The Mae Hong Son Loop is nothing short of a motorbiker’s dream – over 2,000 turns of mountain road, with Chiang Mai at both ends.

But where you sleep each night makes a surprisingly big difference. Some will argue that a bed is a bed. But why sleep in a hostel when you can camp by a rice field, get a free cooking class, or wake up to a sunrise high on a mountainside?

In this post, I’ll go through where to stay on every night of the Mae Hong Son Loop, in clockwise order: the places I stayed myself, plus well-reviewed backups for when they’re full (and a few nicer options if you’re not on a backpacker budget like I was).

Quick Answer: Where to Stay on the Mae Hong Son Loop
Doi Inthanon (nights 1-2): The Farmer Farm Stay & Cafe in Chom Thong, or Motho Homestay up on the mountain
Mae Sariang (night 3): Above The Sea
Mae Hong Son (nights 4-5): Crossroads House, or Fern Resort for something nicer
Ban Rak Thai (optional extra night): Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort
Ban Ja Bo (night 6): a walk-in homestay with a balcony facing the sunrise
Pai (nights 7-8): Cody Backpackers (hostel) or Pai Village Boutique Resort

Note: Planning the rest of the loop? Check out my Ultimate Tips for the Mae Hong Son Loop, the Best Stops on the Mae Hong Son Loop, and the Hidden Gems Most People Miss.

How Many Nights on the Mae Hong Son Loop?

Take a week, at least. I know people who did the whole thing in 4 or 5 days, and it just isn’t worth it. At that point you’re riding so much each day that you can’t (and won’t want to) take any detours – which is where the magic happens.

Here’s how I’d split up the nights:

Nights 1-2: Doi Inthanon / Chom Thong
Night 3: Mae Sariang
Nights 4-5: Mae Hong Son Town (or swap one for Ban Rak Thai)
Night 6: Ban Ja Bo
Nights 7-8: Pai

I’d go clockwise, which gets the boring highway out of Chiang Mai over with and saves Pai for the end, when you’re nice and exhausted (more on that in my tips post). Going counter-clockwise? Just read this post in reverse. I’ll try not to take it personally.

Note: Prices below are January rates (peak season) per night for two people, except dorm beds, which are per person. Prices are as of October 2026. And look out for the “backup option” box under each pick – the best places on the loop fill up in the cool season, so it’s worth having a second choice ready.

Nights 1-2: Doi Inthanon & Chom Thong

Lots of people head straight to Mae Sariang on day one, which I think is a mistake. Doi Inthanon, the tallest mountain in Thailand, sits right in the middle of that ride, and the sunrise from the top is a must.

You’ve got two options for where to sleep: camp at one of the campsites inside the national park, which makes it much easier to catch sunrise at the top, or stay at the base of the mountain in Chom Thong and drive about an hour up in the morning.

In hindsight, here’s what I’d do: camp on the mountain the first night, spend the next day exploring Doi Inthanon, then stay at Boy’s place (below) for a night before heading off to Mae Sariang. A master plan.

Note: Entry to Doi Inthanon National Park costs 300 baht (about $9) for foreigners and 150 baht (about $4.50) for kids, plus 20 baht (about 60 cents) for your motorbike, paid in cash at the checkpoint on the way up. Keep your ticket! If you camp inside the park, you shouldn’t get charged again when you head out the next day. If you’re staying down in Chom Thong instead, you’ll pay when you ride up for sunrise.

My Pick: The Farmer Farm Stay & Cafe (Chom Thong)

Price: About 500 baht ($15) for a tent if you pay Boy directly, breakfast included. $30-50 for the house.
Where: just outside Chom Thong, at the base of Doi Inthanon

Boy, did I love this place.

The owner’s name is Boy (catch the pun?), and he’s one of the best people I’ve met while traveling. He speaks pretty good English and goes out of his way to get you settled in and give you tips for the loop.

You get a choice of a tent or a little house on the edge of Boy’s rice fields, which are absolutely stunning to fall asleep and wake up to. The tents are massive and really meant for two, so if you’re not on your own you can split the cost – if you factor in the free breakfast, you’re looking at around $5 a night each.

Note that the tents are not always listed online, so you may have to book a room and then message him through Agoda to switch. That being said, the little house is great as well and not pricey either.

Plus, he’s got like 10 awesome dogs who will greet you every time you roll into the parking lot.

Backup Option: Cactus Hostel. A small hostel in Chom Thong town with a hands-on owner who reviewers say cooks for guests. Rated 9.1 on Booking.com, with beds from about $12 a night.

Best for Sunrise: Motho Homestay (on the Mountain)

Price: From about $59 a night
9.0 rating from 600+ reviews on Booking.com

If you don’t want to camp but still want to be up the mountain for sunrise, this is where I’d look. I didn’t stay here myself, but it’s one of the best-reviewed places on the road up Doi Inthanon, with over 600 reviews.

