Luxury Thailand Cities & Nature: Bangkok & Chiang Mai - 10 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok, Spa Treatment

Welcome to Thailand! Touch down in the buzzing capital Bangkok, which is beloved for its chaotic energy, tasty street food, nightlife, and Buddhist sights. A driver will take you to the 5-star Siam Kempinski Hotel in the city's heart, connected by a walkway to the high-end Siam Paragon Mall. Settle into your chic room, which blends Thai design with modern flare, including a balcony overlooking gardens and a free-form pool.

Spend the afternoon relaxing at your lavish resort or explore Bangkok independently. Soak up some Buddhist culture with a trip to Wat Saket, a hilltop temple that offers supreme sunset city views. Afterward, satisfy your taste buds at the Michelin-starred street food stall, Jay Fai, where you can try their coveted crab omelet.

Head to the renowned Oasis Spa this evening for a decadent two-hour massage. Enjoy a combination of Thai massage and aromatherapy techniques, complete with a herbal hot compress. The session ends with a hot oil massage leaving you in a state of serene bliss.

Day 2: Bangkok Temples, Palaces & Canals Tour

Take a private guided tour of Bangkok's cultural wonders today. Start with a visit to Wat Pho, a temple founded during the 16th century that houses a 150-foot-long (46 m) reclining Buddha statue whose feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Move on to the Grand Palace, a complex of intricate temples and palaces built in 1782, which served as the royal family's home for 150 years. Today, the palace is used for royal ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and state banquets. Highlights include the Reception Hall, Coronation Hall, and Wat Phra Kaew, which houses the Emerald Buddha statue, a 26-inch (66 cm) jade statue of a meditating Buddha.

Next, board a wooden long-tail boat for a private journey through the snaking Thonburi canals, where you'll get a glimpse of local life and authentic Thai-style stilt houses on the riverbank. Sail over to Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn (named after the Indian dawn god, Aruna), where you'll marvel at the glass and Chinese porcelain architecture. Finish with a meal at the acclaimed Sala Rattanakosin before returning to your hotel.

Day 3: Jim Thompson House, Suan Pakkad Palace & Gourmet Dining

Delve into the history of Bangkok today with a private tour of the city's top museums. Start at the Jim Thompson House, a complex of six teak buildings that showcase Thai architecture, set among landscaped gardens. Explore this historic property, once home to American Jim Thompson, who was credited with revitalizing the Thai silk industry. Peruse the museum's collection of Southeast Asian art and artifacts from the silk industry.

Continue to the Suan Pakkad Palace, which belongs to the Prince and Princess Chumbhot. Tour eight teak Thai houses filled with fine art and antiques belonging to the royal couple. Notable features include musical instruments and Ban Chiang pottery that dates back over 4,000 years. After your visit, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy Bangkok at your own speed.

After a well-earned rest at your hotel, head out for a gourmet dining experience at Nahm this evening. This Michelin-starred eatery has been listed as one of the top 10 restaurants in Asia in the annual San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna lists and is known for its diverse menu of regional Thai dishes. Try favorites such as gang chak som (orange smoked kingfish curry) and tom yum gung (river prawn and mushroom soup).

Day 4: Muay Thai Training, Evening Street Food Tuk-Tuk Tour

This morning, relax by the hotel pool with a cocktail or retreat to the opulent on-site spa to indulge in various treatments. Choose from a menu of massages themed around the European seasons, or try the couple's Royal Siam Signature Experience, which includes a body scrub, Thai herbal bath, body massage, facial, and soothing hot oil scalp massage.

In the afternoon, you'll take a private transfer to the Thai Boxing School for a professional Muay Thai (Thai boxing) session. This traditional form of martial arts evolved centuries ago in Thailand, and many of its techniques are today used in kickboxing and MMA. Learn from a Muay Thai expert in this exclusive one-on-one training class.

After freshening up at the hotel, meet your guide for a private, exhilarating tuk-tuk food tour of Bangkok. You'll hop on the colorful vehicle and travel through the thrumming city streets to Chinatown. Arrive just as the sun sets and the bright lights of Yaowarat Road and the Odeon Circle come on. Get lost in the narrow alleys, home to food, textile, and jewelry stores.

You'll taste at least seven Thai and Chinese dishes from street food vendors. These may include satay (grilled meat with a peanut sauce), sala pow (steamed buns with meat or vegetables inside), and khao niew mamuang (mango sticky rice). Afterward, travel by tuk-tuk to Thatien Pier for a photo stop of Wat Arun and pass through Pak Klong Talad Market to see stalls laden with flowers, fruit, and spices. End at The Press Sky Bar for rooftop cocktails with twinkling skyline views.

