INCREDIBLE THAILAND AND LAOS BY TRAIN

After arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), you’ll be met by one of our representatives and transferred to your hotel. You’ll have some time to relax and settle into your surroundings before meeting up with the rest of the group for a welcome dinner.

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll be picked up and driven to Bangkok train station to board the cross-country train to Phitsanulok. This small, historic city is the gateway to a number of significant archeological sites, including Sukhothai, the ancient Khmer-era city and once-capital. This is where we’ll be heading directly from the station – Sukhothai Historical Park spans a mind-boggling 70 km/sq, and features around 21 individual sites, including the central ruins of Wat Mahathat, with its lotus bud-shaped stupas and landscaped gardens. You’ll have a couple of hours to explore at your own pace, before we regroup to head back to the hotel for the evening.

Enjoy a laid-back breakfast in Sukhothai this morning before being picked up and taken to Phitsanulok station for the train to Chiang Mai. We’ll rattle through lush green countryside and peaceful rural villages before arriving in this dazzling city, an interwoven mesh of Thailand’s past and present. After dropping bags at your hotel, we’ll hit the streets on foot  – to sample the city’s famous street food, and see the sights.

Ease into your stay in Chiang Mai with a leisurely start – after breakfast at your hotel, we’ll head over to a cookery school where you’ll learn how to whip up an authentic Thai dish for lunch. After paying your compliments to the chef (that’s you), take the rest of the afternoon to explore Chiang Mai at your own pace.

If yesterday was all about taking it easy, today is all-action. After breakfast we’ll pick you up and head over to an ethical Asian elephant sanctuary in Mae Wang. You’ll have the chance to get up close with the gentle giants, helping the team there feed them, take them for a walk and give them a mud bath. Afterwards, you’ll be taken on a serene trip along the Wang River on a traditional bamboo raft, before we regroup to head to your accommodation – a secluded glamping site surrounded by lush rainforest. When night falls, we’ll get together for a BBQ dinner and drinks beneath the stars.

After breakfast, we’ll be driving cross-country to Chiang Khong district, on the border with Laos. After arriving and checking into your hotel, you’ll have the rest of the day free to spend however you like.

Welcome to Laos! Today, after obtaining your visa to cross the border (with the help of our Local Insider), we’ll board a cruise boat for a float along the Mekong River. You’ll be treated to an authentic Laos lunch on board, before we disembark later in the afternoon to visit a traditional Khmu village (Laos’s indigenous population) to learn about rural life in Laos. Later, we’ll check into our accommodation where you’ll have the rest of the evening free to yourself.

After breakfast this morning, we’ll re-board the Mekong River cruise and continue on downstream towards Luang Prabang. Along the way you’ll enjoy an onboard demonstration on how to make authentic Lao drinks and desserts, which, of course, you’ll be able to enjoy as the lush green landscape drifts by. We’ll disembark enroute to visit Ban Baw, a rural village that specialises in the production of Lao-Lao rice whisky. We’ll also hop ashore to visit the Pak Ou caves, an important pilgrimage site for Lao people. Once in Luang Prabang you’ll check into your hotel and enjoy some free time before we regroup for dinner in the evening.

It’s time to lace up your hiking boots, as today we’re going to be heading out into Laos’s steamy green rainforest in search of paradise. The particular paradise in question? Kuang Si Falls – where turquoise water tumbles down over tiered, step-like sections of a forest stream. Once there, you’ll have a few hours to splash about in the gem-coloured waters before we head back to Luang Prabang, where you’ll have the rest of the day free to spend at your own pace.

A high-speed train, in laid-back Laos? That’s right – the Boten - Vientiane railway, opened in 2021, runs the length of Laos and makes today’s journey – to Vang Vieng newly doable as a day-trip. The city of Vang Vieng itself is a hotspot for adventurous travellers looking for adrenaline-fueled thrills in the mountainous landscape. For you today, however, it’s all about checking in (to your hotel for the night), and checking out your surroundings with a free afternoon and evening.

Fuel up at breakfast this morning, as today we’ll be burning some calories exploring the Nam Song River by kayak. This gentle river flows through the centre of Vang Vieng and through a landscape characterised by towering limestone karsts, cloaked in dense foliage. You’ll pass green-carpeted crop fields, locals doing their laundry on the rocky banks and shack-like bars that have opened up and down the river to serve cold beers to sun-kissed day-trippers.

Cameras at the ready as we get this adventure back on track with a train transfer back to Bangkok. The first leg sees you boarding the high-speed train from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, before transferring across the Thai border into Nong Khai and boarding the overnight sleeper train bound for Bangkok.

Your first glimpse of the Thai capital may have been fleeting, but this time you’ll have the opportunity to get to know it – with the help of our Local Insider, who’ll take you on an expert walking tour. Afterwards you’ll have the rest of the day free to explore at your leisure, before we regroup in the evening for a final farewell dinner – the perfect opportunity to toast an unforgettable adventure!

After a final breakfast at your hotel, make your way to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to catch your flight home.