12 Days in Thailand: Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai & Phuket — Self-Launched

Land at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and take the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (~£0.90, 30 mins), then a short walk or 10-minute taxi to the Rang Nam / Victory Monument area — the same neighbourhood as the tour's first hotel but at hostel prices. Grab a 7-Eleven SIM or eSIM data plan, then ease in with an evening wander: Victory Monument street food stalls, a cheap massage, and a first pad thai. Skip the private airport transfer and use the rail link.

🚌Airport Rail Link ~£0.90 + walk or meter taxi ~£2

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Victory Monument / Rang Nam (e.g. dorm or private twin, ~£14/night)

• →Airport Rail Link into the city
• →Victory Monument street food crawl
• →Thai massage on Rang Nam

Get to the Grand Palace for the 8:30am opening (dress code: covered shoulders and knees). Entry is 500 THB (~£11) — buy direct at the gate, no tour needed. Walk 10 minutes to Wat Pho (200 THB, ~£4.50) for the Reclining Buddha, then cross the river by the 4 THB Tha Tien ferry to Wat Arun (100 THB). Alternatively, join a GetYourGuide 'Bangkok temples & Grand Palace walking tour' (~£25-30) if you want the history explained. Evening: Chinatown's Yaowarat Road for grilled seafood and mango sticky rice.

🚌Chao Phraya Express Boat hop-ons ~£1.50 total

🛏Same Bangkok hostel/guesthouse (~£14)

• →Grand Palace & Emerald Buddha (500 THB)
• →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha (200 THB)
• →Wat Arun by cross-river ferry
• →Yaowarat Chinatown street food

Take the MRT/BTS to Mochit and board a public minivan or bus from Mo Chit Northern Bus Terminal to Kanchanaburi (~£4, about 2.5-3 hrs) — the local equivalent of the tour's private transfer. Check into a riverside guesthouse, then visit the JEATH War Museum (~£1.50), the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (free) and the Bridge over the River Kwai. If timing allows, ride a short stretch of the Death Railway the same afternoon (Thailand-Burma Railway Centre combined tickets ~£4-5); otherwise do the classic train ride tomorrow.

🚌Public minivan ~£4

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Kanchanaburi (e.g. simple fan or AC twin, ~£15/night)

• →Public minivan Bangkