Doi Tung Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Buses to the turn-off for Doi Tung are 15B from either Mae Chan or Mae Sai. From Ban Huay Khrai, at the turn-off, sǎwngthǎew run to Ban Pakha (30B, 30 minutes), or all the way to Doi Tung (60B, one hour).

Road conditions to Doi Tung vary from year to year depending on the state of repair; during the bad spells, the section above Baa Pakha can be quite a challenge to negotiate, whether you’re in a truck, 4WD or riding a motorcycle.

You can also travel by motorcycle between Doi Tung and Mae Sai along an even more challenging, 16km, unevenly sealed road. It starts in the Akha village of Ban Phame, 8km south of Mae Sai (4km south along Rte 110, then 4km west) and joins the main road about two-thirds of the way up Doi Tung – about 11km from the latter. You can also pick up this road by following the dirt road that starts in front of Mae Sai’s Wat Phra That Doi Wao. West of Ban Phame the road has lots of tight curves, mud, rocks, precipitous drops, passing trucks and occasional road-repair equipment – figure on at least an hour by motorcycle or 4WD from Mae Sai.

Although now paved, this is a route for experienced bikers only. The road also runs high in the mountains along the Myanmar border and should not be travelled alone or after 4pm. Ask first in Mae Sai about border conditions. If you want to do a full loop from Mae Sai, ride/drive via Rte 110 south of Mae Sai, then Rte 1149 up to Doi Tung. Once you’ve had a look around the summit, return to Mae Sai via the Ban Bang Phame aforementioned roads; this means you’ll be travelling downhill much of the way.