Group Weekend Near Chiang Mai: A Villa Stay at Skugga Estate

A group weekend at Skugga Estate is two nights in the Mae On valley, 30 minutes from Chiang Mai city centre. The group stays in a four-bedroom villa at Skugga Estate Vineyard, spends Saturday at Skugga Estate Farm, 1.5 kilometres away, and eats together three ways: a barbecue lunch, a private dinner and Sunday brunch.

The weekend is built from small, tactile things. Hands in cacao. Eleven chocolates tasted side by side. A slot car taking the last corner too fast. A string of lights over a long table as the valley goes dark. The villa is where it all comes back to, with a kitchen, a lounge and balconies over the vines.

The plan suits friends, birthday groups and extended families of six to twelve.

Group weekend at Skugga Estate at a glance

How the group weekend unfolds

Friday is arrival. Check in to the villa, open the balcony doors and settle the rooms. A group that lands early can add the coffee and tea workshop at the Farm on Friday afternoon.

Saturday is the Farm. Pastries first, then chocolate, then lunch off the barbecue. The afternoon goes to the Classic Car Garage and the slot car track. The evening moves to the Vineyard for the private dinner.

Sunday is brunch at the Vineyard. Sit down above the young rows and leave at the pace of the meal.

The order follows the estate. The Farm opens every day and its workshops run on set days. The Vineyard opens Tuesday to Sunday, so a Friday to Sunday weekend sits inside its week.

Where does a group stay at Skugga Estate?

A group stays in a Vineyard villa. Each Vineyard villa has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a fully equipped kitchen, a large lounge and dining area, and balconies over the vines. The kitchen becomes the group's table for breakfast. The balconies become the place where the evening is retold.

A villa can be booked as one four-bedroom house, or split into a two-bedroom villa with a lounge and two separate suites. The two-bedroom setup uses a single shared bathroom. The split suits two families or two groups of friends travelling together.

The Farm has a two-bedroom cabin with two bathrooms across 65 square metres, with a kitchen and a balcony. A larger group can take it alongside a villa. One booking conversation covers both, because the Skugga Villas and Suites brand operates across both sites.

Saturday morning: pastries, coffee and cacao

The Farm starts with the Roll Bar. The bakers work in view, and the counter holds bread, pastries, a passionfruit tarte and a pan au chocolat filled with 66 per cent chocolate from the lab. The Roastery runs its roaster in front of visitors. The Tea Bar sets out its ingredients on the counter and lets guests blend their own.

Then the group heads to the lab. The chocolate workshop begins with a walk through the cacao on the farm, and follows the bean through fermentation, roasting, grinding, tempering and moulding. The group tastes eight to eleven chocolates, one after another, and learns what separates them. Everyone wraps their own bar. Everyone makes pralines. A pot of cacao husk tea, made from the shells left over at the lab, goes round the table.

Sessions typically take no more than 12 people and run in English and Thai. Reservations are required, and private groups can enquire for their own session. The workshop runs on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, in the morning or the afternoon.

A guest on Google put it plainly: "I recommend you book the chocolate making class, the experience is so worth it."

Saturday lunch: skewers over the estate

Lunch is the barbecue, an open-air bistro over the estate. The menu runs to skewers, salads, sandwiches and burgers. A three-skewer plate comes with Khao Soi chicken, honey mustard pork and pepper steak. A club sandwich on sourdough and a ribeye steak sandwich sit alongside the skewers.

Workshop participants can add the barbecue lunch to their booking. Workshop guests can also pre-book a van from the city, booked 24 hours ahead and subject to availability.

Saturday afternoon: slot cars and the Classic Car Garage

Entry to the Classic Car Garage is free. Fifteen vehicles stand inside, predominantly British, from a 1951 MG TD to a pair of 1966 Land Rovers. Walk the row slowly and let the group pick a favourite.

At the back there are thirty metres of Carrera slot car track where up to five people race at the same time. A group of ten splits into two heats of five, then runs a final. A full simulator rig beside the track takes the overflow, with a choice of cars and circuits.

The Farm also has a pool and a pickleball court, which gives the afternoon a second game.

Saturday evening: the spirit tasting and one long table

The Vineyard makes its own estate gin. The Spirit Tasting and Pairing runs for 45 minutes, with five spirits and a choice of chocolate or cheese pairing. It suits the hour before dinner, when the light drops over the vines. The Gin and Chocolate Pairing is built for groups looking for something interactive.

