Smoke On The Water Trail Mountain Biking Tour Chiang Mai

The best day of our trip. My 9 year old being an avid MTB’er, meant this had to be booked and I am so happy we found Trailhead. Everything was perfect, they look after their guests so well. The actual tour was challenging but super fun. Even for me who was initially super nervous I had a great time. The views, the route, the lunch, the driver, and of course the amazing tour guides. Couldn’t fault a thing! Thanks all.

What an amazing experience we’ve been through this morning with Kom. Big thanks to the team.

What an unbelievable day out riding. The tracks were challenging, loose and very fun to ride. The staff were awesome and great guys. Lek was great to ride with. 10/10 would recommend this tour group!

I had a blast! I mountain bike a lot at home in Wyoming, and was looking for real mountain biking in Chiang Mai-- this is the place to do it. There were a variety of terrains, from steep and dusty to rock gardens and rock rolls, and plenty of flow. Kom is truly a King of the Mountain, and Vivi was fantastic! I come every time I am in Chiang Mai for work

Probably the best mtb tour we found in Chiang Mai. Friendly and well organised staff. The tour guide was engaging and fun to hang out with. They have reasonable YT FS trail bikes with droppers, not bad at all for hire bikes once you have tinkered a little bit to get things setup the way you want!

What a perfect ride! Even in the rain, it was amazing. Different kind of trails. Sometimes technical (at the beginning very good :-) ) Very nice TrailHeadTeam! We will do it again.

First of all. Very good organisation. I got exactly the Tour what i was looking for. Trails we're flowy and sometimes technical. We stopped for a coffee break in a little village and had lunch at least. Lek was a very confidend and experienced guide! Best experience so far!!

It was epic! The vibe was high all day! Had a solid stack at the beginning but just got back into it and was epic he whole way down! The last part of the track is all time! Really flowy and fast, the start is definitely some black double diamond stuff ! Wild!!

Holy peep what a ride! Kom and Taiki know all the good downhill tracks. Very good yt downhill bikes. Be prepared to be amazed!

It was an amazing experience with a lot of different views and very challenging. The mountain bike for enduro was perfect and also the equipment to feel safe and enjoy it. Thanks! I Love it!

My 14 year old son and I did a ride which was more challenging than we expected but overall an excellent experience! Their local terrain is challenging but doable! Our guide was very helpful and made us feel comfortable. The views and the scenery were exceptional.

Outstanding ride! Lek was very friendly and did a wonderful job showing us the terrain. Steep and fun ride for the experienced rider. Would definitely do it again!

"Smoke on the Water" an epic day out on the bike If you're looking for an unforgettable mountain biking experience in Thailand, Trailhead's "Smoke on the Water" trip is a must-do! From start to finish, this ride delivered stunning scenery, thrilling trails, and top-notch guiding from Lek. The route itself is well balanced with fast techy and step descents, A couple of tough climbs, luckily these are mainly in the shade, and flowing singletrack through lush jungle and wonderful views. Lek was an outstanding guide—knowledgeable, friendly. His deep understanding of the terrain, local culture, and biking techniques made the experience even more enriching. Whether you're an experienced rider or looking to push your limits, Lek ensures you get the most out of the adventure. The logistics were seamless with Viv, with decent YT bikes, excellent support, and a well-planned route. The route is certainly not for beginners as it's tough at the start of the ride. There are other alternatives for you from Trailhead. I highly recommend Trailhead Thailand and the "Smoke on the Water" trip for any experienced mountain biking enthusiast visiting Chiang Mai. Thanks to Lek and the team for an incredible ride—I’ll definitely be back for more!

First: The Trailhead team is AMAZING! Our guide Kom, our driver VV, both outstanding human beings, who are very professional and a lot of fun! Bikes are great, protective gear a bit worn, but still fully functional, the entire service is top notch! Second: The trail: it's a hardcore downhill Mountainbike tour, ok?! It's very steep and highly technical in certain places, while other parts are smoother, but still very fast and demanding. The uphill parts are not long, but require very good fitness and stamina. Conclusion: I was in over my head, meaning having to push the bike as well as down- as uphill several times. Our guide was very supportive and made sure I still had a good experience, which I did! I recommend this activity to all downhill fanatics and aspiring padewans, but if you don't have downhill experience AND a serious set of balls (girls included) this is not the right thing for you.

