A Complete Thailand 2 Week Itinerary
A Complete Thailand 2 Week Itinerary
Headed on over to Thailand for a couple of weeks? Well this Thailand 2 week itinerary will take you all throughout the country. From the capital of Bangkok to the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phi Phi to the northern jungles of Chiang Mai, you will be able to hit the best attractions that Thailand has to offer.
The itinerary breakdown for the two weeks is:
Bangkok (2 days), Koh Samui (4 days), Koh Phi Phi (3 days), Chiang Mai (4 days), Bangkok (1 day)
Please note – this itinerary plans its timeline around the full moon (or half moon) party on Koh Phangan on the night of day 4. You can easily move around the itinerary as you see fit if you are planning on heading to the party on a different night of the trip. If the full moon party is not something that you would like to add to the itinerary – no worries at all – it will not change the flow of the itinerary in any way.
Before diving into the itinerary be sure to check out the Helpful Tips section to get you prepared for your trip.
Thailand 2 Week Itinerary Map View
Take a look at the map below which shows you where each city that is part of this Thailand 2 week itinerary is located throughout the country. You will start the journey in the center of the country in Bangkok before heading to the islands down south, flying up north to Chiang Mai and finishing back in Bangkok.
A Detailed Thailand 2 Week Itinerary
Now lets get on to the actual trip! The following is a detailed breakout of the daily attractions and activities on this 2 week itinerary. Feel free to scroll through and click on any more in depth posts along the way.
Table of Contents
- Day 1 – Bangkok
- Day 2 – Ayutthaya
- Day 3 – Travel to Koh Samui
- Day 4 – Ang Thong Marine Park & Full Moon Party
- Day 5 – Koh Samui Recovery Day
- Day 6 – Scuba Diving
- Day 7 – Travel Day to Koh Phi Phi
- Day 8 – Koh Phi Phi
- Day 9 – Koh Phi Phi Part II & Travel to Krabi/Phuket
- Day 10 – Travel to Chiang Mai
- Day 11 – Elephant Sanctuary
- Day 12 – Exploring Chiang Mai & Cooking Class
- Day 13 – Doi Suthep & Travel to Bangkok
- Day 14 – Depart Bangkok
Day 1 – Bangkok
After a long day of traveling you will arrive in Bangkok – the capital city of Thailand. It will definitely be a different type of city experience then the remainder of the trip but it does have some amazing sites to see and enjoy. You can head on off to some of the top attractions in the city including:
» The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
» Wat Pho
» Wat Arun
On top of that you can take advantage of some of the great nightlife options that Bangkok has to offer such as Khao San Road and Sky Bar, among others.
» For an in depth guide to the city check out the Best Things To Do in Bangkok.
Check out some top rated Bangkok hotels for nights 1 & 2 (and 9) of your trip
There are so many different areas and hotels to choose from when deciding where to stay in the city. Here is a list of some top rated ones. To check out more feel free to browse through Booking.com for the best deals.
5) Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Take a look at some Thailand guide books to better prepare you for your trip:
Day 2 – Ayutthaya
On your second day in Bangkok, it is time to head outside the city and to ancient capital city of Thailand – Ayutthaya. Here you will find some of the most incredible temples and architecture in Thailand. It makes for a perfect day trip and is a great way to explore another part of the country during your time there.
If you are looking for a private tour for the day, you can take a look at some highly rated Ayutthaya day trip options.
Some of the top highlights will include:
1) Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
2) Wat Mahathat
3) Wat Ratchaburana
4) Wat Phra Si Sanphet
5) Wat Lokayasutharam
Feel free to check out the Ayutthaya Day Trip Guide that will walk you through the entire day for beginning to end
Day 3 – Travel to Koh Samui
It is now time to make your way to the islands of Thailand, where you will get to relax, hit some beaches, do some hiking and enjoy the one and only Full Moon Party. Getting to Koh Samui is pretty simple. There will be a few flights in the morning from Bangkok to Samui that should work out well here.
Once you arrive in Samui there should be plenty of taxis that can take you to your hotel. You can then spend the rest of your afternoon relaxing by the pool and beach, enjoying the Thai island life. If you would like you could also stop by the giant gold Big Buddha before heading to your hotel.
