17 days 16 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A 17-day private tour of Thailand: Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, then Chiang Mai and Doi Suthep, two nights in Khao Sok with a jungle dinner and Cheow Lan Lake, and a week on Koh Samui and Koh Tao with an Ang Thong marine park day.
From US$2,660 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 | Bangkok's great temples and the Grand Palace | Bangkok |
| 3 | Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In on the way to Sukhothai | Sukhothai |
| 4 | Sukhothai Historical Park and Sangkhalok Museum | Sukhothai |
| 5 | Drive to Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 6 | Chiang Mai old town and Doi Suthep | Chiang Mai |
| 7 | Fly to Surat Thani, jungle dinner in Khao Sok | Khao Sok |
| 8 | A day on Cheow Lan Lake | Khao Sok |
| 9 | Canoe the Sok River, ferry to Koh Samui | Koh Samui |
| 10 | Ferry to Koh Tao | Koh Tao |
| 11 | A free day on Koh Tao | Koh Tao |
| 12 | Back to Koh Samui | Koh Samui |
| 13 | Koh Samui island tour | Koh Samui |
| 14 | Ang Thong National Marine Park by speedboat | Koh Samui |
| 15 | A free day on Koh Samui | Koh Samui |
| 16 | Fly to Bangkok | Bangkok |
| 17 | Departure from Bangkok | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 17 days / 16 nights · Bangkok – Ayutthaya – Sukhothai – Chiang Mai – Khao Sok – Koh Samui – Koh Tao – Koh Samui – Bangkok
This Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Khao Sok and Samui tour shows you two very different sides of Thailand in one trip. The first week is about history and culture: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho in Bangkok, the ruined temples of Ayutthaya, a full day among the lotus-bud chedis of Sukhothai Historical Park and the Lanna temples of Chiang Mai, with your private guide and driver at your side.
Then the pace changes. You fly south to Khao Sok, where an evening jungle walk ends with a dinner cooked in bamboo by the river, and a longtail boat carries you across Cheow Lan Lake between towering limestone cliffs. A morning canoe trip on the Sok River leads you to the coast and the ferry to Koh Samui.
The last part of the trip is island time. You spend two nights on Koh Tao, known for clear water and quiet coves, then return to Koh Samui for a guided island tour, a speedboat day in Ang Thong National Marine Park and free days on the beach before a final night in Bangkok.
Moderate. Expect a long road day from Bangkok to Sukhothai with stops in Ayutthaya, a five-hour drive to Chiang Mai, two domestic flights and several boat transfers. Walking includes temple grounds, more than 300 steps at Doi Suthep and a 4 to 8 km jungle walk in Khao Sok. Best for families with children over 10 and active couples.
4-star hotels throughout, with a 3-star boutique hideaway in Khao Sok: Solitaire Bangkok Sukhumvit 11, Sriwilai Sukhothai Resort & Spa, Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai, Khaosok Boutique Hideaway (cliff view room), Samui Buri Beach Resort and The Tarna Align Resort on Koh Tao, or similar.
November to March is the best time for Bangkok and the north, with dry, cooler days. On the Gulf islands, Koh Samui and Koh Tao are at their best from January to August; October to December brings the heaviest rain there. Khao Sok is lush all year, but drier from December to April.
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 by Road: Bangkok, the River Kwai, the Gulf Coast and Koh Lanta 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: 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; Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Bjørn Erik Pedersen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ – เทวประภาส มากคล้าย, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Velatrix, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Ruta Badina, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Thailand from Old Kingdoms to Gulf Islands: Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Khao Sok, Samui and Koh Tao 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 Bangkok airport and driven to your hotel in the Sukhumvit area. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight, swim, or take a first look at the city's food and street life on your own.
Overnight: Bangkok
A full day with your private guide. Begin at Wat Traimit, home of a solid gold Buddha weighing about five and a half tons. Cross the river to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, then visit Wat Pho, Bangkok's oldest and largest temple, with its huge reclining Buddha and its long link to traditional Thai massage. After lunch on your own, finish at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha, where Thai and European styles meet in one royal compound.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Leave Bangkok at about 8 am for Ayutthaya, the old royal capital, a little over an hour north. Visit Wat Phu Khao Thong, the Golden Mount, the ruins of the royal palace and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, and Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopit with one of Thailand's largest bronze Buddhas. After lunch, see the long reclining Buddha of Wat Lokaya Sutha and the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, a mix of Thai, Chinese and European buildings set around ponds. Continue north to Sukhothai, arriving in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Sukhothai · Meals: B
Spend the day in Sukhothai, often called the birthplace of Thai culture. An electric vehicle takes you around the UNESCO-listed park. Inside the city walls, see the royal palace grounds and Wat Mahathat with its lotus-bud chedi, then Wat Si Sawai, Wat Traphang Ngoen, Wat Mai and the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. Outside the walls, visit Wat Phra Phai Luang, a former Khmer shrine, and the giant seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum. End at the private Sangkhalok Museum, with its fine collection of old Sukhothai ceramics.
