Thailand Discovery: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in 10 Days

Your private driver meets you at Bangkok airport with a name sign and takes you to your hotel in the center of the city. The rest of the day is free. You can rest after your flight, or take your first walk through the streets nearby and try some Thai food at a local restaurant. Your guide will brief you on the days ahead so you know what to expect.Overnight: Bangkok

Start early at Wat Pho to hear the monks chanting in the morning, a calm and often very personal moment, then see the 45-meter Reclining Buddha. Continue to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha. Your guide may adjust the timing to avoid the busiest hours. Board a long-tail boat for lunch at a garden restaurant, then cruise deeper into the Thonburi canals to Wat Khun Chan and Wat Paknam, with its white stupa and hidden museum, ending at an orchid and fruit farm.Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, L

Drive about an hour out of Bangkok into the green countryside of Samut Songkhram. At Maeklong, a busy market spreads right across the railway tracks, and the vendors fold back their awnings each time a train passes. Continue to Damnoen Saduak and explore the canals by paddle boat, then stroll among stalls of fruit and snacks. After lunch, a long-tail boat takes you to a local temple and the King Rama II Memorial Park. On weekends you can choose the quieter Tha Kha market instead.Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, L

Enjoy a slow morning before your driver takes you to the airport for the short flight to Chiang Mai. On arrival you are met and driven to your hotel in the heart of the city. The afternoon is free. Chiang Mai is easy to explore on foot: walk along the old moat, visit a temple or two in the old city and browse the stalls of the evening markets.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B

Today you cook. After a visit to a local market to see the herbs and ingredients of northern Thai cooking, you head to an organic farm outside the city. Learn to cook jasmine and sticky rice, pound a curry paste from scratch, and prepare a curry, a soup, a noodle dish and a sweet to finish. You eat what you make for lunch. In the afternoon, visit a local orchid farm before returning to the hotel for a free evening.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L

Leave at 6:00 with a packed breakfast to join local people at the foot of Doi Suthep for the morning alms round, as monks walk barefoot to collect offerings. Then drive up the mountain and climb the 309 steps of the naga staircase to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Visit Wat Palad, a hidden temple in the forest below, and Wat Umong, a 14th-century temple with moss-covered tunnels, where a monk gives you a private blessing. Lunch is a bowl of khao soi. In the afternoon, see the Three Kings Monument and the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre.Overnight: Chiang Mai · Meals: B, L

Enjoy your last morning in Chiang Mai before your driver takes you to the airport for the flight south to Phuket. On arrival, transfer to your beach hotel on Kata Beach on the island's west coast. The rest of the day is free to swim, walk along the sand or simply rest after a busy week of sightseeing.Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B

You are collected from your hotel and taken to Ao Por pier to board a comfortable cruise boat, shared with other travelers. Head north among the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay. At Koh Panak, paddle by canoe through sea caves and mangroves, then explore the hidden lagoons of Koh Hong. After a buffet lunch on board, visit Khao Phing Kan and see Ko Ta Pu, the famous rock known as James Bond Island, before time to swim at a quiet beach. Return to Phuket in the late afternoon.Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B, L

A full day to relax by the sea. Swim, read by the pool or book a Thai massage. If you would like to see more, Phuket Old Town is about 30 minutes away, with its Sino-Portuguese shophouses, small cafes and shrines. Your guide can suggest restaurants for a seafood dinner by the beach on your final evening.Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B

Enjoy breakfast and some last time by the sea. At the right time, your guide and driver take you to Phuket airport for your flight home or on to your next destination. If you want more time on the coast, this is an easy place to add a few nights in Krabi or Khao Lak.Meals: B