Wooden houses on the klongs in Bangkok,Thailand

Visiting temples and palaces in Bangkok, the bridge on the River Kwai at Kanchanaburi, jungle and waterfalls at Erawan National Park, and the ruins of Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya, this tour provides a great introduction to Thailand and the area around Bangkok. Our Taste of Thailand tour follows the same itinerary, but at our Superior accommodation level.

 

The tour begins in Bangkok with a morning tour to the stunning temples and architecture in the Grand Palace complex, followed by a visit to the huge reclining golden Buddha at Wat Po. After a tasty Thai lunch by the Chao Phraya river, we board a private longtail boat and cross the river to head into Thonburi, Bangkok's surprisingly green and rural western suburb. Here we watch and learn about the daily life of people who live by the canals, and can enjoy various stops including an orchid farm, temple school, and the boat-house where the Royal Barges are stored and maintained.

 

Next we head west to historic Kanchanaburi and visit the Allied War Cemetery and war museum, as well as the famous POW built bridge on the River Kwai. Our next stop is the jungles of Erawan National Park, and a beautiful 7 tiered waterfall, with refreshing pools to dip in, before we visit the nearby Tiger Temple.

 

After a drive through rural Thailand, we come to Ayutthaya, Thailand's capital for around 400 years and for many years one of the world's great cities. The city was ravaged by the Burmese in 1767 and abandoned, but is now a World Heritage Site and is home to numerous ruined temples in a very different style of architecture to that you'll have seen in Thailand so far.

 

We return to Bangkok from Ayutthaya and our last full day gives us a real taste of Thailand, with a morning boat trip to the Damnoen Saduak floating market, one of the most colourful in the kingdom, and an optional afternoon introduction to Thai cookery.

 

We offer extensions to the tour to visit Ankhor Wat in Cambodia, or to head to the beach.

Travelling with your children? Check our family information page.

We also have a range of diving holidays that take place in Thailand.