Your self-guided holiday begins on arrival to Chiang Mai Airport, where your driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. In the afternoon, you will have a briefing with your self-guided assistant to welcome you to Thailand, familiarise you with your self-guided travel app, and answer any questions you may have about your holiday. The rest of your day is at your leisure; to help you get oriented your app contains suggestions for places to visit and some restaurant recommendations.

This morning you will have an unforgettable introduction to the fantastically flavoursome cuisine of Thailand. Your cooking experience begins with a visit to the local market where under the guidance of your instructor, you will learn about the deliciously fresh ingredients and the fragrant herbs and spices that will make up your culinary creations today. Stocked up with your choice of supplies, you will head into the kitchen and discover the magical alchemy of cooking up your own dishes with step by step demonstrations and guidance. And of course, the best bit of the experience is tasting your very own home-cooked creations - that's lunch sorted!

In the afternoon, you can embark on a leisurely self-guided walking tour of the old city, guided by your travel app. The tour commences from the famous Tha Phae Gate, and takes you on the route less travelled to explore small alleys, lesser-known temples, and the bustling markets of Chiang Mai's ancient trade district, learning of the city's history along the way.

Well-acquainted with the city after your full day of discovery, you can take your pick of local eateries for your evening meal, perhaps with a refreshing local brew of Singha or Chang beer.

This morning you have the opportunity to partake in the Buddhist alms-giving ceremony, Tak Bat. Your guide will meet you at your hotel early in the morning and accompany you through this spiritual experience, sharing insights into the rite that takes place each morning. In this traditional practice, saffron-robed monks set off from the temple and walk the streets to meet the faithful, who gift to the monks alms (usually offerings of food) in return for a blessing. Performed for hundreds of years, this religious ceremony is a form of spiritual redemption and illustrates the symbiotic relationship between the monks and the Buddhist community.

Returning to your hotel after the ceremony, tuck in to your own breakfast before taking a taxi or tuk tuk to the stunning temple complex of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Perched atop the emerald summit of Doi Suthep, this majestic temple dates back to 1383 and is one of the most sacred in the north of Thailand. A staircase flanked by beautiful balustrades of naga serpents lead you up the 306 steps to reach the temple grounds. Utilising your travel app, explore the area and learn about the importance of this religious site for the community of Chiang Mai.

From November to February, an optional walking trail is available in the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, offering a full day self-guided hike for active travellers who are looking for (and are prepared for) a challenging walk. Undulating through the rainforest, the trail can sometimes be muddy and slippery with tree roots and vegetation on the track, and the going can be steep and tough in some places. This hike requires care and surefootedness, and is not suitable in the rainy season.

The hiking trail begins from the Doi Pui Hmong village, and ascends the verdant flanks of Doi Pui (1685m) to reach a pleasant viewpoint near the summit. From the high point of the trail, the going is mostly downhill, taking you through another Hmong hill village where you can stop for a rest and a coffee, before continuing on to reach Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Take some time here to explore the temple complex and drink in the breath taking views over Chiang Mai - a well-earned reward for your trekking efforts.
16km / 683m ascent / 939m descent / 6 hours

If you would like to undertake this optional hike during the available season, we can arrange return transfers at a supplementary cost (hotel pick up at 08:00), please contact our sales team to request this at the time of booking your holiday. As this hike is led by the self-guided travel app, we highly recommend that your phone is fully charged and that you bring a power bank as back up.

Reaching an altitude of 2565m, the national park of Doi Inthanon is famed for its cool climate, lush vegetation, misty mountains, numerous waterfalls, and indigenous hill tribes.

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning. You can sit back and watch the changing scenery as the road carries you from the city lowlands to the lush green mountains, often shrouded in steamy mist. You will spend a full day here with a private guide to experience another side of Thailand. You will get to hike through the forest with your Karen hill tribe guide, discover cascading waterfalls, learn about Karen culture, customs and traditions, and get a glimpse of life in the mountains. You will also be able to sample coffee produced locally, reach the highest point of Thailand - Doi Inthanon - and admire the manicured gardens and twin chedis (pagodas or stupas) of Phra Mahathat Naphamethanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphapholphumisiri, built by the Royal Thai Air Force to commemorate the birthdays of the Thai king and queen.