I’ve been on a bunch of tours, this is simply the best. The owner is outstanding with professionalism, communication, logistics, safety, support, and fun. While this is more money than many tourist tours, it’s 100% worth what you’re getting. If you have the chance to get on a tour from TRAILHEAD, go for it as it will be the best money you’ll spend in Chiang Mai. Challenging forest and road trip to Sticky Waterfalls was really awesome. Bikes are excellent, driver and photographer fully emerged into making this a great ride. BTW, if you can’t make it up the hills, the support van will take you and your bike to the next section. Amazing snacks and lunch too. The shop is super kewl and has great drinks and also rented me a bike for the day. So happy I found this place.

My husband and I had a wonderful time doing the Smoke on the Water trail with TrailHead bike shop. Our guide, Lek, was extremely knowledgeable of the local area and told us all about the history of the trails, wildlife, and natural history in Chiang Mai. We went on three downhill runs and ended up back in town for lunch. He took us down several gorgeous trails and we saw some amazing parts of Chiang Mai that we otherwise would have missed. These trails are much more technically difficult than you may be expecting. Our trails were rated a 3/5 and both my husband and I for them pretty difficult despite many years of downhill riding.

Awesome ride with Lek and the Trail Head crew. The Smoke on the Water descent was stunning and challenging. I highly reccomend riding with Trail Head when in Chiang Mai.

I hd a chance to ride with Kom. The journey was perfect, tough in the beginning and on the incline, but the experience was really great. I enjoyed it ✌️ We had couple of technical issues during the way, but Kom was well prepared for everything. So there is nothing to worry about.

Did a second ride during my Chiang Mai trip with K. Lek. Smoke on the Water was much more off-road riding and for this one they provide high quality full suspension bikes in excellent condition. Had a fantastic day exploring the forests near Chiang Mai. Plenty of fun flowy downhill with a couple of challenging technical sections and some lung busting uphill climbs. Would highly recommend this ride for those with some prior mountain biking experience looking for a fun day out in Chiang Mai.

My son and I had an amazing day mountain biking Today, and it’s something we’ll never forget. The whole day was packed with fun and adventure, making for some awesome memories. A big shoutout to our guide(Kom) and driver(Vivi)—they were super friendly and made sure we had a great time. Their kindness and expertise really stood out, and we felt totally taken care of. Thanks for giving us such a fantastic experience! We highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and memorable mountain biking trip!

Rode Smoke on the Water. I'd put it at grade 4, or dark blue with NZ grading. It was thankfully harder than expected, being a tourist thing n all and exactly what I was wanting, a bit of a workout, some adrenalin and sight seeing. I had a great time! Good views, riding through beautiful jungle, villages and orchards in the mountains above Chiang Mai. Lek was a great guide, chill and happy. Bikes were up to the task, dropper seats and 500% 12 speed drive set up included. Guessing 2017 or so YT Jeffsy. We spent 10 mins at the start adjusting bars and shock pressure etc which was appreciated. Would recommend going for a day out with these guys!

Went on the Smoke on the Water ride. It was my first mountain bike experience… It’s tough… the heat and air makes it harder and you have to be confident on a bike. The guide was a good laugh and patient though so I had a great (if long!) day out! Would recommend trailhead and the ride if you’re up for it!!

It was such a wonderful tour. They provide different paths for customers in different levels. I was a full beginner and the guide Mae chose an easier route for me and offered me lots of assistance. She is a very experienced guide and nice person to chat with. Also, the other guide lent me his gloves. I'm very grateful for their help!!

A very fun trail of intermediate difficulty. The initial bit was a bit much for me and the other person on the tour, but the guide was understanding and let us take our time and gave some tips on how to tackle it. The rest of the trail after that was still challenging but was doable for us (and pleasantly 'flowey') and we were sad for it to come to an end. More generally, the trip was well organized, with good transport, food etc, and the bikes provided are top quality. My only complaint is that the video about the trail on the Trailhead website shows a bbq being cooked at the end of the tour, whereas we actually were just taken to a restaurant at the end of the tour (wouldn't have said no to a bbq!). But not a dig deal and would highly recommend overall!

Probably one of the best things you must do at CM if you love cycling. MTB experience & view: Amazing trail, amazing view. The first downhill section was a bit technical challenging but you can always walk down if you feel uncomfortable. There were also some uphill sections which could be really tiring. Be prepared for that. We had a stop at the coffee shop alone the way, with astonishing views. People: Kom and Vivi facilitated the whole day trip for us. Kom, as the guide, always kept an eye on the pace of the team, making sure that everyone was safe and can enjoy the trip. He also took a lot of pictures and videos for us. Vivi worked on logistics of the trip. She prepared coconut, ice water and coke when we finished the trip, which saved our life after the exciting trip. And we enjoyed a super nice (late) lunch after the ride. I would highly recommend everyone give a try!

