17 days 16 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 17-day private Thailand road trip: Bangkok and a Chinatown food walk, the River Kwai with a night on a raft, the Gulf coast from Sam Roi Yot to Chumphon and Chaiya, then eight relaxing nights on Koh Lanta.
From US$2,770 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 | Golden Buddha, Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun | Bangkok |
| 3 | Free day and Chinatown street food walk | Bangkok |
| 4 | Bridge on the River Kwai, Death Railway and Hellfire Pass | River Kwai (Nam Tok) |
| 5 | Twin temples and Tham Khao Luang cave to Pranburi | Pranburi |
| 6 | Sam Roi Yot: Phraya Nakhon Cave, Khlong Daeng and Bueng Bua | Kuiburi |
| 7 | Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ao Manao and Ban Krut to Chumphon | Chumphon |
| 8 | Chumphon to Surat Thani via Chaiya | Surat Thani |
| 9 | Across to Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 10 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 11 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 12 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 13 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 14 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 15 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 16 | Free day on Koh Lanta | Koh Lanta |
| 17 | Transfer to Phuket Airport | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 17 days / 16 nights · Bangkok – Kanchanaburi – Nam Tok – Phetchaburi – Pranburi – Sam Roi Yot – Prachuap Khiri Khan – Chumphon – Surat Thani – Koh Lanta
This Thailand road trip is built for travelers who like to see how the country changes mile by mile. It begins in Bangkok with the Golden Buddha, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and an evening food walk through Chinatown, then heads west to Kanchanaburi, where you ride the historic Death Railway and spend a night in a raft bungalow on the River Kwai.
From there your private guide and driver take you down the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand, a region most visitors only pass through. Climb to the royal pavilion in Phraya Nakhon Cave in Sam Roi Yot National Park, glide through mangroves on Khlong Daeng, watch dusky langurs at Ao Manao Bay and look out over the coast from hilltop temples in Prachuap and Ban Krut.
After a last day of viewpoints, fruit orchards and old temples around Chumphon and Chaiya, you cross by car ferry to Koh Lanta on the Andaman side. Eight nights in a beach resort suite give you time to rest, swim and enjoy one of Thailand's most relaxed islands.
Moderate. Most touring days include about 200 to 270 km of driving, broken up by many stops. Several visits involve climbs: Phraya Nakhon Cave (a steep 30 to 40 minute trail), about 370 steps at Mirror Mountain and about 390 steps at Wat Tham Khao Kriab, each optional. Best for active couples and families with teenagers who enjoy road trips.
Comfortable hotels with character: Centre Point Silom in Bangkok, Boutique Raft Resort on the River Kwai, Oriental Pearl Beach Resort in Pranburi, Vartika Resovilla on Kuiburi Beach, A-Te Hotel in Chumphon, Orchid Riverview in Surat Thani and Chada Lanta Beach Resort (Gold Suite) on Koh Lanta, or similar.
December to March is the best time: dry, sunny weather along the Gulf coast and calm seas on Koh Lanta. Late October and November can still bring heavy showers to the Gulf coast between Prachuap and Surat Thani. From May to October the Andaman side, including Koh Lanta, is wetter and many resorts are quieter.
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 · Thailand from Old Kingdoms to Gulf Islands: Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Khao Sok, Samui and Koh Tao in 17 Days · Amazing Thailand: Ancient Capitals, the Lanna North and Koh Lanta in 16 Days · Thailand Crafts and Mindfulness: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Yao Noi in 16 Days
Photos: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bjørn Erik Pedersen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Tom Ek, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Thailand by Road: Bangkok, the River Kwai, the Gulf Coast and Koh Lanta in 17 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. You are met at Suvarnabhumi Airport and driven to your hotel in Silom. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight.