Take a look at some Koh Samui hotel options for nights 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the itinerary
4) Peace Resort
Day 4 – Ang Thong Marine Park & Full Moon Party
Today you will take a day trip out to the picturesque Ang Thong Marine Park. Every hotel should be able to help you book a tour through a local company or you can plan ahead of time and book a highly rated Ang Thing Marine Park tour before you go. Here is how a typical tour would play out:
The day starts early on getting picked up to your hotel before being transferred to your speedboat for the day (note that not all tours use speedboats). Your first stop about an hour away is Koh Wao, where you can swim and snorkel the crystal clear blue waters around you. There will be plenty of colorful fish to see as you make your way through the area.
After some swimming and snorkeling you will make your way to a short hiking trail that takes you above the Talay Nai emerald lagoon. From here you will also be able to see most of the 42 islands that make up the marine park.
Once the lagoon is complete it is time to hit the kayaks. Your boat will take you nearby, where you will hop into a kayak for around an hour and get to explore the marine park on your own. As you kayak around you are sure to pass small caves and numerous islands surrounding you.
It will now be time for some lunch and your speedboat will take you to one of the main island in Ang Thong – Koh Wua Ta Lap. Here you will also be given some time to explore the island by foot or relax by the beach for a bit. There is a great hiking trail that takes you up to the top of the island, hitting viewpoints along the way. It can get quite technical closer to the top but the views are worth it.
You will then head back by speedboat to Koh Samui, where you can rest up for a bit before heading to the Full Moon Party!
Once the sun begins to set on the island, the full moon party festivities on the island of nearby Koh Phangan are just beginning. Check out the Ultimate Guide to the Full Party for everything you need to know about this epic night.
Note: the guide linked above goes over the logistics, but to get to Koh Phangan you simply just need to make your way over to the port area and hop on the quick boat ride. These boats usually run all night long and are not part of the official ferry schedule.
If your trip does not match up with full moon or if you are not interested in doing so, it does not change much on the itinerary. Simply just act if this was another night out in Thailand!
Day 5 – Koh Samui Recovery Day
Whether you took part of the full moon party or not, day 5 is going to be a full on rest and recovery day as you enjoy the beach life of Koh Samui. After waking up in the afternoon, grab some lunch and relax by the beach for the next couple of hours and maybe get a nice massage after running around the previous night. Even if full moon was not part of your plans, you can still use this day to enjoy the beaches of Koh Samui and the rest of what this island has to offer.
Day 6 – Scuba Diving
On day 6 enjoy a day of scuba diving! Many diving shops offer diving opportunities from Koh Samui to Koh Tao. The best thing is you do not even need to be scuba certified to take part of the day. Many shops offer what is known as a Try Dive, which basically is for beginners or those not certified just yet.
» Check out the One Day Try Dive Experience for a detailed guide to the day
The guide linked above goes over the dive if you are based in Koh Tao, so the main difference here is that you will be doing a lot of the learnings on the boat ride over instead of on the island itself to save some time. Once you arrive in Koh Tao, you will get to take part of a couple of dives before heading back to Koh Samui.
You can also check out some of the top rated scuba diving companies in Koh Samui.
If you want to enjoy the nightlife of Koh Samui there is plenty to take part of. You can check out the Bophut Fisherman’s Market, head to a Muay Thai fight and/or hit some of the bars around Chaweng Beach.
Day 7 – Travel Day to Koh Phi Phi
You will now make your way from the eastern islands of Thailand to the western islands as you fly from Koh Samui to Krabi or Phuket. You will only use Krabi/Phuket as a quick pitstop before catching a ferry over to Koh Phi Phi. You can check out the flight schedule between Koh Samui and the two destinations in order to match up the timing with the ferry. Check out the Koh Phi Phi ferry schedule to get a better idea about timing. Once you arrive in KPP you will have the rest of the day to relax and hang out by the beach, explore the town and enjoy another beautiful Thai Island.
Note: if you do decide to dive on day 6, there are recommendations to wait anywhere from 18-24 hours before going on an airplane. If you do not feel comfortable taking a flight on day 7, feel free to explore Koh Samui a bit on day 6 instead of going out for a dive. With that said you can also do a combo of ferry-bus-ferry instead of flying which can take around 7-10 hours depending on when you depart.
Check out some Koh Phi Phi hotel options for nights 7 & 8 of the itinerary
Here are a few recommendations to choose from:
3) JJ Residence
4) Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel
5) PP Insula
Day 8 – Koh Phi Phi
On your first full day in KPP it is time to take a booze cruise around the island and to some surrounding areas. Captain Bob’s Booze Cruise in KPP is a fun filled day experience to have alongside many other fellow travelers. You will meet up by the dock and get onto a speed boat with your fellow booze cruisers and guides for the day.
For 2500thb (~$70) you can have unlimited beer and mixed drinks as you roam the seas. You will stop at a variety of places over the next 7 hours including Monkey Beach, Viking Cave, and the Pileh Lagoon, as you get a feel for all the different attractions around the area.
Besides for just enjoying the scenery and limestone cliffs as you speed through the waters with music, beer and entertainment, you will also get the opportunity to snorkel in lagoons, get up close and personal to some monkeys and head on over to the famous Maya Bay. Your day is surely not to disappoint as you make new friends and experience new places.
Once your day of sightseeing, relaxing, swimming and island hopping is complete you can rest up and hit the bars later in the night. Reggae bar is known for their Muay Thai ring inside the bar (and yes you can volunteer to go in and fight!). Slinky and Banana Bar are great beach spots with plenty of music and fire shows to go around.
Day 9 – Koh Phi Phi Part II & Travel to Krabi/Phuket
After a day of exploring the areas around Phi Phi you can choose from a bunch of different options on your second day here. Phi Phi is not that large of an island and there are some beautiful secluded beaches that you can hike to in order to get away from the crowds. Check out this great list of Koh Phi Phi beaches that you can explore around the island. All shouldn’t be difficult to get to and it will be a fun experience hiking throughout the island. You can also make your way up to the Koh Phi Phi Viewpoint, which overlooks the entire island.
Another option if you want to be a bit more adventurous is deep water soloing. If you are not familiar with the term, imagine rock climbing without ropes and if you slip you just fall right into the water. Sure it could be a bit dangerous but it is definitely a one of a kind experience. You just jump off your longtail boat, start climbing the rock from the water and once you have gone up high enough, you just turn around and jump in.
If you have an earlier flight from Krabi/Phuket to Chiang Mai the next day (day 10), it might be best to head out on a later boat on day 9 and spend the night in Krabi/Phuket (last boats leave Phi Phi around 2:30PM/3:30PM). If you have a later flight on day 10 to Chiang Mai then you can spend the night in Koh Phi Phi and take the boat back on the morning of day 10. Just make sure to check out the boat times before putting plans in place.
Phuket hotel options for night 9 of the itinerary before you head to Chiang Mai
Day 10 – Travel to Chiang Mai
After plenty of time seeing what the islands of Thailand have to offer it is time to head to the northern part of the country to Chiang Mai. Depending on when your flight from Krabi/Phuket to Chiang Mai is you could have an afternoon of sightseeing around the city. This itinerary assumes you stayed the night in Krabi/Phuket and had an earlier flight out.
Once you arrive at your hotel in the early afternoon, grab some food before exploring the city and some temples. In and around the city there are more than 300 temples! To make things simple though I put together a Chiang Mai Temples Tour Guide that will take you to some of the more well known ones to visit this afternoon.
The guide goes over 7 temples to visit (although Doi Suthep which is a further journey can be visited on day 13):
1) Wat Chiang Man
2) Three King’s Monument
3) Wat Chedi Luang
4) Wat Phra Singh
5) Wat Sri Suphan
6) Wat Suan Dok
You can now walk or tuk tuk back to your hotel after a day of traveling and exploring the temples of Chiang Mai. If you would like at night you can make your way to the Night Market – an indoor/outdoor market that is filled with plenty of food and souvenirs.
Check out some Chiang Mai hotel options for nights 10, 11 and 12
Feel free to browse through some accommodation options in Chiang Mai or choose from some highly rated ones below:
4) Rachamankha
Day 11 – Elephant Sanctuary
On your second day in Chiang Mai it is time to head off to an Elephant Sanctuary to feed, bathe, and interact with these amazing animals.
