Your arrival at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok marks the start of your tour. Our guide is waiting to welcome you and take you into the centre of Bangkok to check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to your leisure to explore Bangkok.

Hotel in Bangkok.

Today we will take you on a full-day sightseeing tour starting with a visit to the spectacular Royal Grand Palace, where among other things, you will see the Emerald Buddha Temple and Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha). The buildings, courtyards and walkways in the grounds of the Palace are a delight of architecture and decoration. We then visit Museum of Siam (The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday and closes on Monday). After which we take a  'tuk-tuk' to the colorful Flower Market.

After lunch (on your own), we board a long-tail boat along the intriguing Bangkok Noi Canals (East of Venice) before visiting Wat Trimit (Golden Buddha). Return to the hotel in the evening where you are free to spend your time as you choose.

Hotel in Bangkok.

Today we drive to Ayutthaya (the former Capital of Thailand). Our first stop is to visit the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. That was once used as State Banquet Hall.  Further highlights of the old capital are Wat Chai Wattanaram also known as Khmer temple, Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch & Viharn Mongkol Borphit, the former Royal Temples. A short drive takes us to Wat Chong Lom Pier for us to board a boat to cruise down the Chao Phraya River back to Bangkok. We can enjoy a typical Thai buffet lunch onboard. The boat arrives at the River City Pier in Bangkok. Later in the day, we will go to MBK Hall otherwise known as the Siam Parago shopping mall.

Hotel in Bangkok.

And so we leave the capital and take a flight north to Chang Mai, “the Rose of the North”. You will be picked up and taken to check into the hotel (early check-in is subject to hotel’s availability).

In the afternoon, we can see the sights of Chiang Mai City. The old city Of Chiang Mai abounds with historical and cultural heritage. We visit 3 important temples, Phra Singh (the most beautiful architecture in northern style Chiang Mai), Jedi Luang (Temple of the Big Stupa), and Chiang Man (the oldest temple in Chiang Mai). Then a visit to the Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre offers an understanding of Chiang Mai’s history, customs, art, culture, and way of life.

A picturesque drive takes us north to visit the Mae Sa Elephant Camp. You see the elephants taking their daily bath in the river before they are ‘put to work’ with a demonstration of their skills and abilities. As well as seeing the elephants playing football and painting, you will also see how they worked in the logging trade in the past. Although some of the activities are more frivolous than other activities, they are all included to keep these intelligent animals occupied and happy and demonstrate the amazing relationship and communication between rider and elephant.

After the demonstration, you will get to experience an elephant ride for 30 minutes through the jungle and into the water. We then visit the Orchid Farm to see the variety species of the orchids in Chiang Mai.

After having an early breakfast, we drive up hill to Mae Hong Son “The City of Three Mist”. Along the way, you will get to see the beautiful panoramic scenery. Stop and take a break at Pai District, one of the most beautiful places in Thailand before visiting a small village to see the way life of the villagers. In the afternoon, we continue to drive to Mae Hong Son to visit Wat Chong Kham & Wat Chong Klang, the twin Burmese temples and Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Moo, which is seen as the the spirit centre of local people and Tai Yai. This last temple is located on the summit of the hill where you can have a 360 degree panoramic view of Mae Hong Son town.

Hotel in Mae Hong Son.

An early start takes us to the morning market to see the traditional way of life of the local people. Here you will see the colorful costumes of the Shan and other tribal people, who come here to buy foods and fresh vegetables. Next, we take a long-tail boat trip along Pai River from Ban Huay Due Pier to visit Karen Long Neck Village. A tradition of the women of this tribe is to have a bronze ring around their neck. And finally, we head back to Chiang Mai by road.

Hotel in Chiang Mai.

Day 8 of the tour takes us to Chiang Rai,the most Northern province of Thailand. We stop en route at the Mae Kha Chan Hot Spring to relax. Then we visit Wat Rong Khun or White Temple. This is the most beautiful Buddhism temple in the world and was created by Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat, the famous Thai artist, who has dedicated his entire life to Buddhist art. Next we will visit Phra Kaew Temple where the Emerald Buddha used to be before it was moved to Bangkok. The evening is free for you to explore the town.

