13 days. Classic Thailand with East Coast

Day 1. Bangkok

Arrival at airport in Bangkok. We welcome you at airport and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day is your leisure time.

• Stay overnight in Bangkok.
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Day 2. Bangkok → Ayutthaya → Bangkok

Sa-wat dee! Around 6.30, pick up from your hotel and transfer to River City pier. At 8.00, depart by air-conditioned coach with an English-speaking guide for Ayutthaya, the World Heritage city and historic capital of Siam. Visit Wat Mahathat, the royal monastery that served as residence of the supreme patriarch, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the largest and most important temple of the old royal palace, and Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit with its large bronze Buddha.

At 13.15, board the Grand Pearl cruiser at Wat Chong Lom pier for a buffet lunch of Thai and Western dishes while sailing down the Chao Phraya, the River of Kings, past Koh Kret and the Mon community. Coffee is served as you pass the Royal Barges, Thammasat University, Siriraj Hospital, the Grand Palace and the Temple of Dawn. Disembark at River City around 16.00 and transfer back to your hotel. This join-in tour operates Wednesday to Monday.

• Overnight in Bangkok.
• B,L

Day 3. Bangkok (railway market & floating market)

At 6.30, pick up from your hotel and leave Bangkok for the Maeklong Railway Market (Talad Rom Hoop), where stallholders fold back their awnings each time the train rolls through the middle of the market. Watch the train pass and take your photos.

Continue to Damnoen Saduak, the most famous floating market in Thailand. You have an hour to wander the market, then take a long-tail boat along the canals to see village life on the water. Set lunch of pad thai, mango sticky rice and fruit before driving back to Bangkok, arriving around 13.30. Rest of the day at leisure.

• Overnight in Bangkok.
• B,L

Day 4. Bangkok → Sukhothai

Breakfast at hotel. At 8.00, pick up for a private city tour of Bangkok’s most famous temples: Wat Traimit, home of the Golden Buddha, Wat Pho with its giant reclining Buddha, and the marble temple Wat Benchamabophit. Lunch at a local restaurant. The Grand Palace can be added at extra cost.

Afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Sukhothai. On arrival, our driver meets you and transfers you to your hotel. Check in and spend the evening at leisure.

• Overnight in Sukhothai.
• B,L

Day 5. Sukhothai

After breakfast, your private guide and driver take you to Sukhothai Historical Park, the ruins of the first capital of Siam, ‘dawn of happiness’, which flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries. Visit Wat Si Sawai, one of the oldest temples in Sukhothai, built around the end of the 12th century.

Lunch at a local Thai restaurant. Afternoon, continue to Wat Tra Phang Ngoen, Wat Sra Sri, Wat Mahathat and finally Wat Si Chum with its giant seated Buddha, before returning to your hotel.

• Overnight in Sukhothai.
• B,L

Day 6. Sukhothai → Lampang → Chiang Mai

Breakfast at hotel. Travel by private minivan from Sukhothai to Lampang. On the way, stop off at the Friends of the Asian Elephant Hospital, the first elephant hospital in the world, established to care for sick and abused elephants and to preserve their natural habitat and lifestyle. You’ll learn more about this important initiative and perhaps become acquainted with some of its resident patients.

Lunch at a local restaurant, then continue to Chiang Mai. Check in to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

• Overnight in Chiang Mai.
• B,L

Day 7. Chiang Mai (Doi Inthanon)

Breakfast at hotel. Pick up between 8.00 and 8.30 for a full day at Doi Inthanon National Park, home to the highest peak in Thailand. Visit the summit and the most stunning corners of the park: lush jungle and the Royal Agricultural Station with its rhododendron garden, fern and flower greenhouses and hydroponic vegetable gardens.

Visit the King and Queen twin pagodas: the brown Phra Mahathat Naphamethinidon, built in 1987 for the King, and the lilac Phra Mahathat Naphaphonphumisiri, built in 1992 for the Queen, where Thais leave flowers and incense as a mark of respect. The views from the terraces are tremendous and the gardens beautiful. Return to Chiang Mai between 17.00 and 17.30.

• Overnight in Chiang Mai.
• B,L

Day 8. Chiang Mai → Chiang Rai → Chiang Mai

At 7.00, leave Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai. Visit Wat Rong Khun, the dazzling White Temple, an art exhibit built in the style of a Buddhist temple, then Baan Dam, the Black House Museum of artist Thawan Duchanee, a striking mix of traditional northern Thai buildings and contemporary architecture.

Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon, stop at a Long Neck village to meet the Kayan women famous for their stacked brass neck rings, visit the vivid Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten) and finish at the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet on the Mekong. Return to Chiang Mai in the evening.

• Overnight in Chiang Mai.
• B,L

Day 9. Chiang Mai → Koh Samui

Morning, breakfast at hotel. We transfer you to Chiang Mai airport for your flight to Koh Samui. On arrival, our driver meets you and transfers you to your beach hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

• Overnight in Koh Samui.
• B

Day 10. Koh Samui (Angthong Marine Park)

Pick up from your hotel between 7.30 and 8.00 and transfer to the pier for check-in and a light breakfast. Around 9.00, the speedboat leaves Koh Samui for Angthong National Marine Park, about an hour away. First stop is Koh Wao for snorkelling, then Koh Mae Ko, where a short walk up brings you to the viewpoint over the emerald-green inland lake.

Relax on the beach or go kayaking at Kangtak Beach, followed by a buffet lunch on Koh Wua Ta Lab, the park headquarters. After lunch, climb to the Pha Chan Jarat viewpoint, 550 metres above the sea, for the panorama over the whole archipelago. Return to Koh Samui between 14.30 and 15.30 and transfer back to your hotel.

• Overnight in Koh Samui.
• B,L

Day 11. Koh Samui (leisure)

Breakfast at hotel. A free day to enjoy the beaches of Koh Samui on your own: Chaweng and Lamai beaches, the Big Buddha, Fisherman’s Village or simply a Thai massage by the sea.

• Overnight in Koh Samui.
• B

Day 12. Koh Samui → Koh Tao

Breakfast at hotel. Our driver picks you up and transfers you to the pier for the ferry to Koh Tao. Famous for its coral reefs, the little island of Koh Tao is loved by divers and snorkellers alike. On arrival, transfer to your hotel and check in. Afternoon at leisure.

• Overnight in Koh Tao.
• B,L

Day 13. Koh Tao (departure)

Morning, your time at leisure on Koh Tao. Explore the island on your own or take a last swim before the trip ends. Ferry and flight connections onward from Koh Tao will be arranged accordingly as per your departure flight information.

• B

End of the tour!