Independent Tours
Welcome to Bangkok, the Capital of Thailand. Upon arrival, our guide will be at Bangkok International Airport to welcome you to the capital and transfer you to the hotel for check in. The rest of the day is free at leisure.
After breakfast at the hotel, our guide will take us on an exciting tour of Bangkok starting with a visit to The Royal Grand Palace, where the Kings of Thailand once resided and is a spectacular example of an Ancient Siamese Court. Stroll around the Funeral Palace, Reception Palace, the Throne Hall, the Coronation Hall, Royal Guest House and the beautiful Emerald Buddha Temple. Lunch will be served at a lovely riverside restaurant, followed by a voyage of discovery through the canals of Thonburi on a long tailed boat, observing the venerable Temples sitting among lush greenery, wooden houses built on stilts, coconut groves, garlanded shrines and spirit houses. Experience the 'Venice of the East' with vendors selling goods from their boats. Life along the river and canal is an integral part of the Thai culture and a boat cruise gives you the opportunity to see traditions that have barely changed with the passage of time. Our guide will then take us to Wat Pho, where you will see the largest sleeping Buddha in Thailand. This Temple tops the list of six first class Royal Temples in Thailand and is recognised by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme. Next on the agenda is a visit to Wat Traimit, Bangkok's most famous Temple with the Gold Buddha made with over 5.5 tons of solid gold. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to Ratchaburi Province. From the pier, you will be transported by long tail speed boat to the floating market at Damnoen Saduak enjoying the sights of rural life along the way. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market remains almost untouched by modern life. Enjoy watching the farmers as they sell food, fruits, flowers and a variety of local products from their boats. As the boat sails into the side market, you will be taken aback to the Thai way of life of ancient times and given the chance to sample various kinds of exotic fruits or purchase the many Thai handicrafts on offer. Later on, the tour will continue on to Kanchanaburi where you can see the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, which is a memorial to World War II, and visit the War Cemetery nearby before returning back to Bangkok in the late afternoon. Meals: Breakfast
This morning after breakfast, there will be some free time to spend at your leisure before we are picked up and transferred to the Airport for your flight to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check in. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight stay in Chiang Mai. Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, you will be taken on a sightseeing tour of Meo Hill tribe village, which consists of people who originally migrated from South China and have similar physical features to the Chinese. As with most hill tribes, their houses are built directly on the ground rather than on stilts. Due to its proximity to Doi Suthep, this particular village is less traditional, with more commercialisation. Due to being 1,500 metres above sea level, Doi Pui was once famous for its opium cultivation. The tour continues on to Wat Doi Suthep Temple before being driven up to the top to enjoy the panoramic view over Chiang Mai City. This afternoon, our tour begins with a visit to San Kamphaeng district, home to the silk and cotton industries, where you will be captivated by the process of weaving popular fabrics before continuing onto Bor Sang, the village of delicately hand painted paper. These umbrellas are based on the Sawankhalok pottery designs made hundreds of years ago at Sukhothai and exported all over the region. The distinctive cracked glaze finish on some of the umbrellas is exceptionally beautiful and you will also have the opportunity to stop and observe the intricate work produced by lacquer and silverware craftsmen. In the late afternoon, the tour culminates in a visit to the Buddhist Temple where you can join the monks at Wat Suan Dok. The rest of the day is free to spend at leisure. Perhaps you may want to visit the 'Night Market' and have supper at the 'Food Court' where all types of food and entertainment are on offer. The Night Market opens at 18:00 [6pm] from Monday to Saturday. Meals: Breakfast
Following an early breakfast, you will be picked up at 07:00am from the hotel for a visit to the Elephant farm in the south of Chiang Mai. Here, you will be able to watch the Elephants, relax with them in their natural environment and feed them some fruit. You will also have the chance to make friends with your Elephant and learn about its personality before getting on its back and taking a 45 minute ride. You will then be transported by truck for 30 minutes to visit a hill tribe, followed by a 30 minute walk to a waterfall where you will be able to swim and relax. This afternoon, our guide will take us on a hike lasting approximately 1 hour 30 minutes before getting in a truck to the rafting camp to experience the joy of bamboo rafting along the river for 45 minutes. You will then be returned to your hotel in the late afternoon where the rest of the day is at leisure. Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, you will be picked up at 09:00am and driven to an Aroy Aroy Thai Cooking Class. The course begins at 09:30am at the school where you will then travel a short distance along the Ping River, which runs through the centre of Chiang Mai, to reach the main food market. Your Thai chef will guide you through the market, describing various exotic items on display in the bustling marketplace. Upon returning to the cooking school, you will begin an informative and fun course on the preparation of five different Thai dishes. The course concludes at approximately 13:30pm. After the course, you will be transferred back to the hotel to spend the remainder of the day free at leisure. Why not arrange to take part in a Thai massage course (not included)? Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, you will have some free time before your transfer to Chiang Mai Airport for the return flight home or onward journey. We hope to see you again. Meals: Breakfast
Tour Prices are per person twin share in Australian Dollars. Conditions apply and group tours are subject to change and availability. Prices are subject to currency fluctuations. (tmt)
