Folk Nakamoto @trailwithfolk

Free route file · Chiang Mai

The Khun Chang Kian trail

A loop from the edge of Chiang Mai city, up through the Doi Suthep-Pui forest to a Hmong coffee village in the clouds, and back down a different way. Here is the GPX. It's free. No email, no sign-up. Download it and go.

Get the free GPX Or walk it with me
16.1 kmdistance
~1,050 mclimb
5–6 hhiking, with stops
Hardsteady climb
A villager carrying a woven basket walks the road to Wat Khun Chang Kian
View over the forest on the way up

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The route

Download it. Then read this.

Download the GPX (free)

Works in Suunto, Garmin, Coros, Strava, Komoot, Gaia and Google Earth.

  • Start early. Be at the start point (Google Maps) before 7:00. After 10:00 the climb gets hot.
  • It's a loop. Up to the village at 1,356 m, then down a different trail back to where you started.
  • Water: carry 2 litres. There's not much on the way up until the village.
  • Shoes: trail shoes with grip. It's loose dirt and roots, slippery after rain.
  • Cash: bring some for coffee and food in the village.

Don't want to go alone?

Walk it with me. Private, just your group.

The GPX shows you the way. It can't tell you who the spirit houses are for, or how the Hmong came to grow coffee on this mountain. I can. I'm a licensed guide from Chiang Mai and I walk this trail every week.

  • ✓
    Private. Only you and your people.Your pace. Hike it or run it. We stop when you want to stop.
  • ✓
    Hotel pickup and drop-offAnywhere in the old city or Nimman. No taxi to find, no songthaew to wait for.
  • ✓
    The stories on the trailThai spirit beliefs: the spirit houses, asking permission at the trailhead. And the story of the Hmong people who live at the top.
  • ✓
    Khun Chang Kian village, plus Doi Hua MuWe walk the coffee village, then go on to Doi Hua Mu, a viewpoint not in the free route. The best view of the day.
  • ✓
    Photos of you, on your phone, freeI know where the good spots are. You walk, I take the pictures. You leave with them already on your phone.
  • ✓
    Water, fruit and lunch in the villageAll included. No extra cost on the day.
  • ✓
    Bad weather or smoke? Free reschedule.Or your money back. Cancel up to 48 hours before for a full refund.

Reserve your day

฿6,900 for 1 person · +฿500 per extra person, up to 4

Pick a date between .

I'm already booked that day. Please pick another date.

Total for your group฿7,400

Your booking message is copied. Paste it in the Instagram chat that just opened and I'll confirm within 2 hours.

  • Pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
  • Full refund up to 48 hours before
  • I confirm your date within 2 hours
  • Licensed guide. Operated with LocalRoot Adventures, TAT licence 24/01237
  • Prefer Bitcoin? Message me, I'll send a Lightning invoice

The private day

How the day goes

  1. 05:45

    Pickup at your hotel

    Coffee and a banana in the car.

  2. 06:30

    The trailhead

    Right at the edge of the city. We ask the spirits for permission before we go up. I'll show you how.

  3. 07:00

    The long climb

    Up through the Doi Suthep-Pui forest into the cloud forest. The quiet part of the day, and where the spirit houses are.

  4. 10:30

    Khun Chang Kian

    The Hmong coffee village at about 1,350 m. Walk the lanes, see the coffee they pick by hand. Pink cherry blossom from mid-January to mid-February.

  5. 12:00

    Lunch in the village

    Cooked in a village kitchen. Vegetarian is fine, just tell me.

  6. 13:00

    Doi Hua Mu viewpoint

    The view that isn't in the free GPX.

  7. 14:00

    Down a different trail

    The loop brings us back down another way, through the forest to where we started.

  8. 16:30

    Back at your hotel

    Shower, rest. Your photos are already on your phone.

Clouds rolling over the valley from the ridge above Khun Chang Kian
Clouds over the ridge
Wooden houses and a rooster in Khun Chang Kian village
Khun Chang Kian village
Stone steps through misty cloud forest
Cloud forest
A small waterfall over rock in the forest
Water on the way up
Bamboo sign for coffee in the village
Hmong coffee
Pine ridge trail with a bench
The pine ridge
Pines framing a view over green mountains
Near the top
Clouds over the valley
Above the clouds
Folk smiling on a mountain top above the clouds

Who's taking you

I'm Folk.

I'm a licensed Thai guide and trail runner from Chiang Mai. I lived two years in Australia, and that's where I found out Thai culture is a gift. Now I share it the way I love most: on foot, on the trail.

The stories you see on @trailwithfolk, the red Fanta, the trees you must never touch, I tell them on this trail.

Licensed guide · Insured through LocalRoot Adventures (TAT 24/01237) · Thai, English, 日本語

Questions

How fit do I need to be?

It's about 16 km and 1,050 m of climbing, plus the viewpoint. Plan on 6 to 7 hours on foot with breaks. You don't need to be a runner. We go at your pace.

Can I bring my kids?

12 and up, if they like walking. It's a long climb.

What if it rains, or the smoke is bad?

I'll tell you the day before. You can move to another date for free, or get all your money back.

What do I bring?

Trail shoes you've walked in, a small backpack, a light rain jacket, sun cream. I bring the water and the snacks.

Where do you pick up?

Any hotel inside the old city moat or in Nimman. Somewhere else? Message me, it's usually fine.

Can I pay in Bitcoin?

Yes. Message me your date and group size and I'll send you a Lightning invoice.

Is the free GPX really free?

Yes. No email, no catch. If you walk it alone, tag me. I like to see it.

Walk it alone, or walk it with me.

Free GPX   Reserve a private day