Doi Inthanon National Park Thailand - Travel Guide
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Doi Inthanon National Park is one of the most popular national parks in Thailand. There are a lot of places to see and things to do, you can hike and find spectacular waterfalls, visit remote villages, explore thick forest trails, and be amazed by breathtaking viewpoints. If you are a nature lover and you are visiting Thailand, make sure you don’t miss out on this wonderful natural park.
When visiting Northern Thailand, we booked a private guided tour that took us to see several important landmarks in this region. Doi Inthanon National Park was also included in the itinerary and we spent 2 days exploring it.
I still remember the moment we entered the land of the park because the landscape changed. I instantly got excited by this feeling of entering a secluded area where nature is at its best.
There was so much to stare at from our car window. We were passing a narrow and rural trail enveloped by an opaque forest. Every now and then we could spot a little house, but otherwise, the road seemed to lead nowhere. It may sound scary, but honestly, I think that this is one of those travel experiences that becomes one of the best memories.
In this article, I will walk you through all the things you can do and visit in Doi Inthanon National Park, the location of the park and also I will be sharing our experience during our time there.
How to get to Doi Inthanon National Park and how to move around?
As I mentioned, we traveled via a private guided tour, so we didn’t need to figure out how to get to the park.
As far as I read, you can get a songthaew from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park and it can take approx. 3 hours. Maybe you are wondering what a songthaew is, because I know I was. Well, I found out that this is a passenger vehicle which is a converted pick-up truck with two rows of benches. It can take several adults and it’s a common form of public transport in Chiang Mai. Several types of songthaew differentiate by color. If you want to learn more, you can check out this detailed guide I found.
Once you arrive at the park, the tricky part is to navigate inside it because the distances between the attractions are big, and walking to them it’s not an option. You can choose to book a private guided tour or rent a full-day private taxi. You can also book a guided birdwatching tour which I find so cool. I want to do this one day, go on a birdwatching adventure.
On the official website of the Thai National Parks, you will find a lot of information about this park, including an interactive map. Using it you will easily understand the overall structure and the location of each attraction.
Where to stay in Doi Inthanon National Park?
Doi Inthanon National Park is a place where you can easily spend a couple of days exploring because as I mentioned there are many attractions within the park and I recommend you try to visit as many as you can.
You can find accommodation recommendations on their official website, here.
Because the park was included on our itinerary booked with the private tour, we didn’t need to find a place to stay. They covered all the accommodations during our excursion.
Spending the night in Doi Inthanon National Park was an interesting and different experience for us. This is one of the things that I appreciate about this company, they design the itinerary in a way, so you can experience both authentic moments (simple and close to the locals) and luxurious ones.
In this case, we stayed in a small cottage owned by a local that collaborated with them. There wasn’t anything fancy about our rooms or our dinner. Our host cooked for us and we got to help him out (it was dark, but we still cooked and ate outside). The meal was very simple but delicious! After eating we spend the evening chit-chatting with him and our guide.
His house was located in a nice and peaceful area, thus we didn’t hear any human-like noises during our stay there. Our rooms (we traveled with another couple) were very basic. And by that, I mean that there was only a big bed (hard to say bed, because it was more like a mattress). If you like fancy hotels or have a more luxurious travel style, I’m not gonna lie, this place is not for you. But, if you are looking for an authentic and close-to-nature experience, then definitely, you should try to find a similar place.
If you are interested, you can check out the company that we booked (not-sponsored), they made our trip to Northern Thailand memorable.
What can you do inside the park?
Doi Inthanon National Park is a complex park with a lot of attractions, so spending a couple of days here is necessary to enjoy it to its fullest.
If you love hiking, there are beautiful trails like Ang Ka Luang Natural Trail or Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail that you can explore. If you are a waterfall chaser, prepare to be stunned by 5 wonderful waterfalls. If you are crazy about breathtaking views and splendid sunsets you can visit the plateau where the Two Chedis are located. If you are a photographer, don’t worry, Doi Inthanon National Park will display many incredible landscapes and backgrounds to use in your photoshoots.
Birdwatching and walking around rice fields are also well-known activities you can choose from.
