Board a traditional rice barge for dinner on the waterways of Ayutthaya. Enjoy Thai dishes while viewing the former capital’s heritage sites from the water, a vantage point that recalls the river trade central to the city’s prosperity.

Ayutthaya grew around the meeting of rivers that linked it to wider trading networks. From the barge, the waterside setting gives its surviving landmarks a different scale and atmosphere from the temple grounds.

• 6 Dinner (D)
• 13 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Lunch (L)

• Bangkok: Join locals in Lumpini Park for a morning Tai Chi lesson and see how many Bangkok residents begin their day. Learn the basics of the practice in one of the city’s best-known green spaces before continuing your discoveries of the Thai capital.
• Bangkok: Visit the Grand Palace, built for the kings of Siam and still one of Thailand’s most important ceremonial landmarks. As you explore the complex, see the scale, detail and craftsmanship that reflect the power and tradition of the Thai monarchy.
• Bangkok: Visit Wat Pho, home to the Reclining Buddha and one of Bangkok’s most important temple complexes. Beyond its religious significance, it is also known as an early centre of traditional Thai medicine and learning, giving you a broader view of Thai culture and knowledge.
• Stop at a coconut palm sugar plantation and see how sap is collected from the trees before being cooked down into sugar. Learn more about a process that has long supported local livelihoods and discover how this everyday ingredient is used in Thai cooking.
• Damnoen Saduak Floating Market: Visit one of Thailand’s best-known canal markets, where traders sell fruit, vegetables and local goods from wooden boats. As you move through the busy waterways, see a long-established way of trading that still shapes daily life in this part of the country.
• Kanchanaburi: Bask in the views of the Kwai River as you make your way across wooden viaducts on your scenic train ride.
• Kanchanaburi: Discover the “Death Railway” when you visit Hellfire Pass and learn about the horrible conditions of which the prisoners of WWII had to endure when building this landmark.
• Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya: Explore Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, through temple ruins that reflect the scale of the ancient city. Visit Wat Sri Sanphet, Wat Yai Chaimongkhol and Wat Mahathat, where the iconic Buddha head entwined in tree roots remains one of its best-known sights.
• Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya: Board a traditional rice barge for dinner and see Ayutthaya from the water. As you cruise past heritage landmarks, you’ll enjoy Thai dishes that reflect the country’s signature balance of sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavours.
• Sukhothai: Explore Sukhothai Historical Park by bicycle or tram, passing temple ruins, Buddha images, moats and city walls within the former capital of Siam. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park covers the remains of the old city, with monuments and structures spread across its grounds.
• Sukhothai: Wake up early to experience the traditional alms offering ceremony,a cherished part of Thai daily life. At dawn, monks walk peacefully across the bridge, creating a calm and picturesque scene that reflects the spiritual heart of Sukhothai.
• Sukhothai: Visit Baan Suan Suda, where you’ll stroll through the garden with your host and see the herbs, fruit and vegetables used in Thai cooking. Then roll up your sleeves for a hands-on cooking experience before sitting down to enjoy the dishes you’ve prepared together.
• Sukhothai: Join a Local Specialist after dark to look for fireflies in the hotel’s garden at Treasure Farm. During the summer months, sightings can be at their best, although viewing remains dependent on weather and natural conditions.
• Chiang Mai: Visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, one of northern Thailand’s most important temples. As you explore, you’ll see the wooden buildings, layered roofs and sacred structures that reflect the design and traditions of the Lanna Kingdom.
• Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep: Visit Wat Doi Suthep, which is one of Thailand’s most sacred temples and listen closely for the chanting of the monks.
• Wat Suan Dok: Meet a monk at Wat Suan Dok Temple and learn more about Buddhist traditions in Thailand. As you explore the temple grounds, you’ll also see the white chedis that hold the ashes of Chiang Mai’s former royal family.
• Chiang Mai: Visit San Kamphaeng District, long known for its connection to northern Thailand’s handicrafts. As you spend time here, you’ll find locally made souvenirs and traditional crafts that reflect the materials, techniques and skills still associated with the region.
• Angkor Wat: Join your Local Specialist and immerse yourself in the stories of the celestial nymphs and mystical serpents. 
• Angkor Wat: Discover the Banteay Srei Temple, also known as the “Citadel of Women” where you can admire delicate 10th-century carvings.
• Siem Reap: Dine on traditional Cambodian flavours during a performance of local Apsara dancers and musicians. Marvel at vibrant silk costumes and see the symbolic hand gestures of this historic art form. 
• Angkor Thom: Enjoy a visit to Angor Thom and admire the iconic sites of the Terrace of Elephants, the Royal Enclosure and the Temple of Bayon.
• Wat Damnak: Experience a private blessing with a Monk where a sacred thread is tied around your wrists to protect you against evil spirits.

• Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal
• 4-star stays
• Deluxe coach and train travel, and select flights

Visit Hellfire Pass and its memorial museum to learn how the Thai–Burma Railway was cut through difficult terrain during the Second World War. Explore the site while hearing about the Allied prisoners of war and Asian labourers who worked under brutal conditions.

The cutting and museum preserve testimony to the people who suffered and died during construction. This is a place for quiet reflection on wartime history, grounded in the landscape where that history unfolded.

Explore Sukhothai Historical Park by bicycle or tram, passing Buddha images, temple ruins, moats and old city walls. Moving through the open grounds lets you appreciate the layout and scale of Thailand’s early capital.

Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park preserves monuments from the Sukhothai Kingdom. Stone figures and temple remains stand among trees and ponds, creating a setting in which the city’s artistic and religious heritage remains visible.

Visit Wat Phra That Lampang Luang in Lampang, one of northern Thailand’s most significant temples. Explore its sacred grounds and observe the wooden buildings, layered roofs and decorative details characteristic of regional temple architecture.

The complex reflects the heritage of the former Lanna Kingdom, whose artistic traditions remain visible across northern Thailand. Its preserved structures offer a close look at the materials and forms that distinguish Lanna craftsmanship.

Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the revered hilltop temple overlooking Chiang Mai, to listen to evening monk chants. Experience the temple as an active place of worship, with the sound of chanting carrying through its sacred spaces.

Doi Suthep holds a special place in northern Thai Buddhist life. Hearing the chants adds a living spiritual dimension to the temple’s gilded architecture and its setting above the city.

Visit the Bridge over the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi and ride a section of the historic Death Railway. Look out across the river and surrounding countryside, with an opportunity to walk along a wooden viaduct.

The railway was built during the Second World War through the forced labour of Allied prisoners of war and Asian workers. Its surviving structures give the scenic route a stark human history, inviting reflection as well as observation.

Witness a morning alms offering to local monks in Sukhothai. Observe the quiet exchange as monks follow their early route, a practice that remains part of daily Buddhist life in Thailand.

The ceremony is an opportunity to encounter a living tradition rather than a historic display. Its measured pace and simple gestures offer space to consider the relationship between the monastic community and the people who support it.

Visit a local family in Sukhothai and make your own amulet in a hands-on introduction to Thai beliefs. Learn about the meanings these small objects can hold and the place they may have in everyday life.

The hosted activity provides a personal perspective alongside Sukhothai’s historic temples. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Trafalgar

Join a morning Tai Chi lesson in Bangkok’s Lumpini Park, practising gentle movements alongside residents who use this green space for exercise. Learn the basics while the city begins to stir beyond the trees.

The lesson offers an early-riser’s glimpse of everyday life in the Thai capital. Watch walkers and fellow exercisers gather around the park’s paths and lake, away from the traffic of Bangkok’s busiest streets.

Explore the Grand Palace complex, built as a royal residence for the kings of Siam, and visit Wat Phra Kaew, home to the revered Emerald Buddha. Look closely at the gilded details, guardian figures and richly decorated buildings within this ceremonial heart of Bangkok.

The palace remains closely associated with Thailand’s monarchy, while the temple houses one of the country’s most sacred Buddhist images. Together, they reveal the craftsmanship and spiritual traditions that have shaped the capital.

Ride a tuk tuk through Bangkok’s busy streets to Wat Pho, where you can see the immense Reclining Buddha beneath the temple’s ornate roof. Explore a complex of courtyards, chedis and halls that remains an active place of worship.

Wat Pho is also associated with traditional Thai medicine and learning, and is often described as the country’s first public university. Its religious art and educational heritage offer a perspective on the city beyond its royal monuments.

Visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where vendors sell fruit, vegetables and local goods from wooden boats along the canals. Take in the calls of traders, the movement of boats and the colours of produce piled beside the waterways.

