Believe it or not, our beautiful journey through Thailand wasn’t some grand plan we had all mapped out. It all started with a coin toss (yes, you read that right). So here’s the deal: picture Dwyane and me standing there, totally stuck between two epic places on our bucket list – Thailand and China. We were at this crossroads, torn between the dazzling allure of Thailand’s paradise-like beaches and China’s vibrant tapestry of ancient traditions. Seriously, talk about a travel dilemma!
After much back-and-forth, way too many pro-con lists, and a healthy dose of “eeny-meeny-miny-moe,” or, since I am Italian, “Ambarabai ciccì coccò” for me :), we decided to leave the choice up to fate. We flipped that coin, held our breaths, and boom – Thailand it was! I put together the Thailand itinerary (Dwayne loves to explore with the naked eye and focus on the flight booking process), and just like that, we were diving headfirst into the land of smiles, ready to soak up every bit of adventure it had in store.
Below you will find our Thailand itinerary. A 13-day trip ( including 2 full travel days from and back to NYC, where we live. This left us with 11 days to explore the country. We decide to visit Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Phuket to get a little taste of the country from North to South. We travel during mid-March, which allows us to experience pretty good weather in all our destinations.
13-DAY THAILAND ITINERARY:
Thailand – A 13-Day Itinerary:
1st DAY – Travel Day from USA to Thailand
2nd DAY – Bangkok + surrounding areas:
• Maeklong Railway Market aka the Dangerous Market
• Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
• Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple
• Wat Pho – Temple of Reclining Buddha
• Kao San Night Market
3rd DAY – Bangkok:
• Chinatown
• Wat Traimit – Temple of the Golden Buddha
• Wat Saket Golden Mount aka the Golden Mount or Phu Khao Thong
• Wat Arun
• CentralWold Shopping Center
4th DAY – Travel Day to Chiang Mai:
• First part of the temple tour
• Saturday Night Walking Street Market aka Wui Lai Market
5th DAY – Chiang Mai:
• Second part of the temple tour
• Sunday Night Walking Street Market
6th DAY – Chiang Rai:
• Hot Springs
• Wat Rong Khun aka the White Temple
• One of the long-necked tribes in the area
7th DAY – Travel Day to Patong, Phuket
8th DAY – Rawai, Phuket
9th DAY – Phuket Town:
• Big Buddha
• Phuket’s View Point
• Wat Khao Rang
• Phuket Town
10th DAY – Phuket – Island Tour
11th DAY – Travel Day to Bangkok:
• BK Center
12th DAY – Bangkok + surrounding areas:
• Ayutthaya
• Asiatique – The Riverfront
13th DAY – Travel Day to New York
*If you are in Bangkok on Saturday or Sunday we recommend checking out Chatuchack Weekend Market.
The Land of Smiles is a variegate country that would require at least one month to be explored from North to South. Unfortunately, we don’t all have the time to travel that long. If you only have a limited number of days, this Thailand itinerary can offer some pointers for organizing your trip.
NOTE: We managed to pack in a lot in our short time frame. This itinerary is more aligned with people who consider themselves explorers. If you have more days, you can spread out these activities or skip some of them to go at a slower pace.
1st DAY - Travel Day from New York to Bangkok
It took us about 24 hours to get to Thailand with a connecting flight in Hong Kong. After a 16-hour flight from New York to Hong Kong, it was actually nice to have a 2-hour layover at Hong Kong International Airport, which is on the list of the best airports in the world! Among the many restaurants and stores, it even includes an Aviation Discovery Center, GreenLive Air – a golf simulator, and even an IMAX Movie Theatre).
We took a break at Plaza Premium Lounge, the best airport lounge that we have ever visited. They offer freshly cooked Chinese food and also some continental choices. Free Wi-Fi and showers are among some of the super useful amenities. If you are not flying in business/first class or you don’t have access through a specific program such as Priority Pass, or Amex Platinum (to name a few), it is kind of expensive, but if you have a long layover, it can be worth it.
When we arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, we went through immigration pretty fast. There were no long lines, and since we didn’t need a VISA, they only stamped our passports. Click here to find a list of the countries allowed to enter Thailand under the VISA EXEMPTION RULE. Other countries may require a different process in order o apply for a tourist VISA.
Once we picked up our bags, we went straight to the cell phone carrier stores located next to the airport exit to get two local SIM Cards for our unlocked cell phones.
