Essential Bangkok to Vang Vieng - 12 Days

On arrival in Bangkok, make your own way to our accommodation and drop off your bags before meeting your Tour Leader and fellow travellers for a short pre-departure briefing.

Our first evening gets straight into the action, as we climb aboard tuk-tuks and race across the city to a rooftop restaurant. Over a choice of popular Thai dishes, we take in views of the skyline, then return to the tuk-tuks for a ride past some of Bangkok’s most famous sights, lit up at night.

If you fancy a later night, your Tour Leader can recommend a few of the city’s top rooftop bars.

Bangkok - Chiang Mai. You have the morning to discover Bangkok on your own, or you can join an optional temple trip at an additional cost. It takes you to the Grand Palace, the enormous Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and Wat Arun on the riverbank, with plenty of history and impressive architecture along the way. If you’re joining, you check out first and leave your luggage securely at the accommodation for the day.

Later, you can return to freshen up and find dinner close by. This evening, we head to the station and board our overnight train to Chiang Mai, a classic Southeast Asia backpacking journey spent in a sleeper berth.

Please note: Transport and entrance fees for the temple trip are paid locally.

Our train pulls into Chiang Mai this morning, and after time to pick up some breakfast, we swap the city for the countryside and our homestay.

Once we’ve had a home-cooked lunch, we set off along jungle trails, trekking through the scenery around the homestay. A waterfall makes a welcome stop on the route, where we can enjoy a cooling dip and a well-earned rest surrounded by nature, so it’s worth packing swimwear.

Back at the homestay, we gather for dinner and an unhurried evening together, taking in the countryside and getting a feel for local life far from the city. Later, you can head independently to Zoe in Yellow for a taste of Chiang Mai’s nightlife.

After breakfast, we leave the homestay and head into the forest for a morning at an elephant sanctuary, one of the standout moments of the tour. Led by our guide, we walk through the sanctuary grounds, keeping a respectful distance as the elephants wander, feed and interact with one another.

Along the walk, we pause for some traditional Thai refreshments before moving on to lunch by the river. We then return to Chiang Mai, check in to our accommodation and take some time to rest.

Your evening is free. You can learn to cook some well-loved Thai dishes in an optional cooking class, or watch Muay Thai, the country’s national sport, at a live show, both at an additional cost.

This morning, we ride one of Chiang Mai’s traditional red songthaews up into the hills for a monk chat. It’s a chance for us to put our questions to a monk and find out about Buddhist customs and what daily life in a temple involves.

We then explore Wat Doi Suthep and look out over Chiang Mai from above.

In the afternoon, you can opt for an excursion to the Sticky Waterfall at an additional cost. Later, Zoe in Yellow is the place to head independently for a taste of Chiang Mai’s nightlife.

Your last full day in Chiang Mai is free to fill as you choose. For an active day, you can join an optional adventure combining white water rafting and trekking at an additional cost, or opt for just a 10 km rafting route or a three-hour countryside trek.

If you’d rather take it easy, spend the morning in Chiang Mai’s Old Town, dipping into temples, cafes and local haunts, with suggestions from your Tour Leader to get you started. Later, hunt for street food and souvenirs at a local market, a final taste of Chiang Mai before the tour moves on.

Chiang Mai - Luang Prabang. Today, we bid farewell to Thailand and head to the airport for our flight to Luang Prabang in Laos. On arrival, we check in to our accommodation. You then have time to settle in and find your bearings in this laid-back town on the river.

This evening, you can join the group for dinner if you like, before heading to the Hmong Night Market to browse stalls of handicrafts, keepsakes and street snacks - a good first look at Luang Prabang by night.

The morning is yours to spend in Luang Prabang, or you can join an optional bike ride into the surrounding countryside at an additional cost. The route weaves along forest tracks and through villages to Ban Chan, a village famed for its pottery, where you can see how its clay jars take shape and try making one yourself.

This afternoon, we visit the Kuang Si Waterfalls, among the finest natural sights in Laos. Forest paths lead us past brilliant turquoise pools and tumbling falls, with time for a swim before we return to Luang Prabang.

In the evening, you can opt for dinner in a local home at an additional cost, joining your hosts for a Baci Ceremony, a local tradition, followed by a Lao meal.

Luang Prabang - Vang Vieng. You have a free morning in Luang Prabang, with several optional experiences available at an additional cost. If you’re an early riser, you can watch the Takbat Lao Ceremony, when monks walk the streets gathering alms, or you can visit a community farm for the Rice Experience, following rice from paddy to plate and having a go at several stages yourself. Alternatively, you can volunteer independently with Big Brother Mouse, helping local people practise their English.

Later, we travel on to Vang Vieng, with our Tour Leader sharing the latest travel details ahead of the journey. Once we arrive, we check in to our accommodation. The rest of the evening is yours to settle in and look around.

Your morning is free in Vang Vieng. For something more daring, you can opt for an independent rock-climbing session on the limestone cliffs around town, with experienced instructors on hand.

In the afternoon, you can try river tubing at an additional cost, drifting gently downstream in an inner tube as the scenery slips by..

The evening is free - you might find some food, rest at the accommodation or ask your Tour Leader for ideas on where to head once night falls.

Today is yours to spend outdoors in Vang Vieng. You can opt to cycle out into the countryside at an additional cost, then climb on foot to Pha Ngern Viewpoint for sweeping views over the area.

In the afternoon, there’s the option of river tubing at an additional cost, drifting gently downstream in an inner tube as the scenery slips by.

Your final night in Vang Vieng is free - head out for dinner, unwind at the accommodation or join the group for one last outing in Laos.

Your tour comes to a close today in Vang Vieng. After checking out, it’s time to say farewell to your Tour Leader and fellow travellers and set off on your onward journey. If you’re not ready to leave, you can extend your stay in Vang Vieng or carry on exploring Laos.