Day 5: Mae Klong Railway Market & Damnern Saduak Floating Market

Today you'll discover some of Bangkok's sprawling markets on a private tour. Drive through the high-rise urban landscape to Samut Songkharm on the rural outskirts of the capital. Here you'll visit the Mae Klong Railway Market, which sits along the tracks; when a train pulls in or out of the station, the vendors quickly clear their stalls, only to set them up again moments later when the train has passed.

Continue to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi, 62 miles (100 km) southwest of the capital. Paddle through the maze of canals past vendors selling exotic fruit and handicrafts from their boats. Hail down the food vendors for a spot of lunch of delicious Thai food and witness traders selling food and handicrafts on their boats. Return to your hotel afterward for a final evening in Bangkok.

Day 6: Fly to Chiang Mai & Relax

Say goodbye to Bangkok today and fly north to the temple-studded city of Chiang Mai. Set in the cooler, mountainous north of Thailand, Chiang Mai was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom and still retains its moat-encircled Old City. The city is a key cultural hub, home to historical architecture and over 300 temples where orange-robed monks live and worship.

A driver will be waiting to take you to 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai, where you'll check into an elegant suite overlooking tropical gardens. This boutique hotel lies in an original teak house that dates back to 1889, which has been carefully restored. Each suite has high ceilings, handcrafted furniture, a Victorian bathtub, and a veranda. In the flower-filled gardens, you'll find a stunning lap pool.

Settle into your hotel with a swim, some high-end afternoon tea in the gardens, or a massage at the Nitra Serenity Center. 137 Pillars House lies in Chiang Mai's Wat Gate neighborhood, less than a 10-minute walk from the Old City walls. If you're feeling active, wander the tree-lined streets of the Old City, popping into ancient temples. Wat Phra Singh is the place to enjoy a fiery sunset, then make your way to the Night Bazaar to shop for everything from clothing to paintings and handicrafts.

Day 7: Chiang Mai Markets & Temples Tour

Discover Chiang Mai's cultural treasures today on a private guided tour. Begin with a stroll through the winding alleyways of Wat Gatekaram, an old trading community, before moving on to Warorot Market. This bustling market is a food lover's paradise, offering various local snacks, fresh produce, and ready-to-eat meals.

Continue to Wat Chedi Luang, one of the city's most impressive temples, built in typical Lanna style with a towering stupa. Here, you can make offerings to monks and receive their blessings. Take a break to sample a creamy bowl of khao soy, a famous northern Thai dish with crispy noodles, coconut cream, and a spicy kick.

The day's highlight is visiting Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a sacred temple atop the mountain. Climb the 309 steps of the naga (serpent) staircase to the temple's pagodas and copper-plated chedi, which contain relics of Lord Buddha. On a clear day, the temple grounds offer sweeping views of Chiang Mai. Afterward, return to the city for dinner and a relaxing evening; browse the stalls at the Night Bazaar or rest at your luxury suite.

Day 8: Elephant Caregiver Experience

Get to know Thailand's iconic national animal today with a private elephant care experience. You'll travel to a valley outside the city, where you'll meet mahouts (professional elephant caregivers). They'll teach you how to approach and befriend these gentle creatures and perform health care inspections.

You'll get a chance to feed the elephants a mixture of sugar cane and banana and take them for a walk down to the river to be washed and brushed. Have lunch at the project and then say goodbye to the animals before heading back to Chiang Mai, where you can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing by the pool. 

Day 9: Temples, Long Neck Village & Sticky Waterfalls Tour

Escape the city today and take a private drive into the countryside to visit Chiang Dao Cave, located 45 miles (73 km) from the city in the Chiang Dao Mountains. This 7.5-mile (12 km) system of underground passages and caverns is the largest of its kind in the region; take a tour to learn its legends and admire striking limestone rock formations. Continue to the Buddhist temple of Wat Tham Phabong, which is nestled among verdant landscapes.

Next, appreciate some of northern Thailand's unique hill community culture with a trip to a Padong Karen Village, an agricultural community hailing from Myanmar, where people grow rice, tea, and tobacco. The Padong people are well known for their jewelry; women wear brass rings around their necks from an early age, which creates an elongated neck.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before visiting Wat Baan Den (Grand Blue Temple). This Buddhist temple and monastery features 12 pagodas built to worship the 12 zodiac animal signs and has beautiful meditation halls, statues, and monks' living quarters. Your last stop of the day is the Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfalls), a multi-tiered waterfall where the mineral deposits make the rock grippy enough to climb. Afterward, return to Chiang Mai for a final evening in your opulent hotel.

Day 10: Depart Chiang Mai

Today your luxury Thailand adventure ends, and you'll be transferred to the airport in Chiang Mai for your onward flight. Safe travels!