It’s a homestay with mountain-view balconies and a restaurant on site, and reviewers keep mentioning dinner on the terrace while the sun goes down. And it’s a much shorter 5:00 AM ride to the summit than from Chom Thong.

And whatever you do, bring a jacket. At the top of Doi Inthanon in the early hours, temperatures can get close to freezing (I learned the hard way).

Backup Option: PeaMoo Homestay. Little treehouse-style rooms with a family in a small hill village on the mountain, rated 9.5 from 150+ reviews. Reviewers say the hosts don’t speak much English, but are lovely. About $50 a night.

Night 3: Mae Sariang

Mae Sariang is a quiet little town on the Yuam River, and for most people it’s just a one-night stop before the best stretch of the loop to Mae Hong Son.

Don’t skip the Mae Sawan Noi Waterfall on the way in – it falls into a natural infinity pool you can swim in, and it’s a short drive off the main road.

I’ll be honest: I can’t remember the name of the guesthouse I stayed at here. So here are the places I’d book if I did it again.

Best Overall: Above The Sea Maesariang

Price: From about $37 a night
8.8 rating from 400+ reviews on Booking.com

The top-rated hotel in town on Booking.com, and it has a saltwater pool – which after a full day of riding is pretty hard to beat for under $40.

It’s right in town on the main road along the river, with a restaurant and pool bar on site, so you can park the bike and not move again until morning.

Backup Option: Riverhouse – The Teak House. A teak-wood hotel right on the banks of the Yuam River, a couple of doors down. Rated 8.1 from almost 500 reviews, at about the same price.

Nights 4-5: Mae Hong Son Town

I recommend two nights in Mae Hong Son. It’s a good base to see two of my favorite viewpoints (especially for sunset, and there’s only one sunset a day ;), as well as Ban Rak Thai, a beautiful little village.

(Exact locations for both viewpoints are in my post on the best stops on the Mae Hong Son Loop.)

My Pick: Crossroads House

Price: Beds from about $11 a night
8.5 rating from almost 500 reviews on Booking.com

This one’s a hostel, and beyond the lodging itself being great, I have a very specific reason for recommending it.

Every night at 7:30 PM, guests can cook dinner together. What you essentially get is a cooking class (the kind that usually costs much more) and a large portion of food for 100 baht ($3). If others join in and pick different dishes, you get to learn how to make – and of course eat – a few different things.

Trust me, the amount of food alone is just about worth the price. And the beds are more than adequate, so this one is a no-brainer.

Backup Option: Sarm Mork Guest House. A tiny guesthouse with just a handful of bungalows, right next to the lake and the night market. Rated 8.7 from 300+ reviews, from about $17 a night.

Nicer Pick: Fern Resort

Price: From about $90 a night
8.9 rating from 1,300+ reviews on Booking.com

If you want a proper treat halfway around the loop, this is it. I didn’t stay here, but it’s one of the best-reviewed resorts in Mae Hong Son, with well over a thousand reviews.

It’s a nature resort a few miles outside town with traditional Shan-style wooden bungalows, an outdoor pool, and rice paddies and jungle all around.

Optional Extra Night: Ban Rak Thai

Ban Rak Thai is a tiny, picture-perfect Chinese village built around a small lake, about an hour from Mae Hong Son Town. It’s an easy day trip, and the ride there has some of my favorite roads on the whole loop.

But if you have an extra night (or would rather spend the second Mae Hong Son night here), spend it here. I didn’t have the time, but I heard from a few reliable sources that Ban Rak Thai is incredibly special in the morning, with mist rising off the lake every day at dawn. Sounds incredible.

Best Pick: Lee Wine Ruk Thai Resort

Price: From about $50 a night
8.3 rating from 130+ reviews on Booking.com

I didn’t sleep here, but I did walk around it, and it’s the one I’d book. Talk about building tastefully: little Chinese-style guesthouses set among perfectly manicured tea gardens. Just look at the pictures below.

It’s right by the lake, across the road from the Lee Wine tea shop (do a tasting while you’re there), and rooms have balconies looking out over the gardens or the lake.

Backup Option: Mi Wo Kezhan. A small, beautifully designed Chinese-style guesthouse in the village, rated 9.1 from 200+ reviews. Pricier, at about $98 a night.

Night 6: Ban Ja Bo

Ban Ja Bo is a tiny village perched on a steep mountainside, a 10-15 minute detour off the main road between Mae Hong Son and Pai. Even calling it a village is a stretch – it’s one street you can walk down in about a minute.

I came across it by accident and stopped for a meal at the restaurant on the edge of the cliff. As I was paying, I saw a little sign behind the host saying “homestay.” I pointed at it, they nodded and asked for 250 baht (about $7), and I scrapped my plan to ride on to Pai.

It was worth it.

My Pick: A Homestay With a Sunrise Balcony

Price: 250 baht (about $7) when I stayed
Can’t be booked online – just show up and ask

They led me to a little “house” next to the restaurant, maybe 5 square meters and made entirely of plywood. Far from luxurious, to say the least.

