Cycling in Thailand

Thailand Cycling Tours

From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the tranquil paddy fields and gentle jungle roads near Khao Yai, there is no better way to experience the Asian culture and pace of life than on Thailand bike tours. As well as being renowned for its white sand beaches and azure waters, Thailand is also home to Buddhist temples and tropical forests.

Our Thailand cycling tours take you further and faster and closer to the action, with the option to stop whenever you chose to sample local life. Start your tour in the city of Bangkok, Thailand’s bustling capital where old meets new in the most extraordinary fashion. The city is a heady mix of ancient history and modern culture which gets beneath your skin and draws you into its fascinating diversity.

Our guided group cycling tours veer off the tourist trails and take you on a journey of discovery to remote hill tribe villages, rural landscapes and old towns where you get an insight into Thailand’s traditional way of life. As well as meeting the locals and learning about their culture, you can sample authentic Thai cuisine.

Our Thailand bike tours offer an array of activities and immersive experiences, including a tour to see the famous reclining Buddha, swimming by the Krabak, and a boat tour of the Chao Praya River. Each day you’ll experience something new, and you’ll fall deeper in love with Thailand and its people.

Thailand Cycling Tours

14 Days from £ 3145

£ 3015

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Cycling

14 Days from £ 4479

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Cycling

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Top 5 Places to Visit on Thailand Cycling Tours

Ayutthaya: The UNESCO World Heritage Centre of Ayutthaya is the ancient capital of Thailand and dates back to the mid-14^th century. In the 18^th century a large part of the old town was destroyed by the Burmese. Today it remains an historic site of interest with its splendid monasteries, temples and shrines which define its rich heritage. In the old part of the city you’ll find three of the most significant temples including Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana, and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, which stands on the site of the old Royal Palace. Wat Chaiwatthanaram lies on the riverbank and is one of the most famous of the temples, attracting travellers wanting to see the beautiful sunsets over the water.

Chiang Rai: A tour of Chiang Rai introduces to the more rural region of northern Thailand with its impressive mountain backdrop. Unlike the frenetic Chiang Mai, its older counterpart, Chiang Rai remains relatively free from tourists and enjoys a much calmer pace that inspires artists and a more creative crowd. The temples of Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) and Wat Rong Sue Ten (The Blue Temple) are nothing short of spectacular and it’s worth spending some time exploring the gardens too. If you want to delve into the past, the Mae Fa Luang Art and Cultural Centre is an unspoiled park that houses a traditional Lanna pavilion, museum and gorgeous landscaped gardens.

Aranyaprathet: Bordering Cambodia and Thailand, Aranyaprathet is a more modern, vibrant town. Here you can wander through a maze of market stalls at Talad Rong Khlua where the locals sell all kinds of goods, from handbags and clothes to homeware. But if you want to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy some tranquility, head for Kanchanaphisek Park, home to various species of birds and plants. In the centre of the park’s small lake standsWimansarannawamin, a beautiful Thai pavilion.

Chiang Mai: In stark contrast to its wild, mountainous setting, Chiang Mai is a sprawling city known for its hectic markets and ornate temples. Among the backdrop of lush countryside and rainforest, you can see the strong Burmese influences in the architectural styles of the buildings. In the evenings, the streets are filled with market stalls where the hilltribes sell their artisan crafts and you can immerse yourself in the local culture. The old part of the city is much more blissful, and you can visit the Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Centre to learn about the history and culture of the city and its hilltribes.

Bangkok: World renowned for its modern skyscrapers and temple spires that pierce the skyline, Bangkok is a soul-stirring city of contrasts. At every turn a magnificent temple steals your attention as you try to dodge a tuk tuk, and the smell of Thai street food that wafts on the air makes you succumb to the aromatic flavours. There are so many sights to explore that it’s hard to know where to begin but we recommend visiting the Grand Palace, Wat Arun Temple and Wat Pho Temple with the famous reclining Buddha.

Exodus People – Rit Aphiwatthanakul

For 12 years he was a Buddhist Monk. Then he became an Exodus Leader… Cycle through South East Asia with Rit Aphiwatthanakul for a unique insight into his culture, cuisine and countryside.

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Cycle Southeast Asia

The accommodation we stayed in was of a high standard and the different parts we saw of Sri Lanka were very varied and I feel we saw so much of this special country during this trip.

The food was absolutely outstanding on this trip and we went to some amazing off the beaten track restaurants. One of our favorites was the ladies who cooked the vegetable curries, the dinner at a locals house, and another was the buffet at the old colonial hotel, you may burn 2000 calories cycling but you will eat 3000 calories of amazing food if you want too. Suresh has a saying ‘do maximum damage’ at the buffet and that we did! wait till you try the egg hoppers you will be hooked!

