Transport

Train from Bangkok to Phitsanulok Train from Phitsanulok to Chiang Mai High-speed train to Vang Vieng

Accommodation

11 nights boutique accommodation 1 night glamping accommodation 1 night overnight sleeper train Riva Surya Bangkok Elegant, understated and right in the heart of Bangkok’s main sights, this boutique hotel ticks a lot of boxes. Rooms are colonial-chic without the clichés, there’s an outdoor pool overlooking the Chao Phraya River, and the Riverside Bar makes the most of the twinkling waterside views. Sriwilai Sukhothai Resort & Spa Sensitively done, the elements of traditional Thai design incorporated into this impressive hotel feel genuine rather than gimmicky. Rooms are airy and generously-proportioned, and views across lush green fields are as soothing as the spa’s massages. The Rim Resort Chiang Mai The pagoda-like building design, the polished wooden floors throughout, the central courtyard swimming pool – this boutique hotel is a temple to rest and relaxation in the heart of the city. Campiness Camping and Farmsook Encircled by rainforest-blanketed hills, this glamping site offers high-end immersion in Chiang Mai’s magical landscape. All rooms and tents come equipped with above-average mod-cons, from fireplaces to proper showers and toilets. Fortune River View Hotel Chiang Khong A contemporary, elegant hotel overlooking the mighty Mekong River. Rooms are simple yet stylish, with a neutral colour scheme enhanced with pops of red and gold, and balconies overlooking either the central outdoor pool or the river. The Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge The word ‘sanctuary’ gets bandied about a lot, but this sustainability-minded hotel earns the right to use it. Valley views of the snaking Mekong River, a lush botanical garden (where the hotel’s staff can grow fruit and vegetables for their families) and spacious rooms with hand-crafted furniture make this place truly special. The Sanctuary Luang Prabang Hotel This gorgeous urban oasis of a hotel is built around three listed buildings that date back to when Luang Prabang was a kingdom in its own right. Most of the rooms are split between these buildings – and come flooded with natural light, glossy wooden floors and beautiful views over the landscaped gardens and lotus pond. Riverside Boutique Resort We can’t decide what we like about this place more: the huge outdoor pool, surrounded by immaculate gardens, the views of the towering rocky karsts or the effortlessly elegant room decor. An unforgettable hotel for an unforgettable trip.

Meals

11 breakfasts Six lunch Three dinners

Guide

Local Insider

Others

Visit to Sukhothai Historical Park Chiang Mai street food and city sights tour Thai cooking class Visit to an Asian elephant sanctuary Bamboo rafting experience BBQ dinner and drinks Mekong River cruise Khmu village experience Ban Baw village experience Visit to Pak Ou Caves Trek to Kuang Si Falls Kayaking on the Nam Song River Walking tour of Bangkok with a Local Insider

Not included:

Others

Visas Travel insurance Airport transfers (unless otherwise stated in the Included Activities section above)

Insurance

Insurance is not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Flights

Flights are not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Welcome To Thailand!
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Welcome To Thailand!

After arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), you’ll be met by one of our representatives and transferred to your hotel. You’ll have some time to relax and settle into your surroundings before meeting up with the rest of the group for a welcome dinner.

Accomodation

Riva Surya Bangkok

Activities included

Welcome dinner
Day 2 Take The Train North To The Ancient Ruins Of Sukhothai
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Take The Train North To The Ancient Ruins Of Sukhothai

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll be picked up and driven to Bangkok train station to board the cross-country train to Phitsanulok. This small, historic city is the gateway to a number of significant archeological sites, including Sukhothai, the ancient Khmer-era city and once-capital. This is where we’ll be heading directly from the station – Sukhothai Historical Park spans a mind-boggling 70 km/sq, and features around 21 individual sites, including the central ruins of Wat Mahathat, with its lotus bud-shaped stupas and landscaped gardens. You’ll have a couple of hours to explore at your own pace, before we regroup to head back to the hotel for the evening.

