15 days 14 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A private 15-day Thailand tour that combines Bangkok, the River Kwai, Sukhothai, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai with beach time on Koh Samui, a jungle night in Khao Sok and two nights in Phuket. The first week is guided touring and the second is mostly free time by the sea.
From US$1,840 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 Pho massage and the canals | Bangkok |
| 3 | Kanchanaburi and the Death Railway | Kanchanaburi |
| 4 | Ayutthaya and Ang Thong on the way to Phitsanulok | Phitsanulok |
| 5 | Sukhothai and the road to Chiang Rai | Chiang Rai |
| 6 | Mae Sai, the Golden Triangle and Chiang Saen | Chiang Rai |
| 7 | Chiang Rai temples and on to Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 8 | Doi Inthanon National Park | Chiang Mai |
| 9 | Fly to Koh Samui | Koh Samui |
| 10 | Free day on Koh Samui | Koh Samui |
| 11 | Another easy day on Koh Samui | Koh Samui |
| 12 | Koh Samui to Khao Sok | Khao Sok |
| 13 | Khao Sok to Phuket | Phuket |
| 14 | Free day in Phuket | Phuket |
| 15 | Depart from Phuket | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 15 days / 14 nights · Bangkok – Kanchanaburi – Ayutthaya – Phitsanulok – Sukhothai – Chiang Rai – Chiang Mai – Koh Samui – Khao Sok – Phuket
This Thailand culture and beach private tour starts with the big sights and ends with sand between your toes. In Bangkok you see the Grand Palace, enjoy a traditional massage at Wat Pho and explore the canals by long-tail boat. Then you head west to the River Kwai and north by road through Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok and Sukhothai, the old capitals where the Thai kingdom was born.
In the north, Chiang Rai shows off its White Temple, Blue Temple and the Golden Triangle on the Mekong, and Chiang Mai takes you up Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand. From there a flight carries you to Koh Samui for three easy nights by the sea. You cross to the mainland for a night among the limestone peaks of Khao Sok, then finish with two nights on Phuket.
Your guide and driver are private on every touring day and every transfer. The beach days are left free, so you can swim, read, book a spa or join a boat trip at your own pace.
Easy to moderate. Days 4 and 5 are long road days of around six hours, broken by sightseeing. Walking is mostly on temple grounds and short forest trails. The second week is relaxed, with free beach days. Well suited to couples, older travelers and families with children over 10.
Comfortable 4-star hotels where available: Nouvo City Hotel in Bangkok, The Zense Boutique Hotel in Phitsanulok, Laluna Hotel and Resort in Chiang Rai, The Empress in Chiang Mai, Rummana Boutique Resort on Koh Samui and Ramada by Wyndham Phuket Deevana, or similar. In Kanchanaburi (River Kwai Hotel) and Khao Sok (Belong Jin The Dam Resort) the hotels are good 3-star properties. Upgrades are available on request.
For this route, December to April is ideal: the north is dry and pleasant, and the Andaman coast around Phuket and Khao Sok has calm seas and sunshine. Koh Samui has its own pattern, with the heaviest rain from October to early December, and good weather from January to August. From May to October, Phuket is greener and wetter, with rougher seas.
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 · Thailand Passion: Bangkok, the Golden Triangle and Koh Chang Island in 14 Days · Thailand Crafts and Mindfulness: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Yao Noi in 16 Days
Photos: Ruta Badina, 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; PumpkinSky, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0, 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; Slleong, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ddalbiez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Velatrix, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Beauty of Thailand: Culture, the North and Three Beaches in 15 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. Have your visa or visa approval letter ready for immigration, then meet your private guide and driver in the arrivals hall. The drive to your hotel takes about 45 minutes, depending on traffic. The rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight, take a swim or wander the streets around the hotel. Your guide will brief you on the days ahead before saying goodnight.
Overnight: Bangkok
A full day in the capital. Begin at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha. Next door at Wat Pho, see the Reclining Buddha and enjoy a 30-minute traditional Thai massage in the temple that keeps the art alive. After lunch, a long-tail boat takes you along the Chao Phraya River and the quiet Thonburi canals to Wat Arun. Finish with the colorful flower market and the Golden Mount.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Leave early for Kanchanaburi, about 130 kilometers west of Bangkok. Visit the Allied cemetery, where some 9,000 prisoners who built the Thailand-Burma railway are buried, and the JEATH Museum, which recalls their story through photographs and objects. Then board a train along the original Death Railway line for views over the river and the countryside. End at the Bridge on the River Kwai before checking in near the river.
