Classic 2 Weeks in Thailand

The arrival hub: temples, markets, and rooftop food, walkable in the cool season.

• Grand Palace and Wat Pho (book tickets online to skip the queue)
• Chatuchak Weekend Market, the largest market in Southeast Asia
• Street food crawl along Yaowarat (Chinatown) by night
• Chao Phraya river ferry to Wat Arun at sunrise

Tip · Arrive a day before you think you need to. Bangkok traffic is unpredictable and the heat on day one is always a shock.

Cool-season mountain base for temples, trekking, and night markets.

• Doi Suthep temple: take the songthaew up before 8 am to beat the crowds
• Night Bazaar and Sunday Walking Street for street food and crafts
• Half-day Thai cooking class (book the morning slot for the market tour)
• Old city moat walk, the most photogenic stretch in the north

Tip · Night buses between Bangkok and Chiang Mai save on accommodation and travel time. Nakhon Chai Air is the most comfortable operator.

Limestone cliffs, Railay, and a launchpad for Andaman island-hopping.

• Four Islands snorkel tour (departs daily from Ao Nang pier)
• Tiger Cave Temple: 1,237 steps to a 360-degree mountain view
• Hong Islands longtail trip to the inner lagoon
• Sunset seafood dinner on the Ao Nang beachfront

Cliff-framed beaches in Krabi province, reachable only by longtail boat. The big draw is rock climbing.

• Rock climbing on the limestone walls, with routes graded for first-timers
• Phra Nang Cave Beach, one of the best stretches of sand in the country
• Longtail across to the lagoon, then the scramble up to the viewpoint
• Sundowners on West Railay as the cliffs turn gold

Tip · Railay is cut off by cliffs, so the only way in is a longtail from Ao Nang or Krabi. No roads, no cars. Pack light.