Arrive in Bangkok, Thailand’s fast-moving capital, where street life, bold flavors and grand temples sit side by side. Transfer to the Pullman Bangkok G, your hotel and Stays with Stories experience. Later, join your fellow travelers for dinner at the hotel, a relaxed first introduction to the group and the journey ahead.
Start your day your way. Early risers can Dive into Culture in Lumpini Park, taking part in a Tai Chi lesson alongside locals who come here to begin their day. Continue to the Grand Palace, the former royal residence and one of Thailand’s most important landmarks, then step inside Wat Phra Kaew, home to the revered Emerald Buddha. Trade the coach for a tuk tuk ride through the city’s busy streets to Wat Pho, where Thailand’s first public university and the Reclining Buddha reveal another layer of Bangkok’s cultural and spiritual heritage. Later, perhaps join an Optional Experience to visit Jim Thompson House, before choosing an evening Optional Experience, either a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River or a tuk tuk ride through Bangkok after dark.
Today’s discoveries reveal different sides of Thailand, from canal trade and local food traditions to places shaped by wartime history. Visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where traders sell fruit, vegetables and local goods from boats along the canals, then stop at a coconut palm sugar plantation to see how sap is collected and turned into sugar. Later, visit the famous Bridge over the River Kwai and take a train ride along the historic Death Railway, a route built during World War II, with the opportunity to walk along the wooden viaduct before dinner at your hotel.
Today, visit Hellfire Pass and the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, where the story of the Thai-Burma Railway is told through the experiences of the Allied prisoners of war and Asian laborers who worked here during World War II. This afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure, with time to relax at your hotel or perhaps join an Optional Experience to Erawan Falls, a seven-tier limestone waterfall in Erawan National Park. Later, come together again for dinner at your hotel.
Explore Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where temple ruins, royal landmarks and museum collections reveal the scale of the ancient city. Visit Wat Sri Sanphet, Wat Yai Chaimongkhol and Wat Mahathat, home to the iconic Buddha head entwined in tree roots, before continuing to the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and Bang Pa-In Royal Palace. This evening, enjoy dinner aboard a traditional rice barge as you cruise past Ayutthaya’s heritage sites.
Board a train to Phitsanulok, traveling through the rice fields, small towns and open farmland of Thailand’s central plains on the route north. Continue to Sukhothai, where the rest of the day is yours to explore as you please. You may choose to join an Optional Experience to visit a local family and make your own amulet, learning more about the beliefs that give these objects their place in Thai life. This evening, another Optional Experience offers the chance to explore Sukhothai’s night market, where regional dishes, traditional noodles and handmade local products reveal a more local side of the city.
Begin the day by witnessing the morning alms offering to local monks, a long-held tradition still part of daily life in Thailand, before returning to the hotel for breakfast. Later, explore Sukhothai Historical Park, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, by bicycle or tram, passing temple ruins, Buddha images, moats and city walls on the site of Thailand’s first capital. Continue to Baan Suan Suda, where you’ll stroll through the garden with your host and see the herbs, fruit and vegetables used in Thai cooking before joining a hands-on cooking experience. The evening is then yours to spend as you please before joining a Local Specialist in the hotel’s garden to visit the Treasure Farm and look for fireflies after dark.
Travel on to Chiang Mai, the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom, stopping in Lampang to visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, one of northern Thailand’s most important temples. Later, join your hosts in Ban Thi for a Be My Guest experience featuring seasonal northern Thai dishes and insight into the local community and the heritage of the Thai Lue tribe. This evening, after arriving in Chiang Mai, you may wish to explore the city’s famous Sunday Night Market with your Travel Director.
This morning, visit Elephant Nature Park Sanctuary for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with rescued elephants in a no-riding environment. You’ll learn more about their care and spend time watching them in their natural surroundings before sitting down to a vegan buffet lunch. Back in Chiang Mai, the rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure, or perhaps choose an Optional Experience to Mae Rim, where a Hmong hilltribe village and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden reveal another side of northern Thailand.
A quieter side of Chiang Mai awaits today as you visit Wat Suan Dok, Dive into Culture as you meet a monk to learn more about Buddhist traditions. Continue to San Kamphaeng District, known for its handicrafts, with time to shop for locally made souvenirs. Return to your hotel before spending the afternoon as you please, or perhaps choose an Optional Experience for a traditional Thai massage. Later, head to Doi Suthep to experience evening monk chants. Come together for your final dinner at Deck One on the banks of the Ping River, a chance to reflect on the journey you’ve shared through Thailand.
Transfer to Chiang Mai Airport for your flight to Phuket, Thailand’s largest island on the Andaman coast, known for its beaches and the mix of old town character and resort life that gives it broad appeal. On arrival, continue to your hotel and settle in before the rest of the day opens up for you to explore as you please. You might head out to get your first feel for the island, whether that means time by the water, a look around Phuket Old Town or simply easing into the slower pace of your stay in the south.
Discover a different side of Phuket this morning on a tour of the island’s old town, where Sino-Portuguese shop-houses, Buddhist temples and Chinese shrines reflect the communities that helped shape it. Start at the fresh market, then continue to the amulet market before exploring the restored streets of Krabi Road, Dibuk Road and Soi Romanee. You’ll also visit Baan Chinpracha and the Thai Hua Museum to learn more about Phuket’s past. Along the way, stop for local snacks and coffee before lunch in one of Phuket Town’s well-known restaurants. The rest of the day is then yours to explore, whether you choose to spend time by the water, return to the old town or simply relax at your hotel.
Today is yours to enjoy in Phuket. You could relax at your hotel, spend time by the beach, explore more of Phuket Old Town or head out to discover more of the island at your own pace. If you’re looking to do more, you could choose from two Optional Experiences, either exploring Phang Nga Bay by speedboat, with visits to Tapu Island and the Sea Gypsy Village, or joining a local chef for a hands-on Thai cooking experience.
This morning, transfer to Phuket Airport, where your journey comes to an end. Say goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow travelers as you prepare for your onward journey, taking with you the memories of your time in Thailand.
