Highlights
- Browse one of Thailand's largest markets, Chatuchak, in Bangkok
- Cross the bridge on the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi
- Explore the lush hidden temples on Chiang Mai's Doi Suthep Mountain
- Swim and snorkel on a Phuket island boat tour
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Bangkok & Explore | Bangkok |
| Day 2 | Best of Bangkok Tour | Bangkok |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Kanchanaburi, Floating Market & Bridge on the River Kwai | Kanchanaburi |
| Day 4 | Hiking & Waterfalls Erawan National Park | Kanchanaburi |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Ayutthaya & Palace Tour | Ayutthaya |
| Day 6 | Alms Giving Ceremony & Transfer to Sukhothai | Sukhothai |
| Day 7 | Transfer to Chiang Mai & Lampang Temples | Chiang Mai |
| Day 8 | Elephant Discovery Camp | Chiang Mai |
| Day 9 | Chiang Mai Temples Tour | Chiang Mai |
| Day 10 | Mae Rim Orchard Garden & Village Retreat | Mae Rim |
| Day 11 | Chiang Mai Cooking Class | Chiang Mai |
| Day 12 | Fly to Phuket & Free Day to Explore | Phuket |
| Day 13 | Similan Islands Speedboat & Snorkeling | Phuket |
| Day 14 | Discover Phuket's Beaches | Phuket |
| Day 15 | Depart Phuket |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok & Explore
Welcome to Thailand and Bangkok. A driver will meet you at the airport for a transfer to your hotel so you can get settled into the capital city. If you're ready to start exploring, you might begin in Chinatown for a first taste of street food or go to Siam Paragon, one of Thailand's largest shopping malls. Or, if you happen to be in Bangkok during the weekend, browse Chatuchak Market—more than 15,000 stalls selling clothes, flowers, food, antiques, and nearly anything else you can imagine.
After shopping or browsing, watch kickboxing—Thailand's signature sport—at Channel 7 Boxing Stadium or Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium. For more light-hearted entertainment, sit down for a traditional puppet show at the Joe Louis Theatre, or head to Warehouse 30 to check out the contemporary art scene, watch a film, or eat at a hip modern Thai restaurant.Day 2: Best of Bangkok Tour
In this city with more than 10 million inhabitants, traffic is a part of life. Today, go from place to place as the locals do, traveling by BTS Skytrain, MRT (Metropolitan Rapid Transit), boat, and bus. Spend the first part of your day seeing some of the city's most remarkable sites and temples. Admire the gilded reclining Buddha statue at Wat Pho, then take a walk in the Grand Palace complex and see Wat Phra Kaew and its Emerald Buddha. Make a stop for lunch, trying an array of street foods, including som tam (papaya salad), gai bing (grilled chicken skewers), or pad thai (fried noodles).
After lunch, travel by tuk-tuk (motorcycle taxi) to the Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall to learn about the history of the former Kingdom of Siam and Bangkok's founding. Then, see another perspective of Bangkok as you travel to your next destination by boat, riding along a Chao Phraya River canal to Hua Chang Pier. Get out for a stroll, stop at a shopping mall, or take a break to try more street food. At the end of your city tour, travel back to your hotel via BTS Skytrain.
Day 3: Transfer to Kanchanaburi, Floating Market & Bridge On The River Kwai
In the morning, meet your driver to travel south 49 miles (80 km) from Bangkok to Thailand's garden province Samut Songkhram in the Mae Klong River Delta. Join locals along railway tracks shopping for fresh produce, fish, and meat. Then at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, see vendors in boats showing off their most prized tropical fruits, vegetables, and fresh catches of the day.
At Kanchanaburi, see the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, a portion of the 415 km (258 mi) Thai-Burma railway line built in 1942. Take a short ride on the railway, and then stop for lunch near the bridge. After lunch, ride a long-tail boat on the Khwae Noi River to your Kanchanaburi hotel.
Day 4: Hiking & Waterfalls in Erawan National Park
Day 5: Transfer to Ayutthaya & Palace Tour
Go back in time today to learn about Thailand's history as the Kingdom of Siam, starting with a private transfer east traveling 97 miles (157 km) to Ayutthaya. As you pass through verdant countryside and rice fields, your guide will explain how the area once belonged to the Kingdom's royal families. Visit Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, one such home built by King Rama IV along the Chao Phraya River. Then visit the Buddhist Khmer-style Chaiwatthanaram Temple, the Temple of the Long Kingdom and Glorious Age.
At Ayutthaya, explore palaces, temples, and monasteries such as Wat Yai Chaimongkol, Wat Mahathat, and Wat Chai Wattanaram. Make a stop for lunch, and in the afternoon, reach your Ayutthaya hotel, where you can spend the evening relaxing or going out for dinner.
Day 6: Alms Giving Ceremony & Transfer to Sukhothai
Giving alms is a morning ritual for Buddhist monks, which sustains their communities and also represents a spiritual obligation. During the ceremony, monks walk through villages collecting food and money from the community as the sunrises. This morning, before leaving Ayutthaya, be part of this ritual by giving a food donation to the monks. After the ceremony, eat breakfast at your hotel, or on the go, in preparation for a half-day road trip.
