Thailand: Escorted Best of Thailand Group Tour - 12 DAYS

bangkok - chiang mai - chiang rai - phuket

Enjoy this Thailand Escorted Tour for 12 days. Travel with best Thailand tour company. Ideal trip for families, couples and singles.

ITINERARY & PRICES

Day 1 Depart USA

Day 2 En route

Day 3 Arrive Bangkok
Met upon arrival and transfer to Rembrandt Hotel & Suite - Superior room. Overnight at the hotel.

Optional tour to ‘Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Railway Market’ including lunch @ $101.00 per person
Discover the real Thai culture at Damneon Saduak Floating Market. Discover the art of bartering the Thai way as you practice your trading skills with locals wearing wooden hats and selling tropical fruit, coconut sugar candy, mango sticky rice, and tom yum on their self-paddled small boats. Benefit from a small group size as you ride the train to the Maeklong Railway Market, uniquely situated on a working railway track. Get your adrenaline pumping as you shop along the Maeklong Railway Market before the next train comes through.

Day 4 Bangkok (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Half day City & Temples excursion (08.30am – 12.30pm)
Join one of our most popular tours, bringing you along 3 of the most stunning temples Bangkok has to offer! It features the “Wat Traimit” with its 5, 5, ton heavy Golden Buddha Image, Wat Chetuporn (commonly known as Wat Pho), that boasts the over 45-meters long Reclining Buddha. Wat Pho is also regarded as the first center of public education and is sometimes called Thailand’s first university. Mural paintings, inscriptions, and statues found in the temple educated people on varied subjects such as literature, warfare, archaeology, astronomy, geology, and meditation. Not to forget, Wat Pho is also considered home of the world-renown Thai traditional massage. The tour ends with a visit to Wat Benchamaborpit (also known as the Marble Temple): a representation of an outstanding success of marriage between Italian Carrera marble and classical Thai architecture. Lunch at a local restaurant. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 Bangkok - Chiang Mai by flight (B)
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. You will be transferred to Bangkok airport for your departure flight to your next destination 
(Flight not included)  
Arrival in Chiang Mai: Arrive at Chiang Mai airport where you will be met and greeted before transferring to your hotel in Chiang Mai. Nestled into the foothills of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a sanctuary. The pace is laid-back, the landscape is picturesque, and the much-celebrated traditional culture is ideal for sightseers, nature buffs and city connoisseurs. Beyond the wonderful historic center of Chiang Mai is a dynamic and modern place with lots of down-to-earth charm. The city and surroundings can easily consume some time with sightseeing, holiday courses, outdoor activities and much more. Once checked-in, the rest of the day will be free: you can enjoy the facilities of your hotel, explore the surroundings or rest at leisure. Overnight at Bodhi Serene - Deluxe room.

Optional Tour of Khantoke Northern Thai Dinner with Hilltribe Show @ $63.00 per person
Enjoy a traditional Northern Thai lunch sitting on floor cushions and watching the ethnic hill-tribe show.

Day 6 Chiang Mai (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Half day Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Temple excursion.
Visit the most sacred temple in the north of Thailand; the Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is the most sacred temple in Chiang Mai containing a holy relic of the Lord Buddha. Tucked away in the mountains at an elevation of 1,056 meters (3520 feet), the temple is reached using a Naga (7- headed dragon head serpent) railing rising along both sides. The temple compound – reachable via a 300 steps stairs offers an exhilarating view of Chiang Mai city and surrounding countryside. Drive back down to the city center to visit some of the other impressive temples of Chiang Mai. Wat Suan Dok is one of them, which dates back to the 14th century when it served as the pleasure gardens to the Thai monarchy. Nowadays it houses several white Chedi’s, containing the ashes of Chiang Mai’s former Royal family. This temple also houses one of the most famous Monk Schools in the whole of Chiang Mai and the Wat Jedyod, also known as The Temple of Seven Spires. Lunch at international restaurant. Return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Optional tour to visit the famous Night Market @ $ 30.00 per person
Our guide will send you to the huge night market in Chiang Mai where many local handicrafts are sold. Return transfer is not included.

Day 7 Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai drive (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. You will be transferred to Chiang Rai by road (4 hours). Local lunch en-route (traditional Northern Thai noodles – ‘Khao Soi’). Arrival in Chiang Rai and transfer to your hotel in Chiang Rai - Imperial River House Resort - Deluxe Riverview Room.

