Explore the Culture & History of Thailand & Cambodia - 10 Days

Highlights

• Explore Bangkok's sights, including the Grand Palace and city temples 
• Cruise the Chao Phraya River accompanied by a Thai historian
• Spend a day at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Don Wai Market
• Visit an elephant camp, where you'll learn to feed, bathe, and ride elephants
• Participate in a private Buddhist blessing ceremony at a pagoda in Siem Reap 

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok (Thailand), Explore the City

Welcome to Bangkok! You'll transfer from the airport to your hotel and have some time to relax and settle in today. One of Asia's most popular cities, Bangkok offers a diverse range of sights and experiences, with something for everyone. Culture fiends will delight in the dazzling Royal Palace and the city's countless pagodas, while shoppers could spend weeks sifting through Bangkok's modern malls and traditional open-air markets.

Entertainment in Bangkok ranges from thrilling Muay Thai bouts to highbrow classical Thai music concerts and everything in between. Dining options are equally varied. Whether you're eating fine French cuisine in a hotel restaurant or sampling fried crickets on the side of the road, prepare to have all of your senses engaged. Tonight, after dinner, get some rest before the next day's busy itinerary.

Day 2: Visit the Grand Palace & City Temples, Cruise With Thai Historian

This morning's tour starts with a drive to Wat Pho, one of Bangkok's oldest temples. It's home to the famous Reclining Buddha and the original school of traditional Thai massage. From here, continue to the spectacular Grand Palace. The vast grounds encompass more than 100 buildings, including the Royal Residence and Throne Halls, government offices, and the renowned Wat Phra Kaew, home to the most revered Buddha image in Thailand, the Emerald Buddha.

Next, walk to the local pier and take a local ferry to Wat Arun, once the grand royal temple to King Rama II. Notice its impressive Khmer-style tower and the many detailed floral mosaics made from broken Chinese porcelain.

In the afternoon, step aboard a lovingly restored old rice barge for a cruise with a Thai historian who will tell the story of how the Kingdom was built alongside the river, a principal factor in the development of Thai heritage, culture, and economics. Enjoy a delicious Thai meal aboard the boat as it meanders through one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia. The cruise will take you to the King Rama VIII Bridge and then return to the starting point.

Day 3: Browse the City's Colorful Markets

Depart in the early morning for the two-hour transfer to the Damnoen Saduak floating market. Stop at Mae Klong Railway Market, which has a train running through the middle of it multiple times a day. Every time the train is about to come through, the vendors recognize the warning bell, and they jump out of their chairs to pull back their awnings. Right after the train has passed the stands, the vendors immediately place their belongings back at the railway and it looks like nothing has happened.

Continue to the 100-year-old Damnoen Saduak floating market, which features numerous small boats laden with colorful fruits and vegetables, paddled by Thai women wearing bamboo hats, and is one of the only places to see this traditional way of buying and selling goods in Thailand. Almost always crowded with hundreds of buyers, sellers, and tourists, the best way to experience the bustling atmosphere of the market up close is to board a boat and float through the small canals purchasing fresh local produce from the vendors.

Drive back toward Bangkok and visit the Don Wai Market on the banks of the Nakhon Chaisi River. Located on a temple site, this market is mainly frequented by locals. Explore the more than 1,000 stalls located on both sides of the river and sample some of the amazing local dishes. Enjoy a Thai lunch at a riverside restaurant and return to Bangkok in the late afternoon.

After you check out of the hotel, your guide will transfer you to the airport for your flight to the northern city of Chiang Mai. You'll spend a wonderful evening with a typical local family who has lived in the area for almost 150 years. Explore the family's fruit orchard and organic garden filled with fragrant herbs, where you'll gain insights into the simple Lanna way of life.

Savor a home-cooked meal featuring traditional recipes with authentic northern Thai flavors, served on the second-floor terrace of the teak wood home with panoramic views of the village. Best of all, learn about traditional culture, religion, and beliefs in an informal setting with this lovely family as their guest for the evening.