A private driver will take you north from Ayutthaya to Sukhothai, traveling about 4.5 hours. In Sukhothai, settle in your hotel and prepare for a departure to Chiang Mai tomorrow.Day 7: Transfer to Chiang Mai & Lampang Temples
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
After lunch, get back in the car with time to get out and visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and Wat Pong Sanook as you learn about community-led conservation efforts to preserve the temples. Then, continue the trip north, arriving in Chiang Mai, where you can rest at your hotel and then go out for dinner.
Day 8: Elephant Discovery Camp
Today you'll have an up-close experience with elephants, traveling south from Chiang Mai through rolling hills, forests, and farmland to Elephant Discovery Camp. There, meet a mahout (elephant handler) who will introduce you to the animals and explain their routine to you, including what they eat and how they bathe and take care of each other.
Walk with the elephants down to Wang River, where it's bathing time in the water and mud. Learn from the mahout about how to prepare food for the elephants and communicate with them, and then help with feeding. Share lunch with your guide and the mahout at the camp, and return to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.
Day 9: Chiang Mai Temples Tour
At Doi Suthep Mountain, monks gather early for an alms ceremony. Get up at 6 am to contribute to the alms ceremony, and then continue up the mountain to explore temples. At Wat Doi Suthep, climb the Golden Naga staircase's 309 steps to reach its golden pagodas. Continue your temple tour at Wat Palad, the Temple below the Temple.
At Wat Umong, wander through passageways covered by moss and plants, and pass through tunnels to reach its viharn (assembly hall) for a blessing ceremony. After your temples tour, head down the hill to take a break for lunch. Try a bowl of khao soy with chicken, coconut cream, crispy noodles, and spices that is popular in northern Thailand. Go back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon, where you can spend the rest of the afternoon and evening exploring the city and its street food, with a taste of fried quail eggs, green papaya salad, or something new.Day 10: Mae Rim Orchard Garden & Village Retreat
Lush landscapes just outside Chiang Mai are your next destination as you travel about 30 minutes north to Mae Rim District. Your first stop is an orchid nursery with more than 50 varieties of orchids surrounded by butterflies floating peacefully in their natural habitats. Walk through the nursery, then get back in the car and take a break for lunch. After lunch, go off-road as you ride a pick-up truck to a Hmong village where you will spend the night.
Day 11: Chiang Mai Cooking Class
This morning takes you back to Chiang Mai as you prepare to fly to Phuket tomorrow. But first, it's time to learn more about the Thai dishes you've enjoyed eating during your trip with a group cooking class. At Asia Scenic Thai Cooking school, get to know a local family who will introduce you to some of northern Thailand's signature dishes, such as khao soi gai (egg noodles in curry broth) and gaeng ho (stir fry curry glass noodles).
Learn the ingredients to create the dishes as you taste herbs and chop vegetables. Eat with the group and then return to your hotel to prepare for your departure for Phuket.
Day 12: Fly to Phuket & Free Day to Explore
In the morning, get ready for the island part of your adventure to begin as you say goodbye to Chiang Mai. Meet your driver for a transfer to the airport and catch a two-hour flight south to Phuket. Set on the Andaman Coast, Phuket is known for its beaches, nightlife, and luxury resorts. With its landscapes of tropical rainforests, palm-fringed beaches, and craggy limestone cliffs, there are plenty of options from relaxation to adventure.
Pick a beach near your hotel to sunbathe and then sit back with a cold drink, go for a swim, or try snorkeling. To see more of Phuket from underwater, visit an aquarium in Cape Panwa. If you're feeling adventurous, get a ticket for Hanuman World Phuket, where you can soar through a jungle on ziplines. In the evening, eat seafood for dinner, browse a night market, or go for a drink or dancing on the lively Bangla Road.
Day 13: Similan Islands Speedboat & Snorkeling
The Similan Islands, on the maritime border between India and Thailand, are also known as Mu Ko Similan National Park. With the park closed for a few months each year to preserve the natural habitat, it maintains a serene island atmosphere.
Day 14: Discover Phuket's Beaches
For the last day of your Thailand adventure, your schedule is open to spend the day on the beach or however you'd like. If you decide to soak up some sun at one of Phuket's beaches, you have many options.
At Kata Beach, find soft white sand, shady palm trees, food vendors, and a laid-back atmosphere. At Nai Harn Beach, at the end of Phuket, walk around to shops and restaurants if you want to spend the day relaxing and looking for those last gifts to take home with you. For a true escape, head for Freedom Beach, where you can see some of the most pristine white sands in Phuket. To get there, follow a steep path or catch a long-tail boat and then enjoy the reward of a relaxing afternoon away from the crowds. At the end of the day, go out to a Phuket restaurant and get ready for your flight tomorrow.
Day 15: Depart Phuket
Today, it's time to say goodbye to Thailand. Spend a final few hours on the beach or souvenir shopping in Phuket before your transfer to the airport. Safe travels!
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