Accomodation

Sriwilai Sukhothai Resort & Spa

Included activities

Train from Bangkok to Phitsanulok

Visit to Sukhothai Historical Park
Day 3 Get Back On Track To Chiang Mai
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Get Back On Track To Chiang Mai

Enjoy a laid-back breakfast in Sukhothai this morning before being picked up and taken to Phitsanulok station for the train to Chiang Mai. We’ll rattle through lush green countryside and peaceful rural villages before arriving in this dazzling city, an interwoven mesh of Thailand’s past and present. After dropping bags at your hotel, we’ll hit the streets on foot – to sample the city’s famous street food, and see the sights.

Accommodation

The Rim Resort Chiang Mai

Included activities

Train from Phitsanulok to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai street food and city sights tour
Day 4 Learn To Cook Authentic Thai Cuisine
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Learn To Cook Authentic Thai Cuisine

Ease into your stay in Chiang Mai with a leisurely start – after breakfast at your hotel, we’ll head over to a cookery school where you’ll learn how to whip up an authentic Thai dish for lunch. After paying your compliments to the chef (that’s you), take the rest of the afternoon to explore Chiang Mai at your own pace.

Accommodation

The Rim Resort Chiang Mai

Included activities

Thai cooking class
Day 5 Walk With Elephants, Go Bamboo Rafting And Glamp Out In The Jungle
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Walk With Elephants, Go Bamboo Rafting And Glamp Out In The Jungle

If yesterday was all about taking it easy, today is all-action. After breakfast we’ll pick you up and head over to an ethical Asian elephant sanctuary in mountainous Lampang. You’ll have the chance to get up close with the gentle giants, helping the team there feed them, take them for a walk and give them a mud bath. Afterwards, you’ll be taken on a serene trip along the Wang River on a traditional bamboo raft, before we regroup to head to your accommodation – a secluded glamping site surrounded by lush rainforest. When night falls, we’ll get together for a BBQ dinner and drinks beneath the stars.

Accomodation

Campiness Camping and Farmsook

Activities included

Visit to an ethical Asian elephant sanctuary

Bamboo rafting experience

BBQ dinner and drinks
Day 6 Travel To Chiang Khong
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Travel To Chiang Khong

After breakfast, we’ll be driving cross-country to Chiang Khong district, on the border with Laos. After arriving and checking into your hotel, you’ll have the rest of the day free to spend however you like.

Accomodation

Fortune River View Hotel Chiang Khong
Day 7 Hop Aboard A Laos River Cruise
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Hop Aboard A Laos River Cruise

Welcome to Laos! Today, after obtaining your visa to cross the border (with the help of our Local Insider), we’ll board a cruise boat for a float along the Mekong River. You’ll be treated to an authentic Laos lunch on board, before we disembark later in the afternoon to visit a traditional Khmu village (Laos’s indigenous population) to learn about rural life in Laos. Later, we’ll check into our accommodation where you’ll have the rest of the evening free to yourself.

Accommodation

The Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge

Included activities

Mekong River cruise

Khmu village experience
Day 8 Continue Downriver And Meet Whiskey-Making Locals
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Continue Downriver And Meet Whiskey-Making Locals

After breakfast this morning, we’ll re-board the Mekong River cruise and continue on downstream towards Luang Prabang. Along the way you’ll enjoy an onboard demonstration on how to make authentic Lao drinks and desserts, which, of course, you’ll be able to enjoy as the lush green landscape drifts by. We’ll disembark enroute to visit Ban Baw, a rural village that specialises in the production of Lao-Lao rice whisky. We’ll also hop ashore to visit the Pak Ou caves, an important pilgrimage site for Lao people. Once in Luang Prabang you’ll check into your and enjoy some free time before we regroup for dinner in the evening.

