You’ll arrive in Bangkok among flashes of gold, spirit houses tucked beside modern buildings and flower garlands threaded with yellow marigolds. As you settle in, you might catch the scent of incense outside shrines, with gold leaf gleaming against towers of concrete and glass. Later, you’ll meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers, ready to begin eight days together through Thailand.
At Wat Pho, tiled roofs and rows of painted columns lead towards the Reclining Buddha, which stretches almost the length of the hall, its gold surface catching the temple light. At the Grand Palace, mirrored mosaics, colored glass and intricate rooflines fill the royal complex as you move between its courtyards and halls. The afternoon is yours, whether that means following the scent of garlic and chilli towards a plate of pad Thai or finding a rooftop table above the city. You can also choose an Optional Experience through Thonburi’s klongs, traveling by long-tail boat past wooden houses and waterside temples before arriving at Wat Arun, its porcelain-covered spire rising beside the Chao Phraya.
With Bangkok yours for the day, you can move between Siam’s polished shopping halls and Talat Noi, where old shophouses sit beside murals painted in bold reds, yellows and greens. Follow the paths around Lumphini Park’s lake beneath palms and broad-canopied trees, or board a river ferry and watch Bangkok pass from the water. For more, choose an Optional Experience to Ayutthaya, walking among the prangs, temple ruins and remains of the former Siamese capital before cruising back to Bangkok. Or head into Chinatown by tuk-tuk as evening settles over Yaowarat, sampling street food from sidewalk stalls before raising a rooftop cocktail above Wat Arun and Wat Pho.
You’ll spend your last Bangkok morning choosing how to see the city before heading north. Join an Optional Experience at Jim Thompson House, teak walls glow deep honey-brown, silk catches the light in jewel tones and tropical greenery grows around the old Thai houses beside the canal. Or choose an Optional Experience beyond Bangkok, where Maeklong Market sits along the railway tracks until awnings are pulled back for the passing train, before boats loaded with pineapples, coconuts and green bananas crowd the water at Damnoen Saduak. Later, choose another Optional Experience and unwind with a traditional Thai massage. Then Bangkok slips behind you aboard the overnight train to Chiang Mai, with dinner before departure or in the dining carriage as the rails carry you north.
After the overnight train, you'll climb to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, following its naga-lined staircase towards the hilltop temple and wide views across Chiang Mai. At Wat Suan Dok, rows of white chedis stand against the mountain backdrop, then at Wat Phra Singh, you'll wander among carved woodwork and layered Lanna roofs. Later, you can choose an Optional Experience at a 160-year-old Lanna family home, cooking Northern Thai dishes from recipes handed down through generations and sharing what you’ve made around the table. This evening, join your Travel Director at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, moving between stalls of handmade crafts and sizzling grills.
With a free day in Chiang Mai, you can follow the old city’s moat and weathered brick walls, slip into a shaded courtyard for coffee or sit down to khao soi, its coconut curry crowned with crisp noodles and sharpened with fresh lime. Or choose the Elephant Nature Park Optional Experience, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you'll watch rescued elephants play and forage while expert staff share their individual histories. Back in Chiang Mai, there’s still time for a cold drink in a leafy courtyard or a final wander through the old city as lanterns begin to glow.
A final full day in Thailand is open for exploring Chiang Mai or choosing an Optional Experience to Doi Inthanon National Park. On the mountain, forest paths wind between moss-covered trees and thick ferns, with the rush of waterfalls breaking through the green and mist sometimes hanging between the branches. Tonight, choose a Khantoke dinner, sharing Northern Thai dishes and sticky rice as traditional music and dance unfold around you.
Leaving Chiang Mai behind, the road north takes you to Chiang Rai, where Wat Rong Khun gleams almost entirely in white, its mirrored surfaces flashing against delicate sculpted detail. At Wat Rong Suea Ten, deep cobalt walls, painted ceilings and gold accents cover the temple interior. From Chiang Rai, you’ll continue to Chiang Khong on the Mekong, where the river marks the edge of Thailand and Laos lies just beyond. Check into your hotel and settle in for the night, with tomorrow’s crossing waiting on the other side of the water.
After saying goodbye to your Thailand Travel Director, you cross the Friendship Bridge into Laos and meet the Travel Director who’ll lead the next part of your trip. From Huay Xai, board your Mekong cruise and watch steep green hills, pale sandy banks and small riverside settlements stretch along the water, a route that has carried people and goods through northern Laos for centuries. From the deck, you watch fishing boats pass wooden houses and feel the soft churn of the river beneath you as you travel deeper into Laos. Arrive at your hotel and settle in after a day spent watching a new country unfold from the Mekong.
From Pakbeng, you return to the Mekong for another day aboard your river cruise, watching kingfishers flash above the water and water buffalo stand half-submerged near the banks. Herons and egrets lift from the shallows as villages appear between long stretches of forest, before you reach UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang. From the pier, continue on foot past Vieng Temple and into the peninsula, where gilded roofs, whitewashed colonial façades and shaded lanes carry you towards your hotel.
The day begins with Luang Prabang’s alms-giving ritual, as you watch saffron-robed monks pass in near silence while offerings of sticky rice are placed into their bowls. Later, a tuk-tuk carries you through the old town to the morning market, where baskets of fruit, vegetables and herbs crowd the stalls, before you reach Wat Mai and its gilded carvings. From Phou Si Hill, you look out across tiled rooftops and the two rivers below. At the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center, textiles, baskets and traditional crafts tell you more about Laos’s ethnic cultures. The afternoon is yours, or you can choose an Optional Experience to Kuang Si Falls, where pale turquoise pools spill through tiers of forest. Tonight, another Optional Experience returns you to Phou Si for sunset before dinner beside the river, with Luang Prabang’s rooftops below and the Mekong nearby.
Before leaving Luang Prabang, you have one last morning for strong Lao coffee, temple courtyards and a final browse through its small shops and stalls. Or choose an Optional Experience in a local home, cooking Lao dishes before carrying what you’ve made to a nearby temple as an offering for the monks. Later, board the high-speed train to Vientiane, where gilded stupas rise above low rooftops and French-influenced façades line the streets. Along the Mekong, the river deepens to copper at sunset while sidewalk cafes fill with diners and tables line the waterfront for dinner. After checking in, you can head out for a walk beside the river and take in your first night in Laos’s capital.
In Vientiane, your tuk-tuk carries you towards Patuxai, where painted ceilings and carved mythological figures sit above the monument’s broad archways before you climb for views across the capital. At Carol Cassidy’s Lao Textiles workshop, you watch silk glide through the loom as fine patterns build row by row beneath the weavers’ hands. At the COPE Visitor Center, photographs, prosthetics and personal accounts document the lasting impact of unexploded ordnance in Laos and the rehabilitation work supporting those affected. Later, you can stay in Vientiane and wander through Buddha Park, passing serene Buddhas, Hindu deities and strange stone creatures before stepping inside the giant pumpkin through its demon-shaped mouth. Or travel to Vang Vieng, where you walk through green countryside beneath sheer limestone cliffs and spend time in a Hmong village. Then cross the water by sampan before venturing into limestone caves, their sculpted walls disappearing into the darkness.
Your journey through Thailand and Laos ends in Vientiane as you check out of your hotel and say goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow small group travelers.
