Thailand Family Wanderer

📍 Transfer from airport to hotel: 15 minutes Transfer from hotel to Chiang Mai Home Host: 30 minutes

Pick up from Chiang Mai airport by your local guide. Transfer to the Hotel, check in and freshen up before beginning the journey in the afternoon. 

This evening around 16.00, get a true taste of Thai life. Spend a day far removed from the tourist areas of Chiang Mai and be immersed in local at cooking school which offers the opportunity to learn how to cook real Thai food in a traditional Thai setting, with skilled and friendly teachers who can impart the secrets of Thai cooking to you in a fun atmosphere. 

Their goal for you is not only to learn how to cook a variety of Thai foods, but also to have fun while you are learning starting with a market tour! Their staff emphasizes a teaching style centered on actually doing, rather than watching. By the time you complete your course, you will not only have learned a thing or two about Thai cooking, but will also have had a most memorable experience that tastes good too!

Remark: No class on Sunday

Overnight at Chiang Mai

Inclusions:

🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer from hotel to Wat Srisuphan: 15 minutes Transfer from Wat Srisuphan to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: 1 hour Transfer from Wat Suan Dok to hotel: 15 minutes

Today’s tour will begin after the delicious breakfast, driving to the temple grounds. Meet with the monks and proceed to the workshop area where silver plates are made. Learn how to make these silver plates and create a personalized one using patterns taught at the workshop.

Wat Srisuphan is a silver temple that was first constructed at the beginning of the 16th century. Almost everything in the temple is made of silver and aluminum. The ordination hall is surrounded by sema stones and have remnants of the original wat with its intricate designs. The beautiful murals decorating the interior is a stunning tribute and example of the rich tradition for which the area is renowned for.

Incorporating all aspects of Zen, Buddhist, Theravada and Taoist traditions, the murals bring life to the building and seem to illuminate the story of the Buddha. Two hundred years ago, the Ancient Arts Study Centre here was once a tiny silver-making community established just outside the city walls of Chiang Mai as a means of restoring heritage.

The workshop will be done just before noon. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and then we will be heading to explore the old and modern sides of Chiang Mai, seeking out its most sacred Buddhist monuments. Once inside the old city walls, be captivated by the mix of eclectic markets, traditional houses, majestic foreign consulates, and modern edifices. See locals on their way to or from the pagodas and take note of the small spirit shrines tucked alongside family homes. 

Then continue away from town and take a winding, uphill drive to Doi Suthep Mountain. Climb up the staircase of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, admiring the intricate naga carvings along the way. Upon reaching the top, explore the 14th-century pagoda where local devotees come to pay homage and pray. Wander around the towering gilded stupa and take a moment to enjoy the views of Chiang Mai in the distance. 

Return down the mountain and continue your final visit at Wat Suan Dok. A 48-meter golden chedi marks this holy site which was built in the Sri Lankan style. Learn why Wat Suan Dok is popular with local Buddhists, discover its unique Buddha relic, and wander around the mausoleum where the ashes of Chiang Mai’s royal family are interred. This insightful and spiritual Chiang Mai temple tour ends with a transfer back to the hotel at late afternoon

Overnight at Chiang Mai

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Transfer from Chiang Mai to Huay Teun: 2 hours Trekking: 4-5 hours Difficulty: Medium

Time has come to leave the city and look for greener pastures! Pick up at the hotel and transfer out of Chiang Mai towards Doi Lor district south west of the city. Stop at the local market for the porters to pick up fresh locally produced vegetables and meat for the trek. If this day falls on a Saturday we have an option to stop at the Buffalo market in Hang Dong and watch a local livestock auction at the same time as stocking up on food.   

Arrive Huay Teun, a small stream running down from the mountain of Doi Lor. We start walking along the stream for an hour and take a picnic lunch on the way. In the afternoon the trekking becomes a little more strenuous as we start gaining elevation on a trail used by the locals, after some two hours the climb gets tougher and we take a rest at a hidden nameless waterfall in the middle of the woods.

