The Buddha Footprint trail is a fun XC track combining a mixture of single track, dirt road, steep ascents and fast downhills. The start point is behind Doi Pui Hmong village, however you can get dropped off ‘Sam yeak’ (3 crossroads) just past Bhuping Palace and cycle down the road to the village. Once through the village you will join a dirt trail heading North West through the woods, the trail here is smooth single track XC travelling for a few km until you reach the most difficult climb to the highest point on the ride where you can find the Buddha Footprint of which the trail is named after (keep a sharp eye out for it). The views from the summit are impressive with panoramic views looking East and West as the you traverse a tight ridge heading Northwards.

There are several routes from the summit, you can continue to follow the ridge through pine plantations and along some decent single track trails, or head down immediately East down onto a dirt track which is essentially a long downhill along farm trails which will take you through forests and farms from 1,500m to 500m along several km of fun trails. It is possible to end the ride in several places, the example here ends in Mae Rim (Sala Cafe is a great place to finish a ride) and from here there are plenty of single track trails in the foothills of Doi Suthep if you have the energy to continue.

It is also possible to follow the trails to Huay Tung Tao however it is recommended to use a GPS system as many of the trails are dead ends or trails for farmers houses and so easy to get lost. If you are looking for a fun mountain bike ride in Chiang Mai, Buddha Footprint is worth it simply for the fantastic views from the mountain summit and the wide variety of terrains. The trail is a minimum of 30km so you should be moderately fit before attempting it.