North and south combined: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi, 14 days / 13 nights

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a big city known for its richly decorated shrines and its lively streets. Chiang Mai is a fairytale city of culture and nature, with ethnic diversity, a wide variety of attractions and warm hospitality: it is the largest and most important cultural city in northern Thailand.

This combined trip follows the outline of many of the trips we organise: a few days in the capital, the north and its mountains, then the Andaman Sea, where we run our own days at sea.

A sample itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Bangkok

Welcome by the driver, who takes you to your hotel in the heart of the city.

Night at the Theatre Residence: a boutique hotel in the lively Sukhumvit district. With an elegant, modern atmosphere, it combines contemporary design with touches of traditional style. The hotel has comfortable rooms, quality service, a pool and a restaurant.

Day 2: The finest temples and a bike ride

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

At 8:30am, your guide takes you into the heart of the very typical flower market, with its elegance, scents and colours. There you watch the skill of Thai women making beautiful bracelets of fresh jasmine flowers.

You continue to Wat Pho and its very Asian world of mythical statues with original shapes and bright colours. After crossing the Chao Phraya river, you visit the majestic Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun, which marks the founding of Bangkok.

This afternoon, you will discover new sides of the capital: pedal at your own pace through Chinatown and other districts, along small alleys lined with stalls and restaurants. This friendly and original experience lets you dive into the real daily life of the city and soak up the way of life of the people of Bangkok...

Return to the hotel on your own (at around 5pm), why not by tuk-tuk?

Day 3: Free day and night train

Free day. At around 6pm, your driver will pick you up and take you to Bangkok station for the train to Chiang Mai. Night on board, in an air-conditioned 2nd class sleeper berth.

Day 4: Arrival in Chiang Mai, free day

Arrival at Chiang Mai station in the morning. Your driver meets you and transfers you to your hotel.

Night at the Pha Thai House: in the heart of Chiang Mai's old town, a charming boutique hotel combining traditional Thai architecture with a peaceful atmosphere. Surrounded by tropical gardens, it offers comfortable air-conditioned rooms with wooden decor.

Day 5: Doi Inthanon and the rice fields of Ban Pa Pong Piang

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Your driver will pick you up at the hotel at around 8am. You head for Doi Inthanon National Park (about 1 hour 15 minutes by road), one of the best destinations in Southeast Asia for nature lovers.

Start of the hike with a local Karen guide through the jungle, the rice fields and the traditional plantations of this community. Tasting of fresh local coffee prepared in the Karen village. Then, discovery of the terraced rice fields of Ban Pa Pong Piang. Lunch in a local restaurant.

Drive to the summit of Doi Inthanon (the highest point in Thailand at 2,565 metres) and its magnificent panoramas. Hike on the Ang Ka nature trail: this walk of about 30 minutes takes you through a quite exceptional high-altitude rainforest, also called Himalayan forest. Visit to the famous King and Queen chedis, built in 1987 and 1992 for the 60th birthdays of King Rama IX and Queen Sirikit.

Visit to a market set up by the White Hmong, who sell fruit, vegetables and traditional products there: mountain honey, fruit wines, candied fruit, bamboo worms... To end the day, visit to the Wachirathan waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in northern Thailand. Return to your hotel at around 6pm.

Day 6: Cooking class

Meals: breakfast.

This morning, Amon Tour offers you a culinary adventure in which you discover a mix of ingredients and typical fruit and vegetables, and prepare dishes of classic Thai cuisine: curry (green, red, panang), stir-fries (pad thai, chicken with holy basil, morning glory), soups and salad (tom yum, chicken soup with coconut milk, papaya salad), dessert (mango with sticky rice).

Each student receives personalised hands-on training, and the dishes can be adapted to individual tastes or to a vegetarian diet. To finish, you taste your creations. Return to the hotel at around 1:30pm.

Day 7: Hike, meeting the elephants and waterfall at Mae Sapok

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Departure from the hotel at 7:30am (about 1 hour 15 minutes by road). Meet the elephants in a sanctuary and prepare their food. Lunch on site, then a hike in the national park to the Mae Sapok waterfall, where you can swim. Return to the hotel at around 5pm.

Day 8: Flight to Krabi

Meals: breakfast.

Our driver will pick you up for the transfer to Chiang Mai airport. On arrival, you are met by our driver and taken to your hotel in Klong Muang, near one of the most beautiful beaches in the area.

Night at the Loy Chalet: a charming boutique hotel close to Klong Muang beach, with a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Its comfortable rooms, often with a beach view, are decorated in traditional Thai style. The hotel has a pool, a restaurant serving local and international dishes, and easy access to the beaches and water activities. It is an ideal place for anyone looking to relax away from the tourist bustle.

Day 9: The Hong islands archipelago by traditional boat

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Located at the entrance to Phang Nga Bay, the Koh Hong islands are easy to reach by traditional boat (longtail). Koh Hong is an archipelago known for its shallow coral reefs and a few beaches such as Koh Ladin and Pak Bia. There is also its incredible lagoon, ringed by huge green peaks and lined with mangroves. On Koh Hong, the exceptionally fine white sand and the emerald green sea make it a truly paradise-like place. You can discover the interior of the island on a lovely walk and climb up to the viewpoint for a magnificent 360° view over all the islands!

Day 10: Thalane, kayaking in the mangrove and natural pools

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

In the splendid Krabi region, nature is teeming with life, with majestic kingfishers, elegant herons and crunchy crustaceans. To brighten up your outing, you may even be lucky enough to come across monkeys who will keep you company throughout your trip.

Be dazzled by an incredible canyon, karst caves and crystal-clear lagoons that will give you unforgettable photos of Krabi's authentic nature. After this lovely discovery, you will enjoy a meal at the "Bac à Sable", our favourite restaurant hidden on Thalane beach.

The afternoon will be a chance for you to explore other wonders of the region such as Tha Pom Klong Song Nam and/or (as you wish) the natural pools of Sa Kaew. You will be amazed by a unique flora, where mangroves and other rare local trees have adapted to this very specific environment.

Day 11: Free day

Meals: breakfast.

Day 12: Railay, the local islands and bioluminescent plankton

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Departure at 12pm. Board a traditional boat called a longtail and head for Railay, the peninsula known to climbers all over the world for its sensational climbing routes. We walk through the village and visit a cave and the spectacular Phra Nang beach (a very touristy site!).

Then head for the local islands for an unforgettable afternoon at sea. First stop on a small beach to taste some local specialities (buffet lunch). Then on the programme: snorkelling, visits to the small paradise islands of the area, stops on secluded beaches away from mass tourism (Lo Sama, Koh Tup and Chicken Islands). Finally Koh Poda, to end this day in style with a sundowner in front of the sunset.

On the way back, night snorkelling among bioluminescent plankton: a unique experience.

Return at around 8pm.

Day 13: Free day

Meals: breakfast.

Day 14: Departure

Meals: breakfast.

Transfer to Krabi airport.

Good to know

• Private activities with an English-speaking Thai guide; French-speaking guide as an option, subject to availability.
• Night train: we book 2nd class sleeper berths; tickets go on sale about three months before departure.
• In Bangkok, shoulders and legs must be covered for the temples: a sarong in your bag is enough to cover your legs.
• The south can start with Khao Sok (two nights minimum, with the night on the lake last). Chiang Rai or Ayutthaya can also be added.
• Our tours are adapted daily according to the seasons, the tides and the crowds. Accommodation and activities are subject to availability at the time of booking.