Bangkok & Central Thailand Journey

On arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, a representative will welcome you. Your private transfer into Bangkok's city centre picks you up at 12 pm. You travel without a guide on this transfer, and you'll then check in to your accommodation, which is your base for the next three nights.

Thailand's capital is one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities. It's hot and crowded but fairly clean, and it has plenty to keep you busy, including temples, shopping, great food and a decent art scene. Spend the rest of the day settling in, perhaps with a first taste of the local food or a wander through a nearby market.

Please note: The maximum waiting time for your airport pick-up is 60 minutes.

Today is yours to explore Bangkok on your own. Most of the city's key sights are on Rattanakosin Island, often called the Old City, and the Grand Palace is the one site you shouldn't miss.

The palace complex is also home to Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is Thailand's most sacred Buddhist temple and worth taking your time over.

You can start the day at two more of Bangkok's famous temples, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Then turn to the city's shopping scene, which runs from shops and shopping centres to markets for every taste.

After dark, Bangkok's nightlife is as varied as the city itself. You'll find everything from beer bars and exclusive clubs to night markets, discos and hippie parties. It's a sprawling city that manages to be noisy and crowded yet peaceful and delicate at the same time.

After breakfast, your guide meets you at your accommodation. You set off for Ayutthaya in an air-conditioned vehicle, with drinking water and cold towels provided.

This ancient capital sits in the valley of the Chao Phraya River and was Siam's second capital after Sukhothai. Its magnificent ruins still show its former glory, and the old city is now protected as Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is known for its prang (reliquary towers) and huge monasteries.

The day begins at Ayutthaya's most iconic sights. You then board a traditional long-tailed boat for a cruise around the island of Ayutthaya. You'll explore Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the former royal temple, and admire the intricate design of Viharn Mongkol Borpitr. At the ancient temple of Wat Mahathat, you'll see the famous Buddha head cradled by nature, before moving on to the tranquil pagoda of Wat Yai Chaimongkol.

From here, you continue to Bang Pa In - the Summer Palace that blends Thai, Chinese and Gothic architecture and is set in lush tropical gardens. Afterwards, you're transferred to your accommodation in Ayutthaya to check in. The rest of the day is free to relax, think back on the day's sights or explore more of the surrounding area.

Please note: The length of today's tour may vary with traffic and the time spent at each site.

This morning, your guide picks you up from your accommodation for a scenic drive by air-conditioned vehicle to Kanchanaburi, a town in the west of Thailand and the capital of Kanchanaburi Province.

Your first stop is the JEATH War Museum. It gives a moving, immersive picture of the harsh conditions faced by prisoners of war from different nations during World War II, and its exhibits and artefacts show vividly what those held there went through.

You then stop for lunch at a local restaurant, a chance to try authentic Thai cooking and some of Kanchanaburi's regional specialities. Afterwards, there's time for a gentle stroll and photos from scenic viewpoints.

Next, you head to Krasae Cave to board the train along the infamous Death Railway. The train runs on the same historic tracks the prisoners built and winds through deep gorges and dense jungle, past the remains of this remarkable feat of engineering.

You arrive at the River Kwai Bridge, with plenty of time to explore the bridge and take in its significance. To end the day, you're transferred to your accommodation in Kanchanaburi.

This morning you leave Kanchanaburi with your guide, heading east to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Local market women have sold their goods from small rowing boats here for more than a century. You'll spend around an hour exploring the market and nearby canals aboard your own boat, mixing with the locals as trade carries on around you.

The journey continues to Amphawa, a picturesque area of orchards and vegetable gardens. You'll stop to take in an old Catholic Church on the banks of the Mae Klong River.

Next is King Rama II Memorial Park, where you can stroll the well-kept grounds past ancient Thai buildings from the era and a variety of rare trees and flowers. Near the charming town of Samut Songkhram, you'll visit the magnificent temple complex of Wat Satthatam. Its boat-shaped main building has doors decorated with fine mother-of-pearl inlays.

From here, you travel south towards the coast and stop in Phetchaburi to explore the renowned Khao Luang Cave, which has been turned into an impressive temple filled with Buddha images. You then continue to the coastal town of Hua Hin, where your accommodation is your base for the next four nights.

Please note: The length of today's tour may vary with traffic and the time spent at each site.

The day is yours to enjoy Hua Hin, a beach resort town and the capital of the district of the same name. The district is in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula.

For a dose of local culture, visit the Hua Hin Arts and Crafts Centre. It's housed in a traditional old house on Naepkhehat Road and displays contemporary work by Thai artists, along with antique furniture and photographs of Hua Hin in the past.

This morning, you could visit Hua Hin Railway Station, often called Thailand's most beautiful station and a real source of local pride. Its wooden building was once a royal pavilion at Sanamchan Palace in Nakhon Pathom Province. Klai Kangwon Palace is another landmark worth adding to your day.

You can start the day early with a trip up Khao Takiab, an imposing hill dotted with Buddhist temples. The views over the resort are at their best in the morning.

The rest of your last full day is free to enjoy the beach or take one more look around town before tomorrow's departure.

After your final breakfast, your driver picks you up from your accommodation in Hua Hin for the private transfer to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, where your tour ends.