Accommodation

The Sanctuary Hotel Luang Prabang

Included activities

Ban Baw village experience

Visit to Pak Ou Caves
Day 9 Hike Through The Rainforest To An Otherworldly Waterfall
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Hike Through The Rainforest To An Otherworldly Waterfall

It’s time to lace up your hiking boots, as today we’re going to be heading out into Laos’s steamy green rainforest in search of paradise. The particular paradise in question? Luang Si Falls – where turquoise water tumbles down over tiered, step-like sections of a forest stream. Once there, you’ll have a few hours to splash about in the gem-coloured waters before we head back to Luang Prabang, where you’ll have the rest of the day free to spend at your own pace.

Accommodation

The Sanctuary Hotel Luang Prabang

Included activities

Trek to Kuang Si Falls
Day 10 Take A High-Speed Train To Vang Vieng
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Take A High-Speed Train To Vang Vieng

A high-speed train, in laid-back Laos? That’s right – the Boten - Vientiane railway, opened in 2021, runs the length of Laos and makes today’s journey – to Vang Vieng newly doable as a day-trip. The city of Vang Vieng itself is a hotspot for adventurous travellers looking for adrenaline-fueled thrills in the mountainous landscape. For you today, however, it’s all about checking in (to your hotel for the night), and checking out your surroundings with a free afternoon and evening.

Accommodation

Riverside Boutique Resort

Included activities

High-speed train to Vang Vieng
Day 11 Explore The Nam Song River By Kayak
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Explore The Nam Song River By Kayak

Fuel up at breakfast this morning, as today we’ll be burning some calories exploring the Nam Song River by kayak. This gentle river flows through the centre of Vang Vieng and through a landscape characterised by towering limestone karsts, cloaked in dense foliage. You’ll pass green-carpeted crop fields, locals doing their laundry on the rocky banks and shack-like bars that have opened up and down the river to serve cold beers to sun-kissed day-trippers.

Accommodation

Riverside Boutique Resort

Included activities

Kayaking on the Nam Song River
Day 12 Take The Sleeper Train Back To Bangkok
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Take The Sleeper Train Back To Bangkok

Cameras at the ready as we get this adventure back on track with a train transfer back to Bangkok. The first leg sees you boarding the high-speed train from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, before transferring across the Thai border into Nong Khai and boarding the overnight sleeper train bound for Bangkok.

Accommodation

Sleeper train

Included activities

Kayaking on the Nam Song River
Day 13 Take An Insider-Led Tour Of Bangkok
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Take An Insider-Led Tour Of Bangkok

Your first glimpse of the Thai capital may have been fleeting, but this time you’ll have the opportunity to get to know it – with the help of our Local Insider, who’ll take you on an expert walking tour. Afterwards you’ll have the rest of the day free to explore at your leisure, before we regroup in the evening for a final farewell dinner – the perfect opportunity to toast an unforgettable adventure!

Accommodation

Riva Surya Bangkok

Included activities

Walking tour of Bangkok with a Local Insider
Day 14 So Long, Thailand And Laos
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

So Long, Thailand And Laos

After a final breakfast at your hotel, make your way to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to catch your flight home.

+11

14 days tour

Incredible Thailand And Laos By Train

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Incredible Thailand And Laos By Train

Welcome To Thailand!

Take The Train North To The Ancient Ruins Of Sukhothai

Get Back On Track To Chiang Mai

Learn To Cook Authentic Thai Cuisine

Walk With Elephants, Go Bamboo Rafting And Glamp Out In The Jungle

Travel To Chiang Khong

Hop Aboard A Laos River Cruise

Continue Downriver And Meet Whiskey-Making Locals

Hike Through The Rainforest To An Otherworldly Waterfall

Take A High-Speed Train To Vang Vieng

Explore The Nam Song River By Kayak

Take The Sleeper Train Back To Bangkok

Take An Insider-Led Tour Of Bangkok

So Long, Thailand And Laos

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