Highlights of Thailand

Day 1: Arrive at Bangkok airport, where you’ll be greeted by a local representative and taken to your hotel. Standard check-in time is 14:00.

Day 2: Begin at Wat Po, home to the iconic Reclining Buddha and Thailand's traditional medicine school, where you’ll witness the monks’ morning chants. Visit the Grand Palace, including the revered Emerald Buddha. After lunch, explore Bangkok’s canals by long-tail boat, taking in stilted homes and local life. Visit the striking Wat Arun, then wander Chinatown’s vibrant alleys, markets, and temples on foot. Return to your hotel late afternoon. (B/L)

Day 3: Set out early for Tha Kha Floating Market, a traditional trading hub, where you take a paddle boat to explore the canals and stop by a coconut sugar factory, before continuing to Kanchanaburi. Visit the War Cemetery, Bridge over the River Kwai, and the moving Hellfire Pass Memorial, learning about WWII history. Check into your floating hotel for a peaceful evening. (B/L/D)

Day 4: Enjoy a free morning - perhaps paddleboarding or visiting a Mon village. Travel by boat and car to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital. Evening at leisure.

Optional: Romantic sunset dinner on a traditional rice barge. (B/L)

Day 5: Explore Ayutthaya’s UNESCO-listed temples, including Wat Si Sanphet and Wat Mahathat, with its tree-entwined Buddha head. Stroll through the Muslim Quarter and try candy floss roti. Take a boat trip along the Chao Phraya River to the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. After dinner, board the overnight train to Chiang Mai. (B/L/D)

Day 6: Transfer to your hotel upon arrival. Later, visit Wat Suan Dok to meet monks and learn about Buddhist practices. End the day with a trip to Doi Suthep, a sacred hilltop temple offering panoramic views and a chance to see the monks’ evening rituals. (B)

Day 7: Join a hands-on cooking class with a local family, learning traditional recipes and buying ingredients at a nearby market. After enjoying your creations, return to your hotel. Spend your evening exploring Chiang Mai’s lively streets or night markets. (B/L)

Day 8: Travel to Chang Chill Elephant Sanctuary, where you can observing elephants in their natural habitat and walk with them into the forest. Help prepare their food and learn about elephant conservation and the "no-touch" philosophy. You also have the chance to chat with the mahouts about their lives and community before returning to Chiang Mai. (B/L)

Day 9: Journey north to Fang, stopping at the Chiang Dao cave complex or the Sticky Waterfalls where you can literally walk up the cascade, then unwind your muscles at Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park’s hot springs. Tonight you stay in a Lahu family-run guesthouse with authentic décor and a warm welcome. (B/L/D)

Day 10: Trek up Doi Phu Muen mountain for around 2 hours to a remote Lahu hill tribe community, where you will learn about their way of life and how the villagers make a living from organic tea and coffee farming. You'll join in daily activities, share home-cooked meals and be treated to traditional Lahu dances. Accommodation is basic but offers a unique cultural insight.

Note: Families with younger children can skip the trek and travel by 4WD. You can also stay at the hotel in Fang rather than the village. (B/L/D)

Day 11: After breakfast with your hosts, have a go at making and tasting "Khao Puk", a traditional sticky rice bun. Return to Fang by vehicle and continue back to Chiang Mai. (B/L)

Days 12: Transfer to Chiang Mai airport for your onward flight or extend your stay, perhaps on a stunning southern beach... (B)

Prices from: £2125 per person
Services included: hotels on shared room basis, meals, transfers and activities as mentioned, entry fees, English speaking guide, 24 hour assistance.
Services not included: flights, drinks, tips and personal expenses.
Note: stops can be extended, added or cut - just ask us!