Guide · Trails

Doi Inthanon hike: Kew Mae Pan, Ang Ka and Pha Dok Siew

A Doi Inthanon hike means one of three very different paths: a ridge above the clouds, a boardwalk through moss, or a waterfall trail through rice country. Here is how to choose.

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Editorial team, trekkingtourchiangmai.comUpdated October 27, 2026Read time: 7 min35 sources

The tour behind this guide Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon Trip with Pha Dok Siew Guided Trek 4.6 (1,158 reviews) 1 day from$35per person Check availabilityCancel at no cost until 24 hrs before you set off

Quick answer, by trail

01Kew Mae Pan: The ridge trail at around 2,000 m, closed 1 June to 31 October.¹ ²
02Ang Ka: A short 360-meter boardwalk by the summit, not a hike.
03Pha Dok Siew: A waterfall path, about 2 to 3 hours with a guide.
04Guided day: Pha Dok Siew trek days start from $35.
05In the rains: Kew Mae Pan is shut, so the guided days use Pha Dok Siew.

Ridge, boardwalk or waterfall path

Most guided days on the mountain include one marked trail, and which one you get depends on the listing and the month. The park service lists Kio Mae Pan and Ang Ka among its attractions alongside the waterfalls, and nature trails and trekking among its activities.³ The three you will hear about are a ridge path near the top, a boardwalk by the summit and a waterfall trail lower down.

They differ in effort as much as in scenery. Ang Ka is short and flat. Kew Mae Pan climbs to open ridges with wide views. Pha Dok Siew follows a stream past a string of cascades into farmland. None of them is a full-day expedition, and on a guided day the trail fills a couple of hours between the drive, the pagodas and lunch.

If you want a real Doi Inthanon hike rather than a stroll between viewpoints, check the trail named in the listing and the season before booking. A day sold with Kew Mae Pan in the rainy months will either switch trails or skip the walk, and the boardwalk at Ang Ka is pleasant but not exercise.

A trail day, as one listing runs it

Summit, village and the Pha Dok Sieo trail

Early morning

Van to the mountain

About 2 hours from Chiang Mai.
First stop

The summit

A short visit to the highest point.
Mid-morning

Monastery and village

Sightseeing and a village stop.
Late morning

Pha Dok Sieo trail

A guided hike of about 2 hours.
Afternoon

Lunch, coffee, Wachirathan

Then about 1.5 hours back to the city.

The Kew Mae Pan nature trail on Doi Inthanon

The Kew Mae Pan nature trail on Doi Inthanon is the one in the photos. TAT places it at around 2,000 metres above sea level; in its words it is one of Thailand's most celebrated nature trails, with ridgelines, forest paths and panoramic viewpoints.¹ It is known for mountain views, the sea of mist, evergreen forest and a highland ecosystem.⁴ The park service calls it a major nature trail of the park.⁵

The first sight at the start is Lan Sadet, a small waterfall where wading is not permitted, set in shady hill evergreen forest with moss on the trees and around the creek.⁶ ⁷ Further on the path leaves the forest for open grass and the views TAT describes; in the cool months the Kiew Mae Pan Viewpoint is a favourite spot for the morning mist.⁸

The catch is the season. TAT's lists of park closures give Kio Mae Pan as closed from 1 June to 31 October, in 2018 and again in 2023.⁹ ² One guided day that sells the trail states that its hike of around 2 hours is only available from November to May. Plan your mountain day for the dry season if this ridge is the reason you are going.

Time on the trail

Hours of walking on each guided day

hours

Walking time as each listing states it; the small-group day gives a range of 2 to 3 hours.

The trails compared

Kew Mae Pan, Ang Ka and Pha Dok Siew

Trail	Character	Effort	Season	Guided days
Kew Mae Pan	Ridges & viewpoints	About 2 hrs	Closed June to October	Kew Mae Pan day
Ang Ka	Cloud-forest boardwalk	360 m	No seasonal closure listed	Eco-friendly day
Pha Dok Siew	Waterfall & rice terraces	2 to 3 hrs	Can close in high water	Most trek days
Pha Samran to Mae Pan	Path to a waterfall	About 400 m	Not stated	Few tours

Lengths and walking times from the listings and the park service; closure months from TAT's seasonal closure lists.¹⁰ ² ¹¹

Three guided trail days

A waterfall path, a ridge or a small group

This page's pick

Pha Dok Siew trek day

2-hour trek, pagodas, village

On foot: 2 hrs
Reviews: 1,158
Price: from $35

See the day

The views

Kew Mae Pan hike day

Ridge trail, November to May

On foot: About 2 hrs
Reviews: 1,023
Price: from $59

See the day

Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon Park and Pha Dok Siew Trail Trek

Smaller group

Small-group trail day

Up to 12, summit and trail

On foot: 2 to 3 hrs
Reviews: 796
Price: from $60

See the day

Decision helper

Which trail should you walk?

