As part of the Mae Hong Son Loop, Mae Sariang is one of the best places to stop while exploring the beautiful landscapes and culture of the remote Mae Hong Son province in Northern Thailand.
Tranquility is how I would describe my experience in Mae Sariang. Located approximately 200 km away from Chiang Mai, Mae Sariang is a quiet town nestled between the mountains of northern Thailand and the River Yuam.
Due to its remoteness, you won't find many tourists out here, making it a great place to take a break from the bustling tourist city like Chiang Mai. Within this guide, you will find all the information you need to explore and enjoy the tranquility of Mae Sariang. But first, let's begin with an overview itinerary map of Mae Sariang.
Mae Sariang Things To Do Itinerary
Quick Summary
| 🏛️ Best Museum: | Check Out the Mae Sariang Museum |
|---|---|
| ♥️ Must Visit: | Climb Up the Wat Chom Thong Viewpoint |
| 🥘 Place to Eat: | Eat Your Way Through the Evening Walking Street |
| 🛌 Place to Stay: | Riverhouse Hotel (The Teak House) |
| 🌤️ When to visit: | Nov - Jan |
| 🏃♂️ Getting around: | Scooter / Car |
8 Best Things to Do in Mae Sariang
1. Visit the Mae Sariang Morning Market
- 📍 Location: Morning Market [Map Link]
- 🕐 Opening Hours: 5:30 AM - 8 AM
There is no better place to observe the simple life of the people of Mae Sariang than the Morning Market, and that is the first place I would recommend you visit on your first day in Mae Sariang.
The Morning Market starts from 5:30 AM until 8 AM, when the crowd will start to dissipate. I would recommend you visit between this period. Within the market, you will find many fresh fruit and vegetable stalls and a Halal congee breakfast place where you can sit and enjoy the slow life of Mae Sariang go by.
In front of the market, you will also find a nice local mural of the faces of the locals with a simple but meaningful caption in Thai that translates to "What Mae Sariang Gives You, What Will You Give Back?" which I thought was kinda nice.
- Mae-Sa-Riang Home (Budget)
- Riverhouse Hotel (The Teak House) (Mid-Range) 👍 Top Pick
- Riverhouse Resort (High-End)
- 3 Experiences: Doi Inthanon Tour, Elephant Sanctuary, Trekking Trail (10 to 12 hours) 🏅 Top Pick
- Best Seller! Doi Inthanon National Park, Waterfall & Royal Project - Chiang Mai (8 to 9 hours)
- Half Day Thai Cooking Course at Farm (Chiang Mai) (6 hours)
You can park your car at Wat Jong Soong, which is another great attraction you should spend some time exploring, and then walk to the morning market.
Where to Stay in Mae Sariang?
2. Admire the Burmese Temples at Wat Jong Soong
- 📍 Location: Wat Jong Soong [Map Link]
Located not too far from the Morning Market, Wat Jong Soong is an easy recommendation as you will have to park your car here when you visit the morning market. Additionally, there are some really beautiful Mon-style buildings and pagodas within the temple.
More than a hundred years old, Wat Jong Soong's well-preserved Mon-style pagodas are quite a sight to behold, considering they survived the fire incident in the late 19th Century that damaged most of the temple.
You will also find newer buildings built in a Mon architectural style that you won't see anywhere in Thailand, with multi-tiered roofs, colorful paint, and surrounded by colorful Thai Northern style paper lanterns like this building above. Spend around 10 - 20 minutes and explore the temple grounds before we move on to our next attraction, the Mae Sariang Museum.
3. Check Out the Mae Sariang Museum
- 📍 Location: Mae Sariang Museum [Map Link]
One of the first buildings you will notice when you arrive in Mae Sariang is the beautiful Mon architectural style building that is the Mae Sariang Museum. Due to Mae Sariang's location near the natural border between Myanmar and Thailand, you will see a touch of Mon culture all over the place in Mae Sariang and Mae Hong Son province.
The Mae Sariang Museum is the culmination of the mixed cultures in the form of a structure with a tall, multi-tiered roof design that is reminiscent of those temples in Mandalay, Myanmar.
It's a beautiful structure from the outside and an important landmark of the town that must not be missed. Unfortunately, when I was there, the museum was closed due to COVID-19, so I was unable to see the content inside. However, the beautiful exterior was enough of a reason for me to recommend it here.
4. Climb Up the Wat Chom Thong Viewpoint
- 📍 Location: Wat Chom Thong [Map Link]
One of the most popular things to do in Mae Sariang for Thais is to visit the three "Chom" temples for blessings. They are called the three "Chom" temples because the names of the three temples I will list here start with Chom. All three temples are built on top of three different high hills that surround Mae Sariang, making them excellent viewpoints to see the town from three different angles.
