Beach & Islands · Culture & History · Family
Bangkok & Phuket
Bangkok's royal palace and temples, a floating market and ancient Ayutthaya, then Phuket for Phang Nga Bay, the Phi Phi Islands, Old Phuket Town and easy beach days.
10 days / 9 nights Thailand
RouteBangkok – Damnoen Saduak – Bang Pa-In – Ayutthaya – Phuket – Phang Nga Bay – Phi Phi Islands
- The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha
- Wat Pho and Wat Arun
- Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
- Ancient Ayutthaya
- Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island
- The Phi Phi Islands
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Bangkok
- Meet on arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel
- Time to rest after the long journey
- If time allows, an evening at Asiatique, the open-air market on the Chao Phraya riverfront
- Overnight in Bangkok
Day 2: The Grand Palace, Wat Pho & Wat Arun
- The Grand Palace, a working royal palace since 1782, and Wat Phra Kaew's Emerald Buddha (subject to opening days)
- Palace dress code: no shorts, miniskirts, sleeveless, short or see-through tops, or tight, torn or bike pants
- Wat Pho and its gilded Reclining Buddha, 151 feet long, with mother-of-pearl inlaid on its soles
- Ferry across the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, its spire studded with porcelain
- Overnight in Bangkok
Day 3: Damnoen Saduak & the Chao Phraya
- Early drive to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (about 2 hours), at its liveliest in the morning
- A paddle-boat ride through the canals, past sampans selling fruit and boat noodles, and craft stalls on the banks
- Optional stop at the Maeklong Railway Market, where stalls fold back as the train passes (subject to train times)
- Back in Bangkok, a late-afternoon longtail boat ride on the Chao Phraya and the Thonburi canals
- Overnight in Bangkok
Day 4: Bang Pa-In – Ayutthaya
- Drive north to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace (about 1 hour), the kings' former summer retreat (subject to opening days)
- Ayutthaya, the capital of Siam for four centuries and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Wat Mahathat, where a Buddha head lies cradled in the roots of a tree
- The three great chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the riverside towers of Wat Chaiwatthanaram
- Overnight in Bangkok
Day 5: Bangkok – Phuket
- Free morning, with an optional visit to the Jim Thompson House or Assumption Cathedral (subject to opening days)
- A flight of about 1.5 hours to Phuket, Thailand's largest island, in the Andaman Sea
- Transfer to your hotel by the beach, with the evening at leisure
- Overnight in Phuket
Day 6: Phang Nga Bay
- A day by boat among the towering limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay, weather permitting
- Sea canoeing through low caves into hidden lagoons ringed by cliffs, tide permitting
- James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan) and the famous limestone pinnacle of Ko Tapu
- Ko Panyi, a Muslim fishing village raised on stilts in the bay
- Overnight in Phuket
Day 7: Phi Phi Islands
- Speedboat across the Andaman Sea to the Phi Phi Islands (about 1 to 1.5 hours), weather permitting
- On Phi Phi Leh, the cliff-ringed emerald waters of Pileh Lagoon and a look at Viking Cave from the boat
- Maya Bay, the beach from the film The Beach, reached by boardwalk (no swimming; closed August–September)
- Snorkeling over coral and time on the sand at Bamboo Island or Phi Phi Don
- Overnight in Phuket
Day 8: Old Phuket Town – Big Buddha – Phromthep Cape
- Old Phuket Town: Sino-Portuguese shophouses from the tin-mining days on Thalang Road, Dibuk Road and Soi Romanee
- Wat Chalong and its tall pagoda, the island's best-known temple
- The Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hill, 148 feet tall and faced in white marble, above Chalong Bay
- Sunset at Phromthep Cape, the southern tip of the island
- Overnight in Phuket
Day 9: Phuket Beach Day
- A free day on the beach or by the pool
- Optional: an ethical elephant sanctuary, where rescued elephants are watched, not ridden
- Optional: a Thai cooking class with a visit to a local market
- Overnight in Phuket
Day 10: Departure
- Free time until your transfer, depending on your flight time
- Transfer to Phuket International Airport
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