Best of the North - 11 days

Tour Brief

Day 1: Bangkok Arrival.
Day 2: Bangkok city tour.
Day 3: Bangkok – Fly to Chiang Rai.
Day 4: Chiang Rai – Chiang Saen – Golden Triangle.
Day 5: Chiang Rai – Drive to Chiang Mai.
Day 6: Chiang Mai – Cooking class – Sightseeing Tour.
Day 7:  Chiang Mai – Elephant Camp.
Day 8:  Chiang Mai – Drive to Pai.
Day 9: Pai – Drive to Mae Hong Son – Discovery. 
Day 10: Local Experience – Drive to Chiang Mai.
Day 11: Chiang Mai – Departure.

Day 1: Bangkok Arrival.    
Upon arrival at the airport and after clearing immigration and customs, meet with your Travel Thailand guide and transfer to your hotel for check in.  Upon arrival at the airport and after clearing immigration and customs, meet with your Travel Thailand guide and transfer to your hotel for check in.  The remainder of the day is free at your own leisure.   
Meals: N/A.    
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.

Day 2: Bangkok city tour  
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be collected from your hotel in Bangkok and taken to the Floating Market. You will take a longtail boat to the edge of the Floating Market and ride in a paddleboat through the Floating Market. You’ll then walk around and observe the sale and exchange of various goods between parties in their longtail boats as has been traditionally taking place for years.After breakfast at the hotel, you will be collected from your hotel in Bangkok and taken to the Floating Market. You will take a longtail boat to the edge of the Floating Market and ride in a paddleboat through the Floating Market. You’ll then walk around and observe the sale and exchange of various goods between parties in their longtail boats as has been traditionally taking place for years.Back to Bangkok for the visit to some highlights including the Grand Palace which is the official of King Siam since 1782 made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards. It is located on the bank of Chao Phraya River. Inside the Grand Palace complex is Wat Phra Kaeo or Temple of the Emerald Buddha – the most beautiful and sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The following visit is Wat Arun which is known as Temple of Dawn – one of the best well-known sites in Bangkok. It is best seen from the opposite side of the river.   
Meals: Breakfast 
Accommodation: Hotel in Bangkok.       
Day 3: Bangkok – Fly to Chiang Rai.    
Fly to Chiang Rai - the main commercial centre serving the Golden Triangle border region of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. Fly to Chiang Rai - the main commercial centre serving the Golden Triangle border region of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. On arrival, spend your time to visit Wat Rong Khun (also known as White Temple) – the unique northern art temple with the beautiful painting and the chapel of this temple is in pure white and adorned with exquisite traditional Thai style stuccowork, aiming to represent heaven. If time permits, continue with the visit to other main attractions in Chiang Rai such as Wat Phra Kaew where the Emerald Buddha; Wat Phra Singha where the famous Buddha image housed here is believed to be built in 157 A.D. in Sri Lanka or Ceylon and was brought to Thailand in the Sukhothai period (1238-1438).   
Meals: Breakfast.    
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Rai.       
Day 4: Chiang Rai – Chiang Saen – Golden Triangle.  
Depart from your hotel in the morning to Mae Sai Border - the Northern most point of Thailand, where you can also experience the local lifestyle of people at the border point. Then continue your trip to the Golden Triangle, where the Ruak River and the Mekong River meets forming the border of three countries, and the opium museum. Thereafter, you will take a boat trip on the river to view the splendor of mighty Mekong River. Back to the hotel for rest.   
Meals: Breakfast.    
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Rai.      
Day 5: Chiang Rai – Drive to Chiang Mai.     
Leave Chiang Rai for Chiang Mai. Stop en route at Sankampang District which is famous for Thai Northern Handicraft Villages, such as silk weaving, umbrella making, wood carving and silvers ware. Upon arrival, check in your hotel and free at leisure rest of the day.   
Meals: Breakfast.    
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai.       
Day 6: Chiang Mai – Cooking class – Sightseeing Tour.    
You have an opportunity to enjoy a cooking class in Chiang Mai. Our tour guide will pick you up at hotel and go to the local market with chef. Learn more about ingredients, learn to cook the first three courses you choose and have lunch with what you have prepared.    You have an opportunity to enjoy a cooking class in Chiang Mai. Our tour guide will pick you up at hotel and go to the local market with chef. Learn more about ingredients, learn to cook the first three courses you choose and have lunch with what you have prepared.    Continue the day with the visit to some main temples, such as Wat Suan Dok, Wat Chiang Mun, Wat Chediluang and Wat Phrasing.    
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch   
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai. 
Day 7:  Chiang Mai – Elephant Camp    
Breakfast shall be served at the hotel and then we will visit one of the popular Elephants Camp, where you can see the Elephants at work. You have a chance to ride the elephants crossing the river into the forest. Then return by Oxcart to the elephant village to have lunch. After lunch, enjoy a bamboo rafting adventure along the river for around 45 minutes. Onwards to an orchid farm where there are many beautiful species of orchid. And after that going back to the hotel and free at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai.    

