Northern Thai Highlights
From CAD $1805
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(20 reviews)
The North of Thailand is a haven for travellers, and it's easy to see why. Venturing into this part of the world sees you explore bustling cities and picturesque highlands. Expect to see a side to Thailand that most people miss, like staying overnight in a floating jungle raft, learning to cook the local cuisine like a pro, basking in the gilded Grand Palace, and eating your way around the Pai night markets. And that's just a sprinkling of what we have in store for you.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 6 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Dinner (D)
- 2 Lunch (L)
FAQs
- Bangkok: What does a modular trip mean? A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
Included Experience
- Bangkok: Nose around the gilded Royal Palace, then travel like a local: floating down the Rivers.
- Kanchanaburi: A sombre slice of history. See the Death Railway Museum, WWII Cemetery and the famous Bridge itself.
- Kanchanaburi: Candle-lit rooms.In the middle of the jungle. And lots of delicious local food to devour. It's really a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Oh, and you can even jump in the river directly from your room! IKR.
- Kanchanaburi: Cool off in emerald pools, shower under a waterfall and get your step count up. All in a day's work.
- Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya: Golden temples, a giant reclining Buddha and so many incredible sights to see. Try not to fall off your bike in shock!
- Chiang Mai: Meet these gentle giants (plus rescued rabbits, cats and water buffalo) at this Elephant Nature Park – a kind-hearted elephant sanctuary.
Trip Details
Product Code: 27223
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
18 - 35 Year Olds Only, Budget
Tour Operator:
Contiki (CA)
Supplier Code: 152.1392C
Starts: Bangkok, Thailand
Finishes: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Duration: 8 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1805 ($226 /day)
Itinerary
Touch down in Thailand's capital. After checking into our hotel there'll be time for DIY exploring, a massage or lying by the pool to catch the first of that sweet tropical sunshine. Later we'll rendezvous back at base so you can hear what's in store for the trip, then the night is yours to enjoy authentic Pad thai & the Khao San road nightlife.
Accommodation: Nouvo City Hotel (or similar)
The Royal Palace and its 61 acres of incredible buildings will be number one on today's to do list. We'll start the day early, with so much to see there's no time to waste. Just listing today's sites gives us the butterflies, and we'll take it all in with our Local Guide leading the charge. Armed with more Local knowledge than we know what to do with, get ready to explore. Bangkok, you've been a dream, but the show must go on! Fast becoming a must-visit in this part of the world, we make tracks to our next destination, the sleepy town of Kanchanaburi to really get local. Next up, we'll visit the WWII Cemetery and the Bridge on River Kwai. There's nothing like getting some local transport to keep things interesting, so we'll pop into a boat along the River Kwai where we'll reach our home for the night, the The Jungle Raft Hotel, Kanchanaburi. Rooms lit by candle light are what you'll be greeted with, followed by a delicious included dinner of local specialities at dusk. You can even jump in the river directly from your room. Amazing! Because of course here at Contiki we like to keep things a bit special. Tonight as we watch the sunset over the landscape we'll no doubt be toasting our first full day on the trip and contemplating just how good life is.
Accommodation: River Kwai Jungle Rafts (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
We’ll start our day with a visit to the breathtaking Erawan Falls, one of the most famous National Parks of Thailand, made up from seven levels of incredible waterfalls. Take a refreshing dip in the pools or spend your time hiking the trails (with epic photo ops). We’ll make a stop in the UNESCO listed city of Ayutthaya, once the capital of Kingdom of Siam before being destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th Century. We'll grab bikes & ride past ornate temples, towering spires and ancient palaces. Later, we board our overnight train to Chiang Mai. Lay back and relax this evening, as we journey towards Chiang Mai.
Accommodation: Overnight Train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
We'll pull into Thailand's northern capital of Chiang Mai bright and early, but we're going to keep this adventure going as we roll on into Pai this morning. Prepare to fall in love with this picturesque mountain town. The rest of the day is yours to explore this traveller's paradise your way. Head out on foot or by bike, and adventure down Pai's little streets that pack some punch. Be sure to head out to experience Pai by night. The food in the night markets? You don't wanna miss out on it.
Accommodation: Baan Krating Pai Resort (or similar)
With another full day in this charming town, be sure to have a strong shot of Thai espresso from one of the local cafes to get up and get going again. Just try to save some juice in the tank for an optional afternoon Muay Thai skills class with an expert, before we head out for our final night in Pai.
