Visit the modern capital, the ancient capital and the jungle in this exciting eight-day tour of Thailand. Bangkok, the city that never stops (except in traffic), is a mix of old and new and is a wonder to behold. We offer a glimpse of the still traditional ways of this amazing capital.
After the noise and excitement of Bangkok, head to the dock where you’ll board a beautiful wooden boat for a peaceful overnight sail to Ayuthaya, the ancient Thai capital. See the many ruins and enjoy this peaceful glimpse into the past.
Your last visit is to Kanchanaburi, the rural province west of Bangkok that boasts jungle, elephants and the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. Take this tour and see a new age capital, an ancient city and top it all off with an adventure!
Day 1 Bangkok: Arrival
Arrive on your flight in Bangkok where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.
Meals Included: None
Overnight at Riva Surya Hotel – Deluxe Riva Room
Day 2 Bangkok: Public Transport Tour by River
You will be met by your guide at your hotel at 9:00am before joining a river express boat along the river to the flower market. Enjoy the sights and smells before taking a lively tuk-tuk ride to Wat Pho to see the famous Reclining Buddha. Follow this with a relaxing 30 minute traditional Thai massage before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant. After your delicious meal, head to the pride of Thailand – the Grand Palace, also visiting Wat Phra Kaew, which houses the famous Emerald Buddha. Take a stroll down the street to a local Buddhist amulet market before boarding a river express boat back to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Riva Surya Hotel – Deluxe Riva Room
Day 3 Bangkok: Ayutthaya – A Day in the Past
Your guide will meet you in the morning in the lobby of your hotel. Climb into a private air-conditioned vehicle for the two hour drive to the former capital of Thailand – Ayutthaya. Stop along the way to visit the Summer Palace and learn about the former glory of Ayutthaya before it was attacked and razed by the Burmese Army in 1767. Continue on to the historical city center to explore the stunning temples, monuments and ruins, all of which are of great historical and religious importance to the Thais. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, head to the Royal Folk Arts Center at Bang Sai where, by the Queen’s Royal mandate, traditional Thai crafting techniques are taught to local farmers to preserve their heritage and promote alternative, sustainable incomes. Return to your hotel in the evening.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Riva Surya Hotel – Deluxe Riva Room
Day 4 Bangkok: Bangkok’s Culinary Delights and Muay Thai Match
Meet your guide in the hotel lobby around 8am to go and join the hustle and bustle of Bangkok’s morning streets. You will travel by public transport to a local market where you can see numerous food stalls set up selling fresh produce and the Thai’s answer to ‘fast food’. Make sure you sample a local tea and some of the more renowned dishes as you wander around the maze of the market. You will then travel by local transport to the famous Aor Tor Kor Market. This high standard market created by the Marketing Organization for Farmers has become very popular due to its fresh produce and seafood at reasonable prices. Many locals make the journey just to eat at the food court, known for selling famous dishes from all around the country. After enjoying a filling lunch at the market, head back to your hotel for a free afternoon.
This evening, you will be picked up from the hotel by car and taken to the stadium. There you will experience the extreme excitement of “The Art of Eight Limbs” – the Thai boxing competition which Thai people call “Muay Thai”. Muay Thai is also known as the “The Art of Eight Limbs”, because hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used as weapons. A practitioner of Muay Thai (“nak muay”) thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight “points of contact,” as opposed to “two points” (fists) in Western boxing and “four points” (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts. Enjoy the various matches as well as the excitement of the locals cheering and betting on the match. When the fights are finished you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Riva Surya Hotel – Deluxe Riva Room
Day 5 Bangkok to Kanchanaburi: Bridge over the River Kwai
You will be met at your hotel at 07:00 and taken by minibus to Kanchanaburi. Enjoy the views along the way before arriving in the late morning at the famous bridge over the River Kwai. Take a look at the Death Railway Museum and Donrak POW Cemetery and learn more about the importance of the Thai-Burmese Railway, commonly referred to as the “Death Railway” during the Second World War, before continuing on to the infamous bridge over the River Kwai. You can walk across the bridge and take some time to soak up the atmosphere and watch the river go by before taking the original “death railway” train to Krasae station, stopping for lunch at a local restaurant. From here you will board a boat headed up river to The Float House, witnessing some stunning views along the way. Enjoy a relaxing dinner at the Float House.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at The Float House River Kwai
Day 6 Kanchanaburi: Bamboo Rafting and Hellfire Pass
After breakfast, take a lazy bamboo raft trip down the river where you may come upon water buffalo or elephants bathing along the banks. You will then be met by an air-conditioned van and transferred to the Hellfire Pass Memorial. Look through the powerful displays at your own pace before hiking down to the Konyu Cutting – the infamous Hellfire Pass. The time is yours to trek as far as you choose along the trail through incredible scenery, passing through cut-away stone passes and over trestle bridges built by POWs and forced labor during the Second World War. Afterwards stop for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing back to The Float House. This afternoon, you are free to relax with a book or enjoy a traditional Mon (Thai) massage right on the river. In the evening, enjoy dinner before watching a Traditional Mon Dance performance.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight at The Float House River Kwai
Day 7 Kanchanaburi to Bangkok
Say goodbye to the Jungle Rafts and head back to Kanchanaburi to visit Wat Tham Khao Pun, a cave temple that was used by the Japanese soldiers to store weapons and equipment during WWII later enjoy lunch at a restaurant of your choice. After lunch visit the JEATH Museum, a moving site dedicated to the trauma and hardships that Allied POWs suffered. In the afternoon, you will be transfered to Bangkok in a private air-conditioned van.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight at Riva Surya Hotel – Deluxe Riva Room
Day 8 Bangkok: Departure
Your driver will meet you at your hotel for your private transfer to the airport, where you will arrive in time for your onward flight.
Meals included: Breakfast
Tour Rate: $ 2,445.00 per person based on 2 people traveling (double occupancy) with a $ 1,780.00 single supplement
Price includes:
- Boat tickets as specified above
- Accommodation as specified above
- Air-conditioned car/van with driver
- Licensed English speaking guides
- Tours and admission fees as mentioned above
- Meals as specified in itinerary, including water
Price excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Visa fees
- Airport tax
- Drinks (except water) and meals not mentioned in itinerary
- Tips
