Flavors of Thailand Tour: Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai & Phuket - 14 Days

Highlights

• Travel the canals of Bangkok and see its famous temples
• Visit floating markets and enjoy fine dining on a dinner cruise
• Sample delicious street food at Chiang Mai's famous night markets
• Take a Thai cooking class and visit an elephant rescue sanctuary
• Go snorkeling in the Phi Phi Islands and enjoy sunset dinner cruises

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok, Self-Guided Tour

Welcome to Thailand! On a food-forward tour of this ancient and beautiful country, you'll discover the four flavor profiles that define one of the world's great cuisines: salty, spicy, sour, and sweet. It begins in the epicenter of the country, Bangkok. The nation's capital is both modern and historic (its origins date to the 15th century), making it the perfect place to kick off a foodie adventure. 

Upon arrival at the airport, a driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel. After checking in, head out on a self-guided tour to visit highlights like the Golden Mount Temple, located on the only hill in the city. Climb 320 steps that lead to the top to enjoy some of the best views of Bangkok. You can also take a boat ride down the Chao Phraya River, the city's arterial waterway that flows past Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok's historic center.

Day 2: Bangkok Temples Tour & Canals

Meet your guide in the morning for a tour of the city's most famous wats (temples) and palaces. First up is Wat Pho, one of the oldest temples in Thailand. Dating as far back as the 13th century, it's known for its massive Reclining Buddha statue that measures 49 feet (15 m) high and 150 feet (46 m) long.

From there, it's a 10-minute walk over to the Grand Palace. This royal complex was constructed in 1782 and has been the official home of Thai royalty ever since. Another highlight is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, perhaps the most iconic Buddhist temple in the country. The real treasure is inside: a 26-inch (66 cm) jade statue of a meditating Buddha.

After the Grand Palace, you'll board a traditional long-tail boat for a journey across the river. Here, you'll cruise around the tranquil klongs (canals) in the Thonburi residential district. Witness candid scenes of local life as you pass wooden stilt houses strewn with clotheslines; wave to friendly locals relaxing on their porches as traditional music emanates from indoors. Then visit Wat Arun, an 18th-century Buddhist temple built during the Ayutthaya period and named after Aruna, the Hindu god of dawn. Have lunch at a waterfront restaurant before transferring back to your hotel.

Day 3: Floating Market Tour, Dinner Cruise

Leave in the morning on a half-day tour of one of Bangkok's cultural highlights: its famous floating markets. A driver/guide will pick you up at your hotel for the transfer west out of Bangkok, about 1.5 hours to Ratchaburi province. As the city gives way to the country, you'll pass remote coconut plantations, stopping at one for a tour to see how they process coconut sugar.

After the tour, you'll continue on to Damnoen Saduak, a paradise for food lovers and the most popular floating market in the country. Plying its maze of canals are vendors in traditional wooden boats selling fresh produce, snacks, and other delicacies. Here, you'll board a long-tail boat and travel around the market with your guide. Learn the art of haggling as you browse fresh fruits and handicrafts. Later, you'll transfer back to Bangkok.

End the day with a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. At the waterfront, you'll board the Manohra, an antique wooden rice barge that was the primary mode of river transport during the 18th century. During this leisurely trip, you'll cruise past Beaux Arts mansions and famous landmarks like the Grand Palace, sipping on cocktails in the fresh air. Then, sit down to an intimate fine-dining meal complimented by the twinkling lights of Bangkok's skyline. After eating, transfer back to your hotel.

Day 4: Fly to Chiang Rai, Optional Activities

After breakfast, you'll transfer to the airport and catch a 1.5-hour flight to Chiang Rai. Thailand's northernmost city is the gateway to the Golden Triangle—the mountainous region where Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge. This region is also famous for its Lanna heritage. The Lanna Kingdom existed from the 13th to 18th centuries and had its own customs and traditions apart from the Kingdom of Siam (Thailand). It was renowned for its unique art and architecture, which was influenced by a blend of Thai, Burmese, and Mon cultures. Chiang Rai features many such architectural landmarks.

After checking into your hotel, you can head out and see these highlights on a self-guided tour. One can't-miss landmark is the ornate golden clock tower in the city center. You should also stop at the city's most famous temple, Wat Rong Khun, known as the White Temple. There's a newer temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten (the Blue Temple), which was completed in 2016. With its blinding blue walls, ornate carvings, and gold accents, it's even more extravagant than the White Temple. 

