Thailand: Bangkok, Northern Highlands & Krabi Coast — 9 Days

You arrive at Bangkok's airport and are met by an English-speaking guide who transfers you to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your disposal to rest or visit the immediate surroundings.

After breakfast, you depart for a half-day city tour. The first stop is Wat Traimit, the Temple of the Golden Buddha, where a 5.5-ton solid-gold Buddha image carved in Sukhothai style sits within a three-meter-high sculpture. Next is Wat Pho, the oldest and largest of Bangkok's temples, home to the country's largest Reclining Buddha. The image measures the length of a temple hall and is itself a work of sculptural proportion and religious significance. Wat Pho is also recognized as Thailand's first public education center. The tour then proceeds to the Grand Palace, the former royal residence built in 1782 by King Rama I, where you enter the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew). The Emerald Buddha—technically a single piece of jade carved in emerald green—is 48.3 centimeters tall and is believed to date from the 15th century, made in southern China. The sculpture is dressed in one of three sets of robes that are changed seasonally. Within the palace compound, you also see the nine ceremonial towers, the Pantheon of the Kings with its golden domes, exotic wall murals, and ornate ceramic work. Access to interior chambers such as the Throne Room, Official Reception Hall, and Coronation Hall depends on the day and official schedule. After the tour, you lunch at Riva Surya before returning to the hotel to rest. Dress code: women should wear a long skirt and shoulder-covering shirt; men should wear long pants and a collared shirt.

You have breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Chiang Rai. On arrival, you are met by your guide and driven to the hotel. In the afternoon, you travel to the Golden Triangle viewpoint, a hilltop that overlooks the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Burma converge. You can view all three countries from this vantage point. You then continue to Mae Sai, Thailand's northernmost town near the Burma border, where Thai and Burmese residents cross the bridge separating the two countries, and local handicrafts are available for purchase.

After breakfast, you are transferred to the pier for a boat journey along the Kok River, where you visit a Karen hill tribe village on the riverbank—not a Long Neck Karen community, but a settlement representative of the region's ethnic minorities. The cruise returns you to Chiang Rai, where you stop en route to Chiang Mai to view Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple. The temple's all-white exterior and mirror-embedded ornaments symbolize Buddhist purity against a backdrop of forested mountain terrain. The drive to Chiang Mai takes approximately three to four hours via Wiang Pa Pao district, with lunch at a local restaurant upon arrival. In the late afternoon, you ascend Doi Suthep by cable car, the north's most revered hilltop temple, where views extend across the Chiang Mai valley. That evening, you are treated to a Kan Toke dinner, a ceremonial northern Thai meal served while performers enact traditional folk stories through dance. Colorfully dressed hill tribe dancers perform their own traditional repertoire after the meal concludes.

After breakfast, you drive approximately 50 minutes north of Chiang Mai through forested and farmed areas to reach Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. Upon arrival, you change into traditional clothing, learn about elephant behavior and history, and prepare fruits for feeding. You then meet and interact with the elephants in their natural setting, walk alongside them, and participate in their river bathing. You have opportunities to photograph the animals and observe them closely. Afterward, you return to the sanctuary for tea, coffee, and seasonal fruit before departing. You then visit a local orchid plantation for a leisurely walk through the species collection, followed by a buffet lunch. The afternoon concludes with a visit to a street of traditional artisans where hand-painted parasols, woodcarvings, silks, cotton, jewelry, and gemstones are crafted and sold.

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Chiang Mai airport for your domestic flight to Krabi. Our representative will meet you upon arrival and drive you to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is yours to rest and wander at leisure. Overnight in Krabi.

You depart the hotel in the morning for transfer to the pier, where you board a speedboat bound for four islands in the Andaman Sea. The first stop is Pranang Beach, a secluded peninsula accessible only by water. A short walk inland reaches the Princess Cave, marked by a decorative spirit house. You have free time for swimming, sunbathing, and photography. The second stop is Tup Island, an exotic tropical setting suited to snorkeling and exploration on foot; at low tide, a white sandy causeway connects it to a neighboring island. The third stop is Chicken Island, named for its distinctive limestone rock formation jutting from the sea, with rich snorkeling in warm waters abundant in coral. The fourth and final stop is Poda Island, which features both lowland bamboo plantations and majestic rocky cliffs above a long white beach. Lunch is served at the beach during the stop at Poda. The speedboat returns you to the pier and hotel in the afternoon.

A full day is available to visit Krabi's beaches at your own pace. Optional activities are available locally if you wish to arrange them.

After breakfast, you have the remainder of the day free until your transfer to Krabi airport.