group Size | 2 minimum - 16 maximum |
| Vehicle Support | This tour is fully supported by a dedicated support vehicle. |
| Staff Support | An English speaking guide leads this tour. On tours with 10 or more people an additional local guide joins the tour. |
| Accomodation | Stay at a wide variety of styles - from provincial hotels to 4-star resorts - but all are very comfortable. |
| Meals | All meals are prvided starting with dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 14, except for dinner on day 2 and lunch on day 13. |
| Biking Grade |
(3 out of 5) This tour is suitable for the entire family.
|
| Scenery and Culture |
(5 out of 5) This is a dedicated cultural tour with a specialized cultural guide.
|
Jum and Rin were outstanding! I enjoyed learning from them and appreciated their outstanding efforts in keeping us happy and hydrated.
I learned a lot about Thailand - its people, food and culture through Jum and Rin.
An excellent adventure. Rin and Jum made this trip a wonderful experience!
~Stephanie Busque
River of Kings Ride, January 2010
Thanks Jum & Rin for the best cycling holiday.I have never been on a tour that looked after you so well, Very organized. Food great accommodation great.
I would recommend River of Kings to any medium riders.
Korp kun.
~Judi Puru
River of Kings Ride, January 2010
We have done many cycling tour in the last years but the River of Kings Tour was just one of the greatest tour we have ever done. This tour has an excellent combination with the start in Chiang Mai then following the rivers and before arriving in Bangkok visiting the area of river Kwai.
We booked a privat tour for 2 people and it was just fantastic with Tee as tour guide and Bee as driver and support. We were feeling like travelling with friends.
The trip profile is mainly on flat small roads and just a few hills, so that we could enjoy the wonderfull countryside and had still enough time and energy to visit historical sites.
We would like to say thanks to all the staff from SpiceRoads who made it possible that we had once again such a fantastic bike tour in Thailand. Many thanks to Ms. Rattanaporn who managed the emails with always very quick answers to our questions. Then we had this year the chance to see the office of SpiceRoads and were very impressed how many people are working there, also thanks to the mechanics who always provided very good bikes.
We are looking forward to see you next year and wish you a happy new year 2009.
~Marianne & Rolf Ziegler
River of Kings Ride, November 2008
Read our clients' reviews in the Guestbook.