After the waterfall, we gain altitude even more for another 10 to 30 minutes, depending on our fitness, and we arrive in the village of Khun Na Sa for a home cooked dinner and overnight.

Overnight in Khun Na Sa

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Trekking: 4 to 8 hours Difficulty: Hard

After a local village breakfast, pack up your belongings and head out on another day of adventure. Start walking through the ever green forest with the occasional ray of sun streaming through thick lush green vegetation. 

There are two trails for this day, a shorter easier walk of 4 to 5 hours and a longer more challenging 7 to 8 hours trail which holds the reward of a waterfall on the way! Both of the trails give the chance to spot wildlife, especially birds of many exotic species are abundant in this area so binoculars are a good thing to bring.   

As the day before, our lunch will be a jungle style picnic. Arrive Ban Khun Puay, a Karen hilltribe village of 70 families. Get acquainted with the people in the village and get to know more about the tribe and their lives. Story-telling in and dinner before going back to bed. This hilltribe village is nestled in a valley and makes a perfect place for last night’s sleep out in the “wild”.  

Overnight in Khun Puay

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer from Khun Puay to Chiang Mai: 2 hours Transfer from Chiang Mai hotel to Muay Thai Camp: 20 mins Trekking: 5- 6 hours Difficulty: Medium

Raise and shine in the sounds of nature, today we will spend the whole day trekking down hill from the village of Khun Puay at the north of Doi Inthanon National Park, stopping by another waterfall as we trek our way to the pickup point for transfer back to Chiang Mai. Where you will be brought to your hotel around mid-afternoon. 

Once arriving at the hotel, enjoy and get the well-deserved rest before starting this evening around 16.30 with Muay Thai at Muay Thai Camp for an introduction to the art of Muay Thai. 

Muay Thai is a combat sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. You will spend 2 hours with a personal Muay Thai Instructor learning these techniques. From past to present day, Muay Thai is the Thai national heritage. The Training will give you a memorable experience and a taste of Thai martial art.

Remark: No class on Sunday

Overnight at Chiang Mai

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Transfer from Hotel to Kanta elephant camp – round trip: 2.30 hours Transfer from Hotel to train station: 10 minutes Sleeping train to Ayutthaya: 10 hours

Today after waking up, in the early morning you will be having breakfast at the hotel and start a day with elephants in the early morning. You will be picked up at around You will be picked up around 08:30 from the hotel by air-conditioned vehicle and transferred to Kanta Elephant Sanctuary through Chiang Mai’s beautiful scenarios—rolling hills, forests, and local farming areas. 

At Kanta Elephant Sanctuary, an ethical and sustainable eco-tourism is promoted. They offer a retirement home for ALL elephants that have previously work hard for tourism entertainment or in the logging 
Industry. Throughout the day you will gain an insight into elephants’ life and their story while spending time with them in a safe area. 

Upon arrival at the sanctuary, get changed into traditional clothing, followed by preparing fruits to feed elephants. Enjoy roaming, touching, and playing with them. Enjoy and get to learn more about their background, health care, and common behaviors. Have more fun with them in the pool by giving them a bath and mud scrub and taking pictures with them. 

Then tea and coffee break will be served before departing the sanctuary for your hotel around 13.00 for refreshing shower, Spend the rest of your day on your own leisure and be picked up to train station at 17.00

Remarks: Train number 10 at 18.00

Overnight/dinner on sleeper train

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Transfer from Ayutthaya train station to Wat Ratchaburana: 10 minutes Transfer from Wat Ratchaburana to Wat Mahathat: 5 minutes (Walking distance: 350 meters) Transfer from Wat Mahathat to Ayutthaya historical park: 10 minutes Transfer from Ayutthaya historical park to Ayutthaya hotel: 15 minutes Cycling duration: 2 hours (about 10 km)

Good morning Ayutthaya! After arriving at the train station in early morning, we will have breakfast at the morning market or local restaurant nearby. Early morning is the best time to see the monks emerge from their monasteries for the daily alms collection. Witness the saffron-robed monks shuffle silently down the streets, collecting offerings from local Buddhist residents. 

