11-Day Essential Thailand featuring Phuket
Bangkok to Phuket
HIGHLIGHTS
- Experience the real Bangkok in the city’s hidden corners, sacred temples, and local neighborhoods
- Engage with northern Thailand's rich tribal culture and spend time in a remote ethnic community
- Discover Buddhist and Chinese temples, rows of beautifully painted shophouses, quaint cafés, and local boutiques in Phuket’s colorful old quarter
INCLUSIONS
• Fast track service on arrival Bangkok Day 1
• Deluxe Accommodations throughout the tour
• Meals as per the itinerary (food only)
• Private Transfers and Touring
• Professional English-speaking guide
• Join in activities at Lisu Lodge
• Local bottled water and cold towels whilst sightseeing
• Domestic flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai to Phuket, and Phuket to Bangkok
• Taxes and service charges
Ask about customizing your tour or upgrading to Premium hotels.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day 1: Bangkok
Tour Begins
Stay: COMO Metropolitan Bangkok
Welcome to Bangkok! The vibrant capital of Thailand, Bangkok is an eclectic mix of ornate temples and towering skyscrapers. Both traditional and contemporary, the city is a hive of colorful food and flower markets and buzzing off-beat streets complemented by a dynamic dining scene with some of Asia’s top restaurants as well as Michelin-worthy street food all just waiting to be explored.
Fast track service is arranged for your arrival at the airport. Upon exiting the aircraft (or aerobridge), you are met by a representative who escorts you through the express immigration process, then assists with luggage collection and customs before leading you into the arrival hall where your Abercrombie & Kent guide is waiting to meet you.
Transfer to COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, Located in the heart of Bangkok’s central business district, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok is a contemporary urban escape combining sleek, modern style with a chic Asian aesthetic. The sophisticated interiors by Singaporean designer Kathryn King feature a mix of eastern and western influences, creating an aura of calm in each of the spacious rooms. The hotel's facilities include a 25-meter (82-foot) outdoor swimming pool, a yoga studio, spa and a renowned Thai fine dining restaurant.Day 2: Bangkok
Stay: COMO Metropolitan Bangkok | Meals: Breakfast
Experience the real Bangkok in the city’s hidden corners, sacred temples and local neighborhoods. Visit the famous Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha complex to admire its glittering gold stupas and dazzling glass mosaics. Whiz through the old city streets by tuk tuk for a short ride to Wat Pho. The historical temple complex is best known for its large reclining Buddha statue and Thai massage school. Cool down with some coconut ice cream before crossing the Chao Phraya River by public ferry. Enjoy a close-up view of the porcelain art at Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn before continuing by private vehicle to the Jim Thompson House, a traditional Thai teak home with antiques and curios curated by the former magnate of Thai silk. Then, explore the silk shop and gallery.
Afternoon, free time at leisure.Day 3: Bangkok
Stay: COMO Metropolitan Bangkok | Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Bangkok.Day 4: Bangkok – Chiang Mai
Stay: Lisu Lodge | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Transfer to the airport to board a domestic flight to Chiang Mai.
On arrival at Chiang Mai Airport, you are met by your guide who accompanies you to a Restaurant for Lunch.
After lunch, continue to Lisu Lodge, an eco-lodge surrounded by lush, green mountains. Enjoy a welcome drink while learning about the community-based project here that aims to conserve the heritage of Chiang Mai’s ethnic minorities and hear a bit about everyday life in this typical Thai hill tribe. Take a stroll around the village, stopping at the temple for lovely views of the community’s herbal garden and explore nearby tea and vegetable plantations.
Return to your rustic lodge built in the style of a northern Thai hilltribe home. Dinner is served at your lodge and is accompanied by a music and dance performance by the local Lisu community.Day 5: Chiang Mai
Stay: Tamarind Village | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Wake up to the cool mountain breeze and peaceful views from your Thai countryside eco-lodge. Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before heading out to explore the local community. Choose from a range of optional experiences arranged by the lodge (supplementary fees apply).
Araksa Tea Garden Tour with lunch
Explore a local tea plantation on the outskirts of the village. A resident tea plucker shows you around the tea garden where you can try your hand at harvesting tea leaves in the traditional way. You can then observe the art of making tea, from kneading to roasting the tea leaves. During the process, learn from your guide about the different processes and methods used to cultivate young tea plants.
Sit down to enjoy a Thai lunch featuring fresh ingredients from the garden and soak up the breathtaking countryside views.
Note: Activities based on join-in basis.
This afternoon, your guide and driver meet you at your hotel and take you to Tamarind Village, Located in the heart of the historic city, Tamarind Village Chiang Mai is a charming boutique property named after a magnificent 200-year-old tamarind tree that shelters the hotel. Surrounded by ancient temples and quaint shopping streets, the hotel is set around a series of garden courtyards that create a sense of calm and tranquility. Intimate, serene and relaxing, the rooms are designed to reflect the rich ethnic diversity of northern Thailand with the use of fabrics and patterns drawn from various tribes of the region. An outdoor pool, spa and charming restaurant complete the experience.Day 6: Chiang Mai
Stay: Tamarind Village | Meals: Breakfast
Lift your spirit with an early morning blessing and breakfast in the sacred mountains of northern Thailand. Experience the local almsgiving tradition and be blessed by monks at a shrine dedicated to Phra Kruba Srivichai, a highly revered monk who inspired the construction of the road you are about to take. Drive up the mountain path to visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai’s sacred mountaintop temple which stands proudly overlooking the city. The beauty and serenity of the temple is radiant, particularly in the quiet, early hours of the day. On the way back down, stop at a mountainside monastery nestled within the forest for a picnic breakfast beside a small creek overlooking Chiang Mai in the distance.
Late morning, return to hotel for free time at leisure.Day 7: Chiang Mai
Stay: Tamarind Village | Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Chiang Mai.Day 8: Chiang Mai- Phuket
Stay: SALA Maikhao Beach Resort | Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport to board a domestic flight to Phuket.
On arrival at Phuket Airport, you are met by your guide who accompanies you to SALA Mai Khao Beach Resort, Resting on the island's quiet northwest coast, Sala Phuket Mai Khao Beach Resort is a chic, contemporary haven surrounded by lush gardens and enchanting ocean views. With a selection of stylish suites and pool villas, the resort pays homage to Phuket’s distinctive Sino-Portuguese architectural heritage and comes complete with two beachfront swimming pools, a range of dining options and intimate spa facilities.Day 9: Phuket
Stay: SALA Maikhao Beach Resort | Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore or relax in Phuket.Day 10: Phuket
Stay: SALA Maikhao Beach Resort | Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure to rest and recharge in Phuket.Day 11: Phuket
Tour Ends
Meals: Breakfast
Today marks the end of your Thailand tour.