2nd DAY - Bangkok and Surrounding Areas
We stayed at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort (check out Dwayne’s review here) for our first part of the trip. We hired a taxi driver for the entire day through our hotel concierge. The cost was approximately 2500 – 3000 Baht (about $80).
PS: If you would like to get our taxi driver’s contact info just let us know and we will put you in contact with him directly. We don’t get any commission from it, we just like to refer him because he’s a great person and we had a fantastic experience with him.
We visited:
• Maeklong Railway Market, aka the Dangerous Market
This market is about one hour away from Bangkok in the Samut Songkhram Province, and it’s a must-see. It is one of Thailand’s largest fresh seafood markets and is positioned right next to the train tracks. The train passes through the market about 6 times per day, and it is definitely worth being there when that happens—such a unique experience. There is a way to get to the market using public transportation, and you will be able to find information online, but if you are trying to save some time, hiring a driver for the day is the best option to see several places during one day.
• Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Regardless of this floating market being a tourist trap, it still maintains its charm. We rented a private motor boat for 2000 baht (about $50). It is more expensive than the paddle boat but more stable. The tour lasted a little over an hour, but it also depends on how many times you stop and for how long. You can get off to shop, eat and take pictures, visit the Coconut Sugar Farm or one of the many small temples on the way. We only stopped once at a gorgeous small temple. Expect a lot of boat traffic in the main canals – that’s an experience in itself and an excellent opportunity to take pictures.
• Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple.
After an authentic Thai lunch with our driver (another good reason to hire a driver for the day), we returned to Bangkok to start our exploration. The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple are another must-see when visiting Thailand. Beautiful but extremely chaotic, even in shoulder season. Our driver took us to the main entrance, and once inside, we purchased tickets.
The dress code is very strict here. You need to make sure your shoulders, knees, and feet are not exposed. Open-toe shoes/sandals are prohibited. If you are wearing a sleeveless shirt, remember to carry a light jacket. If you are wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts/skirts, a sarong is required to wear to cover this up. If you don’t follow these rules before you arrive at the temple, you will be escorted to the souvenir shop to purchase clothing that will assist in covering these exposed extremities.
The entrance fee is 500 baht per person (about $14). It is open daily 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM.
• Wat Pho – Temple of Reclining Buddha
Was Pho is a 10-minute walk from the Grand Palace, and it is the location of the iconic Reclining Buddha. It was the first public university in Thailand to specialize in religion, science, and literature. It is now more well-known as a center for traditional massage and medicine.
The entrance fee is 200 baht (about $5), and it is open daily 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – until 6:00 PM for massages.
• Kao San Night Market
After a break at the hotel swimming pool, we headed to the Kao San Night Market for dinner. We asked the hotel to call us a cab so we didn’t have to try convincing the taxi driver to use his meter. Since we had data on our phone, we inputted our destination on Google Maps to make sure the taxi driver wasn’t trying to take us on a longer route to make some extra cash. We only paid a few dollars for a decent long ride (when they use their meter, taxis are really cheap in Bangkok!). Kao San Night Market introduces you to the “crazy” and chaotic side of Bangkok with its loud bars and restaurants and its open-air massage stores where you can get a foot and/or back massage for a couple of dollars (they are good and a local experience not to miss but don’t expect licensed masseurs or a super clean experience).
We had dinner at one of the many street restaurants for only a few dollars. Dinner was good, but do yourself a favor and don’t do what I did… refrain from looking at their “kitchen” (Probiotic check… start now!) Jokes aside, ensure you are up to date with the recommended vaccinations and have been taking probiotics beginning at least a week before your trip. Street food in Thailand is part of the authentic cultural experience, and it tastes AMAZING! Pop your probiotics, and you will be good, trust us!
After dinner, we took a break to get a foot massage and soak our feet in a tank full of fish that ate dead skin off of them. Hey, don’t judge. It was fun! Weird but fun! 🙂 By the way, it does work, our feet were very soft afterward, and we didn’t pay more than $3-4 for 15 minutes.
Kao San Night Market is not a “local” destination (mainly tourists go there), but it’s a cool place to visit at night for dinner or a drink.
3rd DAY - Bangkok
We boarded the river ferry – the Chao Phraya Express Boat (specifically the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat) to China Town (getting off at Rajchawong Pier), where we started getting lost in the streets, which at first introduction appeared chaotic. Chaos turned into culture, and seeing the culture of this neighborhood revealed its beauty.
