Thailand And Laos

Board your overnight flight from the UK to Bangkok Airport BKK.

Arrive in Bangkok, meet local guide and transfer to your hotel. Spend your afternoon relaxing and enjoying the hotel's facilities, or head out to begin exploring the city.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* W22 by Burasari, Bangkok or similar

Depart early and head an hour southwest of Bangkok to visit the Mae Klong Railway Market. Enjoy the countryside and pass the Samut Sakhon salt pan, where farmers harvest salt. At Mae Klong, experience the unique market set alongside train tracks, watching as vendors skillfully move their goods as the train passes by.

Next, explore the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Ratchaburi. Take a boat ride, barter with local vendors, and enjoy the lively atmosphere.

Continue to the Khwae Yai Bridge, park of the Death Railway and famous from the film "Bridge over the River Kwai", reflecting on its history as you walk across it.

End the tour at the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, a museum documenting the construction of the Death Railway. Visit the nearby Allied War Cemetery to pay respects to the prisoners of war buried there.

Transfer to your hotel in Kanchanaburi for check in.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* River Kwai Resortel, Kanchanaburi or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

Start your tour at the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum*, learning about the Death Railway and Hellfire Pass through photographs, tools used by prisoners of war, and a short video with commentary from former POW's. Then, walk the actual Hellfire Pass, reflecting on its history and visiting a memorial honouring the Thai, British, Dutch, American, and Australian lives lost.

Afterwards, transfer to Ayutthaya to visit Wat Mahathat, a 14th-century temple complex known for its Buddha head entwined in tree roots. Then, tour Wat Phra Si Sanphet, famous for its three chedis, which inspired Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.

End the day with refreshments at Krungsri River Hotel before boarding the night train to Chiang Mai.

* The Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum and Death Railway Museum is not included in the itinerary when operated in reverse during low season. 

ACCOMMODATION: Overnight train in private 1st class cabin with twin bunk and shared bathroom

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

Arrive at Chiang Mai Railway Station at 07:15 and meet your guide for breakfast at a local restaurant before visiting Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a revered temple dating back to 1382, located on Mount Doi Suthep. Take a tram to the temple grounds, where you'll see pagodas, bells, statues, and shrines, including a replica of the Emerald Buddha and a statue of Ganesh.

This afternoon, join a cooking class at Zabb E Lee Thai cooking school in the countryside. Begin with a visit to a local market to shop for ingredients, then head to the school to learn how to cook four Thai dishes, curry paste, and sticky mango rice using fresh, local ingredients. End the experience by enjoying your homemade meal with fellow participants.

ACCOMMODATION: 4* Hotel Aruntara Riverside, Chiang Mai or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Travel north to Chiang Rai to visit the iconic White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, known for its radiant white colour and reflective glass mosaics, symbolizing the purity of the Buddha.

Next, visit a Long Neck Karen Village, where you’ll observe the unique tradition of women elongating their necks with brass coils.

Continue to the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar converge, and enjoy a scenic boat ride for a closer view of this remarkable site.

Afterward, drive back to Chiang Mai.

ACCOMMODATION: 4* Hotel Aruntara Riverside, Chiang Mai or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

Transfer to Chiang Mai Airport for your included flight to Luang Prabang, on arrival you'll be greeted by your guide and driver then transferred to your hotel.

This evening walk to the night market - a cultural treasure trove for those seeking unique gifts, and a foodie's paradise with the street food vendors and restaurant at the end. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* The Sanctuary Hotel Luang Prabang or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast, dinner

Start your day early in Luang Prabang to witness the mystical almsgiving ritual, where around 300 young monks collect food as a demonstration of humility. If you wish to participate, your guide can show you the respectful way to offer food, and remember to take photos discreetly without flash. Afterward, stroll through the morning market, filled with locals haggling for fresh produce.

Next, explore the city's cultural highlights, including Wat Xieng Thong, a beautifully decorative temple, and the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum showcasing rare artifacts.

Visit the UXO Visitor Centre (closed on weekends) to learn about Laos' history as the most heavily bombed nation per capita, through exhibitions and films.