The north is also home to Thailand's ethnic highland community, known as hill tribes. These groups include the Hmong, Karen, and Shan people, whose ancestors emigrated from Myanmar and China, often as refugees fleeing war and persecution. To learn more info about the six major communities in northern Thailand, you can visit the fine Hilltribe Museum. When night falls, definitely plan a visit to Chiang Rai's Night Bazaar, which is full of delicious street food and souvenirs crafted by local artisans. 

Day 5: Golden Triangle Tour & Doi Mae Salong

Leave with your driver in the morning for a tour up to Doi Mae Salong. This mountainous region is known as much for its stunning natural beauty as its rich and unique history. Its green hills covered in tea fields were settled by a division of Chinese soldiers who fled in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, visitors come to enjoy the scenic views, tour tea plantations, enjoy Chinese-inspired cuisine, visit historic Buddhist temples, and marvel at the wild Himalayan cherry blossoms. 

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the town of Sop Ruak, where the river Ruak joins the Mekong on the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. There, you'll stop at a viewpoint to enjoy sweeping vistas over the Golden Triangle region. While here, your guide will point out where the borders meet and explain the history of the area and its notorious opium trade. Later, you'll return to your hotel in Chiang Rai.

Day 6: Transfer to Chiang Mai, Street Food Tuk-Tuk Tour

Continue your tour of Thailand's north with a morning transfer to Chiang Mai. The three-hour drive is scenic, passing towering mountains and green valleys, and includes a short break to soak in a natural hot spring. Eventually, you'll arrive in Chiang Mai. This city was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom and still retains many well-preserved historical landmarks, including its moat-encircled Old City. Upon arrival, you'll check into your hotel. Then, you can rest up for tonight's adventure.

At 6:30 pm, you'll meet your local foodie guide and hop in a tuk-tuk (auto rickshaw) on a tour to discover Chiang Mai's world-famous street food scene. During this three-hour excursion, you'll visit the city's lively markets and vendors, sampling mouthwatering specialties like curry fish cakes, sticky rice, pork skewers, and coconut desserts. Then, leave the market stalls and follow alleyways to a sleepy residential area where you'll sip a refreshing fruit shake. When the tour ends, you can return to the hotel or continue the foodie adventure on your own—the markets are open late. 

Day 7: Day Trip to Elephant Camp & Cooking Class

You're in for a treat, as this morning, you'll hop in a vehicle and head to the forests outside the city and Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. Kanta is just one of many rescue centers in the region that takes in abandoned and abused elephants. These organizations earn money through tourism, opening their doors to visitors who can admire these magnificent creatures in a humane and eco-friendly way.

This half-day activity begins with a change into a mahout (caretaker clothing), after which you'll meet the elephants and spend the morning feeding them. You'll also lead them down to the river and bathe them—a highlight for both the elephants and visitors. After spending time with your new elephant friends, it will be time to say goodbye. No doubt you'll have worked up an appetite, which is where the day's next activity comes in.

From the sanctuary, you'll transfer to an organic farm that doubles as a cooking school. Located outside Chiang Mai, it's a great opportunity to prepare delicious Thai cuisine while learning how to grow the produce used in each dish. The cooking workshop includes lessons on fundamental cooking techniques as well as samples of fresh vegetables from the farm and herbs from the garden. These include everything from basil and chili peppers to mushrooms and eggplant. After preparing a traditional Thai dish (and eating it), you'll return to Chiang Mai.

Day 8: Chiang Mai Cycling Tour

Eat a hearty breakfast because afterward, you'll enjoy some fun exercise on a half-day cycling tour in and around Chiang Mai. Meet your guide around 8:30 am, then peddle along the tranquil Ping River, the main waterway that cuts through Chiang Mai. Along the way, you'll stop to admire the forested brick stupas and mosaicked temples of Wat Ko Klang.

Next, cross a bridge onto a small river island, where you'll visit McKean, a former leper colony that's now a rehabilitation center. Other stops include an organic vegetable garden and a collection of archaeological sites and ancient temples. The tour ends around noon, at which point you can enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and spend the remainder of the day however you wish.

