As a wondrous kingdom, Thailand is famous for Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife and spectacular islands. With The Best of Thailand 10 Days, you will have a nice experience with an overland trip through many wonders of this beautiful country. Start in Bangkok - the center for most commercial and economical activities of the Kingdom, you will be given a chance to discover this charming city with a variety of tourist sites such as: Royal Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaeo, Golden Chedi and Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Leaving Bangkok, we then start our overland trip with the first stop at Ayutthaya to visit the ancient city and then Uthai Thani and to enjoy the natural resources, such as forests and wildlife. Continue trip to Sukhothai, most famous for the ruins of the ancient city Sukhothai which was the Thai capital during the 13th Century A.D. Heading further north to Chiang Mai, the charming city rich of culture – you will enjoy the beauty ancient wonders coexist with modern Thai style. Get the nice experience by elephant back riding trip through the jungle and bamboo rafting along a very picturesque stretch of the Mea Ping River to see the beautiful scenery down the river. Extend your time to explore the infamous Golden Triangle where you'll learn about the region's opium trade and get a closer look at Laos and Burma during a river boat ride. Relax in a local village before climbing to a border peak that offers breathtaking views over Laos. End the trip with the final visit of lovely Chiang Rai.

Highlights:

• Exploration in Bangkok city with temple of the Royal Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaeo and Golden Chedi
• Scenic drive from Bangkok to the golden triangle by car
• Boat trip to explore Damnoen Saduak floating market - the most popular floating market to get an insight into a bygone way of life
• Drop a visit to Jim Thompson House 
• Enjoy the natural resources, such as forests and wildlife and visit of the ancient ruins, temples at Aytthaya and Sukhothai
• Visit Kamphaeng Pet Historical Park, Unesco heritage site in Sukhothai
• Horse carriage riding to visit a Burmese style temple at Wat Prakaew Dontao at Lampang
• Visit the glittering temples and the hill tribe village in Chiang Mai
• New experience with elephant riding through the jungle and bamboo rafting along the river
• Exploration of the infamous Golden Triangle to learn more about the region's opium trade
• Take river boat ride along the Mekong River to get a closer look at Laos and Burma
• Charming hotels in great locations
• Comfortable & spacious vehicle for transfers

Itinerary in brief:

Day 1: Bangkok Arrival (-/-/-)
Day 2: Bangkok - Damnoen Saduak Floating market (B/L/-)
Day 3: Bangkok - Ayuthaya - Uthai Thani (B/L/-)
Day 4: Uthai Thani - Phitsanulok - Sukhothai (B/L/-)
Day 5: Sukhothai - Sri Satchanalai - Chiang Mai (B/L/-)
Day 6: Chiang Mai (B/L/-)
Day 7: Chiang Mai - Elephant Camp (B/L/-)
Day 8: Chiang Mai - Golden Triangle - Chiang Rai (B/L/-)
Day 9: Chiang Rai - Mae Sai - Chiang Saen - Chiang Rai (B/L/-)
Day 10: Chiang Rai - Departure (B/-/-)

• Ability to change the direction of the program
• Possibility of an extension in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam

Notes:

- We specialize in “tailor-made” tours for groups of two or more. We carefully inspect each step of your journey from the accommodation to the perfect guide to suit your needs
- The itinerary is open to modification to fit your personal travel needs
- Modifications to the itinerary may increase the price of the package
- For the price of this trip, just ask for a quote by clicking on "TOUR PRICE" above
- If you are looking for a trip modified to your requirements, please send us your needs by filling out the form in “Customize your trip” 
- We will contact and send you a quote, excluding holiday period, within 48 hours of receiving your request. 

Prices

This trip is private and therefore can be altered to suit your needs, date of commencement and budget requirements.

Prices vary due to a number of specifics:

• The period: during high season (from October till April), the price of services is generally higher compared to the low season (from May till September).
• The number of participants: the more of you travel together, the less you will pay.
• The choice of hotels: a 5-star hotel for example can cost ten times as much as a 2-star hotel; two hotels all classified among the three stars may have different prices if they are more or less charming.
• The activities during the trip: two trips on the same itinerary and of the same length can have two different prices depending on the number and nature of activities included.
• The booking date: in some cases, too close booking departure date can raise the price due to the low availability of services.

Inclusion:

• Accommodation as recommended or similar category according to availability.
• Transfers according to program by private air-conditioned vehicle with driver except free day
• English-speaking guide’s assistance at every stage
• Meals as indicated in program (B: Breakfast /L: Lunch / D: Dinner)
• Entrance fees for attractions included in the program
• Domestic air ticket: Chiang Rai – Bangkok
• Elephant riding in Chiang Mai
• Water and cool tissues
• Government taxes & service charge

Exclusion:

• Other drinks and meals not clearly mentioned
• Early check-in, late check-out
• Personal expenditures, tips
• Personal insurance (compulsory)
• Any service not clearly mentioned in the program
• International air transfers associated with airport taxes
• Visa and visa arrangement (available upon request)

Booking

Here are 2 steps to book your trip with Tonkin-Travel:

Step 1. Focus on your travel program:

You can choose this trip as is or customize it to your specific desires. Just click on the “Customize this trip” tab and fill in the form. One of our travel consultants will contact you within 48 hours to develop the travel program based on your specifications.

Step 2. Booking:

• Following the first step, tour program is selected and we access the rates.
• Upon confirmation of the trip, the registration must be accompanied by a deposit up to 25% of the total estimate.
• For programs with private junk (cruise) and/or 5 star hotels, the deposit is represented by 30% of the total estimate.
• Tonkin-Travel carries out the booking process upon receipt of the deposit. Confirmation of these reservations is sent to customer within 10 days via email

Nature of travel

This trip is private. That implies:

• You will be escorted by a private guide and driver. This approach guarantees a smooth trip with fewer organizational constraints.
• You will be the master of your trip. We guarantee flexibility in organizing visits at your request.
• Our services will be personalized according to your desires. Thus the proposals in this package are not fixed and you can bring suggest all the desired changes.
• You receive individualized care: ample food, organizing small events (anniversary, honeymoon, etc.), targeted information, followed necessary modifications, etc.

Accommodation

• Accommodation is an important expenditure of your trip. When you choose a luxury trip for example, the accommodation can represent three quarters of the price. Thus, your choice of hotels is closely related to your budget.
• Tonkin-Travel has negotiated rates with a wide range of hotels from 2 to 5 stars.
• In some places you will have the option to choose ‘home-stay’. Although this provides less comfort that a hotel it is a truly authentic experience and highly recommended for at least one night of your journey.

Transport

All transfers during your trip are covered by private vehicle with driver, unless otherwise indicated in our offer. We ensure that our vehicles are new and comfortable. Fuel, tolls, accommodation, compensation and the driver are included in our offer. Only gratuities are not included and are at your discretion.

The size of the selected vehicle is based on the number of tour participants according to the following quality standards:

Domestic flights

If your trip includes domestic flights if any, they will be operated by Vietnam Airlines, the largest airline in Vietnam. The fleet consists mainly of Airbus and Boeing. On some short trips, the company operates 72 ATR and some Fokker.

Rail transport

Train travel can be offered (particularly between Hanoi-Lao Cai and Hanoi-Hue). Travelling at a speed of 60km/h on average it is not necessarily the fastest but an interesting experience nonetheless.