Accommodation: Baan Krating Pai Resort (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we're Chiang Mai bound, but we're treating ourselves on the way with a visit to the Elephant Nature Park. This park is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre that not only provides a sanctuary for the elephants, but gives us the once in a lifetime chance to get up close to these gentle giants. Tonight, there's a chance for you to spend the evening zipping around on a Vespa as we explore the small streets and alleyways of Chiang Mai. We’ll see some iconic street art and monuments in between food stops at family restaurants and street vendors. Taste the amazing flavours of Tom Kha Gai and BBQ skewers before topping it all off with some live music in the market district. Just ask your Trip Manager for the best tips on where to head and what to do.
Accommodation: The Empress Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Today is yours to make the most of the laid-back city of Chiang Mai. Maybe head out into the city's heart on foot and explore the old town, or treat yourself to a traditional Thai massage. Later this evening, you have the chance to dabble in the art of authentic Thai cooking so you can wow everyone back home with a mean Pad Thai.
Accommodation: The Empress Hotel (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we say fond farewells before going our separate ways. Dry those tears, because no doubt we'll make big plans to reunite somewhere special soon. Want to see more of Thailand? Check out Total Thailand for the full trip.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Contiki (CA)
Contiki is a New Zealand-based tour company that caters to 18 to 35-year-olds, offering over 350 different tours in over 75 countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.[1] It is a subsidiary of The Travel Corporation. Its tours historically had a reputation for partying;[2][3] however, it also operates wellness trips culturally immersive experiences that focus less on alcohol, which are more popular with Generation Z.[4] The company owns lodging facilities in Europe, including the Chateau De Cruix, a 16th century castle in the Beaujolais wine region, and the Gasthof Schoneck in the Austrian Tyrol. The name "Contiki" comes from the portmanteau 'Con' from the word 'Continent' and 'Tiki'; from the Māori referring to the first man, often symbolised as a pendant known as hei-tiki. It can also be attributed to the New Zealand slang 'Tiki-tour' describing taking a longer route to a destination in order to explore.[5]
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Anonymous - Traveled, November 2023
Vesper tour, was amazing view of Chiang Mai and the people were lovely. Jeff and port were incredibly funny and got along well with the entire group. Would recommend the tour and those people to anyone.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/20/2023
Darcy Cavanagh - Traveled, November 2023
Vesper after dark tour was awesome sauce and so was the bike ride through Chiang Mai
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/20/2023
Rodrigo Johnson - Traveled, October 2023
It was easy and very flexible. We had to rebook a couple of times and there was never a problem, so we loved that. My highlight was home "Personal information removed by Feefo*, our trip manager, helped create a great bond amongst everyone in the group. And how every experience we had together was an unforgettable one!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/15/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, September 2023
*Personal Information removed by Feefo* was an amazing tour guide. The experiences were all well delivered. The trip was 10/10. Definitely a great purchase for my first solo and contiki trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/30/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, October 2023
Booking the trip was incredibly easy, and Contiki support agents were available via chat the whole way through. Information, communication and support was provided in a timely and effective manner prior to going on trip. Itinerary was action-packed, which is what you (I) want in a 7/8-day trip. There was opportunity for down-time on the free days, but on those days there were plenty of "free time add-on" opportunities to participate in as well. Definite highlights for myself would be the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the special stay at the Jungle Rafts in Kanchanaburi, the overnight train experience, the night market in Pai, eating Kao Soi and drinking iced Thai Tea with milk, the Elephant Nature Park and walking around Chiang Mai in the evenings. "personal info removed by Feefo* was a fantastic trip manager and their wealth of knowledge in the region allowed them to answer some pretty random questions I had like "which ATM should I withdraw cash from", "what should I do in the south of Thailand after this tour ends", and some in-depth cultural questions too. *personal info removed by Feefo* also flawlessly navigated potential logistical issues, which made the trip very enjoyable. My recommendations for travelers would be to take this trip if you plan on going to Thailand because having the logistics planned for you when travelling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai really reduced my stress of travelling and allowed me to enjoy my vacation more. Also consider participating in the Total Thailand trip which includes this trip plus the southern region of Thailand because my FOMO was very real after leaving the group and seeing their photos of Khao Sok National Park and Krabi as they continued on.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/15/2023
Lachi Langmaid - Traveled, September 2023
Everything was well organised and clear! *Personal Information removed by Feefo* was amazing and so bubbly which made the group all gel well!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/25/2023
Kaily Geranen-Groover - Traveled, January 2023