The market reflects a trading tradition rooted in central Thailand’s canal network, which once connected communities and carried everyday supplies. It offers a vivid look at how waterways continue to shape the area’s commercial life.

Visit a coconut palm sugar plantation to see how sap is collected from the palms and cooked down into sugar. Observe the steps behind an ingredient used in Thai sweets and savoury cooking alike.

Palm sugar production has long supported local livelihoods in central Thailand. Seeing the process at its source connects the region’s agricultural landscape with the distinctive balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours found in Thai food.

Explore the ruins of UNESCO-listed Ayutthaya, visiting Wat Sri Sanphet, Wat Yai Chaimongkhol and Wat Mahathat, where a Buddha head rests among tree roots. Discover objects from the former Siamese capital at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and visit Bang Pa-In Royal Palace.

Temple remains and museum collections evoke the wealth and reach of a city that flourished for centuries. The royal palace adds another layer to the area’s history through its distinctive buildings and landscaped grounds.

Walk through the garden at Baan Suan Suda with your host, identifying herbs, fruit and vegetables used in Thai cooking. Take part in a hands-on cooking experience and sit down to enjoy the dishes you have prepared.

The visit connects ingredients growing close at hand with the flavours on the plate. Learning directly from a local host offers insight into home cooking traditions that a restaurant meal alone cannot provide.

Join a Local Specialist for an after-dark firefly walk in the hotel garden at Treasure Farm in Sukhothai. Look among the vegetation for brief points of light and learn about the conditions that allow fireflies to thrive.

This small-scale nature experience reveals a quieter side of the region beyond its ancient monuments. Sightings are subject to weather and natural conditions, although they can be particularly good during the summer months.

Join local hosts in Ban Thi for a northern Thai meal made with seasonal ingredients. Share the table with members of the community and hear about the customs and heritage of the Thai Lue people.

This Be My Guest experience centres on conversation as much as food. Regional dishes provide an introduction to local flavours, while your hosts’ stories offer a personal perspective on traditions still practised in this part of northern Thailand.

Explore Chiang Mai’s Sunday Night Market with your Travel Director if your visit coincides with the market. Browse stalls along the streets of the old city, where craftspeople and food vendors bring together handmade goods and local snacks.

The market gives the historic centre a lively evening atmosphere. Having your Travel Director alongside you adds a hosted introduction to the sights, sounds and tastes of this weekly Chiang Mai gathering.

Visit Elephant Nature Park Sanctuary near Chiang Mai to learn about rescued elephants and observe the herd in a no-riding environment. Spend time watching their behaviour and hearing about their care, with a vegan buffet lunch included.

The sanctuary places elephant welfare at the centre of the visit. Seeing these animals at close range while learning their stories offers a considered alternative to rides and performances, and supports work connected to the protection of life on land.

Visit Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai and meet a monk to learn about Buddhist traditions. Spend time in the temple grounds, where white chedis hold the ashes of members of Chiang Mai’s former royal family.

The conversation offers a chance to ask questions and hear about religious practice from someone who lives it. The temple’s royal memorials also connect the visit to the history of the Lanna capital.

Visit Chiang Mai’s San Kamphaeng handicraft district, long associated with northern Thai craft traditions. Browse locally made work and look for the materials, patterns and techniques that give the region’s products their character.

The visit offers more than a shopping stop: it highlights the skilled making behind objects produced in the area. Time among the crafts provides another perspective on the cultural heritage of Chiang Mai and its surrounding communities.

Explore Angkor Wat with a Local Specialist, crossing its broad causeway and walking among galleries carved with celestial figures and mythological scenes. Take in the scale of the towers, courtyards and stone corridors at the heart of Cambodia’s Angkor complex.

Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat began as a Hindu temple and became an important Buddhist site. Its intricate reliefs and monumental design reveal the ambition and artistry of the Khmer Empire.

Visit Banteay Srei, a 10th-century temple distinguished by warm-toned sandstone and exceptionally fine carvings. Examine the detailed figures and decorative panels across its compact walls and doorways.

Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the temple is often called the “Citadel of Women”. Its smaller scale invites close attention to the precision of the stonework, offering a striking contrast to the immense structures elsewhere in the Angkor complex.

Visit a village near Siem Reap to meet residents and learn a traditional skill such as palm leaf weaving. Spend time talking with the community and seeing how locally available materials become useful handmade objects.

