Why Is Everyone on YouTube Suddenly Hiking in Thailand?

Vol. 24 - March 2025

See Peru through the eyes of the women who call it home on Intrepid’s brand-new Women’s Expedition.

With an expert local leader out front and a small group of like-minded travellers by your side, this trip gives you a unique insight into Peru’s culture and traditions.

Part of Intrepid’s Women’s expedition range, this eight-day adventure has been thoughtfully designed to support local women in tourism while delivering immersive experiences specifically for women travellers.

You’ll traverse the lesser-known Chinchero to Urquillos trail in the Peruvian Andes alongside an all-female crew, spend time in an Andean village learning about daily life, take part in a traditional textile workshop led by local women and experience a spiritual cleansing ritual guided by a female shaman.

Find your adventure

Something interesting is happening in Thailand right now.

More and more Thai creators on YouTube are swapping city life for mountain trails, waking up before sunrise, hiking through forests, and sleeping under star-filled skies.

And once you see these places, it’s easy to understand why.

The surprising part? Many of these views don’t require extreme trekking. Some of the most spectacular spots are reachable with beginner-friendly hikes.

Here are five hikes in Thailand that are absolutely worth doing at least once.

Wishing you happy travels!

❤️ Ploy, Jochem & Moana

A travel story

Thailand’s mountains reveal a very different side of the country - cooler air, quieter landscapes, and views that stretch far beyond what you normally see from the road.

Many of the country’s most memorable viewpoints are only reachable on foot. The hikes themselves are usually not extreme, but the feeling of slowly climbing through forest and emerging onto a ridge or cliff makes the experience far more rewarding.

One of the most famous sunrise hikes in Thailand is at Phu Chi Fa in Chiang Rai. The trail is short and steady, taking around 30–45 minutes, which is why many visitors start hiking before dawn with headlamps. When you reach the cliff edge, the landscape opens up completely. As the sun rises, the valleys below often fill with a soft sea of mist drifting across the border into Laos.

Further west near Chiang Mai, the trail to Doi Mon Chong feels very different. Instead of forest, much of the hike follows wide grassy ridges. The views stretch across layers of mountains in every direction, and the atmosphere here is especially peaceful. Many hikers stay overnight to watch sunset from the ridge and then wake up to a sky filled with stars, something that’s becoming increasingly rare in more developed areas.

If you want something more dramatic, the climb up Doi Luang Chiang Dao is one of the most striking hikes in Thailand. This limestone giant is the country’s third-highest mountain, and the trail gradually climbs above the forest into open rocky ridges. From the summit area, you look out across endless mountain ranges, often with clouds drifting through the valleys below.

Closer to Bangkok, the hike to Krok E Dok Waterfall in Saraburi offers a completely different experience. The trail winds through dense jungle, sometimes crossing streams and climbing rocky sections before reaching the waterfall. After several hours of hiking, the towering cascade appears between steep cliffs, one of the tallest waterfalls in central Thailand.

And then there’s the classic Thai hiking challenge: Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei. The climb to the plateau is around 9 kilometers and steadily uphill, but the real magic begins once you reach the top. The plateau feels like its own world: cool pine forests, quiet trails, waterfalls hidden in the forest, and dramatic cliff viewpoints where you can watch the sun set across the plains of northeastern Thailand. For many Thai hikers, completing this trek is almost a rite of passage.

• 05:00 am : Wake up in the village // Stay in one of the small guesthouses near the trailhead. The mountains are quiet at this hour and the air is fresh and cool.

• 05:30 am : Start the hike // Begin the short climb through the forest while the sky slowly starts to brighten. Many hikers bring a flashlight for the first part of the trail.

• 06:15 am : Sunrise above the mist // Reach the cliff viewpoint just as the sun rises. On good mornings, the valleys below are filled with clouds drifting across the border into Laos.

• 07:30 am : Continue exploring the ridge // Instead of heading straight back down, walk along the surrounding ridgeline trails. The views stretch across layers of mountains and the morning light is beautiful.

• 10:00 am : Forest trail walk // Follow the paths through nearby forest sections. The trails are quiet, with birds, insects, and the occasional sound of wind through the trees.

• 12:30 pm : Lunch break in nature // Find a shaded spot along the trail to rest and have a small packed lunch. Mountain hikes are the perfect excuse to slow down.

• 15:30 pm : Slow descent // Make your way back toward the village, taking your time and enjoying the changing views along the trail.

• 16:30 pm : Coffee and rest // Back in the village, relax at a small café with a coffee or fresh coconut.

• 17:45 pm : Sunset viewpoint // End the day with one last mountain view as the sun sets behind the hills. After a full day outdoors, it’s the perfect way to finish the hike.

The exact route we recommend for a first time Thailand trip.

You’ll visit the city, see mountains and swim in a crystal clear tropical sea! 🏝️

Inside:

Everything you, or your family & friends, need for an unforgettable, well-planned holiday!

Food always tastes better after a hike. Around mountain trailheads in northern Thailand you’ll often find small stalls serving simple but satisfying dishes.

A bowl of Khao Soi — the famous northern curry noodle soup — is a classic post-hike meal. Other favorites include Khao Tom (rice soup), grilled pork skewers known as Moo Ping, and sticky rice with fried chicken.

For the trail itself, many Thai hikers pack small snacks like boiled eggs, bananas, peanuts, or sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves called Khao Tom Mat. Energy drinks and iced coffee from roadside stalls are also surprisingly common at mountain trailheads. And above all, make sure you have enough water with you for the day.

During the cool season, northern Thailand often experiences the famous “sea of mist.”

This happens when cool air settles in the valleys overnight while the mountain peaks rise above the clouds. As the sun rises, the mist slowly moves through the valleys like waves across the landscape.

Places like Phu Chi Fa and Doi Mon Chong are some of the best spots in Thailand to see this natural phenomenon.

Many national parks have quiet trails that rarely appear on travel itineraries.

If you talk with park rangers or local guides, they often know viewpoints, waterfalls, or forest paths that most visitors never find. These smaller trails are sometimes only a few kilometers long, but they can lead to incredibly peaceful spots deep in the forest.

You’ll hear Thai hikers say this when planning a mountain trip with friends.

Popular hikes such as Doi Luang Chiang Dao now operate with daily visitor limits and advance permit systems during the hiking season to help protect fragile alpine ecosystems.

The Thai Meteorological Department recently reported that winter temperatures in northern mountains can occasionally fall close to 0°C, especially in higher areas around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

With Thai travelers increasingly visiting parks such as Phu Kradueng National Park and Phu Chi Fa for hiking, camping, and sunrise viewpoints.

Songs for discovering Thailand: from scenic drives to hidden escapes. New vibes added every week .

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