10 days 9 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A ten-day tour of Bangkok, Krabi and Khao Sok. It covers the Grand Palace and riverside temples, the railway and floating markets, island hopping from Krabi to Phi Phi, and two nights in the rainforest with a day on Cheow Lan Lake.
From US$1,320 per person for the whole tour, based on 4 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 Arun and Wat Pho | Bangkok |
| 3 | Railway market, floating market and village life | Bangkok |
| 4 | Fly to Krabi | Krabi |
| 5 | Krabi four-island speedboat trip | Krabi |
| 6 | Free day in Krabi | Krabi |
| 7 | Phi Phi Islands by speedboat | Krabi |
| 8 | To Khao Sok and the river | Khao Sok |
| 9 | A day on Cheow Lan Lake | Khao Sok |
| 10 | Morning walk or massage, then depart | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 10 days / 9 nights · Bangkok – Maeklong – Damnoen Saduak – Ban Bang Phlap – Krabi – Phi Phi – Khao Sok – Cheow Lan Lake – Surat Thani
This Bangkok, Krabi and Khao Sok tour gives you ten days of contrast in southern Thailand. It starts with two full days in and around the capital: the Grand Palace and the riverside temples, then the Maeklong railway market, the Damnoen Saduak floating market and an afternoon in a farming village where you cycle between pomelo orchards and make a Thai kite.
A short flight takes you to Krabi on the Andaman Sea. From here, speedboats carry you to Phra Nang Beach and the small islands of Tup, Chicken and Poda, and on another day to Phi Phi, with its lagoons, snorkeling spots and the famous Maya Bay. Between the two trips there is a free day to rest by the pool or on the beach.
The last three days are in Khao Sok, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. You stay in simple cottages by the river, paddle or float down the stream, join a night walk to look for wildlife and spend a day by boat on Cheow Lan Lake, with lunch at a floating bungalow.
Moderate. Island days involve speedboat rides that can be bumpy in choppy water, plus swimming and snorkeling. In Khao Sok there are optional jungle walks of two to three hours on uneven trails. Drives are short except Krabi to Khao Sok (about 2.5 hours). Best for active families with children over 10 and couples who enjoy the outdoors.
Nine nights with daily breakfast: Silom Serene, a boutique 4-star hotel in Bangkok, or similar; Ao Nang Phu Pi Maan Resort (4-star) or similar near Ao Nang Beach in Krabi; and Khao Sok Riverside Cottages, simple wooden cottages set in the forest by the river and the most authentic stay near the park.
November to April is the best time on the Andaman coast, with calm seas and clear water for snorkeling. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rougher seas, and boat trips may change with the weather. Khao Sok is green all year; Cheow Lan Lake is at its fullest at the end of the rainy season.
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 · Royal Echoes of Siam: Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and the North in 10 Days · Thailand Discovery: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in 10 Days · Truly Northern Thailand: Chiang Rai, Pai and Mae Hong Son in 10 Days
Photos: Velatrix, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bjørn Erik Pedersen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author an, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Bangkok, Krabi and Khao Sok: Islands and Rainforest in 10 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.
Your guide meets you at Bangkok airport and takes you by private vehicle to your hotel in the Silom area. The rest of the day is at leisure. Rest after your flight, try a street-food dinner nearby or take a short walk to Lumphini Park, the green heart of downtown Bangkok, as the evening cools.
Overnight: Bangkok
Spend the morning at the Grand Palace, founded in 1782, with its throne halls and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha. Then take the local ferry across the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, and ride back to Wat Pho to see the giant Reclining Buddha. Finish at Wat Traimit, where a solid gold Buddha sits in a gleaming hall. The afternoon is free to rest, shop or take a Thai massage.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Drive to Samut Songkhram to watch the train roll right through the Maeklong railway market as vendors pull back their stalls. Continue to Damnoen Saduak and ride a long-tail boat for about 30 minutes past plantations and stilt houses, then switch to a paddle boat in the floating market. After lunch, visit the Ban Bang Phlap community: cycle through quiet lanes, walk in an organic pomelo farm, learn how local women make preserved fruit and try your hand at a colorful Thai kite. Finish with fresh coconut and pomelo.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, L
Your guide takes you to the airport for the short flight to Krabi. On arrival, a private driver brings you to your resort near Ao Nang Beach. Spend the afternoon by the pool or walk down to the beach to watch the sun set behind the limestone islands offshore. The seafront has plenty of easy restaurants for dinner.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B
Join a half-day speedboat trip to four of Krabi's best-known spots, shared with other travelers. Start at Phra Nang Beach, reachable only by boat, with its small cave shrine at the foot of the cliffs. At Tup Island, walk across the sandbar to the next island when the tide is low. Snorkel among coral at Chicken Island, named after its rock shape, then enjoy a picnic lunch on the long beach of Poda Island. You are back at your hotel by mid-afternoon.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B, L
A day to slow down. Swim, read by the pool or book a massage. If you want to stay active, you can take a long-tail boat from Ao Nang to Railay, a peninsula of beaches and limestone cliffs, or walk the shady paths around the bay. Your guide can help you plan anything you would like to arrange.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B
Board a shared speedboat for a full day around the Phi Phi Islands, about 45 minutes from Krabi. Snorkel off Bamboo Island and stop at Monkey Beach, then enjoy a Thai buffet lunch at Ton Sai Bay. In the afternoon, pass Viking Cave, cruise into the emerald waters of Pileh Lagoon, snorkel at Loh Samah Bay and visit Maya Bay, the beach made famous by the film The Beach. The route can change with the weather and tides. Back in Krabi by late afternoon.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B, L
A private driver takes you north to Khao Sok, arriving at your riverside cottages around 14:00. In the afternoon, choose between a guided canoe trip on the river or a lazy float downstream on a rubber ring, both with the rainforest close on each side. After dinner, join a guided night walk in the park to look for frogs, insects, birds and, with luck, larger animals.
Overnight: Khao Sok · Meals: B, D
Spend a full day on Cheow Lan Lake with a local guide. A long-tail boat carries you between sheer limestone peaks rising out of the water to a floating bungalow, where you have lunch over the lake. In the afternoon, swim in the clear water, join a jungle walk or simply relax on the raft. Return to your cottages as the sun sets for dinner by the river.
Overnight: Khao Sok · Meals: B, L, D
After breakfast, choose a half-day guided walk in Khao Sok National Park or skip the walk for a relaxing Thai massage. Check out by midday, then a private driver takes you to Surat Thani airport for your onward flight, or to the pier if you would like to continue to Koh Samui. The drive to the airport takes about two hours through rubber and palm plantations.
Meals: B
Very much so. Teens usually love the snorkeling, the speedboats, the river tubing and the night walk in the rainforest. Everyone should be comfortable in the water, and life jackets are provided on all boat trips.
The Krabi four-island and Phi Phi trips use shared speedboats with a guide on board. If you prefer a private long-tail or speedboat for your family, we can arrange it at an extra cost.
They are simple wooden cottages with private bathrooms, set in a garden by the river at the edge of the park. Comfort is basic compared with the city hotels, but the setting in the forest is the reason to stay here.
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.
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