But the balcony faces dead east, and the sunrise the next morning upgraded it to 5-star hotel level.

There are plenty of homestays in the village now. Pick one on the side of the road facing the view (for what I hope are obvious reasons). I can specifically recommend the one that’s part of the main restaurant, about in the center of town. There was only one real restaurant when I visited, so hopefully these instructions are clear. Go, have a meal, and ask if they have a place for you to sleep.

Then spend the next day at the Mae Lana Cave, ten minutes away. And if you get to Ban Ja Bo before nightfall, head to a bar 20 minutes away for sunset. More on both of those in my hidden gems post!

Backup Option: Cave Lodge. If you’d rather have a bed booked, this long-running backpacker lodge is about 30 minutes from Ban Ja Bo, next to Tham Lod cave (just past Soppong, on the way to Pai). It’s rated 8.8 from 200+ reviews, with rooms from about $25, and it’s known for its cave tours. The catch: you’ll miss the Ban Ja Bo sunrise unless you’re up for a pre-dawn ride back up the mountain.

Want something nicer? Kanlaya’s Eyrie is a luxury homestay near Tham Lod cave, also about 30 minutes from Ban Ja Bo, with a hot tub, open-air bath and a proper restaurant, rated 9.5 from almost 100 reviews. About $102 a night.

Nights 7-8: Pai

Pai is the most famous stop on the loop, and there’s so much written about it already that I don’t have much to add. To summarize: you’ll love it if you love to smoke weed and do nothing. Or just do nothing.

Which is exactly why it’s the perfect final stop. After a long week of riding, two lazy days in Pai are well deserved.

Pai has more places to stay than the rest of the loop combined. Here’s where I stayed, plus a few standouts if you want something different.

My Pick: Cody Backpackers

Price: Dorm beds from about $8 a night
8.7 rating from 230+ reviews on Booking.com

This is where I stayed in Pai. It’s a nice spot, outside the center, surrounded by fields, giving it a secluded vibe. The rooms are whatever, but it’s cheap. Plus, they’ve got these large hut-shaped things that are open air with a beautiful view – I relaxed up there for a while.

After a week of riding, it was a perfect laid-back spot for me.

Backup Option: Atlas Valley. A bigger, more social hostel with yoga every morning at 9 and something organized most nights. Great if you’ve missed seeing people. Rated 8.5 from 700+ reviews, with dorm beds from about $12.

Best Budget Bungalow: Pai Country Hut

Price: From about $55 a night
9.0 rating from 1,100+ reviews on Booking.com

Thatched wooden huts with their own balconies, just across a bamboo bridge from the walking street. Simple, but this is the classic Pai experience, and the reviews are great.

Nicer Pick: Pai Village Boutique Resort

Price: From about $101 a night
9.3 rating from almost 2,000 reviews on Booking.com

Rustic wooden cottages in tropical gardens on the banks of the Pai River, a short walk from the center. If you want to celebrate finishing the loop with a bit more comfort, this is the one.

Back to Chiang Mai

No need for another night – it’s a few hours from Pai back to Chiang Mai. But don’t take the main road with the famous 762 turns. It’s full of tourists who’ve never ridden a bike before and minivan drivers paid by the trip. Take this quiet alternate route instead, and stop at the strawberry fields on the way.

Booking Tips for the Mae Hong Son Loop

Book Ahead for December & January

The cool, dry months (November to February) are peak season on the loop, and the popular spots like Pai, Doi Inthanon and Ban Rak Thai get busy, especially on weekends and over the New Year holidays. Book the places you really want in advance, and leave the small stops like Ban Ja Bo flexible.

Then again, don’t stress if you’re already there and don’t have anything booked. You’ll be just fine! I booked most of my places a day or two in advance.

Use Agoda for Small Homestays

Booking.com has the bigger hotels covered, but a lot of the small homestays and farm stays on the loop are only on Agoda (The Farmer is one of them). If a place isn’t showing up, check both.

Bring Cash

Small homestays on the loop are often cash only, and you’ll need baht for places like Ban Ja Bo, the Mae Lana Cave guides and national park fees. Fill up your wallet in Chiang Mai, Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son or Pai.

Watch Out for Burning Season

From around February to April, farmers burn their fields across northern Thailand and the haze can hide a lot of the views. I did the loop during burning season, and can attest it was still worth it – but the photos above would look even better without it.

If you can, go between November and January. And bring a jacket – it gets cold at night up in the mountains.

Final Thoughts

Where you stay on the Mae Hong Son Loop is part of the experience. A tent on Boy’s rice field, a cooking class at Crossroads House and a plywood shack with the best sunrise in Thailand will stick with you a lot longer than any hotel room.

Once you’ve sorted out where to stay, check out my Ultimate Tips for the Mae Hong Son Loop, the Best Stops on the Mae Hong Son Loop and the Hidden Gems Most People Miss.

Note: Use my links if you’re going to book! They’re affiliate links (Booking.com and Agoda), so you pay the same price, but I get a small commission that helps keep this blog going.