Incredible Thailand

Once you have arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, collected your luggage and cleared customs, head into the Arrivals Hall. A representative will be waiting, holding a sign with your name on it. From here, a private air-conditioned SUV takes you to your accommodation in the city centre, your base for the next three nights.

Bangkok is one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities, and it's known for its temples, shopping, food and a decent art scene. The rest of the day is free. You could make a start on the local street food or browse one of the city's night markets.

Please note: Your pick-up is at 12:00 pm, and the representative will wait for up to 60 minutes.

Today, you explore the City of Angels on a self-guided, hop-on hop-off tuk tuk ride around Rattanakosin Island, Bangkok's old town and home to most of the city's major sights. Make your own way to Exit 1 of Sanam Chai MRT Station, the recommended starting point. These three-wheeled motorised vehicles zip through the traffic and are one of the easiest ways to get around the city. A private tuk tuk takes you to whichever sights you prefer, and help is on hand to plan your route.

During your hour of tuk tuk travel, you can reach attractions such as the Grand Palace, a great spot for photos, and Wat Pho, as well as Khaosan Road, Chinatown, the Amulet Market, where you may ward off bad luck, and Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market. There is no guide, so you are free to explore each stop yourself. All you need is a mobile phone with internet access.

Once your ride is over, the rest of the day is yours. You might go back to a favourite temple, or choose to stay in the old town for dinner.

Please note: Your tuk tuk hour can be used between 10 am and 5 pm.

Please note: Each tuk tuk carries a maximum of three people.

You have a full day to explore Bangkok on your own. Wat Arun is one of the city's most famous temples and well worth a visit. In the evening, Bangkok's night markets and wide-ranging nightlife, from beer bars to clubs, give you plenty of choice.

You can start the day with some free time in Bangkok. A last wander through one of the city’s markets or shopping centres is a good way to fill the morning. Your driver meets you at the accommodation reception for the private SUV transfer to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.

From here, you board a Thai Railways train for the overnight journey to Chiang Mai, travelling in a second-class air-conditioned sleeper. The journey takes around 12 hours and 35 minutes, so you arrive in Chiang Mai the next morning.

Please note: Your driver will wait for up to 60 minutes.

Please note: Passport details are needed to book the train ticket in advance, and tickets can only be bought 30 days before travel.

Please note: Seats together can't be guaranteed for everyone in the group, especially with children.

Please note: Print the e-ticket sent to you by email, show it to the conductor when you board, and keep the printout for the whole journey. Only the passengers named on the ticket can travel.

Please note: There are no child fares for children aged 3 to 12, who pay adult fares. Children under 3 and under 100 cm tall travel free and don't need a ticket.

This morning, your train arrives at Chiang Mai Train Station and a private van takes you to your accommodation, your base for the next four nights.

Chiang Mai is the hub of Northern Thailand and the country’s fifth-largest city. It sits on a plain at 316 m, surrounded by mountains and lush countryside, and it’s much greener and quieter than the capital. The rest of the day is free. The historic walled city is a good place to start: parts of the wall survive at the gates and corners, the moat still circles it, and inside are more than 30 temples dating back to the city’s founding.

Please note: Your driver will wait for up to 60 minutes.

This morning, you're picked up from your accommodation between 7 am and 7:30 am for a full-day small group tour. It starts with a scenic drive of around 1.5 hours to an elephant park. Members of the Karen hill tribe greet you on arrival, give you traditional clothing to wear and hand you a bag of fruit and vegetables to feed the elephants.

You then stay with the elephants during their mud spa, which is good for their skin and helps regulate their body temperature. Afterwards, you walk alongside them down to the river, where you can swim with them and help bathe them. Lunch is a buffet of freshly prepared home-cooked food.

From here, the drive heads into the mountains to Thailand's highest point. At the top, you can explore the pagodas of the king and queen and enjoy the views and quiet gardens.

Next, you meet a local hill-tribe guide, who leads a trek to Rak Jung Waterfall through jungle and small local farms and tells you about the plants and trees along the way. The trek finishes at a Karen hill-tribe village, where you can relax over a cup of freshly ground, locally grown coffee. The last stop is Wachirathan Waterfall, then the drive back to Chiang Mai, reaching your accommodation at around 6:30 pm.

The day is yours to explore Chiang Mai. The city's temples mix Burmese, Sri Lankan and Lanna Thai styles, with wood carvings, Naga staircases and pagodas decorated with gold filigree. Chiang Mai's most famous temple is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, on a mountainside 13 km from the city, and it makes a rewarding trip.