Enjoy lunch at your leisure before meeting local artisans, Mone and Keo, who share their weaving skills and the success of their business at Ock Pop Tok, a renowned social enterprise.

End your day by climbing 328 steps up Mount Phousi for stunning panoramic views of the city at sunset.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* The Sanctuary Hotel Luang Prabang or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

Enjoy a day at leisure or join one of our optional excursions.

OPTIONAL EXCURSION (AT A CHARGE): KUANG SI WATERFALLS AND BUFFALO DAIRY FARM

Enjoy a short trip to the stunning Kuang Si Waterfalls, and on the way, visit a Buffalo Dairy Farm for a guided tour. Cuddle and feed the friendly buffalo, including Ferdinand the bull, and help wash them for a "day spa" experience. Participate in a hands-on milking demonstration and enjoy playful animals like pigs, chickens, and rabbits. Don't miss the chance to bottle-feed calves and relax at the café with homemade cake and local coffee.

After the farm, head to Kuang Si Waterfalls, known for their turquoise pools, where you can swim. Finally, visit the Sun Bear Reserve, a conservation centre rescuing bears from the wildlife trade, before enjoying a local picnic lunch by the falls.

OPTIONAL EXCURSION (AT A CHARGE): LAOTIAN COOKING DEMONSTRATION WITH MRS CHOUNY

Meet local Mrs. Chouny at her home by the Mekong River for a Laotian cooking class. After being welcomed by her family, you'll visit the local market to buy fresh ingredients. Mrs. Chouny will guide you in preparing a menu that includes steamed sticky rice (Noung Khao), bamboo shoot soup (Keang Nor Mai), steamed fish in banana leaves (Mok Pa), Luang Prabang stew (Ork Lam), and aubergine sauce (Jeo Mak Kheua), using a traditional fire stove. Finish your cooking around 5 PM and enjoy the meal together as Mrs. Chouny shares inspiring stories about her life and culinary journey.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* The Sanctuary Hotel Luang Prabang or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

Transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Bangkok, where you'll be greeted by a local guide.

In the afternoon, embark on a city tour, starting at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), Thailand's most important Buddhist site. Here, the 66cm Emerald Buddha is adorned in seasonal outfits, and visitors can meditate or pray in its presence, surrounded by murals of Buddhist cosmology.

Next, board a longtail boat to cruise the Chao Phraya River and the historical Khlong Bangkok Yai canal, passing traditional wooden houses along the way.

Conclude your day with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

ACCOMMODATION: 3* W22 by Burasari, Bangkok or similar

MEALS INCLUDED: Dinner

Spend your final day relaxing until check out, meet your tour guide and transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK. Depending on your flights you will arrive home today or the next day.

MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast

The best time to visit South-East Asia is November to April when it's dry and warm. Wet season and monsoonal rains fall from June to October.

It is not common to get malaria, unless you are staying in the mountains or the jungle for a long time.

Be mindful of local customs and wear suitable attire when visiting religious or cultural sites. This typically involves covering your shoulders and knees. Dress code guidelines are often displayed at the entrance to these places.

This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties. Children aged 6 and above.

UK passport holders do not need a visa to travel to Thailand for a stay less than 60 days.
UK passport holders require a visa to enter Laos. Until 31 December 2024, visas on arrival and e-visas will permit you to stay for 60 days. From 1 January 2025, tourist visas will only permit you to stay for 30 days from the date you arrive in Laos. You can get a visa on arrival at Luang Prabang Airport, or you can apply for a Laos e-visa at least 5 days in advance of your arrival, which is valid for single entry only. Passports must be valid for 6 months and have 2 blank pages.

Please refer to the FCDO website for more information about entry requirements and vaccinations.

Guests will be booked into a 1st class cabin onboard the overnight train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai, with shared bathrooms onboard the train. The beds are twin bunk beds. Should there be a third person travelling, 2 cabins will be booked with the second cabin for exclusive use of the single traveller.

Due to operational requirements, this itinerary will operate in reverse on certain days of the week during low season (departing the UK on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 29 March to 26 October 2025). It will not be possible to visit the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum and Death Railway Museum if the itinerary is operated in reverse.