Tour features
Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, and Wat Arun A walk through Chinatown The train through Maeklong and Damnoen Saduak Doi Suthep and Wat Phra That An elephant visit with no riding Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in Thailand Wachirathan Waterfall and the King and Queen Pagodas
Overall itinerary
Travel
7 days, 2 cities (Bangkok, Chiang Mai)
Accommodation
6 nights in Bangkok and Chiang Mai
Meals
Breakfast daily except the arrival day
Destinations
Accommodation Details
Day by day itinerary
Welcome to Thailand! Upon your arrival in Bangkok, your private guide will greet you and escort you to your hotel. Check into your room and relax for the rest of the day.
Your private guide starts at Wat Pho, where the Reclining Buddha lies. Arrive early and you may catch the morning ceremony. You then go to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. A longtail boat crosses the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun. The day ends with a walk in Chinatown before you return to the hotel.
Gallery: Grand Palace
The day starts early at Mahachai, Bangkok's large seafood market. You then board the train and stay on it as it moves slowly through Maeklong Railway Market. The stalls pull back from the track. You are riding through, not only watching from the side. Next is Damnoen Saduak. A longtail boat goes through the canals, past fruit gardens and houses. You are back in Bangkok in the afternoon.
Gallery: Railway Market
Sleep a little later. After breakfast, your driver takes you to the airport for the flight to Chiang Mai. Your Chiang Mai guide meets you and brings you to the hotel. Check in and keep the rest of the day free. Doi Suthep can wait until tomorrow.
After breakfast, drive up Doi Suthep. Wat Phra That sits above the city. You can climb the naga staircase, or take the tram if you would rather not. The view from the terrace runs back over Chiang Mai. On the way down, stop at Wat Suan Dok. In the afternoon you visit the elephants outside the city. You meet the herd, help prepare their feed, and walk beside them. There is no riding, and no stop to bathe an elephant for a photograph. You are back in Chiang Mai by evening.
Gallery: Doi Suthep
After breakfast, drive about an hour and a half to Doi Inthanon National Park. The summit is 2,565 meters, and the air is cooler than in the city, so bring a light layer. A short boardwalk, the Ang Ka Trail, crosses the moss forest. This is a walk, not a long hike. The day also includes a Hmong village and its small market, Wachirathan Waterfall, and the King and Queen Pagodas near the top. You return to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.
Gallery: Doi Inthanon
After breakfast, check out. Your guide and driver take you to Chiang Mai airport. If your international ticket connects in Bangkok, leave enough time for that change of plane.
What’s included
Included
- Bangkok airport arrival transfer
- Private vehicle and driver on touring days
- English-speaking guide on touring days
- Flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, and Wat Arun
- Chinatown walk
- Mahachai Market, the Maeklong train, and Damnoen Saduak
- Doi Suthep, Wat Phra That, and Wat Suan Dok
- Elephant visit
- Doi Inthanon, including the park sights listed above
- Breakfast from Day 2 through Day 7
- Chiang Mai airport transfer
Not included
- International flights
- Flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, unless your ticket already includes it
- Lunches and dinners
- Visas and travel insurance
- Tips and personal expenses
- Optional activities