My trip was nothing short of amazing. Our guide Jelly was incredible and accommodative, but I was especially impressed with the activities and excursions. They were top notch and much more authentic than what I would have been able to find on my own. Jelly also knew the best restaurants and bars for our down time, so we didn't waste one part of our day at a less-than-spectacular experience. My trip was nothing short of amazing. Our guide Jelly was incredible and accommodative, but I was especially impressed with the activities and excursions. They were top notch and much more authentic than what I would have been able to find on my own. Jelly also knew the best restaurants and bars for our down time, so we didn't waste one part of our day at a less-than-spectacular experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/30/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, August 2023
From booking the trip to the day that I step on the plane, I felt that I always felt like I had everything i needed. Even if the information was not ready to give out yet there was always a notification on the my contiki site that allowed me to know when it was ready or the rough estimate when it should be available to view. Everything on this trip was amazing, from the welcoming email from our Trip Manager Tone to the beautiful Thailand. On this trip there was always the option to do what you want, if you'd rather lay by the pool there was always time to do so or if you would rather be hiking through the jungle there was experiences as like that as well. This trip had everything from the city life of Thailand to the more local and rural living.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/25/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, August 2023
Excellent trip with good company. Sometimes the pace did seem to focus on seeing as much as possible compared to spending more quality time at each location but overall great trip with an excellent guide. Some accomdoations could have been slightly improved but overall strong value.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/25/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, August 2023
Support agents before I purchased my booking weren't able to accurately answer my questions/concerns about the trip. After booking, the information about when and how to book an airport transfer service through Contiki was unclear - I kept waiting for the option to appear in my My Contiki portal, and it never did. When I finally called to ask about it, the support person said that I may not be able to book it anymore because I had waited until too late. I was fortunately still able to, but this wasn't a positive User Interface experience. The jam-packed, diverse itinerary that added several new experiences every single day
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/18/2023
Shelli Wanniarachchige - Traveled, April 2023
Bonding with the group
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/30/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, April 2023
Recommend to do atleast one of these in your life time great travel managers, awesome local guides and new friendships. There were alot of activities but also option to sit some activities out if you need to recharge. Activities were amazing. Trip managers do such a good job, they are so knowledgeable and make sure each individual person has the information they need.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/30/2023
Vanessa Cosme - Traveled, March 2023
I would definitely go on a Contiki tour again. Jasmine was amazing. She went above and beyond in making our group have the best time. My only critique about the tour would be, i wish the days in Bangkok would have been longer. I believe that the trip was worth the price.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/15/2023
Bridget Rickard - Traveled, March 2023
Our travel agent booked it so it was easy for us. As for communication our contiki trip manager Jasmine sent us a very detailed email before we started our tour with a bunch of useful information in regards to our upcoming trip and the country we were going to which was extremely helpful and appreciated. I loved everything we did as well as all the extra activities that were offered to us! Our trip manager Jasmine was absolutely amazing! If there was something you needed or wanted to do she would find a way to make it happen. She organised to many extra fun things for us as well which was great. My only recommendation is to just book the trip!!!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/15/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, March 2023
We booked with our travel aharnt so it was easy I absolutely loved the trip! All the included activities and extra activities we did were great. Our trip manager Jaz was wonderful, she organised so many extra fun activities for us to do and if we wanted to do something that wasn't part of our itinerary she'd find a way to make it happen. My only recommendation is to just book the trip because you won't regret it!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/15/2023
Srividhya Thirumalairajan - Traveled, February 2023
Loved the trip!! Would do it again and highly recommend the southern Thailand trip as well! Best trip experience ever and I am glad I did it!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/28/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, February 2023
Trip of a life time. Great experience. Great experience! Highly recommend
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/28/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, January 2023
Very helpful. Wonderful experience! Well planned trip with very fun activities and add-ons
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/30/2023
Stephen Peters - Traveled, December 2023
Quick and easy. It was a fantastic first solo trip! a true adventure. I'm glad I went and will remember it for my life
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/18/2023
Anonymous - Traveled, December 2023
The jungle raft hotel was a great experience that I wouldn't have found on my own. I also really liked the cooking class, I think the whole group opted into that one.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/18/2023
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