Overnight: Bangkok
Your guide collects you at 8:30 am. Begin at Wat Traimit, home of a three-meter Golden Buddha weighing 5.5 tons, then pass Chinatown and the colorful flower market. Visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew with the Emerald Buddha, followed by Wat Pho and its 45-meter reclining Buddha, the home of traditional Thai massage. After lunch at a local restaurant, take a longtail boat through the Thonburi canals to Wat Arun, decorated with millions of pieces of porcelain. Back at the hotel around 5 pm.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, L
A free day to explore on your own. At 4 pm your guide picks you up for an evening in Yaowarat, Bangkok's 200-year-old Chinatown. As the street stalls set up their tables, you taste specialties at four well-known eateries, from fried noodles to mango with sticky rice, with your guide helping you order. Stay on to explore, or let your guide find you a taxi back.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, D
Leave Bangkok early and drive west for about two hours to Kanchanaburi. Walk onto the bridge on the River Kwai, part of the Death Railway built by Allied prisoners and Asian laborers in harsh conditions. Then ride the train for about an hour along the river cliffs to Tham Krasae, with its small cave shrine. After lunch by the river, visit Hellfire Pass, a deep cutting carved by hand, and its memorial museum. In the late afternoon, reach your floating raft bungalow near Nam Tok.
Overnight: River Kwai (Nam Tok) · Meals: B, L
Say goodbye to the river and visit Kanchanaburi's twin temples: Thai-style Wat Tham Suea and Chinese-style Wat Khao Noi, with a view over the rice fields from the tower. Drive south to Tham Khao Luang near Phetchaburi, where macaques gather at the entrance and steps lead down into a vast cave lit by shafts of sunlight. After lunch near Phetchaburi, stroll through a Hua Hin market known for seafood, then continue to your beach resort in Pranburi.
Overnight: Pranburi · Meals: B, L
A full day in Sam Roi Yot National Park. A longtail boat takes you to a quiet beach, where a trail climbs to Phraya Nakhon Cave and its royal pavilion, lit by a beam of sunlight on clear mornings. If you prefer not to climb, stay on the beach and swim. After a seafood lunch by the pier, take a boat along Khlong Daeng, a mangrove-lined waterway. In the afternoon, walk the wooden boardwalks of Bueng Bua wetland, with water lilies, reeds and birds below the limestone peaks, before reaching your resort on Kuiburi Beach.
Overnight: Kuiburi · Meals: B, L
Drive to Prachuap Khiri Khan and climb about 370 steps up Khao Chong Krachok, the Mirror Mountain, for a view over the town, coast and islands. Continue to Ao Manao Bay, home of gentle dusky langurs that you can watch at close range, and visit the Waghor Aquarium to see marine life of the Gulf. After lunch, visit Wat Tang Sai on its hill above the sea at Ban Krut. In the late afternoon, stop at Khao Dinsor viewpoint near Chumphon, famous for migrating birds of prey from September to November.
Overnight: Chumphon · Meals: B, L
Start at Khao Matsee viewpoint, looking over Chumphon Bay. Visit fruit orchards in Sawi District, where you may taste durian, mangosteen, longan or snake fruit, depending on the season. Near Pato, climb about 390 steps to the lit cave of Wat Tham Khao Kriab. After lunch, see Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya, one of the oldest temples in the south, with a chedi said to date from the 7th century. End with a one-hour boat trip on the Tapi River in Surat Thani, past mangroves and riverside villages.
Overnight: Surat Thani · Meals: B, L
After breakfast, a private vehicle drives you west across the peninsula and onto the car ferry to Koh Lanta. Check in to your beach resort suite and enjoy your first sunset over the Andaman Sea.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
The road trip is over and the beach days begin. Swim, read, and let the island's slow rhythm set the pace.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
A day to explore on your own. Koh Lanta's old town on the east coast has wooden stilt houses over the water, and local operators run snorkeling trips to nearby islands.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
Enjoy the beach and the resort, or book a Thai massage or cooking class nearby.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
Another unhurried day by the sea, with long sunset walks along the sand.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
Time to rest or explore the island's quieter southern beaches and the national park at its tip.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
A free day for swimming, snorkeling or simply doing nothing at all.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
Your last full day on the island. Enjoy a final swim and a seafood dinner by the beach.
Overnight: Koh Lanta · Meals: B
After breakfast, a transfer takes you from Koh Lanta to Phuket Airport for your flight home.
Meals: B
Yes, for those who enjoy a road trip and some walking. The climbs to Phraya Nakhon Cave, Mirror Mountain and Wat Tham Khao Kriab are all optional, and you can rest at the beach or in the car while others go up.
From Kanchanaburi south, most days cover 200 to 270 km, or about three to four hours of driving, spread across several stops. The drive and car ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Lanta take most of a morning.
After eight days of touring, a long beach stay lets you truly rest. If you prefer, we can shorten it, split it with Krabi or Koh Yao Noi, or end with a few nights in Bangkok.
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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