Chiang Mai Private Tour with Tea Plantation, Karen Village, Doi Suthep

A wonderful, varied, day out. Our guide, Yut, did a great job as driver and guide. He was extremely knowledgable and we learnt a lot. He was also an amazing host with cold water, cold wipes and even snacks for us. Doi Sutep was stunning, although there are a lot of steps do not good if you have mobility restrictions. Our stop at the orchid and butterfly farm was brief as there is not much to see, but very nice. The tea plantation tour was excellent, and a real highlight. You get to pick the tea, see how it’s made by hand, and then there’s a tea tasting. We went to an authentic Thai place for lunch and the food was delicious. Finally we saw the Karen Long Neck people who were lovely, and patient about people taking photos. I would go prepared to buy souvenirs as a thank you for this. All in all a fantastic day out.

We loved our tour with Yut - his English was excellent and he was so kind and informative! Could not have asked for a better day!

Had a fantastic time with this tour! We visited the temple at Doi Suthep, as well as the Long Neck Karen tribe, and two gorgeous farms for tea and orchids. Our guide, Tong, was very knowledgeable and engaging! He made us feel welcome in Thailand and Chiang Mai. He kept us entertained with fun jokes while showing us the beauty around Chiang Mai. Definitely would recommend this tour, and suggest you request Tong as your guide. Also wanted to give a shout-out to our driver Em. He got us around the city very carefully and smoothly despite the busy rush hour traffic. He was always attentive to helping us and made us feel safe in the busy city.

This tour exceeded our expectation. Our guide, Yut, was engaging and very knowledgeable and pleasant. I highly recommend taking this tour!

Beautiful and informative tour! Yut was the best guide we could’ve asked for; he is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating! Thank you

Very interesting trip. Our guide Tong was very knowledgeable and kind and made the day great. The whole family really enjoyed it.

Fabulous tour, superb guide. We spent 8 hrs. learning about the culture and customs of Thailand on our tour. Our guide, Puma (nickname), started out the tour as we drove past the canal, explaining the history of the city, the canal, and remnants of what was once the wall surrounding the city. This was just an introduction to the breadth and depth of her knowledge. We spent the day talking about the educational system, political (past and present) events, social and welfare issues, and so on. It was obvious that she really understands her country and its issues, and was happy to share with us. Our first stop was Doi Suthep Temple. She gave us the option to climb 306 steps, or take the funicular-we selected the funicular. She dropped us at the base and said to wait for her while she parked. She was back in 10 min. and we continued up the mountainside via funicular. Once at the top, she told us the story that explains why the temple was built on this site, pointed out a lot of the artwork that is in the temple (in addition to the chedi and Buddhas), acted as our personal photographer, and made sure we had ample time to see everything. After the temple, we drove to one of the Karen Villages. We had done some research on the Karen people prior to the tour, but Puma was able to add to what we learned and her familiarity with and knowledge of the tribe gave us a much more in-depth idea of who these people are, why they are living in Thailand, and what the future holds for them. It was obvious that Puma has a relationship with many of the village residents and we were able to ask questions and converse with them through her. Our next stop was a very enjoyable buffet lunch highlighted by a butterfly garden and orchard garden. It is a facility that caters to large tour groups, but the food was good, and the two gardens were lovely. Our last stop was a tea plantation where we were given the opportunity to pick tea leaves, then observe the roasting process of the tea leaves we just picked. We learned the differences between white, green and black teas, and viewed the "factory" where the tea leaves are processed. Following the demonstration, we sampled a variety of black teas before returning to the restaurant area to enjoy a cup of the roasted green tea and some delicious locally-made rice crackers. Our drive back into Chaing Mai was filled with more conversation. Puma was an excellent guide, driver, photographer, and storyteller. She kept us engaged and entertained for the entire tour. We learned a lot, laughed a bit, and loved every minute of this tour!

I had requested to visit the Wat Phra Lat as having been before I felt it was unlike any temple we had seen before so shouldn’t be missed. The visit to the Tea house was enjoyed immensely by both of us & although neither of us enjoyed the tea tasting very much (as we’re not tea drinkers) it was a very informative & interactive tour. Lunch was at the Orchid & butterfly farm which we both enjoyed. Unfortunately the visit to the Karen Village (Long Neck Tribe) was not what we were expecting & it didn’t sit morally with either my husband & I. I felt obliged to buy from the ladies & found it difficult to choose who from as they all appeared to be in need of help. We didn’t stay our allotted time here as we felt uncomfortable there. Overall the tour was good but I would not recommend going to the Karen Village but a visit to the Wat Phra Lat be on the itinerary instead. Puma, our guide, once again was very flexible with our day & gave us lots of information about all of our stops. Thanks Puma for 2 great days that we spent with you learning about Thai culture. I wouldn’t recommend this tour to others if it continues to visit the Karen Village.

This was an absolutely amazing tour! The tour guide, Teerayut, was so knowledgeable and kind! We were picked up from our hotel and drove to the temple near the top of Doi Suthep. Teerayut explained a lot about Thailand and Buddhism. The views over Chang Mai were breathtaking! We then went to an orchid and butterfly sanctuary that was also incredible! The Karen village was full of wonderful scarves and fiber-crafts made by the women. Teerayut took us to an amazing restaurant for lunch, and we had a great discussion about food! After lunch we drove to the tea plantation, and wow! It was so relaxing and peaceful! This tour has been a real highlight of our trip!

Top guide - chill, very well educated, adaptable to us,… Nice and interesting program - themple and especially Karen poeple village and tea plantation.