Bangkok's old city, the ruins of Ayutthaya, three nights in the northern hills and a beach finish on the Andaman. The route most first-time visitors should take.
Thailand Highlights is a 10-day private tour through Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket, from $1,485 per person for two travellers. It is built for first-time visitors who want temples, mountains and a beach in one trip without changing hotels every day.
Bangkok's old city, the ruins of Ayutthaya, three nights in the northern hills and a beach finish on the Andaman. The route most first-time visitors should take.
Best for: First-time visitors who want culture and beach in one trip. The route runs Bangkok · Ayutthaya · Chiang Mai · Phuket. Everything below is a starting point: hotels can be upgraded or simplified, days can be added, and any element can be removed.
Ten days is the shortest honest version of Thailand. Most first trips try to do it in seven and end up spending a third of the holiday in airports; this route uses three internal flights and one overnight train-style transfer, so the travel days are short and the sightseeing days are full. You get two nights in Bangkok, half a day at Ayutthaya on the way north, three nights in Chiang Mai, and four in Phuket.
The order matters. Bangkok first, while you are still jet-lagged and the city's chaos reads as energy rather than noise. Ayutthaya on the way to the airport, so the ruins are not a separate day trip. Chiang Mai in the middle, when you have settled into the country and can enjoy the mountains. Phuket last, because nobody wants to walk around temples after four days of sea and sun.
Airport meet, private transfer and an evening on the river with dinner at a Tha Tien shophouse.
Grand Palace and Wat Pho at opening, then a longtail through the canals in the afternoon.
Third-class train north, bicycles through the ruins, sunset at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Morning flight to Chiang Mai, afternoon at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep as the light drops.
A full day at an ethical sanctuary, back for the Sunday Walking Street if the dates line up.
Market tour and cooking class in the morning, free afternoon and a khantoke dinner.
Morning flight to Phuket, transfer to the west coast and a first swim before sunset.
Private longtail into the hongs at high tide, lunch on a stilted restaurant at Panyee.
Nothing scheduled. Optional massage, dive or a second boat day.
Late checkout and private transfer to the airport.
Three hotel changes in ten days, and no single transfer longer than three hours. The Bangkok days start at 8am to beat the heat and finish by 3pm, leaving the evening free deliberately. Chiang Mai has one full free afternoon. Phuket has no scheduled activities at all beyond the boat day.
$1,485 per person is based on private · 2–8 travellers sharing a room for 10 days, with mid-range four-star hotels as standard. Nothing is added locally: the entrance fees, boats and guiding are already in the number.
Deposit is 20% to confirm, balance 30 days before arrival. Free changes up to 45 days out.
From $1,485 per person, based on private · 2–8 travellers, 10 days and 9 nights. The quote includes the hotels, guiding and transport listed under “What’s included”; international flights and travel insurance are not included.
Yes. Every itinerary on this site is a starting point. Days can be added or removed, hotels upgraded or simplified, and the route reordered around your dates — we re-cost it as many times as you need before you commit.
Not included: international flights, travel insurance. Everything else listed under “What’s included” is in the quote, and we do not add local payments on arrival.
Three to six months ahead for the best hotels, and by September for travel over Christmas and New Year. Green-season trips can usually be arranged with six weeks’ notice.
Yes. The route works in either direction and we often reverse it for travellers arriving on a Phuket flight. The only constraint is Ayutthaya, which is easier to visit from Bangkok.
For a first trip with culture and a beach, yes. If you want the north, the Andaman and the Gulf, take the 14-day version instead.
Palace & temple
The royal palace compound and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, all gold spires and mirrored mosaics behind a wh…
Temple
A working temple with a 46-metre gold-leaf reclining Buddha, a courtyard of 91 stupas and Thailand's original sc…
UNESCO site
The ruins of the Siamese capital: brick stupas, headless Buddhas and the famous head in the tree roots at Wat Ma…
Temple
The golden chedi on the mountain above Chiang Mai, reached by 306 steps or a very short funicular.…
Bay & islands
Forty limestone islands rising out of green water, with hidden lagoons (hongs), mangrove channels and the famous…
Neighbourhood
Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafés, galleries and the Sunday Lard Yai market on Thalang Road.…
“We had never done a guided trip before and were nervous about being marched around. It was the opposite — our guide in Chiang Mai, Anan, rearranged day three because it rained and took us to a market instead. The Phuket end was the right way round: after nine days of temples, four days of sea felt earned.”
“The internal flights were the thing I was dreading and they were fine — 70 minutes, no queues, someone met us every time. Ayutthaya on the way to the airport was clever; it saved a whole day. One hotel in Chiang Mai was noisier than expected, and they moved us the same evening without argument.”
