Thailand in Depth — A Private 13-Day Journey

Your Thailand adventure begins in Bangkok. Your private driver will meet you at the airport with a name sign and take you to your accommodation in the heart of the city. Explore at your own pace or relax after your flight.

Overnight in Bangkok.

Start early to hear the monks' morning chanting at Wat Pho at 09:00. Afterwards, explore the temple grounds and its immense Reclining Buddha. Continue to the Grand Palace to see its ornate buildings and throne halls, including the temple of the revered Emerald Buddha.

Travel by long-tail boat to Never Ending Summer restaurant for lunch. Choose one main course; drinking water is included.

Continue by long-tail boat through quieter canals. Stop at Wat Khun Chan, with time for a coffee before visiting Wat Paknam, its white stupa and museum. Cruise past old wooden houses and modern villas to an orchid and fruit farm, where you can stroll among the plants. Farm visits are seasonal and may change.

Please note: the Grand Palace can be very busy. Where possible, your guide may adjust the visit to early morning or late afternoon. If you would prefer to avoid the crowds, an alternative such as Wat Saket or Wat Suthat can be agreed before entering.

Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, leave Bangkok for Samut Songkhram province, approximately an hour away. The city's high-rises gradually give way to green countryside.

First, visit a railway market where vendors quickly move their stalls aside when a train arrives, then set them up again once it has passed. Continue to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Although popular with visitors today, it still offers an impression of Thailand's water-based trading traditions.

Take a leisurely paddle-boat trip through the canals to see the older market area and daily life along the water. Then walk among the boats and stalls selling tropical fruit and other goods. Have lunch at a local restaurant.

Travel by long-tail boat to a Buddhist temple and King Rama II Memorial Park, with its elaborately decorated Thai-style pavilions.

Please note: on Saturdays and Sundays, you can choose between Damnoen Saduak and the smaller, less touristy Tha Kha market. At Tha Kha, a short paddle-boat ride through side canals takes you to a traditional palm-sugar workshop.

Overnight in Bangkok.

Drive around 1.5 hours through countryside and rice fields to Ayutthaya, the UNESCO-listed former capital founded in the 14th century. Visit Wat Yai Chaimongkol and Wat Mahathat, known for its Buddha head entwined in tree roots. Walk through a local market to Wat Phra Si Sanphet, then explore the Muslim quarter, where you can try a local speciality such as roti with spun sugar.

After lunch at a local restaurant, take a long-tail boat ride of around one hour on the Chao Phraya. Visit Wat Niwet Thammaprawat, an unusual Buddhist temple with Gothic architecture and stained-glass windows. Cross the river by cable car, then use a golf cart to explore Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and its royal residences. Return to Bangkok by van afterwards; driving time depends on traffic.

Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, enjoy free time until your driver collects you from the lobby for your airport transfer. Fly to Chiang Mai and transfer to your hotel in the city centre.

Meet your guide this afternoon and drive around 30 minutes north to a long-tail boat pier. Walk through the grounds and herb garden before boarding. A boat trip of around 30 minutes along the rural Mae Ping River takes you past traditional wooden houses and modern homes.

From the pier, walk around ten minutes to Warorot Fresh Market for an introduction to northern Thai daily life. Transfer back to your hotel afterwards.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Leave your hotel around 06:30–07:00 for the drive of approximately 1.5 hours south of Chiang Mai through hills, forests and farmland.

At Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, change into traditional Karen clothing. Meet the elephants and learn how remedies are prepared for them. Feed the animals and spend time observing and interacting with them as the team explains their behaviour and individual stories. There will be opportunities for photographs.

Change into swimwear for the programme's mud-bath activity with the elephants by the river. Finish with a traditional Thai lunch, say goodbye to the animals and return to your hotel.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Leave your hotel at 06:00 with a packed breakfast. At the foot of Doi Suthep, buy offerings and join local residents for the daily alms-giving ritual, as barefoot monks collect food and everyday essentials.

Continue up the mountain and climb the Naga Staircase to Wat Doi Suthep. After exploring its golden pagodas, visit Wat Pha Lat, a historic temple below it, closely connected with the region's religious traditions.

Continue to the 14th-century Wat Umong, surrounded by forest, moss and greenery. Walk through its tunnels to the prayer hall for a private blessing ceremony. Afterwards, try khao soi, northern Thailand's rich coconut-based noodle dish with crisp noodles and spices.

This afternoon, visit the Three Kings Monument and Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre. Its elegant 1927 building stands on the site of a former royal hall and has served as both a regional administrative building and a provincial hall.

Please note: the itinerary lists the cultural centre as closed on Mondays and during Songkran, with usual opening hours of 08:30–17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday. Access will be confirmed for your visit.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Travel through scenic countryside to Mae Kampong village in Mae On district. Along the way, stop at a market to choose ingredients for lunch.

Meet your village hosts and walk through the community forest, passing tea and coffee fields. Back in the village, watch your host family prepare lunch and learn about rural Thai cooking.

After lunch, relax with a traditional Thai massage. A further village walk introduces the processing of fermented tea leaves and a variety of handmade products. Return through the mountains to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Enjoy your remaining time in Chiang Mai before your private driver takes you to the airport for your flight to Phuket and its inviting beaches.

Overnight on Phuket.

This morning, make a half-day visit to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in the rainforest of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. The itinerary allows approximately 09:30–13:30 for the visit and surrounding activities.

Learn about the project's mission, research and the gibbons in its care. Help prepare food balls wrapped in banana leaves, which are delivered to the animals from a distance through a feeding system.

The team explains how they observe gibbons and collect research data. Learn to recognise different calls and movements, and hear about the fieldwork carried out deep in the forest.

With luck, you may also spot wildlife such as Oriental hornbills, colugos, flying lizards and golden orb-weaver spiders. The project activity is described as finishing around midday, with an additional hour recommended for a rainforest walk to the waterfall.

Spend the afternoon relaxing at the beach.

Overnight on Phuket.

Phuket's beaches vary in scenery, atmosphere, facilities and even the texture of their sand. Today, choose the one that suits you.

Kata Beach combines soft white sand, shady palms, water sports and a relaxed atmosphere. Small food and drink stalls make it easy to spend a full day here.

Nai Harn, at Phuket's southern end, sits in a small bay backed by a lake. Its setting has limited development compared with some other beaches, while hotels, shops and restaurants remain nearby.

For a more secluded outing, consider Freedom Beach and its white sand. Access involves a steep walk or a long-tail boat trip. It is known for a quieter atmosphere, away from motorised water sports; access and local conditions may vary.

Overnight on Phuket.

Explore Phuket independently. Thailand's largest island offers sandy shores, forested hills, mountains, limestone cliffs, plains, lagoons and tropical woodland. Take time to relax on the beach, swim or snorkel.

For an independent outing, consider Phuket Aquarium at Cape Panwa or the ziplines at Flying Hanuman. In the evening, browse the night markets or enjoy a drink along lively Bangla Road. These suggested activities are optional.

Overnight on Phuket.

Enjoy breakfast and check out of your hotel. We wish you a pleasant journey home.