Itinerary
- Day 1
Bangkok
Your private driver meets you at Bangkok airport and takes you to your hotel in the city center. The rest of the day is yours to settle in, rest up, or walk around and get a feel for the city.
Optional Activities
- Explore Bangkok at your own pace
- Day 2
Bangkok
You'll head out at 8:00 AM toward Ratchaburi province, southwest of Bangkok. First stop is a sugar palm factory where you see how they extract and process sugar from palm trees. After that, you'll board a long-tail boat and cruise through local canals to reach Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. There you can browse what vendors are selling, try fresh coconut and fruit juices, and grab some souvenirs before heading back to Bangkok.
Included Activities
- Visit sugar palm factory
- Long-tail boat ride to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
- Explore Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Optional Activities
- Sample local food and beverages at the floating market
- Purchase souvenirs at the floating market
Landmarks/POIs Damnoen Saduak Floating Market - Day 3
Bangkok
This morning takes you to a cooking school in Bangkok. You start by checking out a local market to learn about ingredients and the history behind Thai dishes. Then you'll move to your own cooking station where you'll make three main Thai dishes, a dessert, and curry paste from scratch with instructors showing you how. You get to eat what you've cooked, and you can take leftovers back with you.
Included Activities
- Local market visit for ingredient selection and culinary history lesson
- Thai cooking class - preparation of three main dishes
- Thai cooking class - dessert preparation
- Thai cooking class - curry paste preparation
- Meal featuring your prepared dishes
Optional Activities
- Vegetarian dish options
- Take prepared food home
Landmarks/POIs Sompong Thai Cooking School - Day 4
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
After breakfast at your hotel, you're transferred to Bangkok airport for your flight to Chiang Mai. When you land, a local representative picks you up and takes you to your hotel. Once checked in, the day is open for resting or starting to explore Chiang Mai on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Optional Activities
- Explore Chiang Mai at your own pace
- Day 5
Chiang Mai
A guided temple tour walks you through Chiang Mai's 700-year history. You'll head up the hill to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a 600-year-old temple sitting 3,500 feet above the city. Climbing the 306 steps of the Naga staircase brings you to the copper-plated Chedi with its gold parasol holding Buddha relics. On clear days, views of the city from up there are really nice. Later, you'll see Wat Saun Dok and Wat Chedi Louang temples back in the city.
Included Activities
- Guided temple tour of historic Chiang Mai
- Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple
- Climb 306-step Naga staircase
- Visit Wat Saun Dok temple
- Visit Wat Chedi Louang temple
Landmarks/POIs Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Wat Saun Dok Wat Chedi Louang - Day 6
Chiang Mai
This day is yours to explore Chiang Mai however you'd like. If you're interested, there's an optional half-day elephant sanctuary tour available where you can spend time with elephants, help care for them, and experience the sanctuary setting in a group environment.
Optional Activities
- Explore Chiang Mai at your own pace
- Half-day Elephant Sanctuary with Lunch - Join in a group tour (US $85 per person, 06:30-12:30): Drive approximately 1.5 hours through rolling hills and forest to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary; learn about elephants and change into traditional Karen clothing; meet and feed elephants, provide medicine, interact and play; participate in mud spa with elephants; walk elephants to river for bathing; enjoy traditional meal before departure; return drive to Chiang Mai
Landmarks/POIs Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - Day 7
Chiang Mai to Siem Reap
You'll have breakfast at your hotel before transferring to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. A local representative meets you when you arrive and takes you to your hotel. After checking in, the rest of your day is free to relax or explore the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Optional Activities
- Explore Siem Reap at your own pace
- Day 8
Siem Reap
Following breakfast, you'll spend the day exploring the UNESCO temples of Angkor. You start at Angkor Thom's South Gate, then move through Bayon Temple with its 54 towers built by King Jayavarman VII in the late 1100s to early 1200s. From there, you'll see the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, Elephants Terrace, and Terrace of the Leper King. In the afternoon, you check out Preah Khan (which once housed over 1,000 monks) and Ta Prohm surrounded by jungle, finishing at Angkor Wat, the world's largest temple complex at 200 hectares.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Angkor Thom and South Gate
- Visit Bayon Temple
- Visit Royal Enclosure
- Visit Phimeanakas
- Visit Elephants Terrace
- Visit Terrace of the Leper King
- Visit Preah Khan temple
- Visit Ta Prohm temple
- Visit Angkor Wat
Landmarks/POIs Angkor Thom Bayon Temple Preah Khan Ta Prohm Angkor Wat - Day 9
Siem Reap
After breakfast, you'll take a private boat with a guide across Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. You'll observe the floating villages where people live on water in homes, schools, and police stations. Since the village moves with water levels and currents, you get to see how communities actually live and adapt to life on the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Included Activities
- Private boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake
- Visit floating village with private guide
Landmarks/POIs Tonle Sap Lake - Day 10
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
You'll grab breakfast at your hotel, then head to the bus station for the 5-hour overland drive to Phnom Penh. Once you arrive, you're transferred to your hotel for check-in.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
- Day 11
Phnom Penh
After breakfast, you'll visit the Royal Palace (the king's current residence) with its architecture styled like a small royal town. Next is the Silver Pagoda, which contains treasures including a 90-kg golden Buddha covered in 2,086 diamonds. You'll also see Wat Phnom Temple, an important pagoda built in 1373 on an artificial hill. In the afternoon, you tour Tuol Sleng Museum (the former S-21 prison) and then browse Russian Market for clothing, Buddha images, woodcarvings, silk, and jewelry.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Royal Palace
- Visit Silver Pagoda
- Visit Wat Phnom Temple
- Visit Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 prison)
- Visit Russian Market (Toul Tumpong Market)
Landmarks/POIs Royal Palace Silver Pagoda Wat Phnom Tuol Sleng Museum Russian Market (Toul Tumpong Market) - Day 12
Phnom Penh to Koh Rong
After breakfast, you'll drive overland to Sihanoukville port (without a guide). From there, you'll board a speedboat to Koh Rong island where you'll spend your beach time.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Landmarks/POIs Koh Rong Island - Day 13
Koh Rong
This day is all yours on the beach. Have breakfast at your hotel, then spend the day swimming, relaxing on the sand, and soaking up the island atmosphere however you like.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Optional Activities
- Beach activities and leisure time
- Day 14
Koh Rong
Another free day at your leisure on the island beach. After breakfast, you can swim, relax, explore around the beach, or just take things easy at your own pace.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
Optional Activities
- Beach activities and leisure time
- Day 15
Koh Rong to Sihanoukville
Following breakfast, you'll take a speedboat back to Sihanoukville mainland. A driver picks you up (no guide) and takes you to the airport for your departure flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast (At hotel)