Match your month and your legs to a trail.

I want the famous ridge views I am here between June and October I want almost no effort I have bad knees I want a small group

Kew Mae Pan

Ridgelines and panoramic viewpoints, open November to May.¹

Pha Dok Siew

The waterfall trail most guided days use when Kew Mae Pan is shut.²

Ang Ka

A short boardwalk through cloud forest near the summit.

Ask before booking

One listing calls Pha Dok Siew a downhill walk of about 500 m descent.

The small-group day

Limited to 12, with 2 to 3 hours on the trail.

Located at around 2,000 metres above sea level in Doi Inthanon National Park, Kew Mae Pan is one of Thailand's most celebrated nature trails, with ridgelines, forest paths and panoramic viewpoints

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom)Source 1

The Ang Ka nature trail on Doi Inthanon

The Ang Ka nature trail on Doi Inthanon is a different thing entirely: a walk through the summit's cloud forest rather than a hike. One tour listing describes it frankly as a short 360-meter boardwalk, not a full hiking trail. Above 1,800 meters the park service says low clouds keep the forest foggy for most of the year, and that is the forest you walk through here.¹²

The name has its own story. The park service explains that Ang Ka refers to a basin-shaped pond west of the summit where crows gathered to swim, and that the word also comes from the Karen language, meaning big.¹³ ¹⁴ At the edge of the summit bog grows Rhododendron simsii, a species the park service describes as found only on the top of Doi Inthanon.¹⁵

Expect a damp, mossy world of tree trunks hung with epiphytes, often in cloud. It takes little effort, which makes it a good stop for children, older walkers or anyone who only wants a taste of the high forest. Bring a warm layer: the park service describes the summit as windy and very cold on the coldest winter days.¹⁶

Map

From the old city to the roof of Thailand

First the hills around Chiang Mai where the treks and hikes go, then Doi Inthanon with its summit, pagodas, trails and falls.

Map of the hills around Chiang Mai with Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon, Mae Wang and Mae Kampong — Around Chiang Mai

Map of Doi Inthanon National Park with the summit, the twin pagodas, the trails and the main waterfalls — Doi Inthanon

1
Chiang Mai old city
Start of the site tour: the meeting point is Baan Meesuk in the old town, with pickup available.
In Google Maps ↗
3
Doi Suthep temple
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep stands at 1,056 metres, an easy half hour drive from downtown.¹⁷
5
Thailand's highest summit
The top of Doi Inthanon, at 2,565 meters.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
6
Mae Wang
Mae Wang District is one of the districts Doi Inthanon National Park covers.¹⁹
In Google Maps ↗
7
Mae Kampong
Ban Mae Kampong, a village in Mae On District, won the PATA Gold Award 2010 in the culture category.²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
8
Summit stupa
The stupa of King Inthawichayanon stands at the summit, linked to the visitor center by an elevated walkway.²¹ ²²
In Google Maps ↗
9
Twin pagodas and Kew Mae Pan
The Great Holy Relics Pagodas near the top; TAT lists give the nearby Kio Mae Pan Nature Trail as closed from 1 June to 31 October.²³ ² ⁹
In Google Maps ↗
11
Pha Dok Siew
Pha Dok Siao Waterfall has 10 tiers and lies about 1 kilometer on foot from the park headquarters.²⁴ ²⁵
In Google Maps ↗
12
Mae Klang Luang
Ban Mae Klang Luang, a hill tribe village on several Doi Inthanon day trips.
In Google Maps ↗
13
Siriphum Waterfall
Twin falls reached on foot through the flower plots of the Inthanon Royal Project.²⁶
In Google Maps ↗
14
Wachirathan Waterfall
About 70 to 80 meters high, at milestone 20 of Highway 1009.²⁷ ²⁸
In Google Maps ↗
15
Mae Klang Waterfall
Flows all year into large pools; rainy-season currents make swimming perilous.²⁹
In Google Maps ↗
16
Mae Ya Waterfall
Thirty tiers and approximately 260 meters in height.³⁰
In Google Maps ↗
17
Mae Pan Waterfall
Four tiers and over 100 meters tall, about 400 meters on foot from the ranger station.¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

For a day on the mountain trails

Wear and carry

Shoes with grip for wet rock
A light jacket or long sleeves
Water and a rain shell
Sun hat for the open ridge

Check first

Kew Mae Pan is closed June to October
Pha Dok Siew can close in high water
Whether the park fee is in your tour
Ask before photographing villagers

Cost calculator

Price a guided trail day

Pick a trail day, add your hikers, read the total.