This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience is designed to benefit villagers directly. A contribution helps support needs such as school uniforms and books for children or the upkeep of a home for elderly residents, linking the cultural exchange to community wellbeing.

Enjoy Cambodian cuisine and an Apsara dance performance in Siem Reap. Watch dancers in silk costumes use carefully shaped hand gestures to tell stories, accompanied by traditional music.

Apsara imagery appears throughout Angkor’s temple art, giving the performance a connection to the monuments visited on this tour. Sharing a meal while watching the dancers brings Cambodian flavours and performing heritage together in one hosted evening.

Explore Angkor Thom, the walled royal city of the Khmer Empire, including the Terrace of Elephants and the Royal Enclosure. At Bayon Temple, look up at the serene faces carved into its stone towers.

These ceremonial spaces speak to the power and religious vision of the kings who built Angkor. Moving between the broad terrace and Bayon’s closely clustered towers reveals both the city’s grand plan and its intricate stone artistry.

Walk through Ta Prohm, where tree roots grip walls and towers rise among the forest canopy. Explore courtyards, passageways and stone carvings partly embraced by the surrounding vegetation.

The temple’s relationship with the trees makes it one of Angkor’s most recognisable sites; its ruins also appeared in the film Tomb Raider. Look beyond that screen connection to the surviving details of a Khmer religious complex shaped by centuries of growth and weather.

Visit Artisans d’Angkor in Siem Reap to discover contemporary Khmer craftsmanship. See work associated with traditional skills such as silk making and wood carving, and appreciate the care behind handmade pieces.

The visit connects the artistic heritage visible at Angkor’s temples with crafts practised today. It also offers an opportunity to support skilled local makers and consider how techniques are passed on beyond the ancient monument sites.

Visit Wat Damnak in Siem Reap for a private blessing with a monk. Take part respectfully as a sacred thread is tied around your wrist, a gesture associated with protection and good fortune.

The experience offers personal contact with a living Cambodian Buddhist tradition. Within the temple setting, the quiet ritual provides a contrast to the scale of Angkor’s ancient monuments and a closer view of spiritual practice today.

Choose an Optional Experience at Jim Thompson House in Bangkok to explore the former home of the American entrepreneur closely associated with the revival of Thai silk. The house brings together traditional Thai architecture and a collection of Asian art.

Its timber buildings offer an intimate counterpoint to the capital’s grand temples. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose an evening dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River to see Bangkok from its historic waterway. Dine aboard as riverside temples and city lights frame the changing view.

The Chao Phraya has long connected communities, commerce and royal landmarks across the capital. This alternative evening experience offers a waterside perspective on that history. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose a tuk tuk ride through Bangkok after dark for a street-level view of the capital’s evening energy. Travel through illuminated streets and take in the sights and sounds of a city whose daily rhythm continues well into the night.

This optional outing offers a livelier alternative to the Chao Phraya dinner cruise. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose an excursion to Erawan Falls in Erawan National Park, near Kanchanaburi. Explore the setting of this seven-tier limestone waterfall, where water descends through forested surroundings.

The falls offer a nature-focused contrast to the region’s railway and wartime sites, with scenery shaped by flowing water and limestone. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Explore Sukhothai’s night market on an Optional Experience centred on regional food and local products. Browse the stalls, look for traditional noodles and discover the dishes residents choose for an evening out.

The market presents a lively, contemporary side of Sukhothai beyond its archaeological park. Its food stalls and handmade goods offer an informal encounter with local tastes and skills. The experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose an excursion to the Mae Rim area to visit a Hmong hilltribe village and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. Discover a different side of northern Thailand through a community visit and the garden’s plant collections.

The combination brings local cultural traditions and the region’s botanical diversity into focus beyond Chiang Mai’s city centre. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose a traditional Thai massage during your time in Chiang Mai. Experience a practice associated with assisted stretching and pressure applied along the body, offering a restorative break from sightseeing.

Traditional Thai massage draws on a longstanding approach to wellbeing and remains an important part of the country’s cultural life. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose a sunset boat cruise on Tonlé Sap Lake near Siem Reap. Watch the light change across Cambodia’s great freshwater lake and take in the expansive waterside landscape from the boat.

Tonlé Sap’s seasonal rise and fall shapes the environment and livelihoods of communities around its shores. The cruise offers a scenic perspective beyond Angkor’s temples. This Optional Experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.