My guide, Lek, is a great guy and was always very careful at making sure I was at ease and having fun while riding. The tour is very well planned and the equipment is good quality. Don’t let the first steep technical descent scare you because after it well get more flowy. The trail alternates shorts uphills, which can be challenging but doable with some training, with long descents. I loved that in one tour you get to ride many different terrains while seeing a variety of landscapes.

This business wrote the book on customer service. Great communication and on time pick up. Picked up and treated to delicious coffee. I was treated like a VIP. Pom was an amazing guide and accurately evaluated my skill level. The ride down was adrenaline pumping and at the pace appropriate for me. Pom took photos and video and the next day the media was sent to my email. Also there was a delicious lunch at the end to cap off the perfect mountain bike experience. Don't hesitate to book this trip.

It was an amazing experience, I really enjoyed it a lot! They took care of all the details and I could focus on enjoying the experience at its maximum!

Booked some time in advance of holiday to Chiangmai. Emailed trailhead stating my capability and usual riding. Very quickly recieved a reply from Dan and advised to sign up for smoke on the water trail. On the day picked up from hotel and taken to their shop for coffee and to get all equipment required. We were then taken high into the mountain to start the ride and set bike up etc. only reason for not giving 5 stars was the YT bike supplied could do with some TLC. Gears and suspension were fine but some knocking from saddle and suspension bearings. The ride itself was fantastic and Dan extended the ride as we made good progress. The trails are hard. I ride a lot and the hills both up and down were tiring (yea I had to stop for a breather which I never do but it is so hot). The final descent was fantastic and we finished at the vehicle pick up at the bottom with big grins and serious arm pump. A beautiful Thai lunch was had at a roadside authentic restaurant and then a lift back to Chiangmai to buy a souvenir t shirt. A cracking day thanks Dan. Finally be warned. A 20-25k ride in Chiangmai is probably as tiring as 30-40k in UK.

I did 3 tours with trailhead, my tour guides at that time were lek, kom, and Dan, they are very professional and skilled in mountaibike, I am very satisfied with the service they provide, they always take care of you, you will not go wrong if you choose trailhead as a complement for your vacation..if i come back to chiang mai again, trailhead will definitely be my choice,,👍👍👍

Great day. Kids say it was a challenge with the heat and difficult trek. Big brother lost the challenge. Guide was terrific and added to the experience. Definitely tell friends back in Australia to give it a crack

Despite hot weather and smoke we had a great ride. Technical and challenging rock gardens. Interesting riding through deep leaves. Biggest I’ve ever encountered. Stopped at a village midway for an iced Thai Tea and a couple of small watering holes to cool off lower down. Plenty of shady spots and Kom answered questions about local farming and trail network. Kom was a fun guide. Gave us heads up for drops, challenging features and line selection based on abilities. Lek met us at the bottom with coconut milk and a lunch at a small village cafe. Great day! My husband and I would use this company and guide again.

Fantastic tour around Doi Suthep, challenging riding that was tailored to the ability of the group (at one point we split into two groups to match different skill levels) with very attentive and accommodating guides, Lek and Lungchai, who made sure that the bikes were properly fitted and in top condition for all riders (I brought my own bike, but the YT Jeffsy bikes provided made me a little jealous!) and that no-one was left behind or held back. Overall a really great experience and I will be booking more tours with Trailhead while in Chiang Mai, a truly five star service.

Gorgeous trails in the heart of the mountains! What a fun descent! It all started in Trailhead with an amazing coffee! We packed our snacks, picked our equipment and off we went. Lek was our guide (5 STARS), super experienced, careful, always smiling and taking us cool pictures along the way. We were a small group (3 ppl). They keep it this way so the guide can be able to adapt the tour to our different levels and pay all the attention to our riding needs. It was a challenging and rewarding experience, full of surprises and changing landscape <3 Hope I can join to another trip in the future! All my gratitude for this magic blend of coffee and MTB <3

Did two full-day mountain-biking tours. Great time, great trails, bikes are in good condition! Guide was excellent and a very good biker :)

I had booked a slightly easier tour but as I was the only client my lovely guide, Dom, took me on a more challenging route which was hard but great fun. He was brilliant at guiding me through the many hazards and pointing out the interesting views and plants. The bike was great, full suspension, and a drop post saddle and hydraulic disc brakes all of which is essential for this route. They also provided a good helmet, knee pads, gloves and elbow pads. Dom also took loads of pics and video which he emailed me a couple of days latter. We finish back in Chang Mai at a restaurant where we met up with the equally nice guide Wiwi for a good lunch. Trail head were not the cheapest, but for something that can be dangerous they were the best.