One of the first Chom temples is the Wat Chom Thong, which is nearest to the town center, and I recommend you visit this in the morning when the sun is still bearable.
You can drive up to Wat Chom Thong, and within the temple grounds, you will find a 300-step path that you can walk to the top for a stunning view of Mae Sariang and all its rice fields and mountains surrounding it.
At the top, you will find an open platform that will give you a panoramic view of the landscape, as well as a large golden Buddha image. I guarantee you, the view from the platform is worth every drop of sweat to get up there.
If you have a drone with you, make sure to take it in the air and fly around to truly appreciate the aerial beauty of Mae Sariang.
5. Admire the View Across the Yuam River at Wat Phrathat Chom Mon
- 📍 Location: Wat Phrathat Chom Mon [Map Link]
Located across the great river Yuam, you will also find another "Chom" temple. This time, it's the Wat Phrathat Chom Mon, which offers another great viewpoint of Mae Sariang from across the river.
Located in the northern part of Mae Sariang, Wat Phrathat Chom Mon is a bit of a drive through some questionable roads, but you will also get to see the more rural side of Mae Sariang with locals attending their rice fields.
The view from the pagoda, which you can drive to without having to walk, offers a different perspective from the other "Chom" temples, with a closer look at the River Yuam and the mountains around it.
6. Visit the Wat Chom Kitti Viewpoint
- 📍 Location: Wat Chom Kitti [Map Link]
Last but not least, Wat Chom Kitti, which is located south of Mae Sariang Town, offers another great view of the Mae Sariang landscape and the more rural areas of the town.
To get to Wat Chom Kitti, you will have to drive along a steep and narrow road that will take you to the top of Chom Kitti hill. From there, you can walk to the top where you will find a white Mon-style pagoda. Additionally, there is a viewing platform with a 180° view of Mae Sariang from above.
7. Have Coffee by the Yuam River at Mitmaitre Coffee
- 📍 Location: Mitmaitre Coffee shop [Map Link]
- 🕐 Opening Hours: 8 AM - 7 PM
- 💰 Entry Fees: 50 THB (~2 USD)
Now that you have seen all three Chom temples, we can move onto something a bit more relaxing, starting with a coffee by the Yuam river at Mitmaitre Coffee shop, a popular cafe among the locals.
Mitmaitre Coffee shop is right by the River Yuam and, with their Thai traditional wooden building and the platform they built by the river, there is no better place to drink coffee, enjoy the view, and let time fly than this cafe.
The coffee and pastries are also affordable, with an iced coffee costing around 50 THB. This is a very cheap offering, considering the view you get from the cafe. Mitmaitre Coffee shop opens from 8 AM to 7 PM, and it gets packed every day at around noon, when locals will come out and socialize among their peers.
Thankfully, there are a ton of seats in the cafe with plenty of plug sockets and fast WI-FI. So, if you are looking for a place to reconnect with your family and friends at home, this cafe is a great place to stop by.
8. Eat Your Way Through the Evening Walking Street
- 📍 Location: Mae Sariang Walking Street [Map Link]
- 🕐 Opening Hours: 4 PM - 7-8 PM
- 💰 Entry Fees: Free
Usually, walking streets in Thailand often take place on weekends or on a certain day of the week where you would have to plan and align your visits to those days, but that is not the case in Mae Sariang.
Mae Sariang walking street happens every evening, on almost every day of the week except Tuesday and Thursday, at different locations depending on the day you are there. You will find cheap street food, ranging from 15 THB noodles to 10 THB desserts and snacks. You can get an entire 3-course street food meal for only 2 USD! It doesn't get any cheaper!
The walking street often starts at 4 PM and goes on until 7-8 PM. Here are all the locations of the walking street for each day you are in Mae Sariang: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
When to Visit Mae Sariang?
The best time to visit Mae Sariang is from November to January when the weather is cooler and less humid due to Thailand's climate, making it much more enjoyable to explore the outdoors.
That said, Thailand has suffered a lot from air pollution in recent years due to the burning season, and it is extremely prevalent during Thailand's late winter period (January - February). So, even though the weather is cooler, your visibility might not be the best. Be sure to buy a face mask if you decide to visit Thailand during this time.
March - April are the hottest and most humid periods of the year, so if you can't handle heat very well, avoid visiting during this time. The air quality may be a bit better during this time, though it's not guaranteed.
