Thailand itinerary, day by day

From Bangkok to Phuket, by way of Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and Krabi: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 7, 10 or 14 days📍 4 stops☀️ Best time: November to March

Bangkok · Photo Zaonar Saizainalin / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Thailand in 7 days

2 stops · 11 things to do · flight + road

1Bangkok

Days 1-3

A capital that never quite settles, with gilded roofs in the middle of the noise. The Grand Palace and the forty-six metre reclining Buddha of Wat Pho are what everyone comes to see first.

🎟️ Worth booking

Temples and the Grand Palace, guidedHalf day · from €35
The royal compound and Wat Pho in one morning, with the dress code explained before you reach the gate rather than at it.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya2h30 · from €45
Two and a half hours on the river, past Wat Arun lit from below, with dinner served on board.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Wat Arun, from the far bank · Chatuchak weekend market · Khao San Road · Chinatown

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Bed Station Hostel (€15 a night) · Mid-range: Riva Surya Bangkok (€95 a night) · Luxury: The Siam Hotel (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Kodtalay The Riverfront Seafood Buffet ↗ ★ 4.9 · 52299 reviews · €€
The Island Bangkok – Top Rated Thai Restaurant & Bar ↗ ★ 4.9 · 13044 reviews
Cappadocia Turkish Restaurant Bangkok ↗ ★ 4.9 · 3131 reviews
Suda - Thai & Vegetarian Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1809 reviews
ร้านขจร | Kajohn Authentic Southern Thai Cuisine ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1426 reviews

Photo Zaonar Saizainalin / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 1h15 · ~650 km

2Krabi & Railay

Days 4-7

The Andaman coast, cut into limestone towers. Railay can only be reached by boat, which is half the reason climbers and kayakers keep going back.

🎟️ Worth booking

Four islands by long-tail boatFull day · from €35
Poda, Chicken Island, Tup and Phra Nang, with a sandbar linking two of them when the tide drops.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Beginner climbing at RailayHalf day · from €40
Bolted limestone straight above the sand, with a guide, gear and half a day. No experience needed.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Railay beach · Tonsai and its cliffs · Sunset at Ao Nang

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Railay Garden View Resort (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Rayavadee (€110 a night) · Luxury: Banyan Tree Krabi (€320 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Royal Tandoor Krabi ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1550 reviews
Kuan Nom Saow Restaurant and Viewpoint ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1489 reviews
Maison de Paris Aonang Krabi ↗ ★ 4.9 · 823 reviews
Ali Baba Restaurant - Ao Nang ↗ ★ 4.8 · 3932 reviews · €€
Ra Beung Lay Seafood Restaurant ร้านอาหารระเบียงเล ซีฟู้ด ↗ ★ 4.8 · 3131 reviews · €€

Photo Dan Voican / Pexels

Thailand in 10 days

4 stops · 21 things to do · flight + road

1Bangkok

Days 1-2

A capital that never quite settles, with gilded roofs in the middle of the noise. The Grand Palace and the forty-six metre reclining Buddha of Wat Pho are what everyone comes to see first.

🎟️ Worth booking

Temples and the Grand Palace, guidedHalf day · from €35
The royal compound and Wat Pho in one morning, with the dress code explained before you reach the gate rather than at it.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya2h30 · from €45
Two and a half hours on the river, past Wat Arun lit from below, with dinner served on board.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Wat Arun, from the far bank · Chatuchak weekend market · Khao San Road · Chinatown

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Bed Station Hostel (€15 a night) · Mid-range: Riva Surya Bangkok (€95 a night) · Luxury: The Siam Hotel (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Zaonar Saizainalin / Pexels

🚆 Train · 1h30 · 80 km

2Ayutthaya

Day 3

Capital of Siam from 1350 until the Burmese burned it in 1767. Brick ruins across a river island, and a Buddha head held in the roots of a fig tree, UNESCO-listed.