This serene ceremony is the perfect introduction to Ayutthaya’s spiritual side. Take a look at Ayutthaya itself and see how the city has evolved over the years. Even though a short distance from the busy modern capital of Bangkok, Ayutthaya retains a sleepy, laid back atmosphere.

Get a taste of the city’s rhythms with a spectacular sunrise view at local temples in town at Wat Yai Chaimongkol, with an impressive collection of seated Buddha Images, and snap a photo of its iconic Buddha image before heading back to the hotel.

Check-in and enjoy time at leisure before continuing the afternoon around 13.00 with a cycling session to Ayutthaya historical park, your bike will be set-up and ready to explore the site that is known for its spectacular temple ruins. In the mysterious light of dusk, we will explore the temples by bicycle. Witness the spectacular twilight scenery of the former capital of Thailand on a relaxing bike ride. You will see the main highlights and a few hidden gems of what was once the most splendid city of the East.  

Overnight in Ayutthaya

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Transfer from Ayutthaya hotel to Bangkok hotel: 1.20 hours Cycling duration: 3 hours

Hop in the minivan after breakfast and say goodbye to Ayutthaya. Continue the journey to Bangkok as we are heading to the capital city of Thailand. Stop along the way for lunch and head back to the hotel to relax before the afternoon adventure begins around 13:00. 

Transfer from your hotel to the starting point of the biking tour at River City Shopping Center Si Phraya, explore the bustling everyday life of Chinatown. Through narrow alleyways and winding pathways best accessed through two-wheel transport, we pass markets, local Buddhist temples, and a vast array of unique “street life”. 

We cross the Chao Phraya River by ferry and continue the tour in Thonburi to see more of local temples, museums and the slower-paced lifestyle of urban Thais on the other riverside. Back to the starting point in River City Shopping Center Si Phraya after going through the flower market.

Overnight in Bangkok

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Transfer from Bangkok hotel to Jim Thompson House: 15 mins Transfer from Jim Thompson House to Baan Krua: 20 mins Transfer from Baan Krua to Bangkok hotel: 20 mins

Today after breakfast, begin with a visit to the Jim Thompson House. Located along a canal in the city centre, this beautiful teak mansion was the former residence of Jim Thompson, the charismatic silk merchant. Wander around the leafy compound, exploring the traditional teak buildings to learn more about the man himself, his involvement in the silk trade and his mysterious disappearance. Admire the priceless antiques on display while gaining insight into Thai heritage and tradition.

After the tour of Thompson’s home, cross the canal to Baan Krua Thai Silk Weaving Community. This Cham Muslim community is home to remarkable local artisans, many of whom used to weave for Jim Thompson. Today, two original weaving families still remain. Visit their local workshops and witness artisans producing high-quality Thai silk products. Learn about their traditional methods and browse the impressive gallery of fabrics.  

Following this insightful tour of Baan Krua, transfer back to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the day on your own leisure as your hotel is located at the middle heart of Bangkok and easily accessible to sky train (BTS) or subway(MRT). 

Leisure recommendation - MBK Center is probably Bangkok's most legendary shopping mall, popular with both tourists and locals, and busy with shoppers every day. There are eight floors packed with 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, electric appliances, cameras, stationery and DVDs. Launched in 1986, MBK Center is a beehive of activity, especially on weekends, when half of Bangkok converges to shop for bargains. It's not as up-market or stylish as neighboring Siam Discovery, Siam Centre and the glitzy Siam Paragon, but it offers a mind-boggling range of goods spread over 89,000 square meters and is considerably less expensive and valued the spending. 

Overnight in Bangkok

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Transfer from Bangkok hotel to Bangkok airport: 1 hour

Breakfast at the hotel, meet with guide and transportation for private transfer to Bangkok Airport for your flight to preferred destination.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast