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What time of year is the best to visit Thailand?
Before getting into the itinerary, let's look at when you should go to Thailand. Thailand is one of those lucky countries that has great weather year round. While November to April is technically the dry season, I have also visited in July (which is considered to be a part of the wet season) and didn't notice that it was rainier than when I visited in March or April.
One thing that does make a difference though is burning season. This is when farmers burn their crops, and usually starts at the end of February and ends the beginning of April. It mainly affects northern Thailand, so if you're going south you don't have to worry but if you're going to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Pai, it can make or break your trip. I have travelled Thailand during this time and found it didn't get really bad until mid to late March, but would avoid being in the north in March if you can.
But whenever you go, you'll want to get yourself an e-sim so you don't have to waste time buying a sim when you get there! I recommend using Airalo. It's quick, easy, cheap and so far has worked everywhere I've tried to use it except Puerto Vallarta. I would download it before you go then activate it in the airport when you land!
Bangkok: Days 1 - 3
If you’re flying into Thailand, odds are you're flying into Bangkok. And why not? Bangkok is an enigma.
But I’m not gunna lie, Bangkok isn’t my favourite city. Or at least, it wasn’t—at first. It’s hot, sticky, not overly walkable and, other than nightlife, can be hard to know what to do. But the more times I visited, the more the city grew on me.
In my opinion, to love Bangkok you either need a short trip that is very well planned, or to stay there for months and really dive deep into the city. But since you only have a couple of days, I recommend option 1. For my full breakdown of what to do on each day, including cultural experiences, restaurant and bar recommendations, 420 options and more, check out my downloadable guide complete with a Google Maps list you can carry with you (coming soon!).
Otherwise, my top recommendations for Bangkok are to check out the food markets (Jodd Fairs is a newer one and one of my favourite's if you want a more trendy, city vibe!), visit the cultural landmarks such as the Grand Palace and the Wat Saket temple, sample the nightlife at a trendy speakeasy style bar such as #FindTheLockerRoom or else find a spot on a patio at Soy Cowboy (keep in mind it’s a red light area!), and finally, look into day trips such as visiting the Maeklong Railway Market or Ayutthaya!
How to get around? Take the train! The train and buses are super cheap, and can generally get you where you need to go. Or if you do want to get somewhere faster, use Grab to rent a taxi or bike.
Of course another option, if you're comfortable haggling, is to find a taxi or bike on the street. You can sometimes get a cheaper price, but check the Grab price first so you know what price you want to get under or else insist on using the meter (though I found most cabs will decline this 😅). The only time I absolutely insist on using the meter was my taxi from the airport, and I 100% recommend doing this because it will be cheaper, you are most likely to be taken advantage of from this location, and Grab won’t pick you up at the airport).
It's a weird system because you'll get a printed taxi number and driver, but then when you find the correct drive they will still try to make you agree on a price at the start. But just keep insisting on the meter, and don't give them the paper because it has the phone number to call in case you have to. Also keep in mind that from the airport, having bags costs extra for a taxi. And last taxi advice—always ask about tolls.
Okay, moving on!
Chiang Mai: Day 3 (or 4) - 7
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Next stop, Chiang Mai! You have a couple ways to get here, but my favourite is the overnight train. Why? Because it’s an experience! And while I love travelling, I hate airports.
The overnight train takes about 13 hrs, is perfectly comfortable, and saves you needing to book a hotel for the night. Win win! You can book the train on 12Go, that’s what I did and had no issues! The other option is of course, to fly, which takes only about an hour.
If you take the overnight train on Day 3 you arrive on Day 4 but if you fly, you can fly the evening of Day 3 and arrive also on Day 3 (to help explain my confusing labeling above 😅).
Chiang Mai is one of my favourite places in Thailand. If you’re coming for Songkran (Thai New Year on April 13—though the party spreads until the 15th) Chiang Mai is my favourite place to be. It has the party you’re looking for, but still with the cultural feeling that can get lost in the Bangkok event. If you’re coming with kids, I also highly recommend Chiang Mai over Bangkok as I find it's more of a family friendly city. But what else is there to do in Chiang Mai?
My favourite Chiang Mai activity is actually out of the city—the sticky waterfalls. Rent a motorbike for the day, drive about an hour to the falls and then spend your day running up and down the waterfall (though beware, the odd spot isn’t grippy, so still be careful if you don’t want to end up wiping out like I did). It's way bigger than the pictures look, and is in a gorgeous area. Plus, it's free!
Other must do’s are:
- Visit the night markets (for those who did Jodd Fairs and were left wanting something with a more traditional feel, you were just waiting for Chiang Mai!)
- Take a cooking class (one of my favourite things I did in Thailand!)