🎟️ Worth booking

The temple circuit by bicycle, guidedHalf day · from €25
The ruins are spread across a flat river island. A bicycle covers in a morning what walking would not.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Wat Mahathat and its Buddha head in the roots · The historical park · The floating market

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Baan Lotus Guest House (€30 a night) · Mid-range: Sala Ayutthaya (€85 a night) · Luxury: Krungsri River Hotel (€80 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

The Artisans Ayutthaya ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1836 reviews
บ้านผัดไทอยุธยา ↗ ★ 4.9 · 224 reviews
Sukunya Somtum ↗ ★ 4.8 · 1456 reviews · €
Pannana Cafe and Eatery พรรณนา ↗ ★ 4.8 · 888 reviews
เกรท Great Thai Cuisine & Steak ↗ ★ 4.8 · 642 reviews

Photo EPiC VIDEO / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 1h15 · ~600 km

3Chiang Mai

Days 4-6

Founded in 1296 and ringed by mountains. Three hundred temples, the gold stupa of Doi Suthep on the ridge above, and night markets in the old walls below.

🎟️ Worth booking

An ethical elephant sanctuaryFull day · from €70
A day at a camp where elephants are fed and washed but never ridden. Check that riding is absent before you book anything.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Thai cooking classHalf day · from €30
The market first, then four dishes and the curry paste under them, pounded by hand in a stone mortar.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Doi Suthep, from outside · The old town and its temples · The night market · Walking out through the rice terraces

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Stamps Backpackers (€14 a night) · Mid-range: Rachamankha (€120 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Chiang Mai (€520 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

B Samcook Home16 ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1934 reviews
Garden to Table Chiangmai ↗ ★ 4.9 · 1888 reviews · €
Another World ↗ ★ 4.9 · 765 reviews
Rodlamun ↗ ★ 4.9 · 343 reviews
Khoei Chiang Mai - Northern Food (Chiang Mai Restaurant) ↗ ★ 4.8 · 6195 reviews · €€

Photo Guillaume Meurice / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 2h · ~1200 km

4Krabi & Railay

Days 7-10

The Andaman coast, cut into limestone towers. Railay can only be reached by boat, which is half the reason climbers and kayakers keep going back.

🎟️ Worth booking

Four islands by long-tail boatFull day · from €35
Poda, Chicken Island, Tup and Phra Nang, with a sandbar linking two of them when the tide drops.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Beginner climbing at RailayHalf day · from €40
Bolted limestone straight above the sand, with a guide, gear and half a day. No experience needed.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Railay beach · Tonsai and its cliffs · Sunset at Ao Nang

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Railay Garden View Resort (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Rayavadee (€110 a night) · Luxury: Banyan Tree Krabi (€320 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Dan Voican / Pexels

Thailand in 14 days

5 stops · 26 things to do · flight + road

1Bangkok

Days 1-3

A capital that never quite settles, with gilded roofs in the middle of the noise. The Grand Palace and the forty-six metre reclining Buddha of Wat Pho are what everyone comes to see first.

🎟️ Worth booking

Temples and the Grand Palace, guidedHalf day · from €35
The royal compound and Wat Pho in one morning, with the dress code explained before you reach the gate rather than at it.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya2h30 · from €45
Two and a half hours on the river, past Wat Arun lit from below, with dinner served on board.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Wat Arun, from the far bank · Chatuchak weekend market · Khao San Road · Chinatown

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Bed Station Hostel (€15 a night) · Mid-range: Riva Surya Bangkok (€95 a night) · Luxury: The Siam Hotel (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Zaonar Saizainalin / Pexels

🚆 Train · 1h30 · 80 km

2Ayutthaya

Day 4

Capital of Siam from 1350 until the Burmese burned it in 1767. Brick ruins across a river island, and a Buddha head held in the roots of a fig tree, UNESCO-listed.

