Private Must-See Bangkok

On arrival at Bangkok International Airport, we’ll meet you and arrange an unescorted transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure – at your own expense – so you could unwind with a traditional Thai massage, sample the city’s bold local flavours, and round off the evening with sunset views from one of Bangkok’s stylish rooftop bars. Overnight in Bangkok.

After a leisurely hotel breakfast, we set out to explore three of Bangkok’s most important temples. At Wat Traimit – the Temple of the Golden Buddha – we admire a statue of solid gold standing three metres tall and weighing 5.5 tons. We continue through Chinatown to Wat Pho, home to the Reclining Buddha and the Chedis of the Kings; at 46 metres long and 15 metres high, the statue is Bangkok’s largest and depicts the Buddha’s passage into nirvana. We then visit the Grand Palace – the former royal residence and a landmark of Siamese architecture – to see the Funeral Palace, Reception Palace, Throne Hall, Coronation Hall, the Royal Guest House and Wat Phra Keo, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. To round off the tour, we stop at a local lapidary factory and showroom – you can browse locally made jewellery, handicrafts and silk at competitive prices. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast at the hotel, we leave Bangkok for the Maeklong Railway Market, known locally as Talad Rom Hoop. On arrival, our guide outlines the history of this unique spot before we watch the train pass straight through – a swift, striking sight. We then continue to the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market, where colourfully clad vendors paddle sturdy canoes along busy canals, piled with fresh fruit and vegetables for shoppers on the banks. It’s a lively glimpse of local life, with time for you to browse and bargain if you wish. We return to Bangkok afterwards. Overnight in Bangkok.

Start early with breakfast at the hotel before pick up between 6:00–6:30 am for the 128 km drive to Kanchanaburi. We visit the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre – an interactive museum with research facilities that presents the history of the railway – followed by the Allied War Cemetery, a memorial to around 6,000 Allied prisoners of war who died along the line and were later laid to rest here. After an included lunch at a local restaurant, we board the historic Death Railway train, crossing the original wooden viaduct built by Allied prisoners of war. We then journey back to Bangkok and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, you have time at leisure to relax or explore at your own pace. We then arrange an unescorted transfer to Bangkok International Airport for your onward journey.