12 days 11 nights
Specific Tour
14 people
English
Quick answer
A twelve-day tour that starts with three days in Bangkok and continues to Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi. It includes the Grand Palace and floating market, a Phang Nga Bay canoe day, a four-island trip from Krabi and free days on each island.
From US$1,380 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 and the riverside temples | Bangkok |
| 3 | Maeklong, Damnoen Saduak and Ban Bang Phlap | Bangkok |
| 4 | Fly to Phuket | Phuket |
| 5 | Phang Nga Bay by boat and canoe | Phuket |
| 6 | Free day in Phuket | Phuket |
| 7 | Ferry to Koh Phi Phi | Koh Phi Phi |
| 8 | Free day on Phi Phi | Koh Phi Phi |
| 9 | Ferry to Krabi | Krabi |
| 10 | Krabi four-island trip | Krabi |
| 11 | Free day in Krabi | Krabi |
| 12 | Depart from Krabi | — |
Private tour with your own English-speaking guide · 12 days / 11 nights · Bangkok – Maeklong – Damnoen Saduak – Phuket – Phang Nga Bay – Koh Phi Phi – Krabi
This Thailand island hopping tour balances three busy days of sightseeing with a long, easy stretch by the sea. In Bangkok you visit the Grand Palace, ride the river ferry to Wat Arun and Wat Pho, and spend a day in the countryside at the Maeklong railway market, the Damnoen Saduak floating market and a small farming village where you cycle and make a Thai kite.
Then you fly to Phuket and head out into Phang Nga Bay, paddling by canoe through sea caves, seeing James Bond Island and stopping at the stilt village of Koh Panyee. From Phuket, a ferry brings you to Koh Phi Phi for two nights with no cars and plenty of time to swim and explore at your own pace.
The trip ends in Krabi, where a speedboat takes you around Phra Nang Beach and the islands of Tup, Chicken and Poda. With free days in each place, you can rest, snorkel, take a cooking class or just enjoy the view of the limestone cliffs.
Easy. Apart from temple visits in Bangkok, the days are relaxed, with short walks and optional swimming and snorkeling. Speedboat and ferry crossings of one to two hours can be bumpy in choppy seas. On Phi Phi you walk from the pier to the hotel while staff carry your bags. Suits couples, older travelers who like the beach, and families with children over 10.
Eleven nights at 4-star level with daily breakfast: Silom Serene in Bangkok, The GIG Hotel in Phuket, Phi Phi Bayview and Premier Resort (superior villa) on Koh Phi Phi, and Ao Nang Phu Pi Maan Resort in Krabi, or similar.
The best time is November to April, when the Andaman Sea is calm and clear and the days are sunny. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings showers and rougher seas; ferries usually run, but island trips may be changed or cancelled on stormy days.
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 · Northern Thailand by Road and Phuket: Ayutthaya to Chiang Rai in 12 Days · Luxury Spas of Thailand: Bangkok, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai in 11 Days · Romantic Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Phuket in 11 Days
Photos: Diego Delso, 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; PA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Thailand Island Hopping: Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi in 12 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 guide meets you at Bangkok airport and takes you by private vehicle to your hotel in the Silom area. The rest of the day is free. Rest after the flight, or head out for a first taste of Thai street food in the evening, when the city is cooler and full of life.
Overnight: Bangkok
Begin at the Grand Palace, built from 1782 as the royal residence, and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha. Then cross the Chao Phraya on the local ferry to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, with its porcelain-covered tower. Ride back to Wat Pho to see the giant Reclining Buddha, and end at Wat Traimit with its solid gold Buddha. The afternoon is yours.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B
Head out of the city to Samut Songkhram. At the Maeklong railway market, vendors pull back their stalls each time the train passes. Continue to Damnoen Saduak for a 30-minute long-tail boat ride past orchards and stilt houses, then explore the floating market by paddle boat. After lunch, visit the Ban Bang Phlap community to cycle through village lanes, see an organic pomelo farm, learn to make preserved fruit and build a Thai kite. Taste fresh coconut and pomelo before you return.
Overnight: Bangkok · Meals: B, L
Your guide takes you to the airport for the flight to Phuket. On arrival you are met by a guide and driver and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. Phuket Old Town, with its colorful Sino-Portuguese shophouses and small cafes, is a pleasant place for a stroll and dinner.
Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B
Board a shared cruise boat at Ao Por pier and head into Phang Nga Bay. At Koh Panak, a paddle guide takes you by canoe into the caves and mangroves. Ride a long-tail boat to James Bond Island and its famous rock, then have a buffet lunch on board. Visit Koh Panyee, a Muslim fishing village built on stilts over the water, and canoe again around the lagoons of Koh Hong. End with time on the beach at Naka or Lawa island before returning to Phuket.
Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B, L
A day at leisure. Spend it on the beach or by the pool, book a spa treatment, or explore more of the island on your own, from the viewpoints of the south coast to the markets of the old town. Your guide can help arrange anything you would like. In the evening, the beaches on the west coast are a lovely place to watch the sun go down over the Andaman Sea.
Overnight: Phuket · Meals: B
Your guide and driver take you to the pier for a speedboat crossing to Ton Sai Pier on Koh Phi Phi. Hotel staff meet you there and walk with you to the hotel while they take care of your luggage. There are no cars on the island, so life slows down at once. Spend the afternoon swimming and watching the long-tail boats come and go.
Overnight: Koh Phi Phi · Meals: B
A whole day to enjoy the island. Swim and snorkel off the beach, or hire a long-tail boat to quieter coves. In the late afternoon, many visitors walk up to the island viewpoint to watch the light change over the two curving bays of Ton Sai and Loh Dalum. Dinner is easy to find in the small village by the pier.
Overnight: Koh Phi Phi · Meals: B
Hotel staff take your luggage to Ton Sai Pier, where you board a speedboat to Krabi. A private driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your resort near Ao Nang Beach. The afternoon is free to settle in and watch the sunset behind the limestone islands. Ao Nang has an easy seafront promenade with cafes and seafood restaurants, and long-tail boats wait on the beach for trips to nearby bays.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B
Join a half-day shared speedboat trip to four islands. Start at Phra Nang Beach, reachable only by boat, with its small cave shrine. At Tup Island, walk across the white sandbar at low tide. Snorkel among coral off Chicken Island, then enjoy a picnic lunch on the long beach of Poda Island, backed by cliffs. You are back at the hotel by mid-afternoon.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B, L
Your last full day by the sea. Relax at the resort, or take a long-tail boat from Ao Nang to the beaches of Railay, framed by tall limestone cliffs. In the evening, enjoy a seafood dinner along the seafront. If you would like to try something new, your guide can also help you book a Thai cooking class, a sea kayaking trip among the mangroves or a relaxing spa treatment near your resort.
Overnight: Krabi · Meals: B
Enjoy a slow breakfast and check out by midday. A private driver takes you to Krabi airport for your flight home or on to your next destination. Krabi airport is about 30 to 40 minutes from Ao Nang. If you have a late flight, the hotel can usually keep your luggage so you can spend a last hour on the beach, and your driver will collect you in good time for check-in.
Meals: B
Yes. After three sightseeing days in Bangkok, the pace is gentle, with only two organized boat trips and plenty of free time. Speedboat crossings can be bumpy, so let us know about any back or mobility concerns and we will advise on seating and timing.
No. The flight from Bangkok to Phuket is not part of the land package. We can book it for you, and the ferries between Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi are included.
The standard trips use shared boats with a guide on board. For more privacy we can arrange a private speedboat or long-tail boat for your group 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.
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