Pai is a small but growing town nestled in the mountains of Mae Hong Song in northern Thailand. Its mountainous and remote location sets it up to be a hiking haven, but when I arrived in Pai and tried to find information on popular hiking trails, I couldn’t find much information.
Yet, over my two months living there, I hiked some stunning trails I want to share with you. I hope that you’ll see Pai from a new perspective, different from what the usual backpackers experience.
So, in no particular order, these are five of my favourite (and the best) hikes in Pai, Thailand.
1. Hua Chang Waterfall
This is, without a doubt, my favourite hike in Pai mainly due to its remote jungle setting. It’s a few km from the centre of Pai and not even labelled on Google Maps, so not many people know about it. You may even be the only hiker there!
A cheeky nature swim, what do you say?
The unique thing about this hike is that you’re hiking in a thick, untamed wild forest with one muddy path passing through a flowing river that leads to the waterfall.
Make sure you wear shoes that you don’t mind getting wet as you’ll cross the river around 30 times. Trust me, you may start by taking your shoes off every time you reach a crossing, but it’ll get boring very quickly and you’ll wade through trainers, socks and all!
The trail is relatively easy to follow and it’s highly unlikely you’ll get lost but just in case you feel worried, you can follow the trail on All Trails here.
In terms of elevation, it’s relatively flat. But around 200m from the waterfall, the path stops and it becomes slightly more challenging. At this point, you’ll have to wade through the river and clamber over slippery rocks. But just take your time, and you’ll be rewarded with a stunning waterfall and refreshing swimming spot.
Time: 3.5 hrs
Difficulty: 3/5
Popularity: ✪✪
Elevation: Mostly flat
Distance: 8.7km | out & back
Starting point:
The trail starts here down a bumpy, dirt track road. It is possible to walk there on foot but it’ll take a good old while so I’d recommend renting a motorbike.
The road is bumpy and dusty but just drive slow and you’ll be grand.
Make sure you bring:
- Waterproof sandals or shoes that you don’t mind getting wet.
- Swimming gear to take a dip in the waterfall
- Water and snacks
02. Pai Canyon
The Pai Canyon Loop is the best way to see the canyon. While most opt to visit the canyon with a blanket and beers at sunset, I honestly recommend heading there in the morning to explore it by foot.
This loop trail takes you into the sandy bed of the canyon, where you’ll follow a narrow walkway, once a flowing river. It’s beautifully wild down there and immediately transported me to Cappadocia, Turkey, where I witnessed similar rock formations and erosion.
Half of the hike is spent out of the valley, walking in the open sun as well as through a densely packed forest.
It’s so important that you go early in the morning to avoid the hot rays as there is virtually no shade. The first time I hiked this loop, I ran out of water and got so lost that a corn farmer came to my rescue and insisted on bringing me back to the starting point on his rusty motorbike.
But round two, I was ready with lots of water, a fully charged phone, and the All Trails map downloaded, and my first mishap felt like a thing of the past! It’s one of the best hiking trails in Pai, for sure!
Time: 2.5 hrs
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Popularity: ✪✪✪✪
Elevation: Up and down
Distance: 5.8km loop
It could be considered a challenging route because the beginning and end parts of the route involve a lot of scrambling. Make sure you wear shoes with a good grip.
Also, it’s really important to download the All Trails map on your phone as the trail isn’t marked, and you can easily venture off the route like I did. So download the map in advance here.
Starting point:
Start at Pai Canyon car park here. It’s kinda impossible to walk here so either rent a scooter or take a colectivo from Walking Street.
Make sure you bring:
- Lots of water as there’s virtually no shade, and you’ll get hot!
- Shoes with good grip because climbing up and down the canyon is tough with the sand and dry soil.
03. Mae Yen Waterfall
Oh boy, this is the hike that Crocs were designed for. It involves 30 river crossings so you’ll need to wear shoes you can wade through rivers in.
It’s the most popular hike for travellers to do in Pai and for good reason. Its close proximity to Walking Street makes it the easiest trailhead to reach and it encapsulates so many things in one hike: jungle, rivers, waterfalls and a hella lot of mud.
There are no trail markings but you won’t get lost as you just need to follow the river and if you’re crossing it every five minutes, you’re definitely on the right track.
If you feel unsure, you can find the All Trails trail here to follow.
How long it’ll take you depends on so many things – shoes, if you’re going barefoot, if you start from the trailhead or Walking Street…but the average hiker should take around 4.5 hours.
Time: 4 – 6 hrs
Difficulty: 4/5
Popularity: ✪✪✪✪✪
Elevation: Up and down
Distance: 15.2km | out & back
Starting point:
You can start from Walking Street, but I’d recommend riding your motorbike here to cut out some distance.
Make sure you bring:
- Lots of water and snacks as it’s a long ‘un.