What a great day! My partner and I joined this ride after many previous trips mountain biking around Doi Suthep and this was the best by far. The guides Lek and Kom were awesome - helpful, encouraging and knowledgable about the trails + and bike fixes we might need along the way. YT dually bikes were fine - well-used but also, but well-maintained. We'd recommend this trip for competent riders happy to tackle rough, steep, washed out trails in some sections. Australian trail rating: Blue to 'Dark Blue' :) But only the first half is challenging - 2nd part is easier. Would absolutely ride with this crew again. Shop also has great coffee and the best city hire bikes in town.

Loved this mountain biking trail and the group leaders. They did an excellent job tailoring the experience to everyone's level and have a very cool shop.

Had a great day out with these guys. I did the smoke on the water tour. Very professional and dedicated team doing their best to ensure that customers are having the best fun possible! Kom my guide did a great job showing us some nice techy trails and fantastic scenery. Was off the beaten path so barely met anyone else on the trails for the whole day and also got to experience the Hmong hill tribes way of life too! Bikes supplied were aluminium Jeffsys with a solid spec and in good condition. Also shout out to Vivian (Veevee) our driver and host for lunch! On another note the coffee here is among the best in Chiang Mai. Have been to multiple cafes with good repututation and trailheads coffee takes the title.

Awesome crew to book a trip with, my guide Chu is a machine💪and the staff at the cafe/booking office are cool👍(especially the cheeky little 'great one'). Oh and the coffee's good🤣. The ride was tough......starts off a bit technical downhill(grade 4 by NZ standards) and it had rained previous days so quite slippery (wld be wicked in the dry). Couple of tough climbs(again slippery conditions didnt help) although maybe I was a bit outta shape🙈. Cool little cafe stop at the top,then apart from a short/sharp climb its downhill all the way to the waiting truck at the bottom🙂. I was shattered but laughing at how long and awesome the downhill was.....so good👍. Cold drinks and a good lunch at the finish with the lads and I was happy happy. Had a stomach bug a few days later so cldnt ride Buffalo soldier with them but will do next time for sure. I come from New Zealand so to pay $150 for a mountain bike ride at first seemed kinda strange🤔......but I'm gunna do it again🤣🚵‍♂️👍.

We spent a really nice day with Lek as our guide for the smoke on the water trail, we could tell from the very beginning that Lek not only knows a lot about all the trails that are around, but he really is involved in MTB/Enduro because its his passion, you could feel that. We liked the different sections of the trail, sometimes flow and sometimes more technical from flat to steep, up and down, it was all in all a good mixture, it would have been nice to continue a bit more as we arrived in Chiang Mai early afternoon. The strawberries we could collect for free on the fields were so delicious, we ate tons of them, and that was just one among many highlights we had that day, like the breathtaking views, the fields, the cultivations of bananas, mangoes, coffee or Lychee, the little restaurant with nice view on the mountains, the coffee drying process or the local tribes working with hemp strings. Thank you a lot for this wonderful experience!

I had a fantastic day and everything was organised perfectly well from the beginning until the end. The guide, Kom, was super nice and let you go your own pace but was still very motivating to push yourself a bit more! I will definitly recommend you and boon you again! Thank you very much :)

Had a great day riding with Trailhead. I was staying close by so I walked to Trailhead to begin the day. I was fitted with some protective gear and we started in the drive up to the national park. They rearranged the brakes for me and tested the bike. Nice equipment, the bike is a lot better than other companies bikes (I also rode with mountainbikingChiangMai). We did a short descent then had coffee in the village. The next descent was really tricky. This was followed by an uphill section that was punishing. The next downhill section was really good, fast, dry and dusty. We finished up and I was totally exhausted. A great day and really worth the price. A few days later and they even sent all the GoPro footage to me. A great team to ride with.