Overnight: Sukhothai · Meals: B
Enjoy a slow breakfast and free time until check-out. Then drive about five hours north through hills and farmland to Chiang Mai, the old capital of the Lanna kingdom. The evening is yours to settle in or stroll to a nearby night market.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Explore the old town on foot with your guide. Visit Wat Phra Singh, one of the most revered temples in the north, the teak hall of Wat Phan Tao and the great ruined chedi of Wat Chedi Luang next door. Take a rickshaw through lanes of old wooden houses, then walk through the busy central market, Kad Luang. In the afternoon, drive up the forested mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Climb the 300-odd naga steps, or take the lift, for a broad view over the city.
Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B
Fly from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani and drive to Khao Sok National Park. At 4 pm, meet your guide for an easy-paced jungle walk of 4 to 8 km, gathering leaves and herbs for a riverside camp. Help light the fire and cook Thai dishes in bamboo tubes while you relax by the stream. After a three-course dinner served in bamboo, walk back in the dark, when the forest comes alive with lizards, sleeping birds, monkeys in the bamboo and, with luck, a slow loris. Back at the hotel by about 9 pm.
Overnight: Khao Sok · Meals: B, D
Leave at 9 am for Cheow Lan Lake, stopping at the dam lookout. Board a longtail boat and cruise between sheer limestone cliffs to the famous Three Rocks. A short walk leads to a small cave or waterfall, depending on conditions. Lunch is served at a floating restaurant on the lake, followed by free time to swim or kayak in the calm green water. Return to your hotel by 5 to 6 pm.
Overnight: Khao Sok · Meals: B, L
Start with a gentle canoe trip down the Sok River, steered by local guides, past jungle, limestone cliffs and plenty of birdlife. The trip was set up by guides from the village who care about protecting the river. Check out and transfer to the pier for the ferry across the Gulf to Koh Samui.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
A free morning, then transfer to Maenam Pier for the express ferry to Mae Haad on Koh Tao, about one hour and 45 minutes. The hotel's driver meets you at the pier. The rest of the day is free to swim or watch the sunset over the bay.
Overnight: Koh Tao · Meals: B
A whole day to enjoy the island at your own pace. Koh Tao is known for clear water and coral close to shore, so snorkeling from a quiet cove, a boat trip around the island or simply a day by the pool are all easy to arrange locally.
Overnight: Koh Tao · Meals: B
After breakfast, a local taxi takes you to the pier for the boat back to Koh Samui, by speedboat, catamaran or ferry depending on the schedule. A private van brings you to your beach hotel, and the rest of the day is yours.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
Discover Koh Samui with your private guide. Start at Namuang Waterfall, cascading over rocks in the hills, then visit the Guan Yu Shrine, with a 16-meter bronze statue, the largest of its kind in Thailand. Stop at the famous Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks, take time to explore Chaweng Beach, and finish at the Big Buddha temple on its small island. Back at your hotel around 3 pm.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
Join a small-group speedboat trip to Ang Thong, a scatter of more than 40 limestone islands west of Samui. Snorkel at Koh Wao, then walk up to the viewpoint over the Emerald Lake, a saltwater lagoon hidden inside an island. After a buffet lunch on Koh Wua Talap, kayak around the island, climb to its viewpoint or relax on the beach. Return to Samui in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B, L
No plans today. Spend it on the beach, book a spa treatment or a cooking class, or explore the island's cafes and fishing villages on your own.
Overnight: Koh Samui · Meals: B
Transfer to Samui airport for your flight to Bangkok, then on to your hotel. Enjoy a last evening in the city, perhaps with dinner by the river or a walk through a night market.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Breakfast at the hotel and free time until check-out at noon. At the agreed time, a private transfer takes you to the airport for your flight home.
Meals: B
Yes, it works very well for families with children over 10. The jungle dinner, lake cruise, canoe trip and snorkeling days balance the temple visits. The jungle walk can be shortened to suit younger or less active walkers.
No. The flights from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani and from Koh Samui to Bangkok are booked separately, and we can arrange them for you. All ferries between Khao Sok, Koh Samui and Koh Tao are part of the trip.
The longest are Bangkok to Sukhothai, broken up by a full day of sightseeing in Ayutthaya, and Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, about five hours. The transfer from Surat Thani to Khao Sok takes around two hours.
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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