Cycling in Hua Hin - Thailand
Hua Hin is a lively town to the south of Bangkok. It attracts a mix of long term immigrants and (mostly older) tourists, who enjoy its relative calm and picturesque surroundings.
There is also something of a cycling community in Hua Hin, with regular road bike rides around the town, often starting from one of the 'velo cafes'. I did my rides around here on a hybrid bike, allowing me to also take advantage of the gravel trails in the area - something that I highly recommend.
Most of these routes were part of a longer cycling trip that I did through South East Asia in the winter of 2022-23. Other destinations on the trip include Chiang Rai, Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai and Hoi An.
These were single center trips where I did numerous routes around the city, mostly on paved roads, but with some off-road sections. I also did a cycle tour around Central Thailand in 2025.
Overall, I quite liked Hua Hin, particularly the southern part around the Khao Takiab peninsula. It's not the kind of touristy town I would usually stay for a long period, but it was relaxing and with some great food options around. The riding is OK but not spectacular, and overall I prefer the routes a bit further south towards Prachuap Khiri Khan and inland around Kaeng Krachan National Park.
In any case, below you can find details of some of the rides I recommend around Hua Hin.
Hua Hin Circle
A gravel road between pineapples
This 40km loop is my favourite ride in the southern part of Hua Hin. It is mostly on paved roads with just a couple of short dirt road sections, which can easily be avoided if you are on a road bike.
You begin by heading out of Hua Hin on a good quality cycle lane alongside the main 4 highway. Leave the cycle lane to cross the railway line and continue to the Khao Tao Reservoir. Take a trail around the edge of the reservoir (you can also visit the Khao Tao beach) and rejoin very nice paved roads with colourful flowers.
This part of the ride is rolling as you head to Pranburi Forest, a nice marsh and wetland area with mangrove forests that you can walk around.
The return to Hua Hin is on a scenic inland road through the 'Pineapple Valley'. The roads are rolling here, with little traffic, as you ride through fields of pineapple and palm trees.
After 36km, I turned off onto a gravel trail to avoid the main road. This is a nice short cut if you have a hybrid or mountain bike, but it is a bit sandy in places so not ideal for a road bike.
In my opinion, this is as good as the riding gets around Hua Hin. There is enough elevation gain to keep things interesting, the roads are mostly well surfaced and with little traffic and there is a great variety of scenery, both close to the coast and inland.
Pranburi Mangrove Forest
Walkway through Mangrove Forest
This route to Pranburi Forest is a slight variation on the ride above. It is a shorter out and back ride that also includes a brief hike around the Pranburi Mangrove Forest (after 16km).
There are a couple of short climbs, but it is mostly flat and with very little traffic, making it a good option for a relaxing ride.
Monkeys at Wat Khao Takiap
On the return to Hua Hin, I have an included a final climb up to Wat Khao Takiap, one of the most iconic spots of Hua Hin. You can visit the hilltop temples, admire excellent views of Hua Hin's finest beach and see the dozens of monkeys that live around the temple! Check out the link below for full route details.
Ride with Gps Route
Pranburi Reservoir
Riding alongside Pranburi Reservoir
This 78km loop rides out to the Pranburi Reservoir. I enjoyed the first part of the ride the most, heading south through Pranburi and then following quiet lanes with nice mountain views up to the Reservoir.
The Reservoir itself is picturesque and you can ride along it for a section, before looping back towards Hua Hin.
Hills in the Distance
I didn't enjoy the return to Hua Hin so much. The roads were straight and a bit boring, and there was a short section on the busy 4 highway. I think it might be better to do the first half of the ride as an out and back route, instead of trying to make a circle.
On a more recent trip to the region I did some cycle touring on more roads around the reservoir and really enjoyed this. The scenery on this route became more interesting and the roads more fun to ride further inland. Nearby you could also visit the Kaeng Krachan or Kui Buri National Parks which are home to leopards, wild elephants and a handful of tigers.
Check out the route in the link below:
Ride with Gps Route
Overview
I found Hua Hin to be a reasonable base for cycling. There was a variety of routes, both south along the coast and inland. The scenery was pleasant, although rarely spectacular, and the routes were a little too flat for my tastes. But it was nice to go out riding for a few hours and return to the same base.I rented a hybrid bike here for this trip, which worked well. On a more recent trip to the region in early 2025 I did a traditional place to place cycling tour. This allowed to me explore further from Hua Hin, visiting Kanchanaburi, Kaeng Krachan and Prachuap Khiri Khan, which I found to be significantly more interesting in terms of scenery and terrain. Check out the link for details of rides in these and other areas below.
Cycling around Chiang Mai
Cycling around Chiang Rai
Cycling around Luang Prabang
Central Thailand Cycling Tour
Cycle Touring in Thailand
Cycle Touring Guides
