Samoeng Travel Guide

Samoeng is one of the most pleasant, and least-visited, towns in northern Thailand. Located behind the mountains west of Chiang Mai, it makes for a great daytrip.

There isn’t much to do in Samoeng, but the scenery is lovely and the town is quiet and devoid of tourism. There are a couple of resorts to stay at if you want to use the town as a base for drives into the hinterlands farther out. The remote mountains around Samoeng are full of hill tribe villages and amazing scenery.

If you just want a beautiful drive, then rent a car or scooter in Chiang Mai and drive the Samoeng Loop, a popular and easy cruise that runs around Doi Suthep mountain with Samoeng at the half-way point. There are plenty of attractions along the way such as elephant camps, orchid farms and waterfalls.

Getting There & Away

Transportation to this remote town is patchy at best. Local buses make the run from Chiang Mai, but they’re hard to locate. The best choice for visiting Samoeng is to rent a scooter or car in Chiang Mai and enjoy the winding well-paved road that runs from the big city to isolated valley of Samoeng. The nearest airport is found in Chiang Mai, less than 1 hour away by car.

Things to Do

Samoeng Attractions

The backcountry

The dirt roads leading out of samoeng will take drivers to some of the least-visited parts of northern thailand.

Samoeng Loop

This day drive beginning and ending in chiang mai is the nicest cruise around, and provides plenty of time to check out samoeng town.