Thailand Highlights with Phuket

Sah wah dee khaa! Welcome to choose our best Thailand tour! When you clear customs at Bangkok’s airport, our guide will greet you with a welcome sign with your name on it, and escort you to the hotel in the heart of Bangkok in a chauffeur-driven, air-conditioned car prepared for you.

► Tip: Bangkok has two airports – Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport. You can book a flight landing in either airport at any time according to your own needs. Our guide will meet you on time according to your flight schedule. Both airports are not too far from the city center, and it takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to the hotel if there are no traffic jams.

Accommodation: Movenpick Bangkok Sukhumvit 15 

Your tour of Thailand begins and we will spend the day discovering the highlights of the capital Bangkok, mainly the ancient temples and beautiful scenery. After setting off from the hotel, the guide will first lead you to visit the Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan featuring a gilded exterior and a huge golden Buddha statue. Next, we’ll move on to the Wat Pho, which houses the world’s largest reclining Buddha statue. Then comes the focus of today’s visit, the Grand Palace, a magnificent palace and temple complex that is a must-see for any trip to Bangkok. Follow the guide to pay close attention to the Wat Phra Kaew, the most valued temple containing Thailand’s national treasure, the Emerald Buddha.

Later in the afternoon, we will arrange a boat for you to cruise down the Chao Phraya River, known as Bangkok's ‘River of Kings’. Drifting through the labyrinthine network of klongs, you will find the peaceful pace of life here is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the city. Finally, we will finish the cruise and today’s tour with a visit to the riverside Wat Arun. As the sun sets, you can look across the river from the top of its Angkorian-style stupa. What a beautiful day!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Movenpick Bangkok Sukhumvit 15

After breakfast, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and assist you in checking out. We’ll set off for a day trip to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam, founded around 1350 AD. Upon entering the city, we’ll first stop at the Bang Pa-In Palace on the Chao Phraya River. You’ll be amazed by its mix of Thai, Chinese and Gothic architecture. The guide will then take you to explore the Wat Niwet Thammaprawat, a Gothic-style temple on an island in the middle of the river. After a delicious Thai lunch at a local restaurant at noon, we will continue our Ayutthaya tour to the Wat Mahathat, the location of the renowned wonder of a stone Buddha head wrapped in the tree roots. The final stop is the Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. These temples and ruins together make up Ayutthaya’s World Heritage.

► Fly to Chiang Rai: After the visit, our guide and the driver will transfer you to Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, where you’ll fly to Chiang Rai, Thailand’s northernmost major city. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our local guide in Chiang Rai and escorted to the hotel for a good rest.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Legend Chiang Rai

★ Travel Different: The first destination of the day is Mae Salong, where we will arrange for you a special visit to a local tea plantation. It’s not a popular attraction, so very few people travel there. Follow the guide to hike the winding path up the verdant terraces, and you could see the dedicated work of the local tea pickers. Drinking tea in such a heavenly place is a great blessing in one’s life.

After that, we’ll continue our drive to Mae Sai to visit a market on the Thai-Myanmar border, where you can see the real life of the Thai mountain people. After lunch, the guide will take you to the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet, which was once a mysterious poppy growing area and is now a popular tourist area. Next, continue our exploration along the Mekong River, which divides the border, to the small town of Chiang Saen, where we could appreciate the magnificent ancient ruins and temples while overlooking Laos on the other side of the river. Late in the afternoon, we will go back to the hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Legend Chiang Rai

In the morning, our guide will pick you up from your hotel and start our trip from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. First, the driver will take us to the main market area, where you can experience the busy local morning market and pick up some fresh fruit to supplement your snacks of the day, if you like. Next, the guide will take you to visit two of the most famous local temples. One is the Wat Phra Singh featuring a purple jade Buddha. The other is the magnificent Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple, because its buildings are all made of white clay and mirrors, creating a particularly pure backdrop for photographs.

★ What makes our service superior:
Based on our many field trips, we would schedule the visit to the White Temple in the morning, different from the afternoon arrangement by other travel agencies. Not only will you get better photography light in the morning, but you’ll also be able to avoid the crowds and enjoy a quiet visit.

