Amazing Thailand, North To South – 16 Days

Begin at the Grand Palace, the most sacred and majestic place in the city, a compound of halls and temples built over centuries and still used for royal ceremonies. Within its walls stands Wat Phra Kaew, home of the revered Emerald Buddha. Then walk on to Wat Pho, one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples, where the golden Reclining Buddha stretches 46 metres, the soles of his feet inlaid with mother of pearl.

After lunch at a local restaurant, at your own expense, wander through Chinatown, one of the busiest corners of Bangkok and a feast of street food and regional specialities. Visit Wat Traimit, home of the Golden Buddha.

Board a long-tail boat on the Chao Phraya River and slip into the canals of the Thonburi bank for a close look at life along the water, with stops along the way for a snack or a little shopping. Pause at Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, before returning to your hotel.

Leave the high-rise city behind for the green countryside of Samut Songkhram. At Mae Klong Railway Market, stalls line the tracks, and each time a train passes the vendors pull back their awnings and goods, then set everything out again moments later.

Continue to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Busy with visitors today, it still shows how a floating market once worked. A paddle boat takes you through the maze of canals to the older part of the market and past homes along the water, and then you can stroll among boats piled with tropical fruit.

Drive on to Kanchanaburi to visit the war cemetery and the bridge on the River Kwai, then take a ride of around half an hour on the railway as it runs beside the river, before settling in for the night.

Head to Erawan National Park and walk up beside Erawan Waterfall, which tumbles down seven tiers of turquoise pools. Bring good walking shoes, and a swimsuit if you want to swim in the natural pools.

Drive to Ayutthaya, once called the Venice of the East for the rivers that ring it, including the Chao Phraya. Founded in 1350 by King U Thong, it was the royal capital for four centuries, and its ruins are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Climb aboard a Kermit tuk tuk, the cheerful green frog-faced tuk tuks that are found in only a couple of Thai provinces. Ride between the great temples: Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Mahathat with its Buddha head held in the roots of a tree, and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, with a stroll through a local market on the way.

Continue north by road to Sukhothai via Uthai Thani and Phitsanulok.

Arrive in Sukhothai, Thailand’s ancient capital and often called the birthplace of Thai culture, and check in.

Pick up bicycles and ride into Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where nearly 200 ruined chedis survive in remarkable condition. Start at Wat Si Chum with its giant seated Phra Achana Buddha, said in legend to have spoken. Pedal on to Wat Phra Phai Luang, then to Wat Si Sawai, Wat Sa Si and Wat Traphang Ngoen.

Drive to Lampang and check in.

The rest of the day is at leisure in this quiet northern town.

Visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, one of the finest examples of Lanna architecture in Thailand, with open-sided viharns and a style that blends Lanna and Thai Lue. Built in the 13th century and never rebuilt with modern materials, it keeps its original character. Then take a half-hour horse-drawn carriage ride through town and the surrounding villages.

Lunch is at a local restaurant, at your own expense.

Continue towards Chiang Rai, stopping at Phayao Lake for a coffee and the view across the water.

Arrive in Chiang Rai at the end of the day.

Start at the local market to see what the region grows and makes. Visit Wat Phra Kaew, where the Emerald Buddha was once enshrined, and Wat Phra Singh, home to one of the country’s most admired Buddha images.

A short drive brings you to Baan Dam, the Black House, created by the national artist Thawan Duchanee. Part studio, part museum, part home, it mixes traditional northern buildings with startling modern designs. Lunch is on your own.

Cruise the Mae Kok River by boat to a Karen village, then return to Chiang Rai.

Drive to Chiang Saen, an ancient city on the banks of the Mekong, and visit the opium museum, which tells the story of opium in the region.

Lunch is at a local restaurant at the Golden Triangle, at your own expense. Then take a boat on the Mekong to the point where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet.

Transfer directly to Chiang Mai and check in.

Walk the old town, past the old city wall, the moat and one of the ancient gates. Visit three of Chiang Mai’s most beautiful temples, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phan Tao and Wat Chedi Luang, then take a rickshaw through small streets lined with traditional houses.

Wander through Warorot Market, the city’s central market, before heading up to Doi Suthep, the mountain that watches over the city.

Browse the Night Market on your own.

Drive around two hours to Doi Inthanon National Park, home to the highest peak in Thailand. Set off on a trek of two to three hours along a narrow mountain trail, past coffee plantations, flower farms and rice terraces, to a waterfall hidden deep in the jungle.

Stop at a Karen hill-tribe village for a cup of locally grown coffee, then continue to Wachirathan Waterfall, where the water thunders down some 70 metres and the air is cool and fresh.

Visit the twin chedis of Naphamethanidon and Naphaphonphumisiri, built to honour the 60th birthdays of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit, before driving back to Chiang Mai.

Drive about an hour and a half south through rolling hills, forest and farmland. At the sanctuary, walk a short way through the jungle, change into traditional Karen clothing and learn about elephant anatomy, history and behaviour, then meet the elephants and feed them.

Enjoy a lunch of traditional Thai food and fresh fruit.

Learn to make herbal medicine balls, feed the elephants again and walk with them to the river to bathe and brush them. Then join them for a mud bath and a swim, before changing and saying goodbye.

Drive back to your hotel in Chiang Mai.

The morning is at leisure until your transfer to the airport for the flight to Krabi.

On arrival, transfer to Ao Nang and take the ferry to Koh Lanta, just off the Krabi coast. Its long west coast has around a dozen beaches, some counted among the finest in the country, each with its own feel.

Check in and spend the rest of the day as you like.

Spend the day on the island as you please, on the beach or trying one of its many activities.

Or join a small-group speedboat trip with an English-speaking guide to the Phi Phi Islands, among the most celebrated marine landscapes in Thailand. Visit Viking Cave and the lagoon of Phi Phi Leh, swim and snorkel at Loh Samah Bay, see Maya Bay, where the film The Beach was shot in 2000, and Monkey Bay, home to many small monkeys.

After a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, snorkel the coral gardens of Hin Klang in the open sea, then finish with time to swim and sunbathe on Bamboo Island before returning to your hotel.

A whole day to enjoy Koh Lanta at your own pace, from a lazy morning on the beach to a sunset over the Andaman Sea.

The morning is yours on Koh Lanta.

Transfer to Krabi airport for your flight to Bangkok and onward home.