10 days 9 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A ten-day private tour of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket with two internal flights. It includes the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the canals, the railway and floating markets, a cooking class and dawn alms in Chiang Mai, and a canoe day in Phang Nga Bay.
From US$1,570 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 | Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and the Thonburi canals | Bangkok |
| 3 | Maeklong railway market and Damnoen Saduak | Bangkok |
| 4 | Fly to Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai |
| 5 | Thai cooking class on an organic farm | Chiang Mai |
| 6 | Alms at dawn, Doi Suthep and Wat Umong | Chiang Mai |
| 7 | Fly to Phuket | Phuket |
| 8 | Phang Nga Bay by cruise boat and canoe | Phuket |
| 9 | Free day on the beach | Phuket |
| 10 | Depart from Phuket | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 10 days / 9 nights · Bangkok – Maeklong – Damnoen Saduak – Chiang Mai – Doi Suthep – Phuket – Phang Nga Bay
This Thailand discovery tour covers the three places most first-time visitors want to see, in ten unhurried days. In Bangkok you hear the monks chant at Wat Pho, visit the Grand Palace and spend an afternoon on the quiet canals of Thonburi. A day trip takes you to the railway market at Maeklong, where vendors pull back their stalls as the train rolls through, and to the floating market at Damnoen Saduak.
A short flight brings you to Chiang Mai. Here you cook a northern Thai meal on an organic farm, then rise early to join local people offering food to monks at the foot of Doi Suthep. The day continues to the mountain temple, the forest temple of Wat Umong with its old tunnels, and a private blessing from a monk.
The last part of the trip is by the sea. From Phuket you cruise into Phang Nga Bay, paddle a canoe through sea caves and see the famous rock of James Bond Island, then enjoy a free day on the beach before you fly home.
Easy. Most days involve two to three hours of walking at temples and markets, with steps at Doi Suthep (or a funicular). Drives are short, and two one-hour flights replace long road journeys. Well suited to families with children over 10 and to older travelers.
Nine nights at 4-star level with daily breakfast: Cape House Bangkok (one-bedroom suite) or similar, Bodhi Serene Chiang Mai or similar near the old city, and Chanalai Garden Resort or similar on Kata Beach in Phuket.
November to February is the best time for this route, with dry weather in Bangkok, cool mornings in Chiang Mai and calm seas on the Andaman coast. March to May is hot everywhere. From May to October the west coast gets the southwest monsoon, so the sea in Phang Nga Bay can be rough on some days and trips may change with the weather.
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 · Royal Echoes of Siam: Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and the North in 10 Days · Bangkok, Krabi and Khao Sok: Islands and Rainforest in 10 Days · Truly Northern Thailand: Chiang Rai, Pai and Mae Hong Son in 10 Days
Photos: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Diego Delso, 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; Diliff, 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; CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; ADwarf, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Thailand Discovery: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket in 10 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.
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
Yes. It covers the big sights of Bangkok, a hands-on cooking class, an early morning with the monks of Chiang Mai and a day of canoeing in Phang Nga Bay. Distances are short and two flights replace long drives, so there is energy left for the beach.
No. The flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and from Chiang Mai to Phuket are not part of the land package. We can book them for you with your preferred timing and luggage allowance.
The standard trip uses a comfortable cruise boat shared with other travelers, with canoe guides on board. If you prefer a private boat for your family, we can arrange it at an extra cost.
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.
Save the itinerary to share with your travel companions
Save the itinerary to share with your travel companions
Leave a review