Itinerary
- Day 1
Chiang Rai
You'll arrive at Chiang Rai Airport and get transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend however you like. Wander through the old town that traces back to King Mangrai from the 13th century, or head to the night bazaar if you want to sample local food and goods.
Optional Activities
- Explore the old town of Chiang Rai
- Browse the night bazaar
Landmarks/POIs Chiang Rai Night Bazaar - Day 2
Chiang Rai - Golden Triangle - Chiang Saen
After breakfast, start at the King Mangrai monument then move on to the Hilltribe Museum to learn about the highland communities. You'll travel to Mae Chan to visit Yao and Akha hill tribe villages and see how people live there. Later, you'll reach Mae Sai border town and then the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. Following lunch, climb the 350 steps to Wat Phra That Chom Kitti on the hilltop. Back in Chiang Rai by evening, you'll have free time to relax.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Hilltribe Museum and Education Centre
- Explore Mae Chan district hill tribe villages (Yao and Akha peoples)
- Visit Mae Sai border town and market
- Explore Golden Triangle natural wilderness
- Visit Wat Phra That Chom Kitti temple
Landmarks/POIs Hilltribe Museum and Education Centre Mae Chan District Mae Sai Golden Triangle Wat Phra That Chom Kitti - Day 3
Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai
This morning after breakfast, you'll head toward Chiang Mai with a stop at Wat Rong Khun, the white temple built in the 1990s. Once in Chiang Mai, go up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep on the mountain for views across the city (you can climb 309 steps or take the cable car). Board a River Ping cruise with a farm stop where you'll have khao soi noodle curry and watch traditional dance. Walk through the flower and produce market before heading back to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Khao soi noodle curry at farm with traditional dance performances)
Included Activities
- Visit Wat Rong Khun temple
- Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple
- Cable car to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
- River Ping cruise
- Farm lunch with traditional dance performances
- Walk through local flower and fresh produce market
Optional Activities
- Climb 309-step naga staircase to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (alternative to cable car)
Landmarks/POIs Wat Rong Khun Wat Phra That Doi Suthep River Ping - Day 4
Chiang Mai
After breakfast, visit Elephant Poopoopaper Park, an eco-friendly museum where you can learn and help make paper from elephant dung fibers. You'll walk through eight pavilions seeing the whole process. Later, explore Chiang Mai's old town visiting Wat Suan Dok with its 48-metre Sri Lankan-style chedi, Wat Phra Sing with over 60 buildings, and the 14th-century Wat Chedi Luang right in the old city center.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch in local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Elephant Poopoopaper Park with interpretive walking tour
- Participate in elephant poop paper-making process
- Visit Wat Suan Dok temple
- Visit Wat Phra Sing temple
- Visit Wat Chedi Luang temple
Optional Activities
- Khantoke dinner in Chiang Mai
Landmarks/POIs Elephant Poopoopaper Park Wat Suan Dok Wat Phra Sing Wat Chedi Luang - Day 5
Chiang Mai to Sukhothai
After breakfast, travel to Lamphun to see Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, a golden temple complex with roots going back to the Mon Kingdom in the eighth century. Then continue to the town of Lampang to visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. Following lunch, drive through scenic countryside to Sukhothai Historical Park, arriving late afternoon. You'll explore the ruins of ancient Sukhothai, Thailand's first capital.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Delicious lunch)
Included Activities
- Visit Wat Phra That Hariphunchai temple
- Visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang temple
- Explore Sukhothai Historical Park UNESCO World Heritage Site
Landmarks/POIs Wat Phra That Hariphunchai Lampang Wat Phra That Lampang Luang Sukhothai Historical Park - Day 6
Sukhothai to Ayutthaya
Start by joining locals during the morning alms round when Buddhist monks collect food. Drive south and stop for lunch in Chai Nat. Travel the historical route from Sukhothai through Uthai Thani to Ayutthaya, following Siam's southward movement. When you arrive, visit Ayutthaya Historical Park to see Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the adjacent Viharn Phra Mongkol Bophit with its golden Buddha. Walk through the ruins of Wat Phra Mahathat where a Buddha statue sits entwined in tree roots.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch in Chai Nat)
Included Activities
- Join morning food offering to Buddhist monks alms round
- Visit Wat Phra Si Sanphet temple
- Visit Viharn Phra Mongkol Bophit temple
- Visit Wat Phra Mahathat temple ruins
- Explore Ayutthaya Historical Park UNESCO World Heritage Site
Landmarks/POIs Wat Phra Si Sanphet Viharn Phra Mongkol Bophit Wat Phra Mahathat Ayutthaya Historical Park - Day 7
Ayutthaya to Kanchanaburi
Drive through peaceful landscapes to Kanchanaburi, a quiet town where the Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai rivers meet. Visit the war cemetery, final resting place for thousands of World War II soldiers, and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre to learn about the harsh conditions POWs and Thai laborers faced building the military railway. After lunch, the rest of the day is free to spend as you choose.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Allied War Cemetery
- Visit Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
Optional Activities
- Visit Death Railway Bridge
Landmarks/POIs Allied War Cemetery Thailand-Burma Railway Centre Death Railway Bridge - Day 8
Kanchanaburi to Bangkok
After breakfast, drive toward Nakhon Pathom to visit the temple with the 127-metre-high Phra Pathommachedi stupa, the tallest in the world. Next, head to Damnoen Saduak, famous for its vibrant floating markets where dozens of boats move through selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and local food. From there, continue to Bangkok for hotel drop-off in the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Phra Pathommachedi stupa temple
- Experience Damnoen Saduak floating markets
Landmarks/POIs Phra Pathommachedi Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets - Day 9
Bangkok
You have the whole day to explore Bangkok on your own. If it's your first time, consider doing a half-day temple tour hitting the famous spots like the Royal Grand Palace (royal residence from the 18th to mid-20th century) and Wat Phra Kaew, the most sacred temple in Bangkok with the Emerald Buddha. In the evening, you can book an optional Thai and International Buffet Dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River with live music, sailing past Wat Arun and the Grand Palace.
Optional Activities
- Half-day tour of popular Buddhist temples
- Visit Royal Grand Palace
- Visit Wat Phra Kaew temple
- Thai and International Buffet Dinner cruise on Chao Phraya River with entertainment
Landmarks/POIs Royal Grand Palace Wat Phra Kaew Wat Arun Chao Phraya River - Day 10
Bangkok
Have one last breakfast at your hotel, then the day is free until your transfer to Bangkok Airport for the next part of your travel plans.
- Meals
- Breakfast
