Touring Thailand: Trains, Tuk Tuks & Temples

Fly overnight from the UK to Thailand.

Touchdown in Thailand’s buzzing capital, Bangkok, where you’ll be transferred straight to your hotel in the trendy Silom district. Settle into the 4-star Montien Hotel Surawong Bangkok, which will be your base for the next three nights.

After breakfast, board a long-tail boat to glide along the Chao Phraya River and its many canals, set against Bangkok’s modern skyline. Cruise past a 70-metre-tall meditating Budda statue and stop at Baan Silapin, a wooden house that dates back over 200 years and serves as an art gallery and cultural centre. Next, sail to Wat Arun, a mosaic-covered temple with a spire that soars 82 metres into the sky.  Back on land, visit the Chinese neighbourhood of Talad Noi. Admire So Heng Tai Chinese mansion and the 200-year-old Chow Sue Kong Hokkien shrine, then enjoy a coffee break at Mother Roaster café. You’ll take a guided walk through the area, spotting street art, sampling local dishes like guay chai (chive cakes) and browsing the Talad Noi Museum to learn about the local heritage. Your day ends with dinner at The River Vibe Restaurant.
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Continue exploring Bangkok today, taking the subway to Wat Pho, one of the city’s oldest temple complexes and massage schools. Marvel at the intricate murals and mammoth reclining Buddha statue, which is 46 metres long and 15 metres tall.

Hop on a tuktuk and ride through Bangkok’s hectic streets to the Grand Palace, a collection of temples and palaces that date back to 1782 and served as the Thai royal family’s home for over 150 years. Take in the highlights, from the coronation hall to Wat Phra Kaew, a Buddhist temple that houses the sacred Emerald Buddha statue.

Next, travel by tuktuk to the bright lights of Chinatown, stopping for lunch at a restaurant en-route. Here, you’ll take a walking tour of the area’s traditional shops and tea houses, then trawl local markets where stalls heave with fresh produce and spices. Afterwards, enjoy a free evening.
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This morning, say goodbye to Bangkok and make the hour-long train journey to Ayutthaya. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ayutthaya was founded around 1350 and once served as the capital of the powerful Siam Kingdom. When you arrive, a Kermit tuktuk will be waiting to take you to Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Uncover the history of Ayutthaya as you stroll among the ruins of its palaces, temples and monasteries. A highlight is Mongkhon Bophit, a temple compound with a 17-metre-tall bronze Buddha statue. You’ll also see three pagodas at Wat Phra Si Sanphet, which was Ayutthaya’s largest temple complex in ancient times.

Have lunch before driving north through the countryside to Sukhothai. Marvel at Wat Muang, which houses the biggest seated Buddha statue in Thailand, before checking into the 4-star Sriwilai Sukhothai for the night. This boutique hotel overlooks endless rice fields backed by mountains.
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Rise early to take part in a Buddhist Almsgiving ceremony, where you’ll offer food to monks and receive a Sanskrit prayer blessing. After breakfast, tour Sukhothai Historical Park, which was the capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries. Explore the ruins, which are spread over 70 square kilometres, by tram or bike. Top landmarks include the royal palace and Wat Mahathat, which has a lotus-shaped stupa at its centre.

Next, visit a village where you’ll watch skilled artisans create blue-hued textiles dyed from indigo plants. Have lunch before travelling to Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of Thailand. Your first stop is the mosaiced White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, which was built by revered Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat and is known for its surreal murals and sculptures. Finally, relax at your hotel for the night, the 4-star The Riverie by Katathani, set on an island in the Kok River.
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Today you’ll drive further north to the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet at the Mekong River. Take in the striking view and then have lunch on the way to a hill tribe village. Chiang Rai province is scattered with tiny hamlets home to Thailand’s highland communities, including the Hmong, Karen and Shan people, whose ancestors hailed from Burma and China.

Take a guided walk through the village, learning about daily life for this highland community, which has its own unique culture, history, dress and language. Continue south to Thailand’s second city, Chiang Mai, a cultural mecca that was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom and has over 300 active temples. You’ll stay at the 4-star Meliá Chiang Mai for three nights, set just minutes from the city’s busy night bazaar.
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Your day begins with a trip to Mae Sa Elephant Camp, on the outskirts of the city. Now run by the founder’s daughter, the camp’s elephants have been retired and are cared for by staff, with limited interaction from visitors, including no riding or bathing. Learn about Thailand’s national animal from the elephants’ carers as you feed them.

Afterwards, visit the Bai Orchid and Butterfly Farm to see thousands of delicate orchids and colourful butterflies in protected enclosures. Have a buffet lunch before heading to a Lanna home on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. Here, you’ll be welcomed by a host family, who’ll show you around their garden while you collect ingredients to cook a Thai meal together. Watch the sunset as you savour an al fresco, home-cooked dinner before returning to your hotel. 
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After breakfast, explore Chiang Mai on a walking tour through the moat-encircled Old City with its crumbling walls and gates. Browse stalls of fresh produce at Somphet Market and then visit Wat Chiang Man, which dates back to 1296 and has a chedi featuring 15 elephant statues.