Hotel in Chiang Rai.

The day starts with a visit to Chiang Saen Ancient City, where the first king who built Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai was born. We then continue to the Golden Triangle where the three borders of Thai - Laos - Myanmar meet. Here we visit the Opium Museum. This is a private museum with artifacts and stories about the opium trade in past years. Next on the agenda is a visit to Mae Sai Border Market, which also forms the gateway to Ta Chi Leik in the mystical country of Myanmar (Burma). This ends of tour for the day and we head back to the hotel in Chiang Rai. 

Hotel in Chiang Rai.

In the early morning, we drive to the pier for the immigration procedure and customs clearance to cross the Khong River. Your luggage will be taken by local boat to the Laos border village of Bann Huay Xai.

After breakfast, there is an optional walking tour to Pakbeng market where people from the surrounding minority villages exchange their goods. You can also take the opportunity to buy some souvenirs for yourself or as gifts.

At 08:30, we board the boat for the second leg of the cruise making a short stop to visit some H’mong villages before having lunch onboard.

Our first stop in this beautiful town is to see the National Museum, formerly the King’s Palace. Built by French architects in 1909, the current building was based on older Palace foundations. Here you see a blend of French's and Lao's art such as paintings and murals of the royal family. In the reception area, you can see busts of all the past Lao kings. After seeing the Museum, we cross the road to climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an unmissable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa. It also offers a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the Mekong River.

A short flight takes us from Luang Prabang to the capital city of  Vientiane.  Vientiane is a charming and fascinating capital with an interesting mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and American influences. It has a cosmopolitan character with a remarkably small town feel about it that only adds to the charm.

Your morning is free to explore on your own until it is time to go back to the airport to travel south to Pakse. At Pakse, you go directly to the pier to board for your cruise down the Mekong River to Champassak. Here you visit the fascinating pre-angkorian ruins of  Wat Phu, one of Southeast Asia's most dramatically situated temples. We have time to explore these intriguing Khmer ruins, which are perched at the base of Mount Phu Kao. The Wat Phu was classified as a World Heritage Site in 2002. This wonderful archeological site of Khmer civilization dates back to the 10th century, predating the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We will continue our journey by land to Don Khong, the largest island in this South Mekong river region known as the 4000 islands. It is one of the most scenic areas in Laos.

Hotel on Don Khong Island

The day starts with a trip on a long-tail riverboat through the maze of waterways and into the tropical paradise of Siphandone “The 4,000 Islands”. During the rainy season, the Mekong River reaches a width of 14km. When the water recedes, it leaves behind a myriad of islands and islets. We visit the Det and Som Islands for a glimpse of the way of life of the fisherman. Afterwards, you will arrive in Khone Island where you can discover some of the colonial vestiges. One of the sites to see is an old railway, which was built by the French in 1897 to bypass the powerful rapids that disrupt the navigation along the Mekong River. Next we will continue on to see the Liphi Waterfall, home to a pod of fresh water dolphins. These dolphins are an endangered species known as the Irrawaddy Dolphins.

From Done Khong Island, we continue our journey towards Tadlo, through the Boloven plateau. The Boloven Plateau is known for its cooler temperature being located high above the Mekong Valley. Rivers run off this high plateau in all directions and then plunge out to lush forests in a series of spectacular surging waterfalls. A trip to the plateau provides a refreshing break from the heat and allows you to observe the cultivation of rich coffee, tea, cardamom, bananas, and other crops that are grown in this area. This trip gives visitors the chance to venture off the beaten track and to discover some of the lesser-known areas of Laos, exploring the wild beauty of this southern region. Upon arrival at Tad Lo waterfall, we visit the villages of Alak, Nge, and Katu, populated by ethnic minority groups. We arrive in Pakse by late afternoon.

Hotel in Pakse