North Thailand Express

On arrival at Chiang Rai Airport – recommended flight PG231 arriving at 08:55 – we meet you and begin the day at Wat Phra That Chedi Luang, an ancient bell–shaped Lanna stupa. At 88 metres high and 24 metres in diameter, it is the tallest religious structure in Chiang Rai, built around 1290 by King Saen Phu and surrounded by smaller chedis and a historic ordination hall. We continue to the hilltop Wat Phra That Chom Kitti, reached via a 350–step staircase.We then head to the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, and enjoy a boat trip with a stop at Don Sao Island in Laos – approximately 45 minutes on the water. Lunch at a local restaurant is included. In the afternoon, we visit the Hall of Opium Museum, where multimedia displays and exhibits present the history of opium from multiple perspectives.Overnight in Chiang Rai.

After breakfast, we drive to the Doi Tung Royal Project – an initiative dedicated to the reforestation of the Doi Tung area. We stop for lunch at a local restaurant (included). In the late afternoon we head to the hotel to check in, and you have the rest of the evening at leisure. Overnight in Chiang Rai.

After breakfast at the hotel, we visit Baan Dam – the Black House Museum – a striking complex of almost 40 buildings where black predominates and themes of mortality are on display. We continue to the Hilltribe Museum and Education Centre to learn about the many hill tribe communities who have lived in the surrounding highlands for centuries and how they have adapted to globalisation. Next, we drive to Wat Rong Khun, a dazzling temple created in the 1990s. Its ornate, entirely white exterior, set with mirrors, gives it a brilliant sheen and makes it one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand. We then stop for lunch at a local restaurant (included). In the afternoon we depart for Chiang Mai via Wiang Pa Pao along a scenic route, stopping at Pha Chor in Mae Wang National Park to view its natural rock pillars – formations believed to have developed from an old course of the River Ping, where layered sediments later eroded into cliffs and unusual columns. We continue to the hotel to rest.Overnight in Sanpatong, Chiang Mai.

After breakfast at the hotel, we set out at around 08:00 for a Chiang Mai city and temple tour, visiting the Three Kings Monument – a focal point honouring the city’s founders – Wat Chedi Luang with its imposing Lanna-era chedi, and the elegant Wat Phra Singh. We then enjoy a final lunch at a local restaurant – included – before your transfer to Chiang Mai Airport at around 13:30. For domestic departures, we recommend booking flights from 15:00 onwards.