The Bua Tong sunflower fields at Doi Mae U Kho
A mountainside of Mexican sunflowers in Mae Hong Son, out for a few weeks each November and December, and how to get there from Pai
Written by Nolo Hub Pai
Updated by the Nolo team, November 2026
tl;dr
Doi Mae U Kho is a mountain in Khun Yuam district, about 200 km from Pai, where more than 500 rai of Mexican sunflowers (bua tong) flower each winter. They open in early November, fill the valley from around the middle of the month and last until about mid-December. It’s about four hours’ ride from Pai on mountain roads, so plan to stay a night.
Also known as: Doi Mae U Kho · Thung Bua Tong · ทุ่งบัวตอง ดอยแม่อูคอ · Mexican sunflower fields
At a glance
- When
- Early November to about mid-December. In 2026 Khun Yuam district expected the valley to be full around mid-November
- Where
- Doi Mae U Kho, Khun Yuam district, Mae Hong Son, about 1,600 m up
- From Nolo Hub Pai
- About 200 km and four hours’ ride: the 1095 to Mae Hong Son, the 108 south to Khun Yuam, then about 30 km on the 1263 and the 4009
- Best time of day
- Early morning, before the valley mist clears
- Staying over
- A campsite at the top with toilets and showers, or a room in Khun Yuam
- Bring
- Warm clothes. Fill up in Khun Yuam, because there’s no petrol station on the way up
- Map
- Google Maps · Apple Maps
Each winter the slopes of Doi Mae U Kho turn yellow. Bua tong, the Mexican sunflower, covers more than 500 rai (about 80 hectares) of the mountain at around 1,600 metres, and the flowers start beside the road well before you reach the top. The path up to the viewpoint runs through a tunnel of them. From the top you look out over yellow hillsides and the mountains of Mae Hong Son, with mist lying in the valleys early in the morning.
When the Bua Tong flowers are out
The bua tong start opening in early November. In 2026 the province opened the festival on 11 November, the same date as the year before, with 10 to 20 percent of the field in flower. Khun Yuam district expected the valley to fill around the middle of the month and stay yellow until mid-December. The dates shift with the weather from year to year, and outside the season the hill is just green.
Weekdays are quieter. Weekends bring day trippers up from Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai, and during the festival there are performances and stalls selling local products by the car park.
Getting to Doi Mae U Kho from Pai
It’s about 200 km each way, nearly all of it mountain road, and about four hours’ ride, so it doesn’t work as a day trip.
Take the 1095 west out of Pai to Mae Hong Son town. It’s the same road as Doi Kiew Lom, Tham Lod and Ban Jabo, so you can break the ride at any of them. From Mae Hong Son, the 108 runs about 65 km south to Khun Yuam. At the junction in Khun Yuam turn onto the 1263 towards Mae Chaem, then follow the Department of Rural Roads signs onto the 4009 for the climb. That’s about 30 km from town in all.
Fill the tank in Khun Yuam: there’s no petrol station on the way up. The last part is steep with hairpin bends. Use a low gear and let the engine hold you back rather than riding the brakes the whole way down. Sustained braking on a long descent will overheat them.
Riding the Mae Hong Son loop back to Chiang Mai? The 1263 carries on east to Mae Chaem, so the field is on the way.
At the top of the field
Paths run through the flowers to viewpoints along the ridge, and there’s an eight-sided pavilion at the top, where the festival opened in 2026. Get there early. The mist in the valleys usually clears by mid-morning, and there’s little shade on the paths once the sun’s up.
Stay on the paths. The organisers ask people not to walk into the flowers, pick them or dig up plants to take home. The province had the gaps in the field replanted in April 2026.
Staying the night
The campsite at the top has toilets and showers and puts you among the flowers for sunrise. It gets properly cold at 1,600 metres: nights in 2022 were 4 to 6°C, and some dropped to about 1°C, so bring warm layers. The other option is a room in Khun Yuam and an early start up the hill. Book ahead when the flowers are at their best, because the town’s rooms fill up.
Quick answers
When do the Bua Tong fields at Doi Mae U Kho bloom?
From early November to about mid-December, fullest from around the middle of November. The festival opened on 11 November 2026. Outside those weeks the hillside is green.
Can you visit Doi Mae U Kho as a day trip from Pai?
Not really. It’s about 200 km each way, around four hours’ ride on mountain roads through Mae Hong Son and Khun Yuam, so plan to stay a night at the campsite at the top or in Khun Yuam.
How cold does it get at Doi Mae U Kho?
The field is at about 1,600 metres. Nights in 2022 went down to 4 to 6°C, and some to about 1°C, so bring warm clothes if you’re camping or going up for sunrise.