 Once checked-in, the rest of the day will be free: you can enjoy the facilities of your hotel, explore the surroundings or rest at leisure.  Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 Chiang Rai (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day tour to the famous Golden Triangle and Hilltribe Village with lunch (8.00am – 16.00pm)
The tour starts with hotel pickup in the morning in Chiang Rai, from your guide takes you to your first stop, Chiang Saen, once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. In the mid-1200s, the capital moved to Chiang Rai, but the remnants of Chiang Saen's glory days remain.  During your visit here, see the ruins of the city walls, and admire the style of Buddhist sculpture the came about in the 13th century. Then continue your day trip to the famous Golden Triangle, where three countries connect: Thailand, Laos, and Burma. Learn from your guide about the history of opium trading here between the countries, and then move on to Mae Sai, a small town at the northernmost point in Thailand, on the border with Myanmar. Visit a local restaurant for lunch. After eating, head to Doi Mae Salong, where you'll visit the Yao hill tribe at Baan Pong Pa Kham village and the Akha hill tribe at Baan Samyak village. As you observe a bit of their daily routines, you'll learn some of their cultural traditions and find out what life is like in rural Thailand. Your day trip then ends with the return drive to Chiang Rai. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9 Chiang Rai - Phuket by flight (B)
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. You will be transferred to Chiang Rai airport for your departure flight.
(flight not included)          
Arrival in Phuket. Arrive at Phuket International airport where you will be met and greeted before transferring to your hotel in Phuket. Phuket, well known as the “Pearl of the Andaman”, offers a wide range of activities. With deep-sea diving, high-end dining and white beaches all within reach, it really is hard to say farewell! Once checked-in, the rest of the day will be free: you can enjoy the facilities of your hotel, explore the surroundings or rest at leisure. Overnight at Karon Sea Sands Hotel - Deluxe room. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 Phuket (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Half day Phuket sightseeing tour with lunch.
Phuket's history has largely been shaped by the land on which it lays. Largely blanketed by tropical rainforest and home to the Phuket Mountain Range, Phuket's landscape is truly beautiful! Endless shoreline makes Phuket home to some of the most popular beaches in all of Thailand. This program will take you to all of Phuket's essential sites and will introduce you to its rich and inviting history, along with panoramic views of its natural beauty. Your day begins with a scenic drive along the Phuket coastline where you will pass three of Phuket's most beautiful beaches: Karon Beach, Kata Beach, and Patong Beach. As you continue along the coast, you'll reach a look out point where you can see all three of these beaches! This is a great photo opportunity and a scenic point locals love. Next your journey continues to the most photographed spot in and around the city - Promthep cape. Feel the cool breeze on your shoulders as you take in perhaps Phuket's most famous view.

 Travel to Wat Chalong temple, where you will begin to learn more about the history and culture of Phuket. Wat Chalong is the most sacred Buddhist temple in all of Phuket, which shows in its intricate design. Here, your guide will tell you the history of the temple's abbot. Whenever you find yourself in any of the Buddhist temples, you will automatically feel a calming spiritual force as the number of visitors who come to pay their respects daily does influence your experience even as an observer. It really is a must-do to understand this culture. From here it is just a short drive to a local Cashew nut factory where you can see locals at work.

Before heading back to the hotel, you will visit Phuket town where you can walk along the old streets for a more intimate experience. As you walk, notice the unique Chino-Portuguese influence on the town's architecture.

Return to your hotel feeling refreshed and inspired after this lovely afternoon exploring Phuket. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 Phuket (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Day at leisure to enjoy independent activities.

Optional tour of James Bond Island with lunch @ $ 196.00 per person
This is the tour program showing the true nature and the island within the Phang Nga Bay. The most famous and interesting place is Tapu island (JAMES BOND ISLAND) where ‘The Man with The Golden Gun’ was filmed Other beautiful nearby famous spots included: Panyee island, Khao Khien, Khao Maju, Talu Island and Suwannakhuha Temple. Admire stunningly beautiful rocky cliffs rising out of the sea in Phang Nga Bay. There will be a chance to try Sea Canoeing on the shimmering waters through limestone caves and mangrove forests. Explore the giant stalactites, caves and limestone cliffs rising out of blue water at Thalu Island. Visit the wonderful limestone karst towers Khao Phing Kan. Visit and have seafood lunch at Koh Panyee (Sea Gypsey Village).

Afternoon return to Phuket. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 12 Depart Phuket (B)
Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. You will be transferred to Phuket airport for your departure flight
(flight not included).

Single room supplement is extra. Please contact us for Single travel alone and Single room supplement.
Coach class internal airfare Bangkok - Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai - Phuket is extra $355.00 per person approximately. Airfare and taxes are subject to change unless tickets are issued.

INCLUSIONS

• Tours, Transfers with English speaking guide

• Accommodation in Double & Twin sharing room with daily breakfast

• All admission fees on the above tour mentioned

• Meals as indicated in program

• Service charge and current government tax
  
  EXCLUSIONS
  • Personal expenses, International airfare (for land only prices), internal airfare, Visa fees
  • Customary gratitude to your guide and driver