Overnight: Kanchanaburi · Meals: B
Head for Ayutthaya, capital of Siam from 1350 and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk with your guide through Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Mahathat and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, with its row of three great chedis. Continue to Ang Thong to see Wat Muang and its giant seated Buddha, almost 100 meters high. After a local lunch, drive north to Phitsanulok, about 405 kilometers in total for the day, as rice fields give way to greener hills.
Overnight: Phitsanulok · Meals: B
Drive to Sukhothai, capital of the first Thai kingdom from 1238 to 1438 and the cradle of Thai art and writing. Walk through the Historical Park among lotus ponds, ruined temples and calm Buddha images, including the giant seated Buddha at Wat Si Chum. Then continue north into the hills, stopping for lunch by Phayao Lake, a peaceful spot with wide views. You reach Chiang Rai in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Chiang Rai · Meals: B
Drive to Mae Sai, the northernmost town in Thailand, where a lively market sits right on the border with Myanmar. Continue to the Golden Triangle, where the Mekong and Ruak rivers mark the meeting point of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, and see the large golden Buddha by the river. Visit the Opium Museum, then spend time in Chiang Saen, the old Lanna city founded around 1328, with Wat Phra That Chedi Luang and its ancient walls.
Overnight: Chiang Rai · Meals: B
Visit Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai, where the Emerald Buddha was first found and where a jade copy now sits. Continue to the Blue Temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten, and Baan Dam, the Black House, a striking complex of dark teak pavilions filled with art. Finish at the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, covered in white plaster and mirrored glass. In the afternoon, drive south through the mountains to Chiang Mai.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Spend the day on Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain at 2,565 meters. Visit the summit and walk the short Ang Ka nature trail through cloud forest, then the Twin Royal Pagodas with their gardens and views. After lunch at a local restaurant, see the Royal Project's flower nurseries, created to help hill-tribe farmers, and the Wachirathan Waterfall, which drops around 100 meters into a misty pool.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L
After breakfast, your guide and driver take you to Chiang Mai airport for the flight south to Koh Samui. A private transfer meets you on arrival and takes you to your beach resort. The rest of the day is free to swim, enjoy the view and slip into island time. In the evening, try fresh seafood at one of the beach restaurants nearby.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
A full day to do as much or as little as you like. Spend it on the sand and in the pool, book a spa treatment, or explore the island's coconut groves and viewpoints. If you would like an outing, we can arrange a boat day to Ang Thong Marine Park or a visit to the Big Buddha and the fishing village of Bophut at extra cost.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
Enjoy a second free day by the sea. Mornings are often the calmest time for a swim or a beach walk, and afternoons are perfect for a long lunch or a nap in the shade. Families with teenagers may enjoy kayaking or paddleboarding from the beach. Your next transfer is the following morning, so there is no need to rush.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
Enjoy a free morning, then transfer from the island back to the mainland and on to Khao Sok, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Your resort sits near the dam and Cheow Lan Lake, surrounded by tall limestone cliffs and jungle. Spend the evening listening to the forest. A boat trip on the lake can be arranged for the next morning at extra cost if you would like to see more.
Overnight: Khao Sok · Meals: B
Take the morning at your own pace, with a walk near the resort or a quiet coffee looking out over the hills. Later, your private transfer drives you south to Phuket, the largest island in Thailand, about three hours away. Check in to your hotel and enjoy the evening by the beach or in the lively streets nearby.
Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B
A free day to enjoy Phuket your way. Relax on the beach, visit the Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Phuket Old Town, or join a boat trip to the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay. We are happy to arrange any of these for you at extra cost. In the evening, treat yourselves to a farewell dinner at one of the beachfront restaurants.
Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B
Enjoy a last breakfast and a final swim if time allows. Your guide and driver collect you from the hotel and take you to Phuket airport for your flight home or on to your next destination. If your flight is late in the day, we can arrange a late check-out or a day room on request.
Meals: B
No. The flight from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui is quoted separately because fares change often. We book it at the current fare and add it to your quote so you see one total.
Days 10, 11 and 14 are free days with no fixed program, which most guests love after a busy first week. Your transfers are private, and we can add a guided boat trip or island tour on any free day.
Days 4 and 5 are the longest, at around six hours each with sightseeing on the way. Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai takes about three hours, and Khao Sok to Phuket about three hours. The transfer from Koh Samui to Khao Sok includes a ferry crossing to the mainland.
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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