Popular treks last from 2 to 7 days, take visitors through forested mountains and high valleys and meadows, and include visits to remote high-altitude hill tribe settlements for overnight stays. Treks commonly feature travel by foot, sometimes by boat, elephant-back, horse-back or jeep, frequently a combination of two or three modes of transportation. All treks must be registered with the Tourist Police. This is done for trekker's protection. Avoid companies that do not abide by this law. Wear sensible clothing to protect your limbs and sleep under a mosquito net at night. Malaria is a real threat.

Respect hill tribe beliefs and religious symbols and structures. Dress modestly as inappropriate will offend the hill tribe people. Ask permission before photographing someone. Some villages do not permit photography. Avoid trading western medicines and articles of clothing. Contributions to their welfare, items such as pens, paper, needles, thread, clothe and material used for embroidery is perfectly acceptable.

There are different hill tribes with their own traditions that live in the hills around Chiang Mai. The Karen are the largest group with three main sub-groups, White Karen, Black Karen and Red Karen. The Karen wear woven v-neck tunics of various natural colours and turbans. Unmarried women wear distinctive long white v-neck tunics. The Karen occupy lowland areas, engaging in agriculture, including rice cultivation.

The Hmong are the second-largest hill tribe group and known for their intricate embroidery. The Hmong split into White Hmong and Blue Hmong. The Green Hmong the most numerous and women wear heavily embroidered, very tightly pleated skirts. The men wear baggy black pants with various levels of bright embroidery along the cuffs and seams. Their succession is patrilineal and polygamy is widely practised. The Hmong are divided into clans, which play an important part in rituals and relationships.

The Lahu have five sub-groupings: Red Lahu, Yellow Lahu, Black Lahu, White Lahu and Lahu Sheleh. The women wear very distinctive black and red jackets and skirts and the men wear baggy green or blue pants. They have a reputation as excellent hunters, and survive off vegetable cultivation, with some supplementing this meagre income with opium production. The Lahu pride themselves on their skills in hunting and trapping.

The Akha are the most impoverished of the hill tribes and have a very unique and rich oral literature tradition. The Akha originally came from Yunnan, moving into Burma in the mid-19th century. Akha villages are distinguished by their carved wooden gates, presided over by guardian spirits. The Akha live in raised houses, within which one small room is set aside for paying respect to ancestors. Akha clothing is made of a homespun cotton cloth died to near black with indigo.

The Yao or Mien originated from China. Because of this and many can still write Chinese. They live in isolated villages, mostly in and around Chiang Rai. The women are known for the long black jackets that are adorned with pom-pom like red trim. They are skilled embroiderers and silversmiths. The Mien have rituals that must be performed correctly for a hierarchy of ancestral spirits. The Lisu originated from Yunnan and are divided into six clans.

The Lisu women are distinguished by their brightly coloured tunics, worn over long pants; some of the older generation continue to wear tasselled turbans on their heads. Occupying villages above 1,000m, they keep livestock and cultivate corn and vegetables. Unlike other hill tribes, they don't usually live in stilted houses. Each Lisu village has a spirit house and most of their villages feature a large bamboo pipe, a conduit, that carries to the village water from the nearest source.

The Paluang are a sub-group of the Shan and have the tradition of beautifying women by adding brass rings to their necks. Although the neck appears cruelly elongated, it is the collarbone which has been displaced rather than the stretching and weakening of the neck. The Palaung are noted for their skill in raising crops. They are strict Buddhists and their villages have a Buddhist temple or shrine.