Spirit of Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Phuket

Gilded temples and river markets in Bangkok, mountain calm and Lanna traditions in Chiang Mai, then slow, sunlit days on the island of Phuket.

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The Great Buddha Phuket

This is a journey through three very different sides of Thailand, each given three unhurried nights. It begins in the energy of Bangkok, moves north to the green, mountain-ringed city of Chiang Mai, and ends by the Andaman Sea on Phuket, where the pace softens and the days are yours.

After an overnight flight from the UK or Ireland, you are met at the airport in Bangkok and taken to your hotel, with the rest of the day free to find your feet. The next morning brings a guided temple walk: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Kaew, by way of the amulet market on Rattanakosin Island; the Grand Palace, once home to the Kings of Thailand; the riverside stalls and old shophouses of Tha Thien Market; the vast reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, over 46 metres long; and finally the ornate spires of Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn. Your third day is free, with an optional full-day visit to the ruins of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam, or an evening street food tour by tuk-tuk.

On day five you fly north to Chiang Mai. A half-day tour opens at the City Arts & Cultural Centre before visiting Wat Chiang Man, the city's oldest temple, the centuries-old Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Phra Singh, built in 1345. The following day is your own, perhaps for the optional climb to Doi Suthep and its views over the city, followed in the evening by a wander through the flowers and produce of Mueang Mai Market and a traditional Khan Toke dinner of Northern Thai dishes, served at low round tables with dances from the old Lanna Kingdom.

On day eight a short flight takes you to Phuket, an island of rainforest, mountains and quiet coves. The three days here are deliberately open: the pool, the beaches, the old quarter of Phuket Town and its Buddhist and Chinese temples. For those who want to venture out, there are optional days by speedboat to Phi Phi and Bamboo Island, or through the limestone towers, caves and mangroves of Phang Nga Bay to James Bond Island and the stilted fishing village of Koh Panyee.

On day eleven you fly home overnight, arriving back in the UK or Ireland on day twelve. International and internal flights, nine nights with breakfast, transfers, the Bangkok and Chiang Mai temple tours with English-speaking guides, and the Khan Toke dinner and show are all included, and the trip is ATOL protected. I am happy to talk through extra nights or flight preferences if you would like to shape it further.

Highlights

• Guided walk through the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in Bangkok
• Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai
• Mueang Mai Market and a traditional Khan Toke dinner with Lanna dance
• Three unhurried nights on the island of Phuket
• Optional days to Ayutthaya, Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay
• International and internal flights, nine nights with breakfast, ATOL protected