16 days 15 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A private 16-day Thailand tour that combines six nights in Bangkok, with the Grand Palace, Jim Thompson's House, the Ancient City and Ayutthaya, five days of Chiang Mai crafts and temple meditation, and four free nights on the quiet island of Koh Yao Noi.
From US$3,270 per person for the whole tour, based on 2 travellers sharing double rooms in 4★ hotels as listed (couples travelling alone pay a little more). It changes with hotel level, season and group size, and is confirmed in your tailor-made quote.
| Day | Route and highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Bangkok | Bangkok |
| 2 | Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the canals | Bangkok |
| 3 | Jim Thompson House | Bangkok |
| 4 | Old Bangkok: Wat Ratchabophit, Giant Swing and Loha Prasat | Bangkok |
| 5 | The Ancient City and the National Museum | Bangkok |
| 6 | Bang Pa-In and Ayutthaya | Bangkok |
| 7 | Fly to Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 8 | Old city heritage and Lanna textiles | Chiang Mai |
| 9 | Silversmiths, sacred arts and Wat Umong | Chiang Mai |
| 10 | Wood carving, lacquer art and modern makers | Chiang Mai |
| 11 | Mindfulness at Wat Rampoeng and local markets | Chiang Mai |
| 12 | Fly to Phuket and cross to Koh Yao Noi | Koh Yao Noi |
| 13 | Free day on Koh Yao Noi | Koh Yao Noi |
| 14 | Island life at your own pace | Koh Yao Noi |
| 15 | A last free day on Koh Yao Noi | Koh Yao Noi |
| 16 | Depart from Phuket | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 16 days / 15 nights · Bangkok – Ancient City – Ayutthaya – Chiang Mai – Phuket – Koh Yao Noi
This Chiang Mai crafts and meditation tour takes a slower, deeper look at Thailand. It starts with six nights in Bangkok, enough time to see the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the canals without rushing, and also to visit Jim Thompson's teak house, the National Museum, the vast open-air Ancient City and the old capital of Ayutthaya. Each day has a clear theme and plenty of breathing space.
In Chiang Mai, the focus turns to the hands and the mind. You meet silversmiths on Wualai Road, watch wood carvers and lacquer makers at work in craft villages, explore Lanna textiles and old teak houses, and try quiet walking meditation at Wat Umong and Wat Rampoeng. Then you fly south and cross by boat to Koh Yao Noi, a peaceful island in Phang Nga Bay.
Your guide and car are private on every touring day. The last four nights are free, so you can swim, cycle or simply sit and look at the limestone islands.
Easy. Touring days are relaxed, with walks of one to two hours on temple grounds, in markets and in museums. The Ancient City is large, and a bicycle or electric cart can be rented on the spot. There are no long drives. Well suited to couples, older travelers and families with teenagers who enjoy art and culture.
Comfortable 4- and 5-star hotels: Silom Serene, a boutique hotel in Bangkok, the Shangri-La Hotel Chiang Mai and Big Sun Residences by iRetreat on Koh Yao Noi, or similar. The Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok and Chala Number 6 in Chiang Mai are available as alternatives.
November to March is the best time for this route. The north is dry and cool, and the Andaman Sea around Koh Yao Noi is calm and sunny. April is hot everywhere. From May to October, the island sees more rain and rougher seas, while Chiang Mai turns green with afternoon showers.
Your guide and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, so the pace, the stops and the start time each morning follow you. The standard version has an English-speaking guide; guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese can be arranged on request.
More ideas: All private tours in Thailand · Amazing Thailand: Ancient Capitals, the Lanna North and Koh Lanta in 16 Days · Beauty of Thailand: Culture, the North and Three Beaches in 15 Days · Thailand from Old Kingdoms to Gulf Islands: Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Khao Sok, Samui and Koh Tao in 17 Days
Photos: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ – เทวประภาส มากคล้าย, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Thailand Crafts and Mindfulness: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Yao Noi in 16 Days is a starting point. Our Hanoi travel designers adjust every day to your pace, interests and hotel style, then run the trip with your own guide and driver.
Welcome to Thailand. Our representative meets you at Bangkok airport and your private driver takes you to your hotel in the Silom area. Standard check-in is at 2 pm, so you may want to leave your bags and take a first walk or a coffee nearby. The rest of the day is free to recover from the flight. Tomorrow your guide begins a gentle introduction to the capital.