Two of the top main elephant sanctuaries that are known for rescuing elephants from poor conditions and treating them well are Patara Elephant Farm and Elephant Nature Park. Both of these places book up well in advance so be sure to check for availability
The main difference between the two programs is that Patara is a 1 on 1 experience with an elephant for the day (~$180) while ENP is more of a group experience (~$70).
» Read the In Depth Guide to Patara Elephant Farm to get a better understanding of the experience
Day 12 – Exploring Chiang Mai & Cooking Class
Today you can sleep in for a bit after a couple early mornings for the past couple days. Throughout the trip you will see plenty of markets and purchase all types of souvenirs and food. However, not too far by the night market area are more local, authentic markets called Warorot and Ton Lam Yai (across the street from each other).
Instead of seeing hundreds of tourists you will see more of a local audience roaming around, buying their food and any other goods. Warorot is a multi story open market selling everything from clothing to fruits to wooden crafts. Spend some time just exploring these two markets and getting a feel for what shopping life is for the people who live in Chiang Mai.
After checking out the markets for a bit, you can grab some lunch and then just walk around the city for the next hour or two. It is always interesting exploring the streets and stores of a foreign city. Massages are also an option as they are in any city in Thailand. Make sure though that you get back to your hotel around 3PM to get ready for a cooking class.
Many of the cooking classes have an afternoon/evening session which start around 4PM with pickup being just shortly before then. Head on over to TripAdvisor to get a look at the top rated cooking classes. After you get picked up along with your fellow guests you will make your way to a local food market.
Once there your cooking instructor for the evening will teach you all about the local ingredients and what is used for different dishes. You will then get to pick 4-5 different course options for what you will be making and eating during the rest of the evening. Your instructor will then purchase all the necessities before hopping back in the van to take you to the kitchen.
Many places have open air kitchens and dining rooms which is also a very unique experience instead of being indoors. A sample menu will include spring rolls, soup, pad thai, curry, and mango sticky rice. Your instructor will then take you through making and eating each dish (usually you cook two dishes, eat them and then go on to the next two). Overall a great experience cooking, eating, drinking some beers and meeting new people. The evening should end around 9PM when you continue with your group out to the bars if you choose to.
Day 13 – Doi Suthep & Travel to Bangkok
On your last day in Chiang Mai it is time to see the city from above before heading back to Bangkok. During the course of your stay you have probably seen the large mountain that overlooks the city. Towards the top of the mountain is a temple called Doi Suthep that has amazing views of the city below. You can grab a taxi for a fixed rate that will take you there, wait for you and then take you back down.
The road to Doi Suthep is filled with twists and turns as you make your way up climbing the hill. Eventually though you will reach the base of Doi Suthep, where a long staircase awaits to the temple. Once inside you can walk around the main area and the large golden chedi.
You can then make your way to the viewpoint that overlooks the city. Due to Chiang Mai weather being hit or miss, it could be a perfectly clear day out or you could literally be in a cloud with no visibility at all. But don’t worry, if there really isn’t any visibility be sure to ask your cab driver to stop at one of the viewpoints on the way down the twisting roads, where you are sure to get a good view at some point.
Once back down back in Chiang Mai, grab some lunch and pack up before taking a mid-late afternoon flight to Bangkok. Once back in the capital city check into your hotel, grab some dinner and head out to Khao San Road for your last night out in Thailand.
A couple other Chiang Mai options if they are of interest to you:
Sunday Night Market – a walking street night market only open on Sundays from 4PM-12AM
Full Day Hiking and/or Bamboo Rafting – there are plenty of one day hiking options in the mountains surrounding Chiang Mai. You will get to hike these jungles, pass by local tribes and even to some bamboo rafting. If you are interested in this type of activity check out Viator for some of the highly rated Chiang Mai trekking companies.
Day 14 – Depart Bangkok
Your Thailand 2 week itinerary is now coming to an end. Depending on what time your flight is you might have some time to enjoy some more attractions around the city:
» Chatuchak Weekend Market – definitely the largest market you will come across in Thailand however it is only open on weekends
» Chinatown – great place to walk around and have plenty of street food options
» Lumpini Park – a huge park sitting in the middle of the bustling city where you can just relax and walk around the area
You will then hop into a cab and head to the airport to begin the long journey back home. Hope you enjoy Thailand and all that it offers!
Head over to the Thailand itineraries and guides page to check out some more helpful posts, and feel free to comment below with any questions!
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