Thailand Tours Guide: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khao Sok
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Thailand is the region’s easiest country to travel. Transport works, accommodation exists at every budget, and you can change plans on a day’s notice. The challenge is the opposite of Vietnam’s: there is so much on offer that it is hard to tell the good tours from the tourist traps. This guide covers the ones we list on JetlyGo’s Thailand tours hub and explains why.
Bangkok: see the city by bike
Bangkok traffic is famous, which is exactly why cycling tours work so well. They use back lanes, canal paths and river ferries that cars cannot reach.
The standout is Bang Krachao, a loop of the Chao Phraya River that stayed green while the city grew around it. Locals call it Bangkok’s green lung. The Bang Krachao bike tour rides raised walkways through orchards and mangroves, and there is a rickshaw version with no cycling for anyone who would rather sit back.
After dark, the city cools down and the temples light up. The Bangkok night bike tour passes through Chinatown and finishes with Wat Arun lit across the river.
Day trips from the capital are easy too. Ayutthaya, the old royal capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is about 80 km north. The Ayutthaya temple bike tour covers the ruined temples at cycling pace. Browse all Bangkok tours and day trips.
Chiang Mai: the north’s adventure base
Chiang Mai sits in the mountains about 700 km north of Bangkok, and it is cooler, slower and greener than the capital. It is also where most of Thailand’s adventure tours start.
Ethical elephant sanctuaries
Riding elephants is no longer acceptable, and the better sanctuaries let you walk with, feed and watch rescued animals instead. The elephant sanctuary half-day morning visit is the easiest to fit in. For more time with the herd, the walking with rescued elephants full day follows them into the forest.
Rafting, hiking and cycling
The Mae Taeng River has some of the best white water in the country from roughly July to February. The Mae Taeng white water rafting trip is suitable for first-timers.
Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, is a day trip away. The Doi Inthanon waterfalls hike combines the summit trails with the falls on the way down. Something different and genuinely fun is the Sticky Waterfall cycling day trip, where mineral deposits make the rock grippy enough to walk straight up the cascade.
Food lovers should not miss the Chiang Mai evening food tour by bike, which stops at stalls where northern dishes like khao soi are made properly. See every Chiang Mai tour and day trip.
Phuket and the Andaman coast
Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and the base for most trips on the Andaman Sea. The sea is calm from roughly November to April and rough from May to October, so plan boat trips accordingly.
Two trips cover the classic scenery. The Phi Phi Islands early speedboat tour leaves before the crowds reach Maya Bay. The Phang Nga Bay sea cave kayak tour paddles into hidden lagoons inside the limestone islands. Browse all Phuket tours and boat trips.
North of Phuket, Khao Lak is the jumping-off point for the Similan Islands, one of Asia’s best dive sites. The national park is only open from mid-October to mid-May. A Similan Islands liveaboard from Khao Lak is the way to see it properly.
Khao Sok and Cheow Lan Lake
Khao Sok National Park protects one of the oldest rainforests in the world, and in its centre is Cheow Lan Lake, an emerald reservoir ringed by limestone cliffs. You can sleep on the water in floating raft houses.
From Phuket, the Cheow Lan Lake day trip is a long but rewarding day. Staying the night is far better. The Khao Sok jungle and lake 3 day tour includes a raft house night, jungle walks and early-morning wildlife spotting.
Kuraburi and the Surin Islands
Kuraburi, further north on the coast, is quiet and almost untouched by mass tourism. It is the base for the Surin Islands and the Moken, a sea-nomad community. The Surin Islands Moken village snorkeling tour combines some of the clearest water in Thailand with a respectful village visit. For a slower stay, see the Ban Talae Nok village homestay.
When to visit Thailand
| Region | Best months | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok and centre | November to February | March to May is very hot |
| North (Chiang Mai) | November to February | Smoky haze from burning season in March and April |
| Andaman coast (Phuket, Khao Lak) | November to April | Similan Islands closed mid-May to mid-October |
| Khao Sok | December to April | Wet season is lush but trails get muddy |
Going further
- Flying on to Bali? Bangkok has frequent direct flights. Read the Indonesia tours guide.
- Crossing overland to Angkor? See the Cambodia tours guide.
- Building a route through several countries? Start with the multi-country itineraries.
Every Thailand listing, including the Thailand multi-day tours, can be booked on jetlygo.com.