Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: Bus, Van or Private Car (2026)

The road between the north’s two great cities is a trip in its own right. Route 118 climbs out of Chiang Mai and winds through forested hills for around three hours before dropping into Chiang Rai, past hot springs, viewpoints and the turn-off for the famous White Temple. Every option covers the same handsome road; what changes is whether you can stop, and how much of your day the terminals eat. Here is the honest comparison.

Three ways over the mountains

1. Private transfer (door to door, with stops)

A private car collects you from Chiang Mai airport (CNX) or your hotel and drives straight to your Chiang Rai address on Route 118, with the same service in reverse. The real advantage over a bus here is freedom: you can break the drive at a hot spring, a mountain viewpoint or the White Temple as you arrive, rather than watching them slide past a coach window. You pay the driver on the day, with no prepayment.

2. The Green Bus (the reliable standard)

The Green Bus is how most people do this route on a budget, and it does it well — frequent departures from Chiang Mai’s Arcade bus terminal, air-conditioned classes ranging from standard to a roomy V-class, and fares from roughly 130 ฿ up to about 280 ฿ for the top tier. The one drawback is the terminals: you need to get out to Arcade in Chiang Mai and in from the bus station in Chiang Rai, which a door-to-door car skips entirely.

3. Minivan

Shared minivans run the route too, at a similar road time and a low fare. They are quicker to fill and depart than a big coach, but tighter on the mountain bends and, like the bus, tied to fixed terminals at each end. Fine for light travellers who value frequency over comfort.

The stops that make the drive

Route 118 is dotted with reasons to pause. The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) sits on the southern edge of Chiang Rai, right by the road, so it makes a natural final stop as you arrive. Earlier on, roadside hot springs and hill viewpoints break the journey nicely. A private car can weave these in; a scheduled bus cannot, which for many travellers is the whole argument.

Should you fly instead?

There are flights between the two cities, but they are a false economy on a leg this short — the check-in and security time at both ends swallows the brief moment in the air, and you miss the best part, which is the road itself. For Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, driving wins on cost, on door-to-door time and on the view.

So which should you pick?

Counting the baht and happy to reach the terminals? The Green Bus is a genuinely good ride. Travelling as a family or group, or wanting to make the White Temple part of the trip rather than a separate outing? A private transfer turns the drive over the mountains into the highlight it deserves to be.