Next, delve into the north’s Lanna culture at the Folk Life Museum, which showcases Lanna crafts, architecture and life-sized village dioramas. Continue temple hopping to Wat Phan Tao and Wat Phra Singh before sampling northern Thai dishes like Khao Soy, a coconut-cream soup with crispy noodles, followed by popular desserts.

End the day with a songthaew ride to Wat Pra That Doi Suthep, a hilltop temple with panoramic city views. Climb a staircase to the golden pagoda, which enshrines a section of Buddha’s shoulder bone and is surrounded by statues, prayer buildings and murals. Finally, enjoy dinner at Riverside Chiang Mai Bar and Restaurant.
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As you leave Chiang Mai this morning, make a final stop at Wat Ched Yot, which translates to Temple of the Seven Peaks. This complex is named for its seven-spired design that mimics Mahabodhi in India, where Buddha achieved enlightenment. Listen to the morning monk chants and wander gardens dotted with a blend of Chinese, Indian, Lao and Thai architecture.

In the afternoon, you’ll begin the drive south to the town of Lampang to see Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. This lesser-visited display of northern-Thai architecture features the most impressive wooden Lanna temple in the region, Wihan Luang, which was built in 1476 with a triple-tiered roof. Then drive to the city of Phitsanulok, where you’ll stay at the 4-star Imperial Hotel and Convention Centre for the night.
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After breakfast, check out of your hotel and visit Phitsanulok’s renowned Wat Mahathat temple and the Buranathai Buddha Image Foundry, where you can watch bronze Buddha images being cast. Continue south to Kanchanaburi, a city that lies on the confluence of the Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai rivers and is surrounded by mountains. Kanchanaburi is known for its Thai-Burma railway line, built by the Japanese during WWII using Asian labourers and European prisoners of war.

Browse the JEATH Museum, which tells the sobering story of the 415-kilometre Death Railway, so-called because over 102,000 men died during construction. Pay your respects at the nearby Allied War Cemetery and visit the Bridge on the River Kwai, made famous by David Lean’s 1957 film of the same name. You’ll stay at the 3-star Hintock River Camp, a luxury tented camp on the banks of the River Kwai, for two nights.
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Discover the natural beauty of Thailand with a trip to Erawan National Park. Follow a trail through monkey-filled forests to the first three sections of a seven-tiered waterfall with its clear, topaz pools. Continue to Wat Tham Suea, where you can climb stairs or take a cable car to a hilltop temple featuring an 18-metre-tall Buddha and sweeping views of the Mae Klong River and rice paddies.

Next head to Tham Krasae train station, named for a nearby rock cave used by the Japanese forces while building this difficult stretch of the Death Railway, which was responsible for many workers’ deaths. You’ll see the Wang Pho Viaduct, a 300-metre wooden trestle bridge still used today, which clings to the cliffs above the river. Board a train to take a short, scenic trip on the infamous railway line before returning to your camp for the night.
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This morning, drive south to the beach resort of Hua Hin. On the way, visit the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi, where you’ll take a long-tail boat cruise along canals and buy snacks from boat vendors. Continue to the Maeklong Railway Market, which is one of the largest fresh seafood markets in the country and sits on the railway tracks. When a train approaches, vendors quickly clear their stalls, only to reassemble them minutes later.

Drive on to Hua Hin, Thailand’s original beach resort, which lies just three hours south of Bangkok. As you approach, stop at Khao Luang Cave Temple to see its huge stalactite-filled chambers and shrines, which were revered by King Rama IV when he was a monk. Afterwards, check into the beachfront, 5-star Hyatt Regency Hua Hin for two nights.
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Spend the day at Khao Sam Roi Yot, also known as Three Hundred Mountain Peaks National Park. This protected coastal area spans 98 square kilometres and is loved for its dramatic limestone cliffs that reach up to 600 metres. The interior is covered with forest, marshland and mud flats that draw over 300 species of rare and migratory birds, including great spotted eagles.

Drive past farms and pineapple plantations, then stop at a traditional Thai fishing village. Now, take a boat to Laem Sala Beach to soak up the coastal scenery from the water. From here, explore Tham Phraya Nakhon Cave, which has a royal pavilion built in 1890 for King Rama V and a natural skylight. In the afternoon, return to your hotel to swim in the pool, relax on the beach and enjoy a free evening.
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Today, your Thailand adventure comes to an end. After breakfast, check out of your hotel and take a three-hour group transfer to Bangkok Airport for the overnight flight to London.
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This morning, arrive in the UK after your overnight flight.