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Major city · Thailand

Mae Salongแม่สลอง

Stay one night, not a day trip: the 1,200 m ridge, Yunnanese food and tea terraces only pay off once the tour vans leave at dusk.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
THB
Best months
Nov–Feb (plum and sakura blossom, cool and misty)
avoid Mar–Apr (haze and heat), Jun–Oct (rain)
Airport
CEI
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
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Rules in force · 6Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
  • Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
  • Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
  • Thailand ↗Check entry rules and any arrival card on the official Thai government sites for your passport; visa-exempt stays and pre-arrival forms change.
  • Thailand ↗Do not criticise or mock the monarchy: insulting the royal family is a criminal offence.
  • Thailand ↗Temples and palaces: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering halls.
  • Thailand ↗E-cigarettes and vapes are illegal to import or use; do not pack them.

Mae Salong is a former Kuomintang army base turned oolong-tea village on a ridge at about 1,200 m in Chiang Rai Province. The road up is 13 km of switchbacks from the police checkpoint on Hwy 1089, so most travellers come for one night, eat Yunnanese food, walk the tea hills and leave. Two nights if you want to trek to Akha villages or reach Doi Tung and the Golden Triangle without rushing.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Mae Salong, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café฿40–90 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Street or quick mealYunnanese noodle soup฿40–80 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Beerrestaurant / 7-Eleven฿60–90 (≈ US$2–3)฿35–55 (≈ US$2)
  • Budget bedGuesthouse double with shared bathroom, a night, per room฿400 (≈ US$13)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse double with shared bathroom, a night, per room฿600 (≈ US$19)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse double with shared bathroom, a night, per room฿900 (≈ US$30)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ฿700 (≈ US$25) · Mid ฿1,500 (≈ US$50) · High ฿3,000 (≈ US$95)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Oolong tea plantationsYunnanese food and Kuomintang historyPhra Boromathat Chedi and General Tuan's tombCool ridge climate and blossom season
Airports
CEI Chiang Rai International (Mae Fah Luang) (About 1.5–2 h by road via Mae Chan; no direct bus, so arrange a minibus, taxi or rental car.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Mae Salong: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

24°C

10°C

2 rd

Feb

27°C

11°C

2 rd

Mar

30°C

14°C

4 rd

Apr

31°C

17°C

8 rd

May

29°C

19°C

16 rd

Jun

28°C

20°C

20 rd

Jul

27°C

20°C

22 rd

Aug

27°C

20°C

23 rd

Sep

27°C

19°C

18 rd

Oct

26°C

17°C

12 rd

Nov

25°C

14°C

5 rd

Dec

23°C

10°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The village is spread along one ridge road; the centre is walkable in 15–20 minutes. Rent a motorbike (about 200 baht/day, tank empty — fuel first) for the chedi, General Tuan's tomb and the tea plantations. Songthaews and minibuses run to Mae Chan, not on a reliable timetable.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Doi Tung

go

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Own car or motorbike via Rte 1234 (≈ US$40) and Hwy 1, or a songthaew from Mae Chan

Royal villas and gardens; combine with the Mae Fah Luang arboretum on the same ridge.

Mae Sai and the Myanmar border

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Down to Mae Chan, then north on Hwy 1

Border market and viewpoint; check current crossing rules before you go.

Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle

go

Door to door: About 2.5 h

Own car via Mae Chan and Hwy 1, or a tour from Chiang Rai

Mekong views and river history; a long day, better as an overnight loop.

Chiang Khong

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h

Own car via Hwy 1 and Hwy 1020 (≈ US$35)

Too far for a return day; sleep there if you are heading to Laos.

Chiang Rai

go

Door to door: About 2–2.5 h

Minibus or songthaew to Mae Chan, then northbound bus

White Temple and Blue Temple; the practical transport hub for the whole province.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Village centre around the 7-Eleven

Guesthouses, noodle shops and the morning market within a 10-minute walk; best for a car-free night.

South road and market side

Mid-range hotels and resorts with valley views; 10–20 min walk uphill to the centre.

East of town (Mae Salong Villa, Flower Hills)

Quieter, garden settings, 2–3 km out; you need a motorbike or a hotel shuttle.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
฿700–1,200 (≈ US$25–40) excl. bed
Mid
฿1,200–2,500 (≈ US$40–80) excl. bed
High
฿2,500 (≈ US$80)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double1 × 1 night × ฿1,200฿1,200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ฿1,500฿3,000
Motorbike rental, one day2 × ฿200฿400
Minibus Mae Chan ↔ Mae Salong, both ways2 × ฿200฿400
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ฿300฿600
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge฿560
Trip total≈ ฿3,080 per person per day, bed included฿6,160≈ US$190

2026 estimate in baht; transport to Mae Salong and tours excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Yunnanese noodle soup฿40–80 (≈ US$2–3)
Oolong tea, 100 gGrades vary widely; taste before you buy.฿200–1,000 (≈ US$7–35)
Coffee or tea in a café฿40–90 (≈ US$2–3)
Beer, restaurant / 7-Eleven฿60–90 (≈ US$2–3) / ฿35–55 (≈ US$2)
Motorbike rental, per day฿200–300 (≈ US$7–10)
Horse trek, 4 hours฿400 (≈ US$13)
Car with driver from Chiang Rai, high season฿1,200–1,600 (≈ US$40–50)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe for a small border village: the real risks are the twisty road, stray dogs on trails and cold, misty nights — bring a sweater and decent shoes.
  • The road up Hwy 1089 (≈ US$35)/1130 (≈ US$35) is extremely twisty: take motion-sickness tablets and avoid riding a motorbike up after dark.
  • This is a border area with police checkpoints; carry your passport and don't trek close to the Myanmar boundary.
  • Stray and aggressive dogs in remote lanes and trails — carry a stick and avoid lone dusk walks.
  • Guesthouse prices are negotiable outside peak season, but rooms are basic: check hot water and Wi-Fi before paying.
  • There is almost no nightlife; kitchens and shops close early.

Emergency numbers

Police
191
Ambulance and rescue
1669
Tourist police (English)
1155

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Mae Salongแม่สลอง

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police191
  • Ambulance and rescue1669
  • Tourist police (English)1155

Embassy

No embassies in Mae Salong; the nearest consulates and embassy services are in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Minibus Mae Chan → Mae Salong: about ฿100 (≈ US$4), 1 h
  • Songthaew Mae Salong → Kiwsatai → Mae Chan: about ฿30 (≈ under US$1) + ฿30 (≈ under US$1)
  • Motorbike cab to Pa Sang: about ฿300 (≈ US$10)

Say or show

  • สวัสดี — Hello (sawatdee)
  • ขอบคุณ — Thank you (khop khun)
  • เท่าไหร่ — How much is it? (tao rai)
  • ไม่เผ็ด — Not spicy, please (mai phet)
  • ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหน — Where is the toilet? (hong nam yu nai)
  • จ่ายบัตรได้ไหม — Can I pay by card? (jai bat dai mai)

Carry cash: ATMs are scarce and cards are not accepted in most guesthouses and noodle shops.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Mae Salong. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Feb (plum and sakura blossom, cool and misty) · avoid Mar–Apr (haze and heat), Jun–Oct (rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CEI: field-checked minibus and taxi options to Mae Salong, with a Mae Chan fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: village centre, chedi and Wat Santikhiri, General Tuan's tomb, tea plantations.
  3. Place pages with verified opening hours (Chinese Martyrs' Memorial Museum, Phra Boromathat Chedi, General Tuan's tomb) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Blossom-season and haze-season fixtures so the go/caution gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Thailand

Sources