Thailand by Road: Bangkok, the River Kwai, the Gulf Coast and Koh Lanta in 17 Days

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