Day 1 Chiang Mai

Welcome meeting; Dinner

Welcome to Thailand! Our tour starts late afternoon with a get-acquainted meeting followed by dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 2 Chiang Mai
Elephant encounters; Wat Doi Suthep
This morning we’ll visit one of the ethical elephant sanctuaries near Chiang Mai. We’ll learn about elephant life in Asia while observing the great animals in their natural habitat. In the afternoon we depart for the nearby mountain temple of Doi Suthep for panoramic views and the tour’s best Buddhist connection experience. Ring the prayer bells as we ascend or take photos of the sacred Bodhi tree, the view, or giant ceremonial drums. While listening to the musical tinkling of temple bells you can receive a monk’s blessing, learn your fortune from joss sticks, join the ceremonial circumambulation of the stupa, or add oil to the sacred lamps (like lighting a candle in a Catholic church). Our guide will use Doi Suthep’s “Century Calendar Book” to teach you your birth sign, sacred animal, and ritual Buddha posture. If available, we'll stay to listen to the monks' chanting service.

Day 3 Chiang Mai
Cooking Class;  Village Homestay Visit
On our second morning together we’ll engage in a cooking class. We will shop for ingredients at the local market, learn to prepare several simple Thai dishes, and then enjoy the results for lunch. Then we’ll depart to the countryside for a taste of rural life. We’ll take an easy countryside bike ride, visiting a local handicraft cooperative and a mushroom or rice farm. Later we’ll partake in a traditional Kantok dinner with our village hosts. Traditional music and a dance performance will be provided by local students. The evening concludes with a Thai lantern ceremony.

Day 4 Sukhothai
Craft Villages
After breakfast we will begin the journey to intriguing Sukhothai. As we leave Chiang Mai we’ll visit a couple of the famous craft villages. Choices include lacquerware, silk production, and pottery. We will certainly visit famous Bo Sang Village, where colorful umbrellas, fans, and hats are still crafted by hand. In the afternoon we continue our drive to Sukhothai.

Day 5

Sukhothai Historical Park

This morning we’ll have a guided visit of Sukhothai, one of Thailand’s World Heritage sites. Sukhothai was Siam’s first “national” capital, uniting its feudal kingdoms in the 13th century. Culture, art, and architecture flourished and today we can visit the remnants of that refined dynasty. The captivating temple ruins boast rows of columns, crumbling stupas, and many Buddhas displaying the enigmatic “Sukhothai Smile.”  We’ll navigate the flat terrain by bicycle and indulge in a picnic lunch among the ruins. Your afternoon is free to relax by the pool or have a Thai massage.

Day 6

Klong tour; Riverside dinner

After breakfast we'll depart Sukhothai, heading south to Thailand's bustling capital - Bangkok. Upon arrival we'll check into our hotel for some down time. In the late afternoon we'll embark on a tour of the city's canals (klongs). Bangkok is laced with hundreds of canals. A tour of these waterways is a journey into Bangkok’s heart and soul, and a fantastic waterborne photo safari. We’ll see people cooking, fishing, washing dishes, swimming, making merit, and playing. We’ll float past teak palaces side by side with ramshackle hovels and workaday wats. Afterward we’ll enjoy a classic Bangkok experience, a riverside dinner.

Day 7

Grand Palace; Wat Pho

The Grand Palace complex with its flamboyant architectural style includes Wat Phra Kaew, a wonder of gleaming stupas, statues, and bots. This is Thailand’s premier sight and a fitting start to our Bangkok sight-seeing. Phra Kheo is home to the country’s most venerated religious object, the Emerald Buddha. The complex is surrounded by a galleried wall, displaying an electric mural series from the Ramakian, the Hindu epic of good vs. evil. Giant Yakshas, or mythical guardians watch over the entrances. Gilded garudas and multi-chromatic mythic warriors line the bases of chedis and other gilded statues populate the grounds. Next door is Wat Pho, home to Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha. Pho has a more work-a-day feel. Engage the monks in conversation, check out the ancient massage school “instruction” panels, drop coins in the alms bowls, or photograph the whimsical guardian statues at Pho’s main gates.

Day 8

Tuk-tuk tour

On this morning we’ll explore Bangkok’s less accessible sights on a tuk-tuk tour – the ubiquitous Asian 3-wheel transport.  Highlights include Wat Saket – the Golden Mount, Rama V monument, the flower market, Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, and Wat Traimit with its 5.5 ton solid gold Buddha statue. Your afternoon is free to explore on your own. 

Day 9

Ayuthaya Historical Park

After breakfast we'll travel north to Ayuthaya, Siam’s capital from the 14th to the 18th centuries. It is Thailand’s second World Heritage site and our favorite archaeological destination. We'll visit Wats Mahathat and Si Sanphet before lunch. After some relaxation we’ll finish our afternoon with the saffron-sashed Buddha statues of Yai Chai Mongkhon. Then we’ll board a converted rice barge for dinner. Relax while some of Ayuthaya’s prime sights drift gently by. 

Day 10

Khao Sok NP

An early morning flight jets us south to Surat Thani (included). Then it’s on to Chiaw Lan Lake in beautiful Khao Sok National Park. After checking in to our floating guesthouse we’ll enjoy lunch together. Afternoon activities include a variety of nearby options or simply relax on the water. In addition to the tropical flora and breathtaking landscape we hope to see gibbons, flying lizards, and a variety of birdlife. But the real magic begins at dusk as moon shadow creeps across the surrounding karsts creating a magical ambiance.

Day 11 Koh Lanta

Tharn Bokkoranee

A morning’s drive brings us to another natural jewel, Tharn Bokkoranee National Park. We’ll board longtail boats to journey through karst hongs (natural caves) and emerald pools surrounded by the verdant mangrove jungle. After lunch we continue south, by-passing over-developed resort areas to relatively undeveloped Trang Province and Koh Lanta island. It’s longer and more complicated to get here, but the payout is spectacular!

Day 12 Koh Lanta

Free Day

Today is a full-stop break from the demands of our tour itinerary. No planned activities. You decide how you want to spend your day in this tropical paradise. Options include snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, scuba, or just relaxing by the beach.

Day 13 Koh Lanta

Andaman Excursion

After breakfast we’ll take a boat excursion to 3 or 4 of the most picturesque Andaman islands for a fun-in-the-sun snorkeling adventure. Our private boat will take us to pristine beaches and past dramatic karst islands. The day includes Ko Muk’s spectacular Emerald Cave. We swim through a 300-foot long sea cave to reach the secluded interior lagoon (actually a collapsed hong). A perfect sandy beach is surrounded by steep jungle-clad cliffs forming a perfect, round, natural chimney up to the blue sky. It is an amazing experience! Returning to our Koh Lanta resort, we'll gather for a final dinner together.

Day 14

Our tour officially ends after a midday flight back to Bangkok (flight included; Bangkok's Don Muang airport). We will help with transfer arrangements into the city or to nearby Suvarnabhumi international airport (BKK).

[Itinerary details & hotels subject to change]