The Essence of Thailand
Travel to Thailand – 9 Days
This itinerary has been designed to harmoniously blend the main highlights of Northern Thailand with the best of its natural, cultural, and spiritual diversity. The journey follows a tranquil and relaxed rhythm, combining comfort with the opportunity to take part in meaningful activities in contact with local communities, spirituality, and nature.
The program starts in Bangkok, offering an introduction to Thailand’s fascinating capital — a vibrant mix of ancient temples, lively markets, and hidden cultural treasures. You will experience the city’s spiritual side through meditation and encounters with Buddhist monks, and explore traditional crafts that have been passed down for generations.
The journey continues with an immersion into local life and history: from floating markets and river journeys to ancient capitals and royal palaces. A scenic train ride along a historic railway will reveal one of the most remarkable landscapes in the country.
The second part of the trip takes you north, towards Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, where spirituality and nature coexist in perfect balance. Here, you will discover sacred temples, lush landscapes, and a sanctuary dedicated to the protection of rescued animals — an experience that deeply connects you with the values of respect and compassion.
For those who wish to extend their stay, a seaside extension can be added: from October to March in Krabi or Phuket, and from April to September in Koh Samui, both easily reachable with direct flights from Chiang Mai.
JOURNEY OVERVIEW AND PROGRAM DETAILS
DAY 1: ARRIVAL BANGKOK
Bangkok
Arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport by morning flight (suggested arrival not later than 08:00 am). Meet with guide and transfer to the hotel. Check-in at the hotel. Later in the morning, you will be collected by your guide to visit the old town. Walk through the morning market, where you can see the liveliness of the people and vendors. Enjoy breakfast at the market. Visit an ancient temple built during the reign of King Rama I and take part in a short meditation session, followed by an introduction to the Buddhist way of life through a conversation with monks. Continue walking along Buddha Street and explore small artisan shops. After lunch, visit a traditional community preserving the handmade production of monk bowls. End the day with a panoramic view of Bangkok from the Golden Mount Temple before returning to the hotel.
Overnight in Bangkok.
DAY 2: VISIT BANGKOK
Bangkok
American breakfast at the hotel. Departure to visit Wat Traimit, famous for its golden Buddha image. Cross Chinatown to reach the Royal Palace, built in 1782, with its glittering golden roofs. This visit will reveal the elegance of Thai architecture, the importance of Buddhism, and the deep respect of Thai people for their monarchy. Visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Wat Po, home to the Reclining Buddha and a renowned school of traditional massage. In the late afternoon, experience a traditional Thai massage performed by visually impaired therapists — an inclusive social initiative that promotes awareness and sensitivity through touch.
Overnight in Bangkok. (B)
DAY 3: VISIT DAMNERNSADUAK
Bangkok – Damnern Saduak – Kanchanaburi
American breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Damnernsaduak, Thailand’s most colorful and lively floating market. Watch locals selling fruits, vegetables, and handmade goods from their wooden boats. Continue to visit a riverside cave temple housing ancient Buddha images. At 13:30, board a local train and enjoy a scenic ride along the historic “Death Railway”, with spectacular views over the river and the tropical forest. Arrive at the bridge built during wartime and enjoy some free time to explore. Lunch in a local restaurant, then transfer to a riverside hotel with natural thermal pools for relaxation.
Overnight in Kanchanaburi. (B, L)
DAY 4: CRUISE TO AYUTTHAYA
Kanchanaburi – Ayuthaya – Bangkok
American breakfast at the hotel. Check-out and early departure for the former royal summer residence. Enjoy a traditional Thai lunch served on board a rice barge while cruising along the majestic Chao Phraya River. After lunch, explore the ancient capital of the Siamese kingdom, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its temples, pagodas, and royal ruins. Late afternoon transfer back to Bangkok and hotel check-in.
Overnight in Bangkok. (B, L)
DAY 5: FLIGHT TO CHIANG RAI
Chiang Rai
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Chiang Rai. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and check in. Later, meet a local cultural expert to learn about traditional northern beliefs and Buddhist merit-making practices. Visit an ancient temple overlooking the river and have lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit a tea plantation surrounded by rolling green hills, where you will discover the art of tea cultivation and taste locally grown varieties.
Overnight in Chiang Rai. (B, L)
DAY 6: MEKONG RIVER CRUISE AND TRANSFER TO CHIANG MAI
Chiang Rai-Ching Mai
Breakfast at the hotel. Early departure for a scenic boat trip along the great Mekong River, where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos meet. Visit a small cultural museum and have lunch at a local restaurant. Continue the journey to Chiang Rai’s most iconic temple, a modern architectural masterpiece created by a famous Thai artist. Proceed by road to Chiang Mai through the mountain route of Doi Saket. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Khantoke dinner accompanied by northern Thai music and dance.
Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B, D)
DAY 7: VISIT CHIANG MAI
Chiang mai
Breakfast at the hotel. Start your day with a visit to the city’s main temples, including the famous “Lion Buddha” temple, a masterpiece of Lanna architecture. Continue to the ancient temple built in the 14th century and then head to the mountain of Doi Suthep, where a golden pagoda stands overlooking Chiang Mai and its valley. Enjoy the panoramic view before returning to the city.
Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B)
DAY 8: ANIMAL PROTECTION CENTER EXPERIENCE
Chiang Mai
After breakfast, depart for a full-day visit to a wildlife protection and rehabilitation center that provides shelter to elephants and other rescued animals. Learn about their stories, observe them in a natural environment, and discover how local communities support conservation and animal welfare. Return to Chiang Mai in the evening, with time to visit a colorful local market if desired.