At the end of the day, feeling rejuvenated after all that fresh mountain air and memorable cultural interaction, you will be transferred back to your hotel to have a final evening in Chiang Mai at your leisure.

This morning, you can hire a bike locally to explore Chiang Mai on a self-guided cycling adventure. Travelling on two wheels with the guidance of your travel app, you will be able to cover larger distances and get off the beaten track in this atmospheric city. Your cycle tour will take you to wider areas of the old town as well as the city surrounds, discovering some of the oldest neighbourhoods, impressive temples and animated markets. Along the way, you can also stop for refreshments at local cafes and restaurants as recommended in your travel app.

After your cycle tour, return to your hotel to freshen up before saying farewell to northern Thailand. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the train station to board your overnight train to Ayutthaya. The train usually departs at around 18:00; you can relax and enjoy dinner on board, either at your seat or in the dining car. In the evening, the train attendants convert your seats into bunks for you to bed down for the night, lulled to sleep by the rhythmic rocking of the train.

Arriving early in the morning to Ayutthaya train station, hail a taxi or a tuk tuk (readily available at the station) to take you and your luggage the short distance to your hotel. Early check-in is included on this day, allowing you to access your hotel room on arrival. Having had some extra shut-eye, you can tuck in to breakfast at the hotel before hiring your bike and heading out on your self-guided cycle tour of Ayutthaya today.

Formerly the capital of the Siamese kingdom, Ayutthaya was once a major trading port, strategically located on an island surrounded by the three rivers of Lopburi, Pasak and Chao Phraya. In its heyday, this wealthy city boasted of hundreds of majestic golden temples. With the fall of Ayutthaya in the 18th century, the once-glittering wats were ravaged by the Burmese army and left to be reclaimed by the jungle. Nowadays, the remnants of the grand palaces and temples have undergone careful restoration and the archaeological ruins, surrounded by open green spaces, make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya Historical Park.

Cycling along small paths and quiet streets, you will pedal through the area's most famous sights as well as the lesser-known highlights. Your self-guided cycle tour will also delve you into history along the banks of the Chao Phraya river, taking you to the areas where the first settlers established their communities in Ayutthaya. With the flexibility to decide your own pace today, you can explore and admire the impressive ruins to your heart's content, before returning to your hotel and choosing where to take your evening meal tonight. We suggest taking a walk around the night markets at Hua Raw or Bang Lan, and letting your senses guide you through the smorgasbord of street food on offer!

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out of your hotel and making your way to the train station; your hotel can assist with a taxi or tuk tuk if required. Today you will take the late morning/mid-day train from Ayutthaya to the bustling city of Bangkok, a journey of around 2 hours. Thailand's dynamic capital city is a dizzying blend of spirituality, history and modernity; a fascinating juxtaposition of ancient temples and majestic gleaming palaces with modern high-rise buildings of concrete and glass.

On arrival to Bangkok train station, your driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel, ideally located for you to discover the city. The rest of your day is at your leisure, free for you to explore as you please. Unmissable sights include the Grand Palace, the National Museum, Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Pho, and the backpacker hub of Khao San Road. You may also like to experience the cityscape from a new angle with a cruise on the Chao Phraya river.

One of Bangkok's most vibrant neighbourhoods, Chinatown has a wealth of markets, temples, traditional shop houses and fascinating colonial architecture. This morning, make your way to the MRT station at Wat Mangkon in the heart of Chinatown, where your self-guided walking tour will commence. Following the guidance in your travel app, you will meander through the maze of atmospheric alleys in this captivating district, gaining insight into its history along the way. Highlights to discover include the largest Golden Buddha in the world (over 3m tall and weighing more than five tonnes!); noteworthy landmarks such as the Chinese gate at Odeon Circle; and the famous "Street of Gold", home to over a hundred gold and jewellery shops painted gold and bright red for good luck, with their glittering wares on proud display. Your tour will also take you to lesser-known but equally interesting places, immersing you into the heart and soul of the district. Furthermore, your app contains recommendations for restaurants and cafes to help you to sample some of the flavours available here, with its vibrant melting pot of Thai, Chinese and Indian cultures.

