THAILAND ITINERARY
When planning this trip, we toyed with quite a few scenarios: going for 10 days or two weeks, visiting multiple Southeast Asia countries, exploring the mountains up north, the beaches in the south AND the bustling city of Bangkok. Ultimately we settled on a two-week trip to Thailand and see as much outside the city as we could. If we’ve learned anything about adventure travel and making the most of our short time abroad, it’s much more rewarding to experience one place deeply than spending time in airports attempting to see/do everything. Below is our itinerary for the two weeks we spent in Thailand.
We LOVED our time in Thailand - everything about it was a blast. The country is easy to navigate; safe to walk around day and night, there are enough English speakers (and backpackers!) to get around just fine; and Thailanders are SO incredibly friendly. This small country has so much to offer - from mountains and bustling large cities to beautiful beaches and rich history. Everyday was an adventure.
A little bit of advice: Definitely use a carry-on backpack as luggage if you’re exploring outside of the large cities. You’ll thank us later when you see people lugging around rolling suitcases on and off ferries, down gravel roads, in and out of taxis, etc.
Make sure to check out our other Thailand blogs for more detailed information about our adventures!
Thailand Itinerary:
Day 1-2: Nashville to Bangkok Travel Days
Expect to lose 2 full days on the front end if traveling from the US. We left at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning and landed in Bangkok at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night!
Day 3-4: Chiang Mai
Took a morning flight north to the mountainous region to spend the first 5 days.
Highlights: exploring the city and temples, Baan Farm Cooking Class, Night Bazaar, Maerim Elephant Sanctuary, Doi Suthep
Housing: The Entaneer Poshtel
Day 5-6: Pai
Highlights: Rented a scooter and explored Pem Bok Waterfall, Bamboo Bridge, and the Land Split; Full Day Tham Lod Cave Tour (White Buddha, Tham Lod Cave, Sai Ngam Hot Springs, Mor Paeng Water, and Pai Canyon); eating street food and shopping down Walking Street
Housing: Pai Country Hut
Day 7: Pai Morning/Chiang Mai Afternoon
Highlights: Thai Massage; laundry at the hostel; relaxing dinner; live music, food trucks, and souvenir shopping at the Night Market
Housing: The Entaneer Poshtel
More details about our adventures in Northern Thailand
Day 8: Travel Day down South
Flight to Surat Thani, bus to Khao Sok National Park
Highlights: exploring the small downtown of Khao Sok, relaxing after long day of travel and early to bed
Housing: The Jungle Hut
Day 9: Cheow Lake (in Khao Sok National Park)
Highlights: Smiley’s overnight lake adventure and safaris for monkey sightings
Housing: Smiley’s Lake House
Day 10: Cheow Lake/Phuket
Highlights: safari trek, longboat ride on Cheow Lake
Housing: Blu Monkey Hub & Hotel
More details about our adventures in Khao Sok National Park
Day 11-13: Kho Phi Phi
Highlights: Ferry ride to Kho Phi Phi, exploring the resort and island, speed boat tour, snorkeling, Monkey beach, hike to Tonsai Viewpoint, sunset walk to Lana Bay
Housing: Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort
Day 14-15: Krabi (Tambon Ao Nang)
Highlights: Railay Beach, Diamond Cave, monkeys!, sunset on the Ao Nang boardwalk, scooter to Tiger Temple (1200 step climb to the top!), street food, sunset kayak trip
Housing: Ao Nang Airbnb (Baan Nai Lake)
More details about our adventures in Southern Thailand
Day 16: Bangkok
Highlights: canal boat taxis, exploring Old Town (Giant Swing, Grand Palace, Laying Buddha), Wat Arun, Asiatique
Housing: Hua Chang Heritage Hotel
More details about our adventures in Bangkok
Day 17: Flight home to Nashville
Highlights: almost missing our flight due to passport control lines - get there super early!