🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
This plan works best if you have a car or rent one and drive yourself, because the tea plantations and the coffee hills are on opposite sides of the city. Choui Fong and the Mae Chan tea fields are to the north, while Doi Chaang sits to the south in Mae Suai district. Each spot is about an hour or more from the city center, so we split them into separate days to avoid backtracking. If you only have 2 days, you can drop either day depending on what you're more into.
Day 1 — northern tea fields: Choui Fong + Mae Chan
On the first day you head north toward Mae Chan district. The main stop is the Choui Fong tea plantation, the terraced tea estate that's become a Chiang Rai landmark. The cafe sits up on a slope looking down over a whole valley of green tea. Go in the morning while the sun is still soft and the crowds haven't arrived.
Day 1
Choui Fong–Mae Chan
08:30
Leave Chiang Rai city for the Choui Fong tea plantation in Mae Chan districtAbout 60 km, roughly an hour and a half of driving. The last stretch is a winding mountain road, so take it slow.
10:00
Arrive at Choui Fong, walk around for photos of the terraced tea fields, then head into the cafeFree entry, no admission fee. The cafe is open 08:30–17:30. Standout items are iced matcha green tea, green tea cake, and crispy fried tea leaves, around 100–250 THB per person.
12:00
Find lunch around Mae Chan or head back toward the cityFood options inside the plantation are limited. If you're really hungry, grab a snack first, then look for a proper restaurant in the district town.
14:00
Stop at a small tea shop or tea-tasting spot around Mae Chan on the way backThis area has several small community tea farms. Ask locals which ones are open for tastings — you'll get a quieter atmosphere than Choui Fong.
16:30
Return to the city and restSave your energy for the next day's drive up to Doi Chaang.
Tip
Choui Fong gets very busy on long weekends and through the winter season. If you'd rather not jostle for a photo spot, get there before 10am or pick a weekday — it's a lot more relaxed.
🎟️Book the activities in your Chiang Rai trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
🎟️ See all Chiang Rai tours & activities (Klook) Day 2 — Doi Chaang coffee hill
On the second day you head south to Doi Chaang in Mae Suai district, an arabica coffee-growing area Thais know well under the name Doi Chaang Coffee. The beans here have a distinctive aroma and a soft, fruity acidity. Up at the top of the hill you can drink coffee right at the source with a view over the valley.
Day 2
Doi Chaang–Mae Suai
08:00
Leave the city for Doi Chaang in Mae Suai districtAbout 70 km. The climb up the hill is narrow and steep — if you're not confident in a sedan, go with a car that has decent power, or hire a local driver to take you up.
10:00
Arrive at Doi Chaang and stop at the Doi Chaang Coffee House, the original shop at the top of the hillThis is the brand's flagship location, with coffee, bakery, and beans for sale as gifts. Try an iced Doi Chaang coffee with fresh milk, or the Doi Chaang honey coffee.
11:30
Walk around the coffee plots and roastery near Doi Chang Coffee FarmLate in the year through early the next year is coffee cherry harvest season. If you come then, you may see the picking and drying — ask the shop whether anything's on view right now.
13:00
Have lunch on the hill, then sit at another cafe with a viewBeyond the main one, Doi Chaang has several cafes scattered around. Pick one that faces out over the valley for the fullest view.
15:30
Head down the hill back to the cityOn the way down, leave before late afternoon. Visibility on the mountain road drops in the evening, especially in the rainy season when fog rolls in fast.
Tip
It's several degrees cooler up on Doi Chaang than in town, especially morning and evening. Toss a light jacket in the car and you'll be more comfortable.
Day 3 — town cafes and Singha Park
The last day needs no long drives — you stay around town and the outskirts. Start at a cafe by the Kok River, swing by the tea fields at Singha Park just outside the city, then finish at a bakery cafe before you head home.
Day 3
Town cafes–Singha Park
09:00
Morning cafe stop at Chivit Thamma Da on the Kok RiverAn English-style garden cafe by the water, near Wat Rong Suea Ten. Coffee, bakery, and breakfast dishes, with a quiet atmosphere good for lingering.
11:00
Drive to Singha Park (Boon Rawd Farm) for the tea fields and garden cafeFree entry, open 09:30–17:00. There's a coffee shop and tea shop in the M Square building selling tea, coffee, and farm products, plus bicycles and a tram to get around the estate.
13:30
Head back into town for lunch around the Clock TowerThe Clock Tower area and the streets around it have plenty of khao soi and northern Thai restaurants to choose from.
15:00
Finish at Polar Boulangerie and PatisserieA garden bakery with an old farmhouse feel, known for its baked goods and brunch. Drinks start around 55 THB, open 08:00–16:30, closed Saturdays — check the day before you go.
16:30
Pick up tea and coffee beans as gifts before heading homeChoui Fong tea, Doi Chaang beans, and tea from Singha Park all make easy gifts you can buy in town.
Budget and getting around overall
- Admission — Choui Fong, Singha Park, and most cafes on Doi Chaang are free to enter; you only pay for food and drinks.
- Coffee/tea per shop — drinks start around 55–90 THB; add a dessert and you're looking at roughly 150–250 THB per person per shop.
- Car — a self-drive rental is the most convenient way to do this plan. The climb up Doi Chaang is steep and narrow, so pick a car with decent power and check the brakes before heading up.
- Best season — late rainy to early cool season (November–February): the tea fields are bright green and the air is cool. It's the most popular time.