🎟️ Worth booking

The temple circuit by bicycle, guidedHalf day · from €25
The ruins are spread across a flat river island. A bicycle covers in a morning what walking would not.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Wat Mahathat and its Buddha head in the roots · The historical park · The floating market

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Baan Lotus Guest House (€30 a night) · Mid-range: Sala Ayutthaya (€85 a night) · Luxury: Krungsri River Hotel (€80 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo EPiC VIDEO / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 1h15 · ~600 km

3Chiang Mai

Days 5-8

Founded in 1296 and ringed by mountains. Three hundred temples, the gold stupa of Doi Suthep on the ridge above, and night markets in the old walls below.

🎟️ Worth booking

An ethical elephant sanctuaryFull day · from €70
A day at a camp where elephants are fed and washed but never ridden. Check that riding is absent before you book anything.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Thai cooking classHalf day · from €30
The market first, then four dishes and the curry paste under them, pounded by hand in a stone mortar.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Doi Suthep, from outside · The old town and its temples · The night market · Walking out through the rice terraces

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Stamps Backpackers (€14 a night) · Mid-range: Rachamankha (€120 a night) · Luxury: Four Seasons Chiang Mai (€520 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Guillaume Meurice / Pexels

✈️ Domestic flight · 2h · ~1200 km

4Phuket & Phi Phi

Days 9-11

The largest island in the country and the way out to Phi Phi and Maya Bay. Beaches, a Big Buddha on the hill, and a Sino-Portuguese old town most visitors never find.

🎟️ Worth booking

Phi Phi islands by speedboatFull day · from €45
A full day out to the archipelago, Maya Bay included, back on Phuket before dark.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Snorkelling at Maya BayHalf day · from €38
The bay closed in 2018 to let the reef recover and reopened under strict limits. Boats now moor behind the headland and visitors walk in.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Kata beach · Phuket old town · The Karon viewpoint

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: The Memory at On On Hotel (€22 a night) · Mid-range: Kantary Bay Hotel Phuket (€95 a night) · Luxury: Sri Panwa Phuket (€400 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Malika Sky Bar ↗ ★ 4.9 · 2478 reviews
Thai Mueang Restaurant Phuket ↗ ★ 4.9 · 2319 reviews
Dinner in the Sky Phuket | Restaurant ↗ ★ 4.9 · 943 reviews
Phuket Romantic Dining ↗ ★ 4.9 · 441 reviews
Little Paris French Bistronomy Restaurant Phuket ↗ ★ 4.8 · 6665 reviews · €€

Photo Miro Alt / Pexels

⛴️ Ferry · 2h · ~40 km

5Krabi & Railay

Days 12-14

The Andaman coast, cut into limestone towers. Railay can only be reached by boat, which is half the reason climbers and kayakers keep going back.

🎟️ Worth booking

Four islands by long-tail boatFull day · from €35
Poda, Chicken Island, Tup and Phra Nang, with a sandbar linking two of them when the tide drops.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Beginner climbing at RailayHalf day · from €40
Bolted limestone straight above the sand, with a guide, gear and half a day. No experience needed.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Railay beach · Tonsai and its cliffs · Sunset at Ao Nang

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Railay Garden View Resort (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Rayavadee (€110 a night) · Luxury: Banyan Tree Krabi (€320 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Dan Voican / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Pad thai: fried noodles with tamarind and crushed peanuts, the street dish everyone starts on.
Tom yum: hot and sour prawn soup, sharp with lemongrass and lime.
Green or red curry: coconut milk poured over a paste pounded that morning.
Mango sticky rice: sweet glutinous rice, ripe mango and coconut cream.
Som tam: shredded green papaya pounded with chilli. Ask for it mild and mean it.

⚠️ What to avoid

Ignore the tuk-tuk driver who tells you a temple is closed and offers to take you somewhere better.
Agree the tuk-tuk fare before you get in, or insist on the meter in a taxi.
Do not drink the tap water. Ice with a hole through it is factory made and fine.
Temples ask for covered shoulders and knees. Carry something to put on at the door.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Thailand guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Thailand, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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