One Week in Northern Thailand
8 days from Maenam Chao Phraya to Maenam Chao Phraya
From $ 617
Duration8 days
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A short and sweet northern Thailand adventure. It’s only a quickie, but in that time we’ll get you on a bike, a sleeper train, a songthaew, a taxi, a tuk-tuk and a bus with the locals (if you’re nice they’ll even share their snacks). Down cocktails in Bangkok, pedal past temples in Sukhothai, get a massage and see elephants in Chiang Mai and drink tea in the hillside of  Doi Mae Salong.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 8 days
    Service level: Basic
  • Starts in: Maenam Chao Phraya
    Physical Grading: Light
  • Ends in: Maenam Chao Phraya
    Ages: 18+
One Week in Northern Thailand - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Bangkok

Start place: Maenam Chao Phraya

Welcome to Bangkok, Thailand. Once you’ve hit Khao San Road, you’re officially on holiday. There’s a welcome meeting at around 6 pm tonight. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you arrive early perhaps take a riverboat to Chinatown and explore the crowded streets, or head to the magnificent Grand Palace. Our pick for cocktails is Bed Supper Club or Vertigo. Ask your guide for directions or grab your new travel mates and attempt to navigate the Skytrain.
Day 2: Sukhothai
Take a six-hour local bus to Sukhothai, AKA the ‘dawn of happiness’. That sounds like a pretty swell place to spend a day, right? Pick yourself up a pushy, and head out on a guided cycle tour of Sukhothai’s Historical Park and World Heritage-listed ancient city. Roll your bike around the temples and other archaeological relics within the area. Apparently riding a bike helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus – the bit of your brain responsible for memory. This is great, cos now you won’t forget all the gorgeous temples you cycle past today.
Meals: B
Day 3: Chiang Mai
Rise and shine for a five-hour private minivan drive to hillside Chiang Mai. Stop in at the Friends of the Asian Elephant Hospital in Lampang to meet some big-footed friends being nursed back to good health. Arrive in Chiang Mai in the late afternoon. With over 120 temples in the city centre alone, you can easily while away a few hours doing a temple run. On the other hand, if you’re all templed out, perhaps indulge in a Thai massage or hit up the Night Bazaar and get haggling.
Day 4: Chiang Mai
Today you're free as a bird, maybe get flying on the Flight of the Gibbon and negotiate the zipline and canopy course within the treetops. Or take an optional excursion to the temple at the top of Doi Suthep, which offers fantastic views over the city. Perhaps spoil yourself with a traditional Thai massage or try your hand at a local cooking class. It's totally up to you.
Day 5: Doi Mae Salong
Doi Mae Salong is a seriously good-looking tea plantation way up in the hills of the Golden Triangle. Not only are the views incredible, you’ll also get to meet some seriously lovely hill-tribe villagers as you wander. Today travel by public bus and minivan to Doi Mae Salong via Mae Chan (approximately five hours in total). It's the perfect place to relax and kick back for the day. Make sure you enjoy a cup of tea in a traditional Chinese teahouse overlooking the mountains. Check out the interesting market, which is full of produce and crafts made by hill tribe people. For something a little more adventurous, why not climb up the 719 steps to see the town’s Buddhist temple?
Day 6: Chiang Rai
While the Golden Triangle may have gained a little unwanted notoriety in the 1920s for its opium trade, today it remains a lush, mountainous, traditional intersection of Northern Thailand, Laos and Burma. In the morning take a three-hour ride in a minivan to this famous border. Pay a visit to the House of Opium Museum for a deeper insight into this area's problematic past. Continue your travels for around two hours to Chiang Rai, where you’ll stay the night. Perhaps head to Chiang Rai's night market, which is a great place to pick up some hill tribe handicrafts. 
Day 7: Chiang Mai/Overnight sleeper train
Like your temples creepy and kooky and quirky and weird? Good thing we’re stopping in at the White Temple this morning. Although it can be crowded with tourists, this temple is a modern wonder. In the afternoon, take a three-and-a-half-hour public bus back to Chiang Mai and board an overnight train for Bangkok (approximately 13 hours). Soft sleeper class trains are used for the overnight journey. The compartments are multi-share with air-conditioning and bunk beds that come with sheets and a pillow. Baggage travels in the carriage with you, and there's a food and drink service available on-board.
Meals: B
Day 8: Bangkok
Sorry. We’re back in Bangkok and that’s a wrap, folksYour train is scheduled to arrive into Bangkok early this morning. Transfer back to the hotel where the trip started. As there are no more activities planned for today, you’re free to depart at any time. If you’re booking flights or any other form of transport out of Bangkok today, please keep in mind that train delays are frequent. We suggest not booking a flight earlier than 2 pm. No accommodation is included in Bangkok at the end of our tour, but there are shared day rooms available for use until midday. If you require any additional accommodation (subject to availability), please let us know at least 15 days before the trip.

End place: Maenam Chao Phraya

Inclusions

Included

  • Sukhothai - Historical Park bike tour
  • Lampang - Friends of the Asian Elephant
  • Chiang Rai - Wat Rong Kun (White Temple)

  • Transport

    Public bus, Bicycle, Private vehicle, Overnight sleeper train, Songthaew, Tuk-tuk

  • Accommodation

    Guesthouse (3 nights), Hotel (3 nights), Overnight sleeper train (1 night)

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