All the other months are considered to be a rainy season, which, even though the weather is a little more manageable than the summer months, you will also be seeing a lot more rain, which might prevent you from enjoying the outdoors. Air quality during this time should be better due to the rain.
As you can see, the best time to visit Thailand used to be during its wintertime, BUT now that the air quality is getting worse and worse, you will have to decide which is more important to you as a traveler: good weather but bad air quality, or vice versa.
How to Get to Mae Sariang?
Mae Sariang is located around 190km away from Chiang Mai, one of Thailand's popular travel hubs, making it rather easy to get to Mae Sariang and the rest of Mae Hong Son province via there.
In order to get to Chiang Mai, you can either fly to Bangkok first and get here by a domestic flight, an overnight train, or a bus. You can also fly into Chiang Mai directly from countries like Taiwan, South Korea, China, and Doha.
If you choose to fly to Bangkok first, here are some of your available options:
From the US, unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Chiang Mai or Bangkok, so you will have to rely on transit flights by Emirates, Qatar, or Turkish Airlines from the East Coast or ANA Airlines or Korean Air from the West Coast.
From Europe, you can fly from most European hubs such as London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Thai Airways or local carriers like British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa to Bangkok. You can also choose to travel with Etihad, Qatar, or Emirates if you don't mind transiting.
From within Asia, there are several low-cost airlines offering multiple routes from many hub cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta to Bangkok. AirAsia and Thai Lion Air are excellent low-cost options.
To find a cheap flight to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, I would recommend using Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule, so you can compare and pick the best one.
Getting from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
By Air: The fastest way to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is to fly from Don Muang Airport to Chiang Mai International Airport using one of the many low-cost airlines in Thailand.
For AirAsia, there are over 13 flights per day and they can cost as low as 492 THB, which is even cheaper than taking a bus or a train. Thai Lion Air and Nok Air also offer the route, so be sure to check them out too. You can book a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here.
By Buses: If you are not in a rush, you can also take a bus from Morchit Bus Terminal in Bangkok, and it will take you about 10 hours to reach Chiang Mai Bus Terminal Arcade 2. The bus leaves from Morchit Bus Terminal every hour from 5:30 to 22:00, and it should cost about 400 - 800 THB per person. You can book a Bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here.
By Train: You can also take a train from Hua Lamphong Train Station in Bangkok to Chiang Mai Train Station, which can take anywhere from 11 to 15 hours. It is a long ride, and you are not even saving that much as the price for a ticket is about 400 to 500 THB. There are 7 trains running between the two stations from 08:30 to 22:00 every day.
It is a long ride, and you are not even saving that much as the price for a ticket is about 400-500 THB. There are 7 trains running between the 2 stations from 08:30-22:00 every day. If you wish to travel by train, you can reserve your train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here.
Getting from Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang
One of the reasons why you would want to visit Mae Sariang is to do the Mae Hong Son Loop, which is best explored using your own vehicle, either with a rented motorbike or car.
I would not recommend relying on public transport because the beauty of the Mae Hong Son Loop lies in the numerous detour trips you can take, and you would require your own vehicle to explore all of them.
The same goes for Mae Sariang, so I would recommend you rent either a motorbike or a car in Chiang Mai before you embark on the journey. When I was exploring the Mae Hong Son Loop, I used my own car, but many people often opt for a more adventurous journey with a motorbike.
For more information on renting your own vehicle in Chiang Mai, be sure to check out the How To Get Around Mae Sariang section below.
How to Get Around Mae Sariang?
By Motorcycle: If you want to explore Mae Sariang and the rest of the Mae Hong Son Loop on a motorbike, I recommend you rent a motorcycle from Mr. Mechanic, a motorbike rental shop in Chiang Mai that offers a variety of motorbike options for you to choose from.
From Chiang Mai to Mae Sariang, the road can be quite curvy and mountainous, so I would recommend getting at least a 150cc motorbike. The rent for a 150cc motorbike should be around 500 THB per day. You can also rent a 200-250cc motorbike for 700 THB or more from Mr. Mechanic.
To rent a motorbike in Chiang Mai, you will have to provide an ID or a valid driving license (don't leave your passport with them as you will likely need it along the way when passing through checkpoints. Give them a photocopy version instead), a deposit of around 1000 THB, and you are off to explore Mae Sariang. Yup, it's that easy to rent a scooter in Thailand.
By Car: For a more convenient way of getting around Mae Sariang and the Mae Hong Son loop, a car is also a great option, especially for those who are not traveling solo or who have a lot of luggage or camping gear with them.