- Swimming gear to take a dip in the waterfall
- Shoes with that you don’t mind getting wet
04. Bamboo Bridge Loop
The first half of this trail is a wild one and relatively challenging, with lots of elevation. You’ll find yourself in a very isolated forested area with only the birds and perhaps a local farmer herding his buffalo for company.
After around 1.5 hours, you’ll reach Kho Khu So Bamboo Bridge, a popular tourist spot built by the people of Ban Pambok.
You can easily reach this bridge by motorbike, but there’s something satisfying reaching it by foot. It makes the Pad Thai and coconut at Jaey Cafe all the more satisfying.
To get back to the starting point, you’ll need to walk down along the main road via Pam Bok Waterfall (which, to be honest, I think is overpriced to enter), or you can hitchhike.
Find the All Trails route here.
Time: 3.5hrs
Difficulty: 3.5/5
Popularity: ✪
Elevation: Up and down
Distance: 9.3km | loop
Starting point:
It takes a loooong time to reach the starting point on foot, so rent a motorbike and start here.
Make sure you bring:
↠Lots of water (no need to bring a snack as you’ll be able to stop off at Jaey Cafe near Bamboo Bridge)
↠Trainers with good grip
05. River Trail
This hike in Ban Na Chalong is a true hidden gem and I hesitated to post it. But it would be selfish to keep it to myself.
You’re unlikely to encounter anyone on the trail apart from local farmers working on the land. But after 1h15 of walking, you’ll find a dreamy area next to the river with hot springs.
I found the initial trail on All Trails here but ended up going off trail following a wild dog who led me right to this dreamy spot.
The All Trails route only leads you so far but once you walk past the papaya farm, you’ll see a steep hill to your left. Head up there for another 300m and you’ll come across a big gate forking to your right. It should be open but if it’s not push it open.
It may seem like private property but the owners are happy for you to walk through. Continue downhill through this stunning orange farm, and follow the narrow trail hugging the river.
Walk around 750m more through the forest and the trail will eventually reach a big green patch of land with a stunning river and hot springs to your right.
I’ll cross my fingers that my wild dog friend will guide you.
Make sure to spend a sunny afternoon here swimming, sunbathing, eating and just having a dreamy time. But just a heads up, you can swim in the river but the hot springs on the right are way to hot to touch, let alone bathe in!
Time: 2.5hrs
Difficulty: 2/5
Popularity: ✪
Elevation: Up and down
Distance: 10km | out and back
Starting point:
You kinda need a motorbike to reach the starting spot around 6km from Walking Street. You can park your bike here or if you fancy making the hike shorter, you can drive a bit further along the dirt track.
When you begin walking, don’t be dissuaded when you see a long dirt track, just continue along admiring the fields and agriculture. The end is worth it, I promise.
Make sure you bring:
↠Lots of water and snacks
↠Sun cream and hat as there’s little shade
↠Swimming gear
↠Towel or blanket to lie on
FAQ's | Hiking in Pai
1. Is Pai a good hiking destination?
Yes, Pai is definitely an underrated hiking destination – think lush forest, waterfalls, water buffalos, orange trees, and hot springs. And the beauty is, you’ll probably not see a single soul on your hike.
2. Are there many hiking trails in Pai?
There are tons of trails in Pai; you’ve just got to look for them. The five I’ve outlined above are my favourite, but there are many more. AllTrails is good for finding existing hiking trails in Pai, but it’s also good to ask the locals.
3. What's the best season to hike in Pai?
The best season to hike in Pai in during the dry season, from October to February. This way you can enjoy the trails without fighting your way through the mud.
Avoid hiking from February to May as this is the infamous burning season all over Northern Thailand. This is a time when farmers burn their fields to prepare their land and get rid of excess biowaste. The air quality is horrible to hike in, and visibility is low.
4. Is it safe to hike in Pai?
Pai is definitely safe place to hike. The only danger is getting lost on less-known trails or running out of water. To avoid this, be sure to have an offline map on All Trails, Maps.me, or any other online map you use, as well as lots of water and snacks just in case.
5. What's the best waterfall to hike to in Pai?
While Mae Yen Waterfall is the most popular waterfall hike in Pai due to the trailhead being close to the center of Pai, Huang Chang Waterfall is an all-around better hike as it is less busy with hikers and feels more remote and jungle-like.
So that’s a round-up! I hope that gives you a better idea of what hiking is like in Pai and the best hikes for you.
Read next: 14 Free Things (or very cheap) to Do in Pai
3 thoughts on “The 5 Best Hikes in Pai, Northern Thailand”
Thanks for taking the time to write this! It helped me making the decision on what hike I was going to do!
Ah thank you, Ricardo – so happy it helped. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any more advice!
This is such a great post, thanks for this tips!