After lunch, we will continue our drive to Chiang Mai. On the way, we’ll stop at the Mae Kajan Hot Spring for a rest. After arriving at the hotel in Chiang Mai, the rest of the day is your free time. You can enjoy the afternoon and evening as recommended by the guide. The Thai massage and fish pedicure, which are popular local pastimes, are worth trying.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Rim

After breakfast, our guide will pick you up from the hotel to begin our insightful exploration of Chiang Mai’s ancient monuments and temples. Once inside the ancient city walls, you will be immediately amazed by the mix of traditional houses and modern edifices, as well as the devout local people who make pilgrimages to the stupas. From the guide’s instructions, you’ll notice a lot of small spirit shrines tucked alongside the local residences. Next, we’ll drive out of the city to the Doi Suthep Mountain. From the base of the mountain, we will climb up the 309 stairs, admiring the intricate carvings on the sides, and finally reach the summit to visit the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a temple whose biggest highlight, apart from the traditional great gold stupas and halls, is the observation platform offering broad city views of Chiang Mai.

Afterwards, we’ll visit the Wat Jed Yod, a 500-year-old temple with unique architectural styles from Laos, India, China and Lanna. The next destination is the Wat Suan Dok, where we will see a pagoda that enshrines Buddha’s relics, a mausoleum containing the ashes of Chiang Mai’s royal family, and a large assembly hall. After lunch, we will return to the old town of Chiang Mai. En route, the guide will take you to San Kamphaeng, a great place showcasing the best of traditional Thai crafts in the outlets of Thai silk and cotton looms, Siamese celadon kilns, and workshops for lacquerware, teak carving, jewelry, umbrella-making and silverware. Finally, you will be escorted back to the hotel. If you’re still in the mood, you can visit the lively Chiang Mai Night Market on your own.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: The Rim

You are free to spend this morning in Chiang Mai. In the afternoon, our guide will pick you up from the hotel and escort you to the airport for a flight to Phuket. Upon arrival at the Phuket Airport, our local driver will pick you up and take you to the hotel in a comfortable private car.

Phuket Island:
Reputed a paradise on earth, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and a popular tourist destination, featuring crystal clear seawater, white sand beaches, lovely outlying islands, and plenty of seaside activities. Therefore, to ensure the maximum flexibility of your travel, we have considerately set aside three free days for you to spend your time in Phuket as you wish. The hotel is well selected for you after our field trip and careful comparison. Located near the popular Patong Beach, the hotel is within walking distance of the sea and enjoys easy access to any part of the island and the surrounding islets. Enjoy your perfect undisturbed vacation in Phuket!

Tip: If you want a fully guided tour or a day trip in Phuket, please contact our travel consultants for additional arrangements.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Charm Resort

This is the first day of your 3 free days in Phuket and you can arrange activities according to your preferences.

Recommended Activities:
Pay attention to the weather forecast, and choose a fine day in the three days to take a boat out to the surrounding islands. There are many beautiful islands around Phuket, such as the Ko Phi Phi Don, Bamboo Island, Coral Island, Racha Island, and James Bond Island. You can take a speedboat from the pier to your favorite island, or join a local day tour with lunch, which usually includes two islands and provides simple snorkeling gear. Enjoy the sunny beach and try fun water activities such as jet skiing, banana boat, canoeing, scuba diving, undersea walking, and parasailing.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Charm Resort

This is another full day free for you to relax in Phuket.

Recommended Activities:
After waking up naturally in the morning, you can walk to the beach near the hotel for a swim and a sunbath. In the afternoon, you can visit the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary to learn about the living habits of the elephants, get up close with these gentle giants, feed them, and mud-bath them. Or, if you like more thrilling activities, then White Water rafting, zipline, and ATV ride in jungles are all good choices.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Charm Resort

This is your last day in Phuket and you can arrange your time freely.

Recommended Activities:
You can continue to relax on the sunshine beach, or rent a scooter to explore the Old Phuket Town and travel across the island to the Big Buddha on a mountaintop for panoramic views of the whole island. In the afternoon, if you are tired, you can find a spa and enjoy an authentic Thai massage.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Charm Resort

Today you will fly back to Bangkok. Please pack your luggage after breakfast. Our driver will transfer you from the hotel to the Phuket Airport according to your flight time. After 1.5 hours’ flight, you will arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don Mueang International Airport. This is the end of our service, and hope you enjoyed the trip!

Meals Included: Breakfast

► Please note that if you need a connecting flight from Bangkok to get home or to your next destination, be sure to confirm which airport your flight leaves from. The two airports are 40 to 50 minutes away by car, and you need to allow at least an hour for transfer. You’d better book a flight leaving Bangkok in the evening to ensure enough time for the connection.

► If you want an extension trip to neighboring countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos, or destinations on other continents, feel free to contact our travel consultants anytime.