Thailand Explorer - 13 Days / 12 Nights
• Bangkok: 2 night
• Kanchanaburi: 1 night
• Ayutthaya: 1 night
• Sukhothai: 2 nights
• Chiang Rai: 2 nights
• Chiang Mai: 2 nights
ITINERARY
Day 1: Your home to Bangkok
Depart your home on your overnight flight to Bangkok.
Day 2: Bangkok
On arrival, transfer to your hotel for check-in and the rest of the day at leisure.
Stay: The Landmark Bangkok (or similar).
Day 3: Bangkok
Today you will explore this vibrant city on a full day tour. Visit two of the most impressive temples in Bangkok: the Royal Grand Palace and the Reclining Buddha Temple (Wat Pho). After which lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the private Thai style house of Jim Thomson, the "father" of the famous Thai silk industry, and marvel at his private Asian arts collection. Continue to Khao San Road to truly get a feel for this bustling city before taking the Manohra Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River. Have a delicious Thai dinner on an elegant rice barge as you pass Bangkok’s landmarks which are lit up at night. Finish the night back at your hotel.
Stay: The Landmark Bangkok (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
It’s an early start as you begin your journey to Kanchanaburi, with stops at two incredible markets. At Maeklong Railway Market, watch as vendors sell their goods on the train tracks, swiftly pulling back their tables and awnings to let trains squeeze past, before resuming back to business again. At Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, you’ll get to see the famous tangle of waterways where vendors sell everything from trinkets to made-to-order pad thai from boats and stilted shops. On arrival in Kanchanaburi, learn about the humbling history of the Death Railway at the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre and visit the Allied War Cemetery, built for the prisoners of war. Continue by road to your hotel on the River Kwai and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Approx. journey time: 5 hours.
Stay: Home Phutoey River Kwai Resort (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya
After breakfast, see the Hellfire Pass Memorial. It’s a moving experience as you visit the place where hundreds of prisoners of war were put to work chiselling a railway path out of a mountain in cruel conditions. After lunch, you’ll ride the Death Railway Train which passes over a wooden viaduct built by prisoners of war, ending at the River Kwai Bridge. Continue to your hotel in Ayutthaya and have the rest of the day at leisure. Approx. journey time: 3 hours.
Stay: Sala Ayutthaya (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6: Ayutthaya to Sukhothai
Today you’ll have a full day to explore the former capital of the Kingdom of Siam, Ayutthaya, and learn about this spiritual country’s religious and royal history as you visit temples and monasteries. At lunch, you’ll get to taste roti sai mai, the famous Thai candy floss, before visiting the Bang Pa In Summer Palace which is usually less busy in the afternoon. Check in to your hotel in Sukhothai for dinner. Approx. journey time: 5 hours.
Stay: Sriwilai Sukhothai (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Day 7: Sukhothai
Visit Ban Na Ton Chan in the morning, a village where locals welcome visitors to show them their way of softening printed textiles using mud. Artisans make and sell baskets, furniture, dolls, chopsticks and woven cloth here – it’s a great place to find an authentic souvenir that directly supports the community. Watch a noodle-making demonstration and taste some before spending the late afternoon at Sukhothai Historical Park. See the weathered chedis and Buddha statues of what was once the 13th-Century capital of Thailand, then enjoy your free time this evening to spend however you like.
Stay: Sriwilai Sukhothai (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8: Sukhothai to Chiang Rai
Start your day in the most peaceful way as you rise early to make merit with local monks. After breakfast, set off for Chiang Rai, stopping at a pineapple plantation in Lampang and Phayao Lake on the way. Approx. journey time: 6¼ hours.
Stay: The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: Chiang Rai
Head to the Golden Triangle View Point, the point where Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Laos meet. Learn about the history of the Golden Triangle’s opium trade at the Hall of Opium, then stop by Chiang Rai’s famous Wat Rong Khun on the way back. This is one of the more unusual temples you’ll find in Thailand; it’s also known as White Temple for its elaborate all-white meringue-esque design. Return to your hotel for some free time.
Stay: The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 10: Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai
Take a songthaew (a two-row seated truck) this morning to visit two Northern hill tribe villages of the Akha and Yao tribes. Continue to the handicraft village of Sankampaeng to watch traditional Thai lacquerware and Thai silk being made. After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll continue to Chiang Mai and you will end your day enjoying the sunset and listening to the chanting monks at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Approx. journey time: 5½ hours.
Stay: Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa Chiang Mai (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11: Chiang Mai
Today is an early start to beat the crowds at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a lovely mountaintop temple and one of Chiang Mai’s important landmarks. Next, spend half a day at the heartwarming Elephant Care Centre, where elephants are cared for in later life. After a brief introduction and training, you’ll change into mahout clothes and make elephant medicine balls with local Thai herbs before following the elephants down a nature trail to a river for bath time. You’ll have time to clean up and have lunch before returning to your hotel for free time. Tonight, there’s a special farewell dinner at a Lanna house with a local host family. You’ll have the chance to cook your own homemade Thai dish with ingredients from the family garden in a wonderfully, intimate way to end your tour. Enjoy your home-cooked meal after watching the sun set over the Lanna village.
Stay: Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa Chiang Mai (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 112: Chiang Mai
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to your home or extend your stay.
Meals: Breakfast
Stay longer
Combine tours
Spend more time in South East Asia by combining this tour with Ultimate Indochina.
Thailand Beach
We have a variety of resorts across Thailand's coast and islands, so why not extend to have a few days enjoying the crystal clear waters and gorgeous beaches.
ABOUT THIS TOUR
Is this for you?
You’ll discover Thailand’s history, spend time with monks and hill tribes, cook with a local family and meet Asian elephants.
Good to know
• For guests over 16 (unless travelling on a private journey, where the minimum age is 10)
• Average group size of 10 guests
• A maximum of 16 guests
• Journey times do not take into account stops or traffic conditions
• We recommend travelling with no more than one suitcase and one day bag
What to expect
• A pair of comfortable walking shoes is recommended
• A considerable amount of travelling with some early starts
• Visits to rural villages, temples and cultural sites
• Busy days with lots of walking and exploring on foot
• Knees and shoulders need to be covered during temple visits
• Some experiences are seasonal and may be subject to change
• Some long journeys and early starts
• The duration of this tour will be 11 nights for guests returning to your home on a day flight
Accommodation on tour
In Bangkok, you’ll stay close to the main sights at The Landmark Bangkok, just off Sukhumvit Road. We’ve picked traditional Thai accommodation for many of your destinations to give you a real flavour of this mesmerising country. There are limited options in Kanchanaburi, so we’ve chosen a good-value, basic hotel with an amazingly peaceful location on the River Kwai.
Solo travellers
Sole-use room from 3150 EUR
DATES & INCLUSIONS
Tour dates
2021 - unspecified
Included in price
• Quality accommodation
• Insightful local tour leaders
• Hand-picked itineraries
• Flexible arrival times
• Small groups
• Porterage and guide tips
• Meals where most convenient (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• All specified flights
Upgrade your tour
Private tour
Upgrade to a private tour with a local tour leader on the same itinerary, departing on the date of your choice from 3850 EUR per person.