A bit of detail about the cycling: my husband and i were the youngest on the trip at 44 and 52 but we decided to go for the e bikes as it was our first cycle holiday. I highly recommend this option, whilst we had a good level of fitness, and I had trained for this trip doing 100km cycles. Even though we had done level 4 graded Exodus hiking trips before,we wanted to make sure we enjoyed the big climb days and did not slow everyone down, not that it is ever an issue with a lovely exodus group! We also didn’t know if everyone would be super amazing club cyclists and we would be the slow ones, but we had a complete mix of lovely people and we didn’t have anything to worry about. We have just booked our next Exodus cycle trip and have gone for normal bikes.

We had the e bikes turned off most of the time and actually felt after a couple of days we should of gone for normal bikes but it did mean we could enjoy the big climbs and not worry at all, but the van is close behind you on those days and very easy to jump into, so if you are worried you are not fit enough for this trip or not a super keen cyclist i highly recommend going for the ebike option as the trip is definitely worth it and an amazing experience, the ebikes were a very good standard and brand new. At the time of the trip I was a modest cyclist and cycled mainly during the summer months at home, I did properly train for the trip and made sure i had done the 100km distance on a few occasions but this was just to give myself confidence and I just wanted to make sue i was well prepared, don’t think you have to do a lot of training for this trip, the pace is good and no one was ever left behind, it is a level 4 so you do need some fitness but with a good level of fitness you could do it, if you are worried definitely go for the e bike option.

I would agree with some of the other comments that it wasn’t aways back roads and sometimes the traffic was crazy but we always felt safe with Suresh at the front another guide at the back and the bike mechanics were often following us, i really cant thank the whole crew enough just an amazing team who were brilliant and everything was seamless.

It can be hot and I recommend bringing some electrolytes with you, the crew carry more water and food than you could ever need so nothing to worry about there. Have cold gear for the mountains in the evening as it does get cold.

I felt there was also a good amount of things organised outside of the cycling and it felt we always had plenty of things organised in and out of the saddle, the tea plantation visits were amazing also the jewelry factory, the visit to the gardens in Kandy also really great mix of things to see and do outside of the saddle. Finishing the trip at the beach was fabulous as well, there are so many different sides to Sri Lanka I felt we saw them all.

We had a totally amazing group of people in the group who shared this adventure with us, and we all got on so well it was wonderful to get to know them all, we have always had great groups with Exodus. but this was the best group yet, so thank you also to all of them who made the trip so memorable.

Sara Mitchell Cycle the Back Roads of Sri Lanka

We added this trip as an extension to the Discover Sri Lanka trip which was fabulous and we highly recommend. Unfortunately
this trip for us fell far short of the standard we have come to expect from Exodus. I write this as a qualified ride leader with over 40 years of experience in bike maintenance.

Our bikes had multiple problems including excessive play in the rear wheel, unreliable gears, poorly adjusted headsets and badly set up brakes all which affected bike handling and created unnecessary risk. Having discussed this with Exodus they have assured us that changes will be made to the servicing of the bikes and that the ride leader will test ride every bike before handing it to a client.

Generally it is easy cycling on flat roads with a few minor hills on the last day. A lot of the roads are fairly busy, the Indian drivers like to toot so you know they are there, so it is also very noisy. The backwater roads are lovely but views of the sea can be limited because of the coastal defences. There is also a lot of litter and some unwelcome smells due to the lack of sanitation. The locals are generally very welcoming and friendly, plenty of smiles particularly from the children.

Linda Hamilton Cycle the Coast of Kerala

One of my best ever cycling holidays lead by a brilliant local team (Vini and Arun) headed up by the amazing Safi. It was good to experience the chaos of a city in Mysore with crazy traffic and cows in the road. Fort Kochi, which is a world heritage site, was laid back with lots of interesting things to see on our day off the saddle and lovely boutique shops where there was no hassle from vendors! The night on the converted rice barge was lovely and relaxing and so nice to float past everyday life on the river. Cycling along the coast, it was good to see fishermen hauling in their catch and to paddle in those warm waters.
I particularly loved waving at friendly locals as we cycled by (and them waving back) and the school children so excited to see us and practice their English.
Apart from the climb up to Ooty which is optional, I felt this holiday should be rated a difficulty level of 3 rather than 4. Once you’ve finished the Western Ghats, the cycling is very flat.
Added to all that, we had a truly lovely group of fellow cyclists on the holiday who all helped make this such a pleasurable trip.

Alison Stent Cycle Kerala & Tropical India

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