Basic Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Krabi

On arrival at Bangkok International Airport, we’ll meet and welcome you, then guide you to your transfer for the journey to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to get acquainted with Bangkok – you might choose a traditional Thai massage, try local flavours, and finish with sunset views from one of the city’s rooftop bars. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, we spend a half–day discovering three of Bangkok’s most significant Buddhist temples. We begin at Wat Traimit – the Temple of the Golden Buddha – home to a 3–metre–tall statue cast in solid gold and weighing 5.5 tonnes. We then pass through Chinatown en route to Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, where the 46–metre–long, 15–metre–high image depicts the Buddha’s passing into nirvana and the complex includes the Chedis of the Kings. Our tour continues to the Grand Palace – the former residence of the Kings of Bangkok – to see its compounds used for different occasions, including the Funeral Palace, Reception Palace, Throne Hall, Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House and the Emerald Buddha Temple. We round off the tour with a visit to a local lapidary factory and showroom, where you can browse locally made jewellery, handicrafts and silk at competitive prices. Note: The Grand Palace is closed during special royal ceremonies and visits by heads of state. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, we leave Bangkok for Samut Songkhram to visit Maeklong Railway Market – Talad Rom Hoop. Our guide shares the story of this unusual market before we watch vendors quickly retract their awnings and produce as the train passes through. We then continue to Ratchaburi to explore the famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where colourfully clad merchants paddle sturdy canoes along busy canals, selling fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s a lively insight into local life and a good opportunity to bargain for goods. We return to Bangkok afterwards. Breakfast included. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, enjoy some free time in Bangkok before we provide an unescorted transfer to the airport for your flight to Chiang Mai – flight not included. On arrival in Chiang Mai, proceed to the Arrivals hall to meet your driver holding a sign with your name, and we will transfer you to your hotel. Settle in and spend the rest of the day at leisure. All transfers today are unescorted. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

After breakfast, enjoy a full day at leisure to discover Chiang Mai at your own pace. Alternatively, you can join an optional Half Day Doi Suthep Temple and City Temples tour – English-speaking, operating daily – a shared experience with pick up from the Hotel Empress, running 08:30–13:30. Transfers are included – meals are not – and casual dress is recommended, with comfortable, light clothing. If you choose this option, please arrange your arrival date accordingly so you can enjoy this activity on Day 2.This tour offers an overview of a city with more than 700 years of history. You travel the winding road up the hillside to visit Chiang Mai’s most significant temple, the 600-year-old Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, set about 3,500 feet above sea level. Its copper-plated chedi, topped by a five-tier golden parasol, enshrines relics of the Buddha, and the terrace offers fine panoramic views on a clear day. At the summit you can climb the 306-step Naga staircase – or take the funicular. Back in the city, you visit Wat Suan Dok, the king’s flower garden temple, with its large central stupa, and Wat Chedi Luang, home to an impressive chedi originally built in 1411.Overnight in Chiang Mai.

After breakfast, we transfer you to Chiang Mai Airport for your flight to Krabi – flights are not included and the transfer is unescorted. On arrival at Krabi Airport, proceed to the Arrivals hall to meet your driver holding a sign with your name, and we transfer you to your hotel – this transfer is also unescorted. Settle in and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight in Krabi.

After breakfast, you have a full day at leisure to explore Krabi at your own pace.If you wish, you can join an optional half day Krabi 4 Islands tour by speedboat – available daily, shared, English-speaking, 08:00–13:00. You will be picked up from your hotel lobby and transferred to the quay on the Krabi River – transfers are included, meals are not, and the National Park fee is not included. Casual, comfortable, light clothing is recommended. The route takes in Phra Nang Cave and Pranang Beach, noted for striking stalactites, then Tup Island where, at low tide, a sandbar links Chicken Island to the smaller Koh Mor and Tup – a phenomenon known locally as Talay Waek, or divided sea. Continue to Chicken Island, named for its distinctive rock formation, and Poda Island, where you can swim, snorkel or relax on the beach. The clear waters here are home to colourful tropical fish and coral.Overnight in Krabi.

We start with breakfast at the hotel, then you can enjoy a relaxed day at your own pace or opt for the Full Day Phi Phi Islands trip by speedboat – a shared tour in English available daily. You will be picked up from your hotel lobby at 07:30 and return around 17:30, with transfers included. The speedboat ride takes about 45 minutes from Krabi to the islands, where you can snorkel and unwind at Bamboo Island, visit Monkey Beach, Viking Cave and Pileh Cave, and stop at Tonsai Bay for an included Thai lunch before swimming and snorkelling at Loh Sa Mah Bay. The National Park fee is not included and is payable locally. Dress is casual – comfortable, light clothing is recommended. Overnight in Krabi.

We begin with breakfast at the hotel, then you have a full day at leisure in Krabi – explore at your own pace or simply unwind. Overnight in Krabi.

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel before we transfer you to Krabi Airport for your onward journey – this transfer is unescorted.