Overnight: Bangkok
Meet your guide for a full day in the heart of Bangkok. Start at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the revered Emerald Buddha, with its golden chedi and glittering towers. Next door, Wat Pho is often called Thailand's first university and is the home of traditional Thai massage; you can book a 30-minute massage here. In the afternoon, a private boat takes you along the Chao Phraya and the quiet Thonburi canals to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
A gentle half day. Visit the home of Jim Thompson, the American who brought Thai silk to the world in the 1950s and then vanished in the Malaysian jungle in 1967. His house is a group of six traditional teak buildings, moved from different parts of Thailand and joined together beside a canal. Inside, rooms are filled with Buddha images, ceramics and paintings from across Southeast Asia. The afternoon is free to rest or explore the shops and cafes of central Bangkok.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Today you explore the old royal quarter at an easy pace. Wat Ratchabophit is a small, quiet temple covered in colored tiles and home to Thailand's Supreme Patriarch. Walk on to the Giant Swing, a red teak landmark, where local cafes serve Thai tea and iced milk tea. After lunch, visit Loha Prasat, the Metal Castle, with its 37 metal spires and a view of the Golden Mount. This is a favorite area for photographs, with few large groups.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, L
South of the city, the Ancient City, or Muang Boran, is one of the largest open-air museums in the world. Its gardens hold more than 100 full-size and scaled replicas of Thai temples, palaces and villages, laid out roughly in the shape of the country. Later, visit the National Museum near the Grand Palace, set in buildings from 1782. Highlights include an early Buddha image from Gandhara, traditional instruments from across the region and the great royal funeral chariots.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Drive about 75 kilometers north to Ayutthaya, capital of the Siamese kingdom for more than four centuries and a busy trading port visited by merchants from China, Japan, Holland and France. Start at Bang Pa-In, the elegant Summer Palace of King Rama V, with its lakes and pavilions. Then explore the UNESCO-listed ruins of Ayutthaya, with their towering prangs and weathered Buddha images. Please dress modestly for the palace. Return to Bangkok in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
The morning is free for a last stroll or a swim. Your private car then takes you to the airport for the flight north, which takes about an hour and twenty minutes. In Chiang Mai, our representative meets you and drives you to your hotel near the Night Bazaar. Spend the evening at the market, or enjoy dinner by the Ping River. Tomorrow your guide begins five days of crafts and culture in the north.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Begin in the old city at the Lanna Folklife Museum, a clear introduction to Northern Thai customs, royal life and temple rituals. Then stroll through quiet lanes to Kalm Village, a beautifully designed space where traditional crafts meet modern architecture, and enjoy a cup of local tea in its courtyards. In the afternoon, explore the historic Kad Luang market, whose narrow lanes are full of handwoven silk, indigo cotton and fine hill-tribe embroidery.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Wualai Road has been home to silversmiths for generations. Walk through small workshops around Wat Sri Suphan, the silver temple, and watch craftsmen hammer detailed scenes into sheets of silver. Nearby, makers of Buddha images carve and cast statues for temples across the country. Next, visit the Lanna Traditional House Museum, a garden of old teak homes on stilts. End the day at Wat Umong, a forest temple with ancient brick tunnels, ideal for a short walking meditation.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Head out to the craft villages south of the city, where wood carvers turn teak and local timber into panels, mythical creatures and furniture with remarkable skill. Nearby, visit lacquer workshops to see the slow, many-layered process of applying natural tree resin, polishing the surface and adding fine gold-leaf patterns to bowls and boxes. Finish at the Museum of Makers, a creative space that shows how young artisans are bringing Lanna crafts into contemporary design.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Your last full day in Chiang Mai starts in stillness. At Wat Rampoeng, a temple known for its meditation center, you have time to sit quietly, listen to the chanting of the monks and practice simple breathing under the trees. Later, wander a lively local market with your guide. Taste Northern Thai favorites such as khao soi curry noodles and sai oua herb sausage, chat with vendors and pick up handmade silver, lacquer and textiles to take home.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before your transfer to Chiang Mai airport. A direct flight of about an hour and twenty minutes takes you to Phuket. Your driver meets you and takes you to the pier, where a boat carries you across Phang Nga Bay to Koh Yao Noi. On arrival, you are driven to your resort to check in and unwind. The island is quiet and green, with rubber groves, fishing villages and views of limestone islands.
Overnight: Koh Yao Noi · Meals: B
The next three days are entirely yours. Koh Yao Noi is one of the calmest islands in the Andaman Sea, with little traffic and a strong local Muslim fishing culture. Spend the day by the pool, swim from the beach or rent a bicycle to ride the quiet coastal roads. If you would like an outing, the resort can arrange a long-tail boat trip to the nearby islands, at extra cost.
Overnight: Koh Yao Noi · Meals: B
Another unhurried day on the island. Take an early swim while the water is still, then enjoy a long lunch of fresh seafood at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, read in the shade or treat yourself to a massage. As evening falls, the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay glow orange in the sunset, one of the loveliest sights in southern Thailand. There is nothing to plan and nowhere you need to be.
Overnight: Koh Yao Noi · Meals: B
Use your final day to do whatever you have enjoyed most. Some guests return to a favorite beach, others take a yoga class or a cooking lesson at the resort, and many simply rest before the long trip home. It is a good moment to look back on the crafts, temples and quiet moments of the past two weeks. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner by the sea.
Overnight: Koh Yao Noi · Meals: B
After breakfast, your time is free until the transfer to the pier. A boat takes you back across Phang Nga Bay to Phuket, where your private driver meets you at the pier and takes you to Phuket International Airport for your flight. Please allow enough time between the boat crossing and your departure. We hope you leave Thailand calm, inspired and carrying a few treasures made by hand.
Meals: B
Not at all. The meditation sessions at Wat Umong and Wat Rampoeng are short and simple, with your guide explaining the basics. You can join in as much or as little as you like, and simply enjoying the calm of the grounds is just as worthwhile.
Yes. There are no long drives and no early starts, and each day has a single theme. Walking is mostly on flat ground in temples, markets and museums, and the last four days are completely free.
No. The flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and from Chiang Mai to Phuket are quoted separately because fares change often. We book them at the current fare and add them to your quote so you see one total.
Yes. This is a private tour with your own English-speaking guide. We also arrange private guides who speak French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese or Vietnamese: tell us when you enquire and we confirm your guide in the quote. Book early for the December to April high season.
Nothing is payable until you approve your written quote. We then ask for a 30% deposit to confirm, and the balance 45 days before arrival, by bank transfer or card. Bank details come with your booking confirmation; always confirm them with us by phone or WhatsApp (+84 812 247 572) before any transfer.
Save the itinerary to share with your travel companions
Save the itinerary to share with your travel companions
