Amazing Thailand: Ancient Capitals, the Lanna North and Koh Lanta in 16 Days

Your private guide and driver meet you at Bangkok airport and take you to your hotel. Check-in is from 14:00, so if you arrive early we can suggest a café nearby. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight, enjoy the pool or take a first walk around the neighborhood. Your guide will share tips and go over the plan for the days ahead.Overnight: Bangkok

Begin at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha and the most sacred site in Thailand. Walk on to Wat Pho to see the 45-meter Reclining Buddha. After lunch, explore the busy streets of Chinatown and Wat Traimit with its solid gold Buddha. In the afternoon, a long-tail boat carries you along the Chao Phraya River and the canals of Thonburi to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn.Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B

Drive into the countryside of Samut Songkhram. At Maeklong Railway Market, stalls fold back as the train passes just inches away. Then take a paddle boat through the canals of Damnoen Saduak floating market, or the quieter Tha Kha market on weekends. Continue to Kanchanaburi to visit the Allied cemetery and the Bridge on the River Kwai, then ride the Death Railway from Wang Pho for 30 minutes along the river.Overnight: Kanchanaburi · Meals: B

Spend the morning at Erawan National Park, where a seven-tiered waterfall drops through the forest into clear turquoise pools. Walk up through the tiers as far as you like, and bring good shoes and a swimsuit if you want a dip. In the afternoon, drive to Ayutthaya, the royal capital founded in 1350 and once known as the Venice of the East for its waterways.Overnight: Ayutthaya · Meals: B

Explore Ayutthaya by its round-fronted local tuk-tuk. Visit Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Mahathat, where a Buddha head rests in the roots of a tree, and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, with a walk through a local market on the way. Then begin the long, scenic drive north via Uthai Thani and Phitsanulok to Sukhothai, the cradle of Thai culture, arriving in the late afternoon.Overnight: Sukhothai · Meals: B

Pick up bicycles and ride through Sukhothai Historical Park, which holds nearly 200 ruined chedis. Start with the giant seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum, then pedal to Wat Phra Phai Luang, Wat Si Sawai with its Khmer-style towers, Wat Sa Si on its island, and Wat Traphang Ngoen. The paths are flat and shaded in places. In the afternoon, drive north to Lampang, a pleasant town of old teak houses.Overnight: Lampang · Meals: B

Visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, a 13th-century temple preserved in its original Lanna style, with open-sided halls and a golden chedi. Then take a 30-minute ride in a horse-drawn carriage, a Lampang tradition, through town and nearby villages. After lunch, continue north, stopping for coffee beside Phayao Lake, and arrive in Chiang Rai by the end of the day.Overnight: Chiang Rai · Meals: B

Start at the local market to see the fruit and produce of the hills. Visit Wat Phra Kaew, where the Emerald Buddha was first found, and Wat Phra Singh. Drive to Baan Dam, the Black House of artist Thawan Duchanee, a striking complex of dark teak buildings. In the afternoon, see the Blue Temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten, and finish at the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, shimmering with mirrored glass.Overnight: Chiang Rai · Meals: B

Drive to Chiang Saen, an ancient city on the banks of the Mekong, and visit the Opium Museum to understand the history of the region. After lunch near the Golden Triangle, take a boat on the Mekong to the point where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. In the afternoon, travel directly to Chiang Mai, the cultural capital of the north, and check in to your hotel.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B

Walk through the old city with its moat and brick gates. Visit Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phan Tao with its teak hall, and the huge ruined chedi of Wat Chedi Luang. Ride a rickshaw through lanes of traditional houses and browse Kad Luang, the central market. In the afternoon, drive up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep for its golden chedi and views over the city. In the evening, explore the Night Bazaar on your own.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B

Drive about two hours to Doi Inthanon National Park. Here you hike for two to three hours on a narrow mountain trail to a hidden waterfall deep in the forest, passing coffee plantations, flower farms and rice terraces. Stop in a hill-tribe village for a cup of locally grown coffee, then visit the thundering Wachirathan Waterfall. End at the twin royal pagodas built to honor the late King and Queen before returning to Chiang Mai.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B

Drive into the hills east of Chiang Mai, stopping at San Kamphaeng market to buy fruit and ingredients for lunch. In Mae Kampong, villagers and a local guide share the story of this mountain community, which grows miang tea leaves, coffee and mushrooms. Walk the trails around the village and see local crafts such as tea-leaf pillows and rattan baskets. Lunch is at a village homestay or a picnic, and a Thai massage is available before you return.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L

Enjoy a free morning before your transfer to Chiang Mai airport for the flight to Krabi. On arrival, a driver takes you to the pier for the ferry to Koh Lanta. Check in to your beachfront resort and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Koh Lanta has nearly a dozen long beaches and a relaxed, unhurried feel. From here the days are free, without a guide.Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B

A full day to enjoy the island at your own pace. Relax on the beach, swim, or book a massage. If you would like an outing, we can arrange a speedboat day to the Phi Phi islands at extra cost, with snorkeling at Phi Phi Leh lagoon, a stop near Maya Bay, lunch on Phi Phi Don and time on Bamboo Island. Plans depend on the weather and tide.Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B

Enjoy one more free day by the Andaman Sea. Explore Lanta Old Town on the east coast with its wooden stilt houses, rent a bicycle along the quiet back roads, or simply stay by the water and watch the sunset from the beach. It is the ideal slow ending to a long and varied journey through Thailand.Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B

Enjoy a free morning and a last swim. Then transfer back to Krabi airport for your flight to Bangkok and your connecting international flight home. Please allow a comfortable gap between the two flights; we will help you choose suitable times. If you would like to break the journey, we can add a night in Bangkok before you depart.Meals: B