15 Days Best of Thailand with Stunning Phu Chi Fah Hiking

Destinations: Bangkok – Phu Chi Fah – Chiang Rai – Chiang Mai – Phuket

Highlights of this 15 Days Best of Thailand with Stunning Phu Chi Fah Hiking:

Discover the Golden Triangle and Chiang Saen Ancient City.
Explore Chiang Mai jungles with an Elephant Safari.
Experience Thai cuisine with a cooking class.
Stunning trekking up Phu Chi Fah Summit
Relax on the beaches of Tropical Paradise Phuket.
World famous Kayaking inside the marine limestone karst islands by Starlight.

15 Days

Includes internal flights, twin shared accommodation, English speaking guides, private cars, sightseeing and meals listed.
Excludes visa and travel documents, travel insurance, international flights, local tipping, etc.

This itinerary is to give you a flavor of what is possible. We can tailor this trip to suit your specific needs and expectations. You may alter any aspect of the itinerary from excursions to accommodation.

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ITINERARY

Day 1: Bangkok | Arrive in Bangkok | Relax

International Flight: Excluded

Welcome to Thailand! Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport welcome area and transfer you to the boutique along the Chaophraya River for check-in. Enjoy leisure time for the rest of the day.

Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental

Day 2: Bangkok | Ayutthaya Kingdom Discovery

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Start early and transfer North to the Ancient Kingdom of Ayutthaya with our guide. Start by visiting Wat Phu Khao Thong – a temple outside of Ayutthaya started by the invading Burmese who built the base when they overtook Ayutthaya and was finished by Siam who later took back their city. Continue to Ayutthaya and start with the Royal Palace and Royal Temple – dating back to the 14th century. Continue to the nearby Viharn Phra Mongkol Bopit where the largest bronze Buddha in Thailand is housed.

Enjoy a Thai lunch and some free time. Have a short visit to Wat Lokaya Sutha – the image of the reclining Buddha. Then continue to the Royal Palace at Bang Pa In, which is the Summer Palace of the Thai Royal Family. Return back to the hotel for leisure time.

Ayutthaya Ancient City

Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental

Day 3: Bangkok | Bangkok by Boat

Meals: Breakfast
In the early morning, take a boat to Wat Arun – the Temple of the Dawn to enjoy a stunning view and explore the gem of Bangkok.

Continue to one of the must-see sights, the spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built-in 1782- and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government – the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people.

Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings. Also visit Wat Po, with it’s large reclining Buddha. Then return to the hotel for some leisure time in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Mandarin Oriental

Day 4: Bangkok – Phu Chi Fah | Flight to Chiang Rai | Continue to Phu Chi Fah Summit

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast

Morning is at your leisure to relax.

In the afternoon, take a flight to Chiang Rai. Upon arrival, our guide will greet you at the airport. Continue up to Phu Chi Fah(2 hours). Check in your cabin. Then go for a light hike up to Phu Chi Fah lookout point for a stunning sunset view. Note: Cabins are quite modest but do include ensuite bathroom with hot water and a balcony view.

Phu Chi Fah Mountain

Accommodation: Mountain Cabins

Day 5: Phu Chi Fah – Chiang Rai | Phu Chi Fah Sunrise and Trekking | Return to Chiang Rai

Meals: Breakfast
Rise early and hike up to the viewpoint before dawn. Watch as the sun comes up illuminating the valley below. A mist covers the valley giving the impression of the summit being an island floating in the clouds. Stick around to watch as the haze clears and the scenery unfolds. Enjoy some hiking in the scenic area before returning back to Chiang Rai for overnight.

Accommodation: Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort

Day 6: Chiang Rai | Mae Salong: Hill Tribes and Tea Plantations

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, transfer to Mae Salong mountain, a scenic peak in the Shan Highlands. First, stop at a tea plantation to try some fresh hot tea in the morning while taking in the splendid views. Learn about the Chinese military KMT village that resettled at Mae Salong and their interesting story. Have lunch at a Yunnanese restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Akha, Yao and Lisu hill-tribe villages. Then return to the resort for leisure time.

Doi Mae Salong Mountain

Accommodation: Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort

Day 7: Chiang Rai – Chiang Mai | Golden Triangle | The White Temple | Road Trip to Chiang Mai

Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, visit the Golden Triangle, where the Ruak River and the Mekong river meet forming the borders of three countries – Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos – the area is known for its stunning views. Continue on to the ancient city of Chiang Sean at Wat Chedi Luang – a stone city and the first capital of the Lanna Kingdom. Then return to town in the afternoon.

Check out the hotel and transfer to Chiang Mai. On the way, you’ll stop at Wat Rong Khun(the White Temple). This unique and modern temple features Hindu and Buddhist architecture along with very contemporary and peculiar art and sculptures. Along the way, stop at a charity school which provides education to the children in the remote Shan hills. You’ll continue to Chiang Mai to your hotel for check-in.

The old city walls still stand verdantly against the course of time, inviting pilgrims to come rest, and explore the lost treasures of the Lanna Kingdom. Established as the capital in 1296AD of the vast “Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields”, Chiang Mai carries a heritage lurking around every quiet cobble-stone alley and corridor. These days, cafes, boutiques, pubs, and spas are auspiciously peppered throughout, while colorful Meo and Akha hill tribes make their daily ritual visit to the valley to offer their handmade tapestries and handicrafts to curious adventurers. The Ping River weaves through the valley to the East of the Old City while a peaceful moat surrounds the time-worn walls.

Wat Chedi Laung Temple

Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Day 8: Chiang Mai | Thai Culinary Class

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you’ll join a culinary experience with a Thai chef. Start the class with a visit to a local market where Thai people buy the groceries. The chef will be keen to teach you how to identify various produce and what to pick. You’ll learn about many new vegetables and spices. Then, with the ingredients you’ll need in hand, continue to a Thai pavilion where the class will commence. You’ll have your own station and cooking utensils. The chef will show you how to prepare several dishes and oversee your work providing tips along the way. Then it’s time to enjoy! After saying goodbyes, return back to your hotel for leisure time.

Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Day 9: Chiang Mai | Befriending the Gentle Giant of Asia

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, you will join in a tour to an elephant sanctuary in the jungles near Chiang Mai. First, you’ll learn about the project and hear the amazing stories of each rescued and orphaned elephant. Learn how they became a proud herd free from abuse and misuse. Then have an opportunity to feed them. Next, enjoy a picnic spread. Then take a stroll with the herd to the nearby river. Here you will have the opportunity to observe or participate in bathing the elephants with the sanctuary staff.

After you have said your farewells, return back to the hotel for some leisure time.

Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Day 10: Chiang Mai – Phuket | Chiang Mai Ancient Temples | Flight to Phuket

Internal Flight: Included
Meals: Breakfast
In the morning, visit the most prominent temples in Chiang Mai. Start with Wat Phra Singh which houses the famous Phra Singh Buddha image. It features Lanna art throughout and illustrates many famous Buddhist stories. Continue on to Wat Chedi Luang, which once contained the Emerald Buddha. The temple is partially in ruins due to an earthquake in the 1500s. Then stop at Wat Chiang Man which is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai and also houses one of Thailand’s greatest treasures: the Crystal Buddha.

Then continue to Wat Suan Dok, which houses many of the remains of generations of the old Chiang Mai Royal Family. Finally, visit Wat Jet Yot – this peaceful temple is surrounded by green and was built in the Mahabodhi style from India to house the Eighth World Buddhist Council in 1453.

Check out from the hotel and board an afternoon flight to Phuket. Upon arrival, our representative will greet you at the airport and then transfer to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore the stunning beaches of Phuket.