There are several car rental companies operated right from the Chiang Mai airport with a price range of around 700 - 1500 THB, depending on how big the car is.
Since you will be driving along a mountainous road, I would recommend that you get a car with at least 1500cc so that you can navigate the area without stalling. To rent a car, be sure to click the link below and explore all available options.
How Many Days Do I Need For Mae Sariang?
There are not a lot of things to do in Mae Sariang, but that is the beauty of it. Mae Sariang is a place to take a break and enjoy the slowness of life, and I would recommend you spend at least 2 nights in town before you continue on and explore the rest of the Mae Hong Son Loop.
For a 2-night itinerary, here are all the things you can do in one full day:
Day 1: Visit the morning market before you hop in your car and check out all the "Chom" temples around town. To escape from the heat and rain, you can also enjoy a nice cup of coffee over the Yuam River at Mitmaitre Coffee shop, and end your day on the evening walking street.
How Much Money Do I Need For Mae Sariang?
With the itinerary above, we can roughly calculate how much you will be spending in Mae Sariang, considering you are staying in a hostel and opting for a motorbike. Here is how much money you will need for this trip.
Accommodation: For 2 nights of accommodation in Mae Sariang, you can expect to pay around 14 USD for accommodation.
Food: Food in Mae Sariang should cost around 40 - 60 THB per meal, so you can expect to pay around 150 THB for 1 day in Mae Sariang.
Transportation: For a 2-day 150cc motorbike rental (1,000 THB) plus gas (~100 THB), you can expect to pay around 1,100 THB for transportation.
Activities: All the places listed in this Mae Sariang guide are free, so there's no need to pay for any activities here.
Total Budget for 2 nights in Mae Sariang province: 1,673 THB (55.36 USD).
Is it Safe in Mae Sariang?
It is extremely safe in Mae Sariang. The locals are lovely, and the town is rather quiet and peaceful. That said, the road to get there can be quite curvy, and for those who aren't used to driving mountainous roads, be sure to be extra careful while driving, especially if it rains.
The road is well-paved for the entire length of Chiang Mai and Mae Sariang, which makes it much easier to drive. However, due to how mountainous the region is and how some Thais drive like maniacs (and that's coming from a Thai), be very vigilant of your surroundings and do not drive fast. With all that in mind, you should be able to drive to Mae Sariang with no problem.
Which tourist SIM card is best for Thailand?
Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Mae Sariang, Thailand without having to switch out your physical SIM card.
Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you'll be good to go. If your phone doesn't support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Mae Sariang, Thailand:
There are 3 major carriers in Thailand: AIS, DTAC, and True, all of which offer a pretty similar range of traveler's packages as well as coverage. Personally, I use AIS as I have been with them since my first phone. They have a lot of Support Centers around Thailand and their coverage hasn't failed me yet. So, if you are looking for a reliable carrier, I can recommend AIS.
There are 3 packages for tourists: 5 GB for 5 days at 160 THB, 15 GB for 8 days at 299 THB, and 30 GB for 15 days. Depending on how long your trip to Thailand will be, you can pick one of these 3 packages that fit your itinerary the most.
With these three packages, you can top up more in case you need more data or calls for your trip. More often than not, 5 GB is more than enough for me to travel around Thailand for a month.
For more information about Thailand's local SIM card: Thailand's Prepaid Data SIM Card.
Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
2 Comments
We did the trip by the old road from Mae sot to Mar sariang last May...
Unlike some travel website write no bus, no van do the trip.. Only orange songthaew starting from. Old Mae sot bus station, 6 departures per day from 6.30 am to 12.30..it take 6 hours and cost 250 baths.. Be ready to travel with vegetables, songthaew can be canceled without..explanation on the road be ready for a dozen of military check point.. It s mountain road lock between river and mountain
Once in Mae sariang no real bus station, most resorts are behind the songthaew terminal.. Prices started 500 minimum for those in budget Park go has fan room at 280 Ac at 380..better option new mitaree popular among trucks driver has big fan room for 300 baths
We was not lucky cos Mae lam saep road had collapsed and we can not go there..
Salawin park definitely worth.the trip.. A must see
If your plan is to. Reach Mae. Hong son from Mae sariang only 1 van. Per day at 9 am from aviabooking it cost 280 baths to reach Mae Hong son in 2h30 hours the road is beautiful
Avia booking terminal is. 3 kms from songthaew bus station.. Moto will charge 60 baths the ride
Big bus do not take passenger for Mae Hong son unlike some travel site claimed
Mae sariang is a lovely city, worth 2 day trip
Great information for those who wants to get here with public transportation! Very detailed!