After your walking tour of Chinatown, you can continue uncovering the highlights of the city with the points of interest to be found within your app.

Today you will have the opportunity to experience a tranquil green oasis right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. The man-made island of Bang Krachao, set in a sharp bend on the Chao Phraya River, is an idyllic haven teeming with mangrove forests and lush jungle vegetation. It is nicknamed the "Green Lung" of Bangkok as the abundance of trees help to clean up the city air. A gentle self-guided cycle tour in this verdant paradise will reconnect you
with nature and rejuvenate the soul.
In the morning, make your way to the Klong Toei MRT station and take a short tuk tuk ride to the pier at Wat Klong Toei Nok (or take a taxi/tuk tuk directly from your hotel). Crossing the river, your app will direct you to bike hire shops from where you can rent your bicycle for your self-guided tour today.

Guided by your travel app, you will explore the island's canals and elevated pathways, cycle through rustic homesteads and small villages, and visit the peaceful botanical garden of Sri Nakhon Khuean Khan Park. You will find temples dotted over the island, inviting you for a rest in their tranquil and leafy grounds. In this serene setting, you have to remind yourself that you have not left the capital city!

If your visit to Bang Krachao coincides with the weekend, the floating market of Bang Nam Pheung is not to be missed - here you can find a wide range of food, local produce and handicraft stalls. The market opens from the morning to the mid-afternoon on Saturdays and Sundays, and would make for an ideal lunch stop.

Concluding your cycle tour, return your bike to the hire shop and make your way back to your hotel to freshen up and perhaps cool off in the pool, before choosing where to take your dinner tonight, you really are spoilt for choice while in Bangkok.

Check out of your hotel after breakfast. This morning, a driver will collect you from the hotel for the transfer to Kanchanaburi province (approx. 3 hours), where the two rivers of Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai meet to form the Mae Klong River. The region of Kanchanaburi is rich with cultural, natural and historical attractions, set amidst rugged limestone peaks and sinewy rivers. You will stay for the next two nights in a floating jungle raft house set in the gentle flow of the Kwai Noi River, a great opportunity to unwind with an off-grid experience. For the next two days, you are free to arrange your own activities or excursions (these can be arranged through the hotel staff on arrival), or simply relax and enjoy the tranquillity of your natural surroundings.

In the evening, you can tuck into dinner by lamplight at your accommodation accompanied by the ambience of the river and the jungle, and enjoy a cultural show of traditional Mon dances.

Made famous by Pierre Boulle's book 'The Bridge Over the River Kwai' and the subsequent 1957 movie of the same name, you have the opportunity to learn of the history of World War II in Kanchanaburi. There are a number of memorials and museums here, sensitively commemorating and educating visitors on the history of the so-called Death Railway. The construction of the infamous Burma Railway claimed the lives of around 15,000 Allied prisoners of war, and tens of thousands of conscripted labourers, who endured brutal conditions and treatment by their captors.

Not far from your floating hotel, Hellfire Pass is a highly recommended visit. Constructed by POWs who only had primitive tools with which to carve the deep cuttings through solid rock faces, labouring 16-18 hours a day, the name Hellfire Pass comes from the light and shadows cast on the gaunt faces of the prisoners by the burning torches as they worked at night, said to resemble Dante's 'Inferno'. There is a beautiful and poignant walking trail along this section of the old rail route, as well as an excellent museum at the Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre.

For a dose of nature, the region offers up some beautiful waterfalls - probably the most famous is at Erawan National Park. These tiered cascades have an unbelievably blue hue, forming pretty pools shaded by bamboo and liana. It is possible to enjoy a dip in some of the pools, and even have a natural fish spa from the small fish that nibble away your dead skin.

At Sai Yok National Park, you can discover teak forests, the Sai Yok Falls, as well as fascinating limestone caves with stalactites and stalagmites forming incredible shapes. This National Park is also home to some incredibly rare animals, such as the elusive Kitti's hog-nosed bat, the smallest mammal in the world.

Depending on the time of your departure flight today, you may have the opportunity for another swim or paddle on the river, before being transferred to Bangkok Airport to meet your flight.