Top attractions in Doi Inthanon National Park
Doi Inthanon Summit
This place is the highest peak in Thailand and it is situated at 2.565 meters altitude. The hike to reach this point is very easy to do, just park your car in the parking area that is a few hundred meters from Doi Inthanon Summit. From there walk a beautiful and easy trail for a few minutes. Even if the trail is short, try not to rush it. Enjoy every part, stop to take photos, and admire your surroundings.
Bonus point: the summit is a popular place for watching the sunrise and there is also a café situated in the area if you want to rest your legs and take a break.
Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail
This was one of my favorite nature walks that we did in Thailand. The trail is made from wood and follows through a lush, mossy forest. The whole walk felt like we were entering a fairyland and I expected to see little wild creatures peeking at us from the dense forest. I know, I have such a weird imagination, but this trail bewitched me. At some point, the trees are inclined at an interesting angle, as if you are entering a magical gate. There are some very instagrammable spots you should take advantage of.
Bonus point: if you enjoy dressing up, this is the place to do it. Your photos are going to look boom.
Twin Pagodas
The Twin Pagodas, also called Two Chedis, are located on this beautiful plateau that offers one of the best views that I have witnessed in Thailand. When we arrived at this place, I was mesmerized by the colorful and huge garden and by the breathtaking view. We took several photos, but I feel like none of them does justice to this plateau. It felt magnificent to be there, breathing the fresh and cold air. We got the impression we walked through the clouds.
While doing my research about the Twin Pagodas I found out that each one has a name with a specific deep meaning. One of them means “being the strength of the air and the grace of the land” and the other one means “by the strength of the land and air”. Fascinating, right?! This is something I love about Thai culture, the relationship that people have with nature and the elements.
Waterfalls
- Pha Dork Siew Waterfall
In Doi Inthanon National Park there are 5 waterfalls, but unfortunately our itinerary included only one, Pha Dok Siew Waterfall. This one is located close to Mae Klang Village, where we spent the night. The trail to the waterfall is beautiful and relatively short, it took us approx. 3 hours and we started the hike from the village. We were accompanied by a local guide. This is a requirement, even if you already are traveling with a guided tour as we did.
Other waterfalls you can chase in Doi Inthanon National Park are:
- Wachirathan Waterfall
- Sirithan Waterfall
- Mae Klang Waterfall
- Mae Ya Waterfall
You can locate each one of them on the map provided on their official website.
Mae Klang Luang Village
This picturesque village was our choice for accommodation. It was included in our itinerary by the company we booked for a private guided tour in Northern Thailand. The landscape of the village consists of rice fields placed on mountain slopes.
After a good night’s sleep in this quiet and peaceful village (more about our night here at the beginning of the article), our host cooked an exquisite breakfast for us. It was an omelet with rice (one of my favorite dishes in Thailand). If you have never tried it, you need to, believe me! It’s delicious! Nowadays I cook it at home, but sadly the taste isn’t the same even if I follow Thai recipes. Anyhow, I digressed, again! Back to this story…
After our breakfast, our guide took us to drink coffee (we woke up at approx. 6 am, so coffee was much needed).
For me, the highlight of the day was the morning we spent drinking coffee at Mae Klang Luang Caffe. The lovely and rustic place was owned by a nice family that welcomed us with open hands. They showed us how they make the coffee and also it was the first time for me to see a coffee plant.
That cold morning, the glorious smell of hot coffee in that secluded village is one of my favorite and most cherished memories I have from Thailand.
There weren’t any more people or tourists around and it made our visit more exciting because we took our time, enjoyed our coffees, and talked to our hosts. A local came by, it was this nice old lady that didn’t speak English, but our guide helped us to communicate. She made an interesting cigarette for my husband to enjoy with his coffee.
I hope you find this Doi Inthanon National Park Travel Guide useful and that my story and the photos that I shared convinced you that visiting this place is a must and you can’t miss out when you visit Thailand. If you are planning to visit this park, my most important advice for you is to take your time, and don’t rush your visit. Take in every moment, every tree, and every view. If you do, you will leave this place with a lot of incredible memories.
Also, if you want to know more about all the things that you can do and see in Northern Thailand, check out this detailed travel guide I wrote.