- Wander the old town to see all the gorgeous temples that scatter the city
- Get a Thai massage (Chiang Mai is really affordable, so you can get some of the best prices here!)
- Overnight trip to Chiang Rai (to see the White Temple and get a bit deeper of a northern Thailand experience)
- Overnight trip to Pai (for those looking for mountains and caves, a tubing adventure, or some psychedelic vibes)
A note about Elephants—be wary. Going to an elephant sanctuary is a big ‘must do’ listed on most Chiang Mai guides. However, make sure you are fully informed about which tour you take. There are no regulations around using the word ‘sanctuary’ to promote your tour. The tour operators also generally don’t own the elephants, so you are only paying for what happens while you are there (for example, no hook tours usually only mean no hook is used while you are there). And of course, never join a riding tour no matter what.
Koh Tao: Day 7 - 9
This is a bit of a tough day, but to make it to the south, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Wake up early and grab a flight to Koh Samui the morning of Day 7. Once you land, grab the ferry to Koh Tao.
I don’t recommend sticking around Koh Samui. It’s a resort island that’s expensive and relatively hard to get around (unless of course that's your vibe, then by all means!). Koh Tao on the other hand, is one of my favourite islands in Thailand. Why? The diving (and other things to, but THE DIVING!).
You can book your ferry in advance on 12Go, or you can book it when you arrive but you may not get the exact time you wanted (though could save you if your flight is late!). It takes about 1.5 - 2 hours, then welcome to island life! This island exudes charm, and is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the top things to do outside of diving/snorkelling are:
- See the Koh Nang Yuan viewpoint
- Check out the John Suwan viewpoint
- Beach hop
- Cafe hop
- Generally live that island life
But let’s get back to the main attraction—life under the sea. Koh Tao is a popular place to get your diving license, and if you have the time (you would need to remove something from this list as it takes 3 days!) I highly recommend getting your license here (I did!). If you want to check out the same spot I did, I went to Davy Jones Locker and had a fantastic experience, 10/10 recommend.
Even if you don’t have the time right now to get your license, you can still try diving on a discovery dive! And for those who already have a license—this is your paradise. Go crazy, book a couple dives a day, do a night dive (there is a bit of bioluminescence you may be able to see if you’re lucky!), explore the reefs to your heart’s content.
Koh Tao has some of my favourite diving in the world, (bold statement here—better than the Great Barrier Reef) and is also one of the cheapest places to dive as well, so you may as well give it a go! But if diving really isn’t for you, you can also find some fantastic snorkelling in the area as well.
Koh Pha Ngan: Day 9 - 11
On day 9, hop on the ferry and head over to Koh Pha Ngan. It’s only about an hour away, but offers a whole new landscape to explore. Koh Pha Ngan is popular for the full moon party, so let’s go over that first.
The question a lot of traveller's ask is, is going to the full moon party worth planning your trip around? My honest answer is no. And depending what you want to do, you may want to plan around not going to Koh Pha Ngan during the full moon, to avoid minimum stays and higher prices.
The Full Moon party isn’t as crazy as you may think it is. I expected one of the wildest parties I’ve ever attended and was kind of disappointed. The vibe is very similar to just any weekend on Koh Phi Phi. Now I will admit, it’s been a while since I went to the full moon party on Koh Pha Ngan (in 2017, so before the whole 2020 debacle), so I also don’t know how things have changed. But at least before this time, it was a party, but nothing overly special.
You also get stuck with generally high prices and minimum reservations for hotels if you go during the full moon (usually at least a 3 day booking). This is a problem if you are following this plan. So if you do want to hit the party but want to avoid the hotel issues, an alternative is to stay on Koh Tao the whole time and just take the ferry to Koh Pha Ngan for the party and that’s it.
Otherwise, let’s ignore the party and move along with other things to do! I recommend:
- Beach hopping
- If you enjoyed the snorkelling and scuba on Koh Tao, try it again here!
- Go chasing waterfalls (Sadet Waterfall is an easy one to find)
- Do some yoga
- Go hiking/trekking
- Do a boat tour to Ang Thong National Marine Park (a personal favourite reco of this list)
Ao Nang & Railay: Day 11 - 13
Day 11 starts with a bit of a trek. Getting from Koh Pha Ngan to Ao Nang or Railay takes about 6 hours, but it’s worth it (and you have to get closer to Phuket for your flight out anyways). First you have to take a ferry, then a van. You can book this again through 12go.Asia and I recommend booking in advance because the speedboat doesn’t leave very many times a day, and if you don’t get that one, it’s going to take a lot longer.
