Thailand Unhurried
Eleven days for families: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the Krabi coast
Two nights in Bangkok to get over the flight, four in Chiang Mai for elephants, temples and a cooking class children actually enjoy, then four on the Andaman coast around Krabi, where the limestone islands start a few minutes offshore. Short flights replace long drives, and each stop has a pool for the hottest part of the afternoon.
This is a starting-point itinerary — we adapt every detail to your travel dates, interests, pace, and group. Speak to our concierge to begin.
Indicative price
from £250 per person per day
For 2 travellers sharing a room, from published entry-level hotel rates and ground costs read on 10 October 2026. How we calculate it
Request this itineraryIncluded
- 10 nights' accommodation in one of the hotels named for each stage
- Private English-speaking guide and driver in Bangkok and Chiang Mai
- All airport transfers
- A named Excurze concierge before and during the trip
Each stage has two or three hotels we know well. We propose the one that fits your dates and budget, and swap it if you prefer another.
Bangkok2 nights
Heritage
Chao Phraya riverside
On the river since 1876, with its own boats to the temples.
Luxury
Thonburi bank of the river
Every room faces the river; hotel shuttle boats cross to the city side.
Chiang Mai4 nights
Luxury
Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
Mae Rim valley, north of the city
Pavilions among working rice terraces, with family residences.
Luxury
Anantara Chiang Mai Resort
Mae Ping riverfront
Built around the former British Consulate, walking distance to the night bazaar.
Heritage
Wat Gate, east of the old city
A nineteenth-century teak house of the Borneo Company, with suites around a garden.
Krabi4 nights
Luxury
Banyan Tree Krabi
Tubkaek beach
Pool villas on Tubkaek beach.
Bangkok
Arrive in Bangkok
Private transfer from Suvarnabhumi airport
Afternoon by the pool, early dinner by the river
Sleep: Bangkok (2 nights)
Bangkok
Temples by longtail boat
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho with your guide, early before the heat
Longtail boat through the Thonburi canals to Wat Arun
Evening food walk in Chinatown
Sleep: Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Fly to Chiang Mai
Short flight north (about an hour)
Evening at the Night Bazaar
Sleep: Chiang Mai (4 nights)
Chiang Mai
A day with elephants
An observation-only elephant sanctuary: feeding and walking with the herd, no riding
Afternoon back at the hotel
Sleep: Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Old city and a cooking class
Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh in the old city
Market visit and a family cooking class
Optional evening at the night bazaar
Sleep: Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai day trip
About three hours by road each way
Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, and the Blue Temple
The Golden Triangle viewpoint over the Mekong
Sleep: Chiang Mai
Krabi
Fly to Krabi
Flight to Krabi (direct or via Bangkok)
Transfer to the hotel; Rayavadee guests continue by boat
Sleep: Krabi (4 nights)
Krabi
Islands by longtail
Private longtail boat to the Hong islands and the lagoon
Snorkelling stops on the way back
Sleep: Krabi
Krabi
Railay
Phra Nang beach and its cave
Introductory rock climbing for older children, with an instructor
Sleep: Krabi
Krabi
A free day on the beach
Nothing planned
Sunset dinner on the sand
Sleep: Krabi
Krabi
Departure
Transfer to Krabi airport for your flight home
An early boat to Maya Bay before the day-trip crowds arrive.
Two nights in Khao Sok
Floating rafthouses on Cheow Lan lake, between Chiang Mai and the coast.
Swap Krabi for Koh Samui
Gulf coast instead of the Andaman, better from May to September.
A night in Ayutthaya
The old royal capital by river boat from Bangkok.
Best time to go
November to February
Cool and dry in the north, calm seas on the Andaman coast. The coast stays good until April.
Less suited: May to October on the Krabi coast (monsoon and rough seas) and March to April in the north (heat and smoke haze)
from £250 per person per day
This is an indication, not a quote. It adds up the lowest published entry-level rates we found for the hotel we priced at each stage, plus the cost of a private guide and car, divides by 2 travellersand 11 days, and rounds up to the next £50. Peak-season rates, larger rooms and the other hotels named above will change it. Your quote will be built on your dates.
| Item | Rate | In pounds |
|---|---|---|
Bangkok, 2 nights at The Peninsula Bangkok (lowest of the three, from a single comparison article) Travel Arbitrage, Mandarin Oriental vs Peninsula 2026 | 380 USD × 2 | £575 |
Chiang Mai, 4 nights at 137 Pillars House Trip.com, 137 Pillars House | 427 USD × 4 | £1,292 |
Krabi, 4 nights at Banyan Tree Krabi Hotels.com, Banyan Tree Krabi | 476 USD × 4 | £1,440 |
Private guide and driver, 6 days (Chiang Mai upper rate for two adults, applied to Bangkok too) Off Path Thailand, Chiang Mai private guide and driver 2026 | 13,000 THB × 6 | £1,760 |
Car with driver for Krabi transfers, 2 days Southeast Asia Simplified, Thailand driver hire 2026 | 4,200 THB × 2 | £189 |
| Total for 2 travellers | £5,256 | |
| Per person per day (£5,256 ÷ 2 ÷ 11), rounded up to £50 | £250 | |
The figure covers
- 10 nights in the lead hotel at each stage, entry-level room for two adults
- Private guide and driver in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and transfers in Krabi
Not included
- International flights and the two domestic flights
- Extra beds or connecting rooms for children (rates vary by hotel)
- Longtail boat charters, the elephant sanctuary and the cooking class
- Meals not included in the hotel rate, optional modules and tips
Converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of 9 October 2026. Hotel rates come from third-party booking and guide sites and change with dates and availability; each line links to the page we read.
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