All I can say is...wow...what a great outfit! Trailhead really knocked it out of the park. We had an AWESOME time riding in Chiang Mai, and can't recommend Trailhead enough. To provide some context, my wife and I are from the northeast US. We ride quite a bit in the spring/summer/fall months (2-3 times per week). After looking through their available rides, we settled on Smoke on the Water, which seemed to offer a solid trail riding experience (mix of uphill, downhill and scenery). We were not disappointed. We only had one day dedicated to mtb, and so wanted to get a well rounded experience, with an emphasis on scenery and really experiencing the northern Thailand terrain. We were picked up promptly at 8AM from our hotel near Old City, and drove to Trailhead's office location in the Old City, about 5 minutes away. We were then set up with water, a lunch/snack bag, helmets and pads. The food was actually really good -- we each got an apple, banana, sticky rice and semi-dried chicken. The chicken was my favorite -- great protein out on the trail. After getting outfitted we hopped back in their car and were driven about 45 minutes up to Doi Suthep. For those interested -- as of February 2018 Trailhead has a fleet of YT Jeffsy 27.5 AL2's that they put you on. Awesome bike, and perfect for this type of trail riding. Our guides for the day were Joe (shuttle driver, who is also their marketing/sales manager) and Cho (actual guide on the ride). Both were awesome -- very friendly and it was clear they love to mountain bike. Both speak a decent amount of English as well. Cho actually does quite a bit of XC racing too...really good rider. After reaching the trailhead, Cho brought us down an awesome mix of trails. We went through dense mountain jungle, and ended up in a small mountain village with awesome views for a bite to eat. From there is was down into these small mountain farms where Cho pointed out all the different farmland (lychee, coffee, strawberry, blueberry). More awesome views. After that it was more jungle until the very bottom, where Joe picked us up again to end the day. Every once in a while Cho would jump ahead of us and take pictures of us as we came down. A few days after the ride Trailhead sent us a link to download all the pics they took. Great!! Smoke on the Water was a really good choice for us. The riding itself was awesome itself but it was really cool to see the farmland and terrain. Very different from our usual mountain biking in Vermont. FYI the trail difficulty ratings on their website are pretty accurate. Smoke on the Water is a 3/5 (5 being the most difficult). We were pleasantly exhausted by the end of it. Total ride time was about 4-5 hours At the pickup point Joe actually had fresh coconuts cut and waiting for us...I didn't know how much I needed fresh a fresh coconut by the end of that ride. Ha! After getting picked up, Joe and Cho drove us to a local Thai cafe and we all sat down for a light lunch. It was great to chat with both these guys (small language barrier aside). Most of the lunch was mtb talk and sharing pictures of our different experiences. Again, really can't say enough about our guides. They did an awesome job. Overall we are VERY happy with Trailhead. Nothing but professional, passionate mountain bikers running that place. If we make it back to northern Thailand we will absolutely be choosing them again!!!

After two mediocre rides with Chiang Mai Mountainbiking I decided to give these guys a try. It was a world of difference. They picked me up in a proper airconditioned SUV with forward facing seats and took me to their shop/cafe. You could feel the cycling culture in the air as strongly as you could smell the coffee beans. They had a bike pre selected based on my height. At the top of the mountain they adjusted the suspension to each rider’s weight. The bikes had ultra plush full suspension, flawless shifting, big brakes, and dropper posts. The trails were great and our guide rode at our pace unless he was shooting ahead to get in position to take a picture. They provided water and snacks for on the trail, drinking coconuts, pop and beer at the end of the ride and lunch in a nice restaurant. You could order anything off the menu and they pretty much insisted on you having ice cream for dessert.

I did the smoke on the water trail with my guide Mit. Very good experience! I had only driven mountain bike once, but since Mit had a big safety on safety first, everything went really well. Lucky for me, I was the only one doing the trail that day. Enjoyed the trip! The staff at the shop was also very helpful. I don't have an action camera, but the guide had recorded me, so they copied the photos and videos to my phone.

The Smoke on the Water tour was a good balance between fun and scenic. An excellent way to come down the mountain. My guide, Mit, was great. He obviously loved his job which made the whole tour a really positive experience for me. When I struggled with some of the uphill portions of the trail, he taught me how to adjust the bike to make it easier and encouraged me to keep pushing. It was my first time mountain biking and I thought this trail was just hard enough to a challenge without ever detracting from the fun. Would recommend.

It was a great experience. I've just returned home, but I'm already tempted to go.

Having spent a month with my downhill bike in Chiang Mai years ago, on my return to the city I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do some enduro. And I really loved it. The route offered everything you can expect from a good enduro course: balanced difficulty, beautiful landscapes, technical sections with roots, fast zones where you can let the bike run and make the suspensions work well. There were also some not very long climbs and others with a considerable lift that tested the legs. It rained a lot, which for me — who have some experience — increased the fun even more. It was a real enduro adventure. Enterprise is highly recommended: Lek and Vivi were great, thanks for making me relive such good times around the area. Without a doubt, if I have the opportunity, I will repeat or try one of the other variants. The elevation and distance they advertise are real, so you can rely on that information to know if your legs will be up to the challenge.