You have another free day in Chiang Mai. You could go back to the old city's temples at a quieter time of day. Later, head east towards the Ping River, where Chang Klan Road and the famous Night Bazaar are good for shopping and Loi Kroh Road is the centre of the city's nightlife.

This morning is free in Chiang Mai. A private van then picks you up from the accommodation and takes you to Chiang Mai International Airport. From here, you fly to Surat Thani Airport - a flight of around 1 hour 50 minutes.

On arrival, a driver takes you on to Khao Sok National Park, a drive of around 1.5 hours. Your accommodation here is your home for the next two nights.

Khao Sok lies between Surat Thani and Phuket and is one of southern Thailand's great natural areas. It has ancient evergreen rainforest, dramatic limestone karsts and mist-covered valleys, and it's home to gibbons, hornbills and macaques.

Today begins with a shared transfer from your accommodation to the Sok River, where a guide joins you for a 1-hour bamboo rafting trip.

The bamboo raft is one of the oldest forms of transport in Thailand. It was once used to connect the Chinese trading town of Takuapa with the port of Surat Thani, and this slow-paced trip follows that old trading route past towering limestone cliffs. Each handmade raft holds a maximum of two guests and is surprisingly stable and easy to steer. A local captain guides you safely downstream while you watch for wildlife on the riverbanks.

Halfway along, you step off the raft at a small cave, where water is boiled over an open fire for a coffee break. Near the end, you get the chance to punt the raft yourself, which is harder than it looks. Soft drinks and towels are provided, and the shared transfer takes you back to your accommodation afterwards.

The rest of the day is free. You could hike one of the park's well-marked trails or paddle down the Sok River by canoe.

With a free morning in Khao Sok, there's time for a last look at the rainforest. Your driver then picks you up at the accommodation for the drive to Krabi, which takes around 2.5 hours. You reach your accommodation in Ao Nang, your base for the next three nights.

Krabi Province lies on the Andaman Sea and is known for its limestone karst formations, its beaches and the more than 150 islands off its coast. With the rest of the afternoon free, you might head down to the beach to watch the sunset.

In the morning, you're picked up from your accommodation for a 5-hour island-hopping trip by speedboat with a guide, leaving at 8 am. It's a fast, exciting ride around the Krabi Sea, with time for swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing, hiking and photography. Expect lots of sun, clear water, a wide range of reefs and fish, and white-sand beaches lined with coconut trees.

The first stop is Railay Beach, a secluded peninsula you can't reach by car. A short walk away is Phra Nang Cave, also called the Princess Cave, with its spirit house, and there's time to swim, sunbathe, take photos and explore.

Next comes Tup Island, which is good for snorkelling and walking. If the tide is low enough, you can walk along the white sandy causeway that joins it to the neighbouring island. From here, the boat continues to Chicken Island, a natural landmark named after the shape of its limestone rock jutting out into the sea. The snorkelling here is excellent, with coral in warm water.

The last stop is Poda Island, where long beaches are backed by bamboo plantations and tall rocky cliffs. You stop here for a break and a picnic lunch on the beach. Snorkelling equipment (mask, snorkel, fins and life jacket) is provided, along with water and soft drinks. Once you're back at your accommodation, the rest of the afternoon is free.

Please note: Pick-up times may vary depending on where you are staying.

Your day is free to enjoy Krabi. The area is great for kayaking, diving and rock climbing, or you could simply spend the day on the beach at Ao Nang.

After breakfast, your driver picks you up for the drive from Krabi to Phuket International Airport, which takes around 2.5 hours. From here, you continue to your accommodation in Patong, where you'll stay for the last three nights.

Phuket is Thailand's largest island. It has white-sand beaches and clear blue water alongside green countryside, temples, shopping and plenty of seafood. Patong Beach is the island's busiest beach and has the best nightlife in the region, which makes it a lively place for your first evening.

Today is free to explore Phuket. For a quieter beach than Patong, try Kamala, Surin, Laem Singh, Karon or Kata.

You have one more free day. Island hopping is the best way to see the islands around Phuket, and Phi Phi is one of the most popular. The Phi Phi View Point looks out over the bays of Ao Ton Sai and Ao Lo Dalam.

After your final breakfast, you have some free time before your pick-up from the accommodation. A private air-conditioned van then takes you to Phuket International Airport, a drive of around 1 hour.