Pha Dok Siew trek day1 dayfrom $35 Kew Mae Pan hike day11 hrsfrom $59 Small-group trail day1 dayfrom $60 Downhill trail day1 dayfrom $40

People 2

Total from$70

each from $35

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Starting prices come from GetYourGuide, converted with European Central Bank rates; booking reveals the exact figure.

Video

Walking a nature trail on Doi Inthanon

The video loads only when you tap play.

Pha Dok Siew: the waterfall trail

Pha Dok Siew is the trail most guided days use, and it is open in the months when Kew Mae Pan is closed. The waterfall it follows has 10 tiers, and the park service says the 6th to 10th tiers are the easiest to explore, about 1 kilometer on foot from the park headquarters.²⁴ ²⁵ The name comes from the orchid tree that grows in the area.³¹

Listings describe the walk in practical terms. One small-group day says the trek takes 2 to 3 hours on narrow jungle paths and recommends a light jacket or long sleeves. Another calls it a downhill walk of about 500 m descent, easy to moderate, with several cascades and rice terraces along the way. The most reviewed trek day includes 2 hours on the trail.

Water levels decide whether it is safe. In August 2019 the park closed the Pha Dok Siew trail and waterfalls temporarily for safety, to reopen once the water returned to normal.¹¹ In the rainy months, expect wet rocks, bamboo bridges and mud; shoes with grip matter more than any other piece of kit on this path.

Guided days that include a trail

The cheapest way onto a trail is a shared trek day. The Pha Dok Siew day with 1,158 reviews starts from $35 and combines a 2-hour trek with the King's and Queen's pagodas, the highest point and a Karen village. It runs as a joint tour of 10 to 12 guests, with pickup from 7:00 to 7:30 am in the old city area.

For the ridge, the Kew Mae Pan day lasts 11 hours with pickup, and also visits both pagodas, a Hmong village and Wachirathan Waterfall. It starts from $59 with 1,023 reviews averaging 4.74. A small-group alternative limited to 12 adds the summit, a monastery and coffee tasting around 2 hours on the Pha Dok Sieo trail, from $60.

A Viator day sold as a 3-in-1 pairs a 2-hour trek on the Pha Dok Siew trail with an elephant sanctuary, and its record says the route can change to Kew Mae Pan or another path with the weather or official announcements. Our page on elephant and trekking days compares that format with the others.

Quieter paths on the western side

Beyond the three famous trails, the park's western slopes towards Mae Chaem hold short walks that few tours use. The park service describes Mae Pan Waterfall as four tiers over 100 meters tall, reached on foot in about 400 meters along the Pha Samran nature trail from the Mae Pan ranger station.¹⁰ Ask at the ranger station about the state of the path before you set off, especially after heavy rain.

These are walks for people with their own transport and a slower plan. The road down to Mae Chaem passes a checkpoint where, the park service notes, drivers who are only going through to Mae Chaem and not to the summit can say so and be exempt from the fee.³² If you are visiting the waterfalls on that side, though, expect to pay as a park visitor.

Combine one of these with a night in a guesthouse on the mountain and you have a quieter version of the classic day: the ridge or the summit at dawn, a waterfall walk at midday and the drive down in the afternoon, without the queue of vans at the main viewpoints.

Walking the trails well

Start early. The higher trails are often at their clearest in the first hours of the day, before cloud builds. If you drive yourself, the park headquarters sits at milestone 31 of the mountain road, and Pha Dok Siao Waterfall lies about 1 kilometer on foot from there.³³ ²⁵

Carry water, a light rain shell and a warm layer even in the dry season; above 2,000 meters the park service describes a temperate climate.³⁴ Phone signal is limited, though the park service lists AIS and TRUE coverage on the Kio Mae Pan Nature Trail.³⁵ Tell someone your plan if you walk without a guide, and stay on marked paths.

Treat the trails gently. Do not pick plants or flowers on the summit, keep off the bog edges, and take every wrapper back down. Many of the paths cross land of Karen and Hmong villages, so greet people you meet and ask before taking portraits.

Your trek