Overnight in Chiang Mai. (B, L)
DAY 9: DEPARTURE OR BEACH EXTENSION
Chiang mai – Bangkok
Breakfast and check-out from the hotel. Transfer to Chiang Mai airport for your flight to Bangkok or for your onward journey. It is also possible to extend your stay with a seaside extension: from October to March in Krabi or Phuket, or from April to September in Koh Samui, all connected by direct flights from Chiang Mai.
End of services. (B)
ACTIVITIES
- Visit a traditional craft community preserving ancient manual techniques.
- Join a meditation and dialogue session with Buddhist monks.
- Explore Bangkok’s main historical temples and spiritual landmarks.
- Experience a traditional Thai massage that supports a local social inclusion project.
- Discover a floating market and enjoy a scenic train ride along a historic route.
- Cruise along a royal river while observing local rural life and ancient temples.
- Take a boat excursion to the northern border region where three countries meet.
- Visit sacred temples and discover the spiritual and artistic culture of Northern Thailand.
- Spend a day at an animal protection and rehabilitation center supporting wildlife conservation.
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This itinerary has been designed to promote direct and indirect benefits for local communities, environmental protection, and cultural heritage preservation. Whenever possible, accommodations and services have been selected based on their social and environmental responsibility, following the principles of responsible tourism.
Throughout the journey, you will have opportunities to meet artisans and local communities who continue to preserve traditional crafts and customs. In Bangkok, you will experience a sensory activity that creates job opportunities for people with visual disabilities, encouraging awareness and inclusion.
In Northern Thailand, the visit to an animal protection center allows you to contribute to regional conservation projects and to support ethical wildlife initiatives that protect rescued animals and their natural habitats.
TIPS BEFORE DEPARTURE
A conscious approach to travel requires a considerable capacity and willingness to adapt and adjust to the local environment and culture. If you wish to travel with us we request you to be open enough to experience local culture, religious and traditions without bias and pre-conceived ideas you might have before the departure and which belong to our Western cultural way of thinking. Exploring with fresh eyes, with patience and openness, you will be able to access the real essence of South Asian cultural heritages, through the places and people you are going to meet; if you are ready to do this effort you will really enjoy the beauty of a completely different cultural tradition, the extraordinary of the nature, the solemnity of Buddhist temples, the holiness of the waters of countless rivers and oceans that flow through this magic land…
While travelling in Thailand, despite being famous tourist destinations, it is advised that you following carefully a code conduct which respects local culture to avoid any hassles or unwanted troubles along your journey. In particular, avoid to show affection in public places, such as hugging, kissing etc., as this behaviour is not appreciated by local people. Thailand is a wonderful place full of wonderful people. For this reason we would like to enlighten you about a few cultural points that will make your stay here more enjoyable and comfortable for both travelers and locals:
- Instead of shaking hands or kissing in Thailand to say hello, place your hands in the prayer like position and pull them towards your chest, bowing your head slightly. This is called a ‘wai’.
- Do not touch Thai people on the head as it is a sign of disrespect.
- Do not sit with your feet stretched out pointing at someone, or any Buddha images as it is also very rude and disrespectful.
- Remove shoes when entering temples or Thai houses
- Please respect the Royal Family and do not make negative comments about them.
- Smiling and attempting to speak Thai will really impress people. They call us ‘farang’ which just means foreigner and is not disrespectful in any way.
Buddhist monks are a common sight all over Thailand and are easily recognized with their orange robes and shaved heads. It is strictly forbidden for male monks to have direct physical contact with women, this includes handing them something. It is acceptable for women to offer a gift by placing it on the ground in front of a monk and backing away, or by giving it to a man to offer for the woman. Men can come in direct contact with monks. Please treat monks with the utmost respect, to speak to them respectfully and ‘wai’ when greeting, saying goodbye and thank you.
You are advised to follow a certain dress code. There are basically two reasons why it is recommended to be careful about what clothes you wear while traveling to the area. The first reason is to prevent you from hurting the sentiments of the local people and second, to protect you from the varied weather conditions prevailing in seasons. One more thing to keep in mind is mosquitoes…it is advised to keep your arms and legs covered because it provides protection (however, don’t forget to bring with you mosquito nets and repellents, especially for river cruises). Thailand’s time zone is GMT/UTC +7, so chances of jet lag cannot be ignored. It is advised that you get onto this time zone as soon as you leave home and try to eat and sleep according local time. Also, if you reach Thailand early in the day, try to stay awake – this will help the body’s internal clock to reset.
If you are staying less than 30 days, you will not need a visa to Thailand in advance. You can have your passport stamped when you arrive. It is free and you don’t need to bring extra passport photos. However, this is only valid for 30 days and you must show your return ticket upon arrival to show that you plan to leave.
Ko Tao
Koh Lipe
HOTELS
We selected beautiful and traditional heritages resorts with all the facilities throughout the tour. When possible, resorts have been selected carefully according to criteria of social and environmental impacts.
TRANSPORT
A river cruise in Ayutthaya, in an elegantly restored crafted rice barge including an lunch on board. For all over the tour private vehicles o mini-buses with AC will be used according to the number of participants. Internal flights and boat transfers from Bangkok to the islands of Koh Liper or Koh Tao are included.
THAILAND WHEN TO GO
Although the climate varies throughout Thailand, you can visit all year round. The best time to travel is during the cool and dry season between November and early April. The climate of most of Thailand is governed by three seasons: rainy (roughly May–Oct), caused by the southwest monsoon dumping moisture gathered from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand; cool (Nov–Feb); and hot (March–May).
The best time to visit koh lipe is from october to march, while for koh tao the best time is from april to September.