Day 8:  Chiang Mai – Drive to Pai   
Drive on to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep which was built in 1383. It is located 1,050 meters above sea level. See the marvelous golden pagoda, which is containing the holy relics of Lord Buddha. You can enjoy the panoramic view of Chiang Mai City and Ping valley from the summit of Doi Suthep. Then visit Orchid Nursery to see a large collection of more than 50 different types of colorful exotic year-round-bloom orchids. Continue drive to Pai, a tiny town halfway between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son with some steep and winding roads through the mountains and valleys via Mok Fah Waterfall one of the highest waterfalls in Doi Suthep - Doi Pui National Park. Stop at World War II Memorial Bridge, This Bridge was built in 1942, at that time the Japanese troops chose Pai to be their military base. Overnight in Pai.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 
Accommodation: Hotel in Pai.        
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Day 9: Pai – Drive to Mae Hong Son – Discovery.    
After breakfast, drive for Mae Hong Son. Visit Lod Cave where a huge cave system is once a dwelling place of pre-historic man. Experience with take the Bamboo raft reach into the cave; explore the 1 kilometer-long cave along which can be found beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. After breakfast, drive for Mae Hong Son. Visit Lod Cave where a huge cave system is once a dwelling place of pre-historic man. Experience with take the Bamboo raft reach into the cave; explore the 1 kilometer-long cave along which can be found beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Continue to visit Fish Cave, a special feature is the hollow cave filled with numerous freshwater fish, which is of the same family as the carp. The fish are quite safe from being caught as they are believed to belong to the gods. In the afternoon, visit Wat Doi Klong Moo located on a hill to the west of town, is a major provincial landmark. There are two Burmese-style Chedis. The larger one was built in 1860 while the smaller one was erected in 1874. A panoramic view of Mae Hong Son can be enjoyed from the site.   
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner   
Accommodation: Hotel in Mae Hong Son.       
Day 10: Local Experience – Drive to Chiang Mai.    
Get up early morning to visit the morning market to observe a traditional mode of living of the local Shan people selling foods, vegetables. It will be the great chance to taste the local food here that different from local Thai. After that, drive to the boat landing for a picturesque boat trip through exciting rapid of Pai River to visit the village of the long –necked Karen or Padong to witness the elongated – neck girls wearing numerous brass rings around their necks. Take the boat riding back to Mae Hong Son and have lunch at the local restaurant before driving back to Chiang Mai.   
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.    
Accommodation: Hotel in Chiang Mai.   
Day 11: Chiang Mai – Departure.    
Today is free at your leisure for last minute shopping or sight-seeing before driving to the airport for flight home or to the next destination.   
Bon Voyage!    
Meals: Breakfast.    
Accommodation: N/A.