Today, you'll visit a vibrant food and flower market where locals shop. Then, continue to Wat Suan Dok, the final resting place for the ashes of former kings of Chiang Mai and the Royal Family. Then, ride 30 minutes to Doi Suthep Mountain, enjoying the spectacular views of northern Thailand as you head past mountains and forests toward Wat Phra That, one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples.

Founded in 1383 CE, the temple is reached by climbing 309 steps (or for the less fitness-minded, a tram is available for a small surcharge). The climb up is rewarded with a superb panoramic view of the city. Return to Chiang Mai and enjoy a 20-minute rickshaw ride through the quiet streets of the old town before returning to your hotel.

Day 6: Interact With Elephants at a Local Sanctuary

Depart on a drive to a local elephant sanctuary and join the "Elephant Owner for a Morning Session" program. The camp has adopted/rescued elephants from unsuitable living conditions (circuses, illegal logging camps, etc.), nursed them back to health, and has so far released eight back into their natural habitat. Specially designed for those who want to learn about and interact with elephants as an elephant owner would, the program teaches you how to approach an elephant, discern the elephant's temperament, feed it, and check its health.

You'll also learn how to care for an elephant, bathe and brush it in the river, and communicate through different spoken commands. You'll get a chance to visit a local temple to learn about elephants' relation to Buddhist beliefs and how they're regarded by Thai people. Continue on to a waterfall, where you'll enjoy a picnic lunch and a refreshing moment near the water with the elephants. 

Day 7: Transfer to Siem Reap (Cambodia), Discover the City 

Today you'll say your goodbyes to Thailand and transfer to the airport for your flight to the Cambodian city of Siem Reap. Upon arrival, you'll have the rest of the day at leisure to wander around the area. Tomorrow you'll go on organized tours of the major sights, but today is yours to enjoy Siem Reap at your own pace, from handicraft shopping or cultural performances to outdoor adventures such as hiking Phnom Kulen Mountain, considered the birthplace of the Khmer Empire.

Day 8: Spend the Day Touring the Angkor Wat Complex

Wake up early and transfer by private vehicle to the west gate of Angkor Wat to start the day with a memorable sunrise. Enter the temple complex to explore one of the largest religious buildings in the world. The temple, which took 30 years to construct, used the labor of up to 300,000 workers. Have breakfast just outside of the Angkor complex at a local restaurant, then drive to Banteay Kdei, built between the 12th and 13th centuries.

Continue to Ta Prohm, built in 1186 as a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman VII. It's one of Angkor's jewels and is overgrown with fig trees, giving it a haunting yet exotic atmosphere. Pause at Ta Keo, which would have been the finest temple in Angkor had it been completed. A short distance farther are the twin temples of Chau Say Tevoda and Thommanon.

Drive to Angkor Thom, an entire walled city that served as the ancient royal Capital of the Khmer Empire from 1181 CE. With a probable population of 1 million, it was far bigger and grander than any city in Europe at the time. Your guide will take you to the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Then return to the south gate, where you'll board a small, private boat out to Prasat Chrung Temple to watch the amazing sunset.

Day 9: Experience Buddhism in Action in Siem Reap

Embark on a mountain biking journey through rice paddies and red-soil roads, cutting a trail into the serene forests around Siem Reap to the real heart of Cambodia. Cycle first to a vibrant local countryside market where your guide will arrange a tasting of delicacies like fried banana, sweet coconut sticky rice balls, or classic noodle soup accompanied by drinks like fresh sugar cane juice. 

Continue to a beautiful and iconic Buddhist pagoda known locally as the most sacred and intricately decorated within the region. Spend some time admiring the colorful decoration, the internal shrine with gold adornments, and the surrounding cemetery, which is interesting in its own right. While at the pagoda, you'll be blessed by monks in a private ceremony for health and happiness.

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