7 days around Thailand - Lifestyle & culture

Highlights

- A beautiful immersion in Thai culture and traditions
- The superb landscapes of Northern Thailand

Description:

Day 1: Bangkok - Ayuthaya - Lopburi - Pitsanuloke

Depart from Bangkok to Ayuthaya and explore this first capital of Thailand by Ayuthaya’s Tuk Tuk (unique motorized 3-wheeler only available in Ayuthaya) to discover the magnificent ruins and ancient temples in the historical park.

Short stop to sight the Buddha’s head entrapped by the roots of an overgrown banyan tree, an iconic of Ayuthaya at Wat Maha Dhat.

Continue to Lopburi for lunch and visit Narai Raja Nives Palace, the Prang Sam Yod (Sacred Three-Spired Pagoda) and Monkey Temple. Proceed to Pitsanuloke and check in your hotel.

After dinner at the hotel, take the trishaw ride to explore the city night market. See the famous food market at night and stop nearby the train station for your cool snack experience, possibly sample various kinds of deep fried edible insects like grasshoppers, silkworms, crickets, and water Bugs.

Day 2: Pitsanuloke - Sukhothai - Sri Satchanalai - Sukhothai

Visit Wat Maha Dhat, home to Thailand’s most beautiful Buddha image; Phra Buddha Jinaraj.

Depart for Sukhothai, Thailand’s first capital of Thailand (1257-1379) and a visit to Sukhothai Historical Park. Once a walled city surrounded by a moat, it has now been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The park contains almost 200 chedis in remarkable condition.

Visit the Ganesha pottery village where local artisans use the ancient Sangkhalok skills to produce wonderful hand-painted dishes and other objects.
Here, you will have an opportunity to learn some of these skills for yourself and practice your own painting skills on the pottery dishes. Sangkhalok refers to a specific type of metallic ceramics, both glazed and unglazed.

Lunch at a local restaurant.
Continue to Sri Satchanalai, the northern outpost of the Kingdom of Sukhothai, built by King Ramkamhaeng. Visit Wat Chang Lom, Wat Chedi Jet Thaew, Wat Nang Phya and Wat Phra Sri Ratana Maha Dhat on the site of the Khmer fort "Chalieng.”

Check in at your hotel.

Day 3: Sukhothai - Lampang - Chiang Mai

Depart for Sukhothai Organic Agriculture Farm.
See the demonstration rice planning workshop and Thai rice farmers’ traditional way of life. You can participate in the organic rice farm transplanting, rice seedlings, harvesting, or milling rice.
There is also an opportunity to plough the paddies with water buffalo. The farmer’s clothes and shoes are arranged for.

Afterwards, enjoy local organic lunch in traditional Thai style at the open Sala overlooking the rice field.

Continue to Chiang Mai via Lampang. Stop visit at Wat Phra Dhat Lampang Luang, housing the only Emerald Buddha other than the one at Wat Phra Keo in Bangkok.

Check in at your hotel.

Dinner at The Gallery Restaurant Chiang Mai, built in 1892 situated along the Ping River. The Chinese style front building currently houses the art gallery while the rear structure built of teak-wood in Northern style is used as the riverside restaurant.

Day 4 : Chiang Mai

An early start and a wonderful chance to make merit with the monks at a temple nearby. Thai Buddhists believe that by making merit, they earn happiness, peace in life, and the chance to progress in their next life, while this sacred experience creates a harmonious way to start the day for all.

Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Drive up the serpentine road to the magnificently situated Wat Doi Suthep. Perched on a forested mountain, this most sacred Chiang Mai temple (3,280 ft) provides a superb view over the city, as well as a wealth of images and frescos.

Visit the city’s biggest market, Talat Warorod, for a stroll among the colorful stalls.
Continue by rickshaw to visit Wat Chedi Luang, the oldest temple built by King Mengrai.

Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon visit to Handicraft Villages, to observe manufacturing of lacquerware, spinning and weaving of Thai Silk and paper umbrella making.

Enjoy a typical Thai dinner with presentation of ancient dances from northern Thailand, followed by a performance of dances and songs of various hilltribes.

Check in at your hotel.

Day 5: Chiang Mai - Thatorn

Visit to an orchid farm where you will see a greater variety of species and colors of this king of flowers that grows in Thailand.

Afterwards, drive to Elephant POOPOO PAPER Park. An eco-friendly, naturally built outdoor museum park that introduces and explains the unique steps involved in making paper products from elephant poop fibers!

Then, continue to The Dara Pirom Palace Museum (closed on Monday). An elegant house of the late Princess Jao Dara Rasamee, one of the princess consorts of King Rama V, transformed into the museum full of exhibits showing the palace decor as well as Chiang Mai’s rich culture and history at the time of her life.

Lunch at local restaurant.

Proceed to Thatorn via Chiang Dao and Fang. En route, visit Chiang Dao Cave at Wat Tham Chiang Dao. The caverns are full of sacred Buddha images and natural formations. The main cavern is illuminated by electric lights, while deepest recesses can be explored with oil lanterns.

Arrive Thatorn, a small village just a few kilometers from the Burmese border.

Check in at your hotel.

Day 6: Thatorn - Chiang Rai

Depart Thatorn to visit Ban Lorcha, a Phami Akha hilltribe community center. This community-based tourism development project promotes sustainable, self-reliant development to improve the quality of life of villagers of this Akha Community, and is a model for tourism in Hilltribe villages.

Drive to Ban Pha Tai and board on motor-powered traditional boats for three-hour journey down Kok River, passing tiny hilltribe villages, bamboo huts and jungle.

Arrive Chiang Rai and disembark at your hotel.

Visit the famous Wat Rong Khun or White Temple, with its unique “kanok” architecture and fantastical sculptures, designed by National Artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Continue visit the statue of King Mengrai who built Chiang Rai City and the Hilltibe Museum and a local market before returning to the hotel.

Day 7: Chiang Rai - Bangkok

Depart Chiang Rai to visit Golden Triangle where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet.

Take short boat ride on Mekong River. Picnic lunch box provided. Transfer to Chiang Rai Airport.

Depart Chiang Rai to Bangkok.
Arrive Bangkok with transfers to your Bangkok hotel

All our tours are customizable.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to discover Thailand

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Included:

- Transportation in air-conditioned car / minibus / coach
- Transportation from/to your accommodation
- All entrance fees to visits
- Guide
- Double room with air conditioning in selected or similar rooms
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Not included:

- Personal expenses
- Gratuity

Useful information:

- Please contact us by email via the contact form if you wish to get more information about this tour