Day 9: Fly to Phuket, Fine Dining

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in Chiang Mai before your personal driver takes you to the airport for the two-hour flight south to Phuket. Capital of the largest island province in the country, this resort city is just as famous for its sun-kissed tropical beaches as it is for its raucous nightlife. Upon arrival at the airport, another driver will transport you to your hotel, and then you're free to discover the best of Phuket.

In the evening, you'll transfer to the Baan Rim Pa Royal Thai Restaurant for an evening of fine dining. The eatery's sophisticated teak and silk decor, live piano music, excellent Thai food, and cocktail bar make this one of Phuket's premier dining establishments. Dine on dishes such as tom yaam goan uan (spiced seafood soup), po pia sod (fresh spring rolls), and gaeng garee (yellow curry). Even better, you'll enjoy this authentic and refined cuisine while overlooking the Andaman Sea.

Day 10: Phi Phi Islands Swimming & Snorkeling Tour

Wake up early and embark on a full-day snorkeling/swimming excursion at the famous Phi Phi Islands. You'll transfer to the pier in Phuket around 7:30 am to board a speedboat for an hour's trip to Phi Phi Lee (Maya Beach"). One of the most stunning destinations in Thailand, Maya Beach is a secluded bay hemmed in by towering limestone cliffs on a romantic isle. If it looks familiar, it was featured in the 2000 film "The Beach."

Once here, you'll take a dip in the water in designated swimming areas and snap photos at other nearby highlights like Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave. On the way north to the larger island of Phi Phi Don, you'll pass Monkey Beach, which is named for the community of crab-eating macaques that live here. Upon arrival, you'll have time for snorkeling, followed by a delicious lunch. Later in the afternoon, visit Bamboo Island for more swimming or sunbathing on the beach. From here, you'll return to Phuket by boat and transfer back to your hotel.

Day 11: Day Trip to Phang Nga Bay

In the morning, return to the pier and board a boat for a full-day ride around the famous Phang Nga Bay. This leisurely cruise will take you north from Phuket amid the karst islets dotting the Andaman Sea. The first stop is Panak Island, where you'll enjoy a canoe trip through sea caves and mangroves. Then, continue to Hong Island for more canoeing/kayaking. As you paddle, you'll be accompanied by a local guide who will take you to hidden caves and lagoons. Return to the boat for a delicious buffet lunch.

In the afternoon, you'll visit Khao Phing Kan. This romantic island is most known for Ko Ta Pu, a towering limestone islet about 130 feet (40 m) offshore. Its famous nickname is "James Bond Island" because it was a shooting location in the film "The Man with the Golden Gun." On Khao Phing, you'll spend time at a secluded beach for swimming and sunbathing, then around 3:30 pm, return to the boat and transfer back to Phuket.

Day 12: Thai Cooking Class in Phuket

A local guide will pick you up in the morning and transfer you to a local cooking school in Phuket. During this half-day culinary workshop, which a chef oversees, you'll learn to prepare four to five authentic Thai dishes. It begins with a visit to a local market to browse fresh produce and spices. Then, equipped with the requisite ingredients, you'll take your place at your station and start cooking. At the end of the group class, everyone will sit down and enjoy their delicious creations and receive a culinary certificate. Afterward, you'll transfer back to your hotel and have the rest of the day free.

Day 13: Phuket Free Day, Sunset Dinner Cruise

Take the day to enjoy Phuket however you wish. One option is a visit to the historic Old Town area. Lining historic Thalang Road are colorful 19th-century shophouses and Sino-Portuguese buildings. There are also plenty of charming cafés and restaurants in the area where you can sit and relax with a good book. For beach time, head to a famous stretch of sand, like Patong, Kata, or Freedom Beach, for sunbathing and watersports like snorkeling and kayaking.

Later in the afternoon, you'll board a catamaran at the pier for a three-hour trip to a nearby island. During this leisurely ride, you'll glide across the Andaman Sea as the sun dips behind the horizon and ignites the water in brilliant golden hues. Once the sun has set, you'll head to the dining area for an authentic Thai meal before cruising back to the pier. If you like, spend the remainder of the evening reveling in Phuket's legendary nightlife. 

Day 14: Depart Phuket

All good things must come to an end, even food tours in Thailand. In the morning, you'll transfer to the airport in Phuket and catch your flight home. Safe travels!

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