THAILAND · SOUTHEAST ASIA
Longtail islands, golden temples, green hills.
Andaman island-hopping, Bangkok’s floating markets, Chiang Mai elephant sanctuaries and hands-on Thai cooking. Phuket, Krabi, Ko Samui and the temple cities in between.
Only here
Three things Thailand does like nowhere else.
Beaches and boat trips turn up all over the tropics. Longtail days through Andaman limestone, dawn at a floating market, and a morning bathing rescued elephants in the hills belong to this country alone.
Limestone & longtails
The Andaman Islands
Nowhere does island days quite like the Andaman coast. Wooden longtail boats thread between limestone towers that rise straight out of clear green water, out to Maya Bay and the Phi Phi group, the James Bond sea caves of Phang Nga, and the four-island runs off Krabi.
- 1 Krabi: Premium 4-Island Day Trip by Longtail Boat with Lunch
- 2 Phang Nga Bay Sea Cave Canoeing & James Bond Island by Big Boat
- 3 Krabi: Hong Islands Day Trip by Speedboat with Lunch
Up in the hills
The Northern Jungle
Trade the beaches for cool green mountains. Around Chiang Mai you spend a morning feeding and bathing a rescued elephant herd at an ethical sanctuary, an afternoon over a wok in a market-to-table cooking class, and a day in the cloud forest of Doi Inthanon, the roof of Thailand.
- 1 Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon National Park Eco-Friendly Tour
- 2 Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary & Waterfall Group Tour
- 3 Chiang Mai: Chiang Rai Temples, Karen Tribe and Hot Springs
Klongs & markets
Markets on the Water
The capital still runs on its canals. Boats nose between stalls at the Damnoen Saduak floating market, the Maeklong railway market folds away as the train rolls through, and longtails carry you down the old klongs to temples and a dinner cruise past a floodlit Wat Arun.
- 1 Bangkok Canal Tour: 2-Hour Longtail Boat Ride
- 2 Bangkok: Muay Thai Boxing Tickets at Rajadamnern Stadium
- 3 Bangkok: White Orchid Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise free Beer
The classic day out
Start with the one everyone books.
If you have a single free day, this is where most Thailand trips begin.
The big ones
Thailand's Most Popular Experiences
Floating markets, island-hopping, elephant sanctuaries and Thai cooking classes. The days most travellers come for.
Where to begin
Where to go in Thailand.
Six places anchor most trips: the capital, the cool north, the Andaman coast, the Gulf islands and the ancient cities. The best of each, and how to do it.
The big decision
North or south?
Most first trips come down to one choice: the islands and beaches of the south, the temple-and-jungle country of the north, or the markets and palaces of the centre. Here is what each one is for.
Bangkok
Markets on the water, temples on the river.
The capital is best seen from the water. A dawn run out to the Damnoen Saduak floating market and the Maeklong railway market, longtail rides through the old klongs, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun, then a dinner cruise back down the Chao Phraya.
- 1 Bangkok by Private Guide: Full Day Tour In and Around
- 2 Bangkok: Mahanakhon SkyWalk Entry Ticket with Options
- 3 Bangkok: Longtail Boat Canal Cruise
The north
Elephants, cooking pots and cloud forest.
Chiang Mai trades the coast for cool green hills. Feed and bathe the herd at an ethical elephant sanctuary, cook your way through a market and a farm kitchen, then climb into the cloud forest and waterfalls of Doi Inthanon, the highest ground in Thailand.
- 1 Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Feeding Program Half-Day Tour
- 2 Thai and Akha Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
- 3 Chiang Mai: Authentic Thai Cooking Class and Farm Visit
The Andaman
Where the cliffs rise straight from the sea.
The southwest coast is all limestone islands and impossible water. Maya Bay and the Phi Phi group, the sea caves of Phang Nga, the four-island longtail runs off Krabi and Railay. For a lot of travellers, this stretch of coast is the whole reason for the trip.
Andaman islands & day trips →By place
Pick your corner of Thailand.
Bangkok for the markets and temples. Phuket and Krabi for the Andaman islands. Chiang Mai for the elephants and the hills. Ko Samui for the Gulf beaches. Pattaya for the quick coast escape.
Plan it
Two weeks, first time in Thailand.
Never been? This is the route most first trips follow: the capital, then the north, then the southern islands, without a wasted day.
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