Dinner is private. The Vineyard has a private dining room for 6 to 10 guests and an outdoor terrace for 12 to 20 guests. A group of eight takes the room. A group of twelve to twenty takes the terrace. Bookings of two or more carry a 50 per cent deposit, and reservations need a credit card and follow a 24-hour cancellation policy. The food and dining page lists the menus and the booking form.

The estate also hosts ceremonial cacao gatherings across the farm, the vineyard and the gardens. A guided gathering where cacao is prepared and shared in a calm space gives a group a slower end to the evening. The ceremonial cacao page describes the format.

Sunday: brunch above the young vines

Sunday brunch at the Vineyard runs with twenty selections. A drinks package of wines and cocktails is available. The service team contacts you within 24 hours to confirm the booking.

Order slowly. Afterwards, walk the young rows. The vines were planted in 2025 and no wine has been produced, so the walk is about the setting and the open grass. The slow Sunday piece describes the day in full.

What do guests say about Skugga Estate Vineyard?

Skugga Estate Vineyard holds a 4.7 rating on Google from 66 reviews. Guests write about the setting, the terrace and the staff more than anything else.

One guest wrote: "We had lunch here out on the terrace overlooking the vines. Food and staff exceptional."

Another: "The owners and staff are all very professional, relaxed and friendly."

On the walk between courses: "There is a vineyard to walk through, which felt very relaxing after a long trip."

On the tone of the place: "No matter if you are here to chill, to eat or to drink. The staff have you all covered."

The quotes come from public Google reviews of the Vineyard.

How much does a group weekend at Skugga cost?

Published prices cover the activities. The chocolate workshop is 1,100 baht per adult, the barbecue lunch 400 baht, the spirit tasting 400 baht and Sunday brunch 1,200 baht per person, which comes to 3,100 baht per person. Private dining at the Vineyard costs 2,500 to 4,500 baht per person. The figures exclude drinks, accommodation and transport.

How to get to Skugga Estate

The estate is 30 minutes from Chiang Mai city centre. Workshop guests can pre-book the van described above.

For visitors from Singapore and Hong Kong, the weekend starts at the airport. Scoot flies non-stop from Singapore and HK Express flies non-stop from Hong Kong, and both routes run daily.

Add a third night

Add a third night and Monday becomes a slow morning at the Farm, since the Farm opens every day and the Vineyard closes on Mondays. Coffee at the Roastery and a pastry from the Roll Bar make a slower ending than a Sunday rush. For a weekend that uses both sites for a night each, the valley weekend piece sets out the plan. For a version built around children, the family weekend piece covers it.

How to book the group weekend

Book in this order. Start with the villa, since the villa and the cabin sit inside one booking conversation with the team. Add the workshops next, which run on set days and need reservations. Reserve the private dining room or the terrace after that, with the 50 per cent deposit. Book Sunday brunch and the spirit tasting, then settle transport last.

Group weekend at Skugga: quick answers

Where does a group of friends stay at Skugga Estate?

A group stays in a Vineyard villa with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a large lounge and dining area, and balconies. A villa can also be split into a two-bedroom villa and two separate suites.

How big is the private dining room at Skugga Estate?

The private dining room seats 6 to 10 guests, and the outdoor terrace seats 12 to 20 guests.

What happens in the chocolate workshop?

The group walks through the cacao on the farm, follows the bean through fermentation, roasting, grinding, tempering and moulding, tastes eight to eleven chocolates, wraps its own bars and makes pralines.

How many people can join a workshop at Skugga Estate?

Workshops typically take no more than 12 people per session. Private groups can enquire for their own session, and reservations are required.

Can a group race slot cars at Skugga Estate?

Yes. The Classic Car Garage has thirty metres of Carrera slot car track where up to five people race at once, and a racing simulator. Entry to the garage is free.

What is the Skugga spirit tasting?

The Spirit Tasting and Pairing is a 45-minute tasting of five spirits with a choice of chocolate or cheese pairing.

What do guests say about Skugga Estate Vineyard?

The Vineyard holds a 4.7 rating on Google from 66 reviews. Guests write about the terrace, the setting and the staff.

How much does a group weekend at Skugga Estate cost?

The chocolate workshop, barbecue lunch, spirit tasting and Sunday brunch come to 3,100 baht per person at published prices. Private dining adds 2,500 to 4,500 baht per person, and accommodation and transport are extra.

How far is Skugga from Chiang Mai city centre?

The estate is 30 minutes from Chiang Mai city centre. The Farm and the Vineyard are separate sites, 1.5 kilometres apart.

Has Skugga produced wine?

Not yet. The vines were planted in 2025 and the wine programme is developing.