The van will likely drop you off in Krabi, but I recommend staying in either Ao Nang or Railay. Ao Nang is going to be cheaper, have more of a nightlife and generally easier access, while Railay is more of a jungle island paradise kind of feel. With a tighter schedule I recommend Ao Nang, but you can take a boat easily to Railay any time throughout the day and it’s only about a 10 minute ride.
My top favourite things to do in this area are:
- Book an island hopping tour
- Try rock climbing
- Explore Phra Nang Beach
- Check out the bat cave (at the west end of Phra Nang Beach)
- Go to Monkey Beach and see the Monkeys on Monkey Trail
- East Railay Viewpoint and the Railay Lagoon
- And a couple other of my top recommendations in my downloadable guide!
A quick note on the viewpoint and the lagoon:
if you are not a confident hiker/climber or if it’s raining, I don’t recommend going to these spots. The viewpoint isn’t as difficult to get to (you can see as bad as it gets from the start so no surprises), but the lagoon requires climbing down 4-5 successive cliffs (completely vertical) and while it's not a particularly difficult climb, it can be very intimidating for non-experienced climbers. Is it worth it? In my opinion—absolutely yes. But at least wear proper shoes if you’re going to check it out!
Phuket: Day 14
And alas, we’ve made it to the final day 😢 Depending on the time of your flight, you may or may not have any time in Phuket. The best way to get to Phuket from Ao Nang is just by van. You can book easily in the city, or else again through 12go! You can book straight to the airport as well if you are low on time, but if you have a couple hours, I recommend checking out Old Town in Phuket!
Old town is super cute, a great spot for shopping, finding live music, and getting your last fix of some amazing Thai food with that last Chang (hard team Chang over year who’s with me?) before hopping on your flight!
How much does a 2 week trip to Thailand cost?
Thailand is a great destination for any budget, so I'll give a couple ranges for how much I would save for a trip to Thailand:
Backpacker Budget: $500 USD
Thailand can easily be done on $30 USD per day. The only thing that may blow out this budget is domestic flights (if you take them), but even then it doesn't add much. With this plan you have to stay at hostels, eat street food, and not go too crazy on alcohol, but it's very doable. With $500, you'll even still have a little extra wiggle room for some pricier activities such as island tours or scuba diving.
Flashpacker Budget: $800 USD
The first two times I went to Thailand I budget backpacked, but the last time I went (in 2024) I upgraded my budget to what I'll call a 'flashpacker'. I stayed in cheap hotels or private rooms in hostels, did some pricier activities (island tours, tipsy tubing) and wasn't as careful about only eating budget or not having that drink I didn't need, and what a difference the extra $20 a day makes. With $800 USD, you have just under $60 USD a day to play with, and especially if you aren't travelling alone and can share hotel costs, this is the budget I would go to Thailand with again.
Vacationer Budget: $1500 USD
If you want to stay at some nicer hotels, stick to restaurants and have a more resort feel, I would budget at least $1500 for a two week trip. Of course with more money, you can always go a little nicer, but with this amount you can be pretty free with what you spend. For example, you could do a private boat tour instead of a group one, experience some higher-end nightlife (for example Thailand has some great cocktail bars) and eat at some nicer restaurants. If you are planning to flashpack but go out a lot at night, you may also want to up your budget to this range.
High-end Budget: $5000+ USD
You can do a luxury Thailand trip for a lot cheaper than a luxury trip most other places, so if you're looking to have a higher end experience on a budget, Thailand can be a great place to do it! You can get some really nice hotels in the $250-$350 USD per night range. But with a more resort feel, expect to also have resort prices when it comes to food, drinks, and activities. I also find you also lose some of the 'Thailand' feel, but for a relaxing vacation a resort can be just what you're looking for. To make this itinerary more suited for a luxury trip, I would consider removing Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan and go to Koh Samui instead!
Substitutions and Final Tips
This itinerary covers a mixture of my favourite's along with some must-see's for your first trip to Thailand, but I warn you—it's fast. For a first trip if I have limited time I usually like to see as much as possible so I can figure out what I like, then come back another time to explore a little deeper.
But if you want to slow it down some quick revisions I would make to personalize the trip are to do only one of either Koh Pha Gnan and Koh Tao, or if you are more concerned with having less travel time, fly to Krabi from Chaing Mai and island hop from Ao Nang for days 9-13 (I recommend Koh Lanta if you want to relax, or Koh Phi Phi if you want to party).
And while this guide covers some amazing places, Thailand has so much to see and do! So check back for my longer Thailand guide (coming soon), and if you want a deeper dive on exactly what to do on each day, along with a Google maps list pre-pinned with all of my recommendations and personal notes, check out my downloadable guide (also coming soon!) so you don’t have to plan a single thing!
Enjoy Thailand, and wander on ✨