This neighborhood might make you feel a little overwhelmed. Ok, take out “a little” :). The sidewalks are crowded and full of street vendors. Most stores are not worth a visit -they sell cheap products (bracelets, house items, etc.) But it gets more interesting when you start getting closer to Wat Traimit. You will begin noticing alleys with local restaurants and food stores with peculiar products you won’t recognize. That was our favorite part: exploring the unknown and taking a chance at discovering something new! If you are short on time, you can bypass the walk through Chinatown, but it can be worth the experience while walking to Wat Traimit with one or two hours to spare.
• Wat Traimit – Temple of the Golden Buddha
It is located at the end of Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road, and it houses the world’s largest massive gold seated Buddha measuring nearly five meters in height and weighing five and a half tons. If you only want to see the Buddha statue, the entrance fee is 40 baht (about $1). On the 2nd floor, there is an exhibition showing how the statue was made, discovered, and arrived at its current home.
The admission fee for the exhibition is 100 baht (about $3). When you get the ticket, you can choose to visit only the Buddha or the exhibition as well. Both are open daily 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
• Wat Saket Golden Mount, aka the Golden Mount or Phu Khao Thong
After visiting Wat Traimit, we took a taxi to Wat Saket. This is one of those situations in which it will be difficult to find a taxi that will use a meter, so you will have to bargain – good luck! The two places are 15 minutes away from each other by car (4-5 Km – about 3 miles), so the right price is approximately 65-70 baht (about $2). If you are able to get it for 100 baht, you can be happy.
The admission fee is 50 baht (about $1.40). It is open daily 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM.
• Wat Arun
We didn’t actually go to Wat Arun because we had a little problem, but if you are trying to maximize your time, you can definitely go after visiting Wat Saket.
NOTE: When leaving Wat Arun, make sure to exit from where you entered. The side exit makes finding a taxi very challenging!
By making the mistake of leaving from the side exit, we had to walk a lot and wait to find a taxi. Bargaining was pretty painful because they knew we didn’t have many options. In the end, we were able to find one that took us back to Rajchawong Pier for 100 baht (about $3). From there, you can jump back on the boat and go to Wat Arun. Don’t miss it. It’s beautiful!
The entry fee is 100 baht (about $3). It is open daily 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM.
At night, we walked a bit in the modern Siam Square and went to CentralWold Shopping Center. With its 500 shops and 100 restaurants, it is one of Southeast Asia’s largest shopping centers. I know it might sound crazy, but I ate one of the best mango and sticky rice of my entire life here!
It is open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
4th DAY - Chiang Mai
We flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with AirAsia (we purchased a package flight + hotel with Expedia, which was way more convenient than booking them separately). The flight is an hour. At the airport, we took a taxi – there is a desk at the exit where you reserve your taxi and wait in line. It’s straightforward, and they use the meter – something you won’t find in the city.
We stayed at Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa. When we arrived, we realized it wasn’t in the main area, so we had to rely on their shuttle service and taxis/tuk-tuks. We left our bags and took the hotel shuttle, which dropped us at one of the city’s local markets that, in all honestly, you can skip :). After that, we found our way to the main area and started our walking tour of the many small temples around Chiang Mai. You can walk around the entire temple area in the city since it’s not big.
At night we stopped by the popular Saturday Night Walking Street Market, aka Wui Lai Market, which is in the same area. The food here is amazing, and you can find some nice stuff to buy as well. Do yourself a favor, though; make sure you are taking your probiotics ;).
I also had a painful but good full-body massage with a lady that was half my size but ten times stronger than me. It wasn’t relaxing but definitely effective for my sore body and, of course, extremely cheap as all the street massages in Thailand.
NOTE: You will find many people giving massages in the streets. They are incredibly cheap (we are talking about a few dollars) and overall good. Please remember that those people are not licensed and don’t operate in a clean environment. I personally enjoyed it, and I think it’s part of the Thai experience, but if you do it, it’s at your own risk, and you should avoid it if you have any medical condition.
5th DAY - Chiang Mai
I know it’s hard to believe 🙂 but we actually took the morning off and enjoyed the hotel swimming pool. Well rested in the afternoon, we finished our walking tour of the numerous small temples in Chiang Mai to end the evening at the Sunday Night Walking Street Market, where we indulged in some street food and a foot/back massage.
6th DAY - Chiang Rai
The hotel helped us to book a tour of Chiang Rai. We paid 2,500 baht for the entire day (lunch wasn’t included). It’s approximately a 2-and-a-half-hour trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. We visited the Hot Spring, Wat Rong Khun, aka the White Temple, and one of the Long-neck tribes in the area. If you can, avoid eating at the restaurants around the White Temple! The one we went to was horrible (hair in my soup bad) – unfortunately, our driver wasn’t willing to go the extra mile to take us to a better local place, so we had no choice.
The Hot Spring is a nice pit stop before the White Temple, but it’s not worth more than 15 minutes. There is no entry fee. And if you have 20 minutes or 30 minutes, you can soak your feet in the springs or even boil some eggs (Yes, there are local street vendors who boil and sell eggs in the springs).
Overall the tour was very nice and the perfect option for us since we didn’t have much time. The White Temple is definitely what makes the visit worth it. It’s breathtaking! The temple is closed from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, and that’s the perfect time to take pictures without people in front of it!
The encounter with the Long-neck tribe was interesting, but it felt very artificial, and it made us a little uncomfortable because we almost felt like those people were put there for people to look at as if they were in a zoo.
We got back to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon, and for our last night, we decided to check out Deck 1, one of the restaurants on the river.
7th DAY - Patong, Phuket
This was mainly a travel day for us because we flew back to Bangkok, and from there, we took another flight to Phuket with AirAsia. Even in this case, we purchased a package with flight + hotel and saved money. Both flights were about 1 hour, but we had a three-hour layover at the airport. We used that time to have lunch at one of the Thai restaurants there, which was surprisingly good (I know it sounds crazy, but I had one of the best mango and sticky rice there!)
When we arrived at Phuket airport, we picked up the car we had rented online through AVIS. It took us about an hour to get it, and we hit rush hour driving from the airport. Along with a few driving mishaps, we finally made it to Avista Hideaway Resort & Spa.
In Thailand, you can drive with an international driving license. However, if you are not used to left-hand traffic, it will be challenging (at least at the beginning). We arrived at the hotel pretty late, and after checking, we ventured out to find something to eat. The hotel is about 10 minutes by car from the craziness of Patong. Close enough if you want to go there but far enough if, like us, you hate extremely touristy and chaotic places.
While walking on one of the main streets, we realized that most restaurants were primarily American-based, catering to mass tourism. Very disappointing for us! Fortunately, we started looking on Tripadvisor and found a great local Thai restaurant called Sea Hag. It’s hidden in one of the side streets, and it was perfect—a simple, clean restaurant with very good Thai food, low prices, and lovely people. We highly recommend it!
8th DAY - Rawai, Phuket
After breakfast at the hotel, we drove for about 40 minutes to Rawai Beach. This beach is a beautiful beach with free entrance and parking – we only paid 200 baht (about $6) for an umbrella and two thin mats) but it’s up to you if you want to rent them. The people renting the beach equipment – probably in an “unofficial” way also sell cold drinks.
There are a few restaurants in the area close to the parking, but we decided to use Tripadvisor to find a less touristy spot. On our way back, about 15 minutes from the beach, we found an excellent Thai restaurant called Thai Lagoon Restaurant. Dwayne got a green curry, and I had a fantastic grilled fish. The food was so tasty, and the prices were cheap.
In the afternoon, we decided to take a break at one of the hotel swimming pools and then have dinner at Sizzle, one of the hotel restaurants that is also #2 on TripAdvisor for Patong. You don’t need to stay at Avista Hideaway Resort & Spa to eat at this spot. The view is breathtaking from here, so we suggest going at sunset for dinner or a drink. Prices are not on the cheap side, but, considering the type of the restaurant and the location, they are not crazy expensive by Western standards (we paid about $80 for both of us with two main meat dishes, one non-alcoholic cocktail, and water). The food was good and well presented, portions…oh well, you are in a “sophisticated” restaurant, so don’t expect big plates.
9th DAY - Phuket Town
We decided to drive to the Big Buddha, and we loved it! It’s 100% worth a visit. There is no entry fee, and it is open from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm. If you are coming by car, there is a large parking, and it is free as well. For lunch, we stopped by a local restaurant a couple of minutes from the Big Buddha called Suan Nakka Rach Restaurant. This outdoor restaurant has a gorgeous view, and the Thai food is good and not expensive. The service is great, and overall we had a great experience.
After our pit stop, we went to check out Phuket’s viewpoint. It’s not breathtaking, but it’s nice – I recommend going if it’s not cloudy. There are a lot of monkeys walking around in the area, but don’t try to feed them because they might get aggressive. I admit I wasn’t particularly excited about View Point, but I’m glad we went because, on our way back, we discovered a hidden gem – at least for us who hadn’t noticed it on our guide – a beautiful small temple called Wat Khao Rang. Do yourself a favor and stop by this gorgeous, non-touristy, and peaceful temple! You’ll thank us!
There is no entry fee. It is open daily, 8:00 am – late afternoon.
Finally, we went to visit Phuket Town, which, to be honest with you, was pretty disappointing. We parked our car and walked on the main street, but there wasn’t anything to see or buy in the stores, and everything was pretty dead.
AT NIGHT
We went to Patong’s downtown and had dinner at one of the many Thai restaurants there. The food was alright, and the prices were pretty low, but the place was nothing special. Sea Hag restaurant was a better option to escape the highly touristy restaurants in Patong. Next time we return to Phuket, we will choose another area to stay. Patong is way too touristy for us! Oh well… you live, you learn.
10th DAY - Phuket - Island Tour
Since it was our last day in Phuket, we decided to do an island tour to get the chance to see as much as possible with our limited hours. We booked a cruise boat (“big boat”) tour that took us to Ao Ling (Monkey Bay), Hin Klang, Koh Mai Pai (Bamboo Island), Phi Phi Leh, visiting Maya Bay before arriving at Koh Phi Phi Don. We had three different stops to snorkel and about 30 minutes to visit Phi Phi Island (there is a national park fee of 400 baht (about $11 per person).
Overall we didn’t love the experience, it was too touristy for us, and we realized we would have preferred a private tour with a long tail-boat but that all depends on your personal preferences and also the sea conditions – regardless of the weather, sometimes the currents can be very strong which make the long-tail boat tours difficult.
ISLAND TOUR TICKETS
We purchased the tickets for the tour directly at the pier, and that was the cheapest option compared to the packages offered at the hotel. We paid 1,500 baht per person (about $40). The package included snorkeling gear, coffee/tea and cookies for breakfast, and a buffet-style lunch on the boat, nothing special but enough to keep you full.
We suggest being at the pier at least 30 minutes before the boat is set to depart. This will allow you to have enough time to purchase your tickets as well as board and get a decent seat. Island tours leave relatively early (for us, it was between 8:45 am – 9:00 am). There are different companies and packages you can choose from.
AT NIGHT
We decided to go to a local Thai restaurant called Poo Nurntong. The restaurant is in Patong, and it is a hidden gem! The food is fantastic, authentic, and cheap. The interior is simple but clean and has a lovely terrace with a good view. The owner is one of the nicest people we have ever met. The place is a little tricky to find because it is up a hill and kind of hidden, but if you have a car and a GPS you will be good!
11th DAY - Bangkok
We flew back to Bangkok, and for our last two days, we stayed at another hotel, Lebua at State Tower. Since we arrived during the afternoon, we opted for some downtime at the hotel and checked one of the roof bars/restaurants called Breeze. After checking out Breeze, we went out and went back to Siam Square and walked around MBK Center, an immense shopping mall. Unfortunately, during our visit to Bangkok, we didn’t have the chance to visit Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok’s biggest market. If you are in Bangkok on Saturday or Sunday, don’t miss it! It’s open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
12th DAY - Ayutthaya
For our last day in Thailand, we decided to hire the same taxi driver we had the first day to visit Ayutthaya. We paid him 2500 baht (about $70), which didn’t include the entrance fees at the temples, which were only an additional few dollars. Ayutthaya is a city in Thailand, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) North of Bangkok. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam. The ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya Historical Park, an archaeological site that contains palaces, Buddhist temples, monasteries, and statues.
Before heading back, our driver took us to a simple local spot away from the tourist area for a late lunch. The food was terrific! Eat where the locals eat! 🙂 That’s one of the things we love about having a private driver. No matter where you are in the world, they always know the best local and cheap places to eat!
AT NIGHT
We took a cab from our hotel (he used the meter like all the taxi drivers who get called directly from the hotel) and went to Asiatique – The Riverfront, a nice outdoor shopping and restaurant complex that is perfect for some last-minute souvenir shopping and to grab something to eat. We ate at Kimju Korean Royal Cuisine, a Korean barbecue restaurant.
For those unfamiliar with these types of restaurants, you cook your own pre-seasoned meats, fish, and/or veggies at the diner’s table on a gas or charcoal grill built into the table itself. The food was good, and we paid about $30 per person (not expensive by American standards, but yeah… definitely not local Thai prices).
13th DAY - Travel Day From Bangkok To New York
Bye Bye Thailand! See you next time Thailand! We will miss you Thailand! Ok :), back on the plane to New York.
