Thailand Culture Journey – 7 days

Begin at the City Pillar Shrine on Rattanakosin Island, where Bangkok was founded, then step into Wat Pho, home to the vast golden Reclining Buddha, about 45 metres long. It is a fine place to make an offering and a wish. Continue to the Grand Palace, a glittering riot of gold, mosaic and colour, and the most photographed sight in the city.

Lose yourself in the lanes of Chinatown, full of smells, colours, traditional shops and Chinese temples, then wander through the flower market, a sea of orchids and marigolds where locals choose blooms for their family altars. Climb the Golden Mount at Wat Saket for a view across the rooftops.

The rest of the day is yours: sip a fresh mango juice and watch the city go by, go shopping around Siam Square, or browse the stalls of the Patpong night market.

Hidden in a street market across the river lies a set of rusty train tracks. Join the locals, with their chickens, vegetables and goldfish in plastic bags, on a local train that rattles past houses built almost on the rails and stops at every little station along the way. The scenery turns green, the air begins to smell of salt, and you step off at Mahachai on the Gulf of Thailand, straight into one of the country’s biggest fish markets, piled with giant prawns, bright red lobsters and mountains of squid.

This is delta country, criss-crossed by canals and thick with coconut plantations and fruit orchards. Board a boat along the narrow waterways to the floating market of Damnoen Saduak, where vendors sell noodle soup, pomelos and rambutans from their little wooden boats. Step behind the souvenir stalls to find the old wooden houses and bridges that still line the canals.

Drive on to Kanchanaburi on the River Kwai. At the museum and the Allied war cemetery, learn about the hardships of the prisoners of war who built the Death Railway, then walk across the famous bridge itself.

End a full day with a cold drink at a riverside bar.

After a leisurely start, drive into the central plains, a sea of sugar cane or corn depending on the season, where lorries pass piled high with the harvest and workers riding on top. Ask your driver to stop for a glass of freshly pressed sugar cane juice.

Arrive in Ayutthaya, the former royal capital whose temple ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and stop for lunch.

Explore Wat Chaiwatthanaram, built in a Khmer style that echoes the temples of Angkor. As you walk among the brick towers and headless Buddhas, your guide brings the city back to life with the story of the Burmese army that sacked it and carried away the gold that once covered its temples.

Drive to the airport in Bangkok for the short flight north to Chiang Mai, a world away from the plains.

Drive to Lampang, more a riverside town than a city, with low wooden houses along the water. Explore its back streets by horse-drawn carriage, the town’s trademark, and visit Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao, which once held the Emerald Buddha. Unlike the brick temples of the central plains, the north was built of wood, and Ban Sao Nak, a teak house resting on more than a hundred pillars, shows it beautifully.

Continue to Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, a Lanna temple always busy with pilgrims.

In sleepy Lamphun, visit Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, a lovely example of northern architecture with a golden chedi at its heart. Back near Chiang Mai, explore the craft villages of San Kamphaeng, known for hand-painted umbrellas, wood carving and silk weaving. Peek into the workshops down the narrow lanes away from the main road for original souvenirs to take home.

At Mae Sa Elephant Camp, home to one of the largest groups of elephants in northern Thailand, the focus is on a natural, healthy life for the animals. Meet some of the older elephants, help prepare their food and feed them, then join them for a bath in the river. On the way, stop at an orchid farm to see blooms of every colour up close.

The Lisu are one of the smaller hill tribes of northern Thailand, who migrated here from Tibet through southern China and Myanmar. At the community-run Lisu Lodge, a villager guides you through the village to the local temple and herb garden, then to the home of the shaman, or “miracle doctor”, for a cup of tea and stories of his healing rites. A small cultural centre displays the tools and household items of both the Lisu and Akha people.

Back in Chiang Mai, browse the night bazaar for souvenirs and street food, a perfect last evening.

Drive up the winding forest road to Doi Suthep, then climb the last stretch on foot, up a long staircase guarded by many-headed naga serpents. The temple is always alive with worshippers. Walk clockwise around the golden chedi and light incense for safe travels, then take in the view across Chiang Mai and the valley below.

Back in town, explore the old city on foot, a maze of lanes and alleys dotted with temples in the graceful northern style.

The rest of the day is at leisure until your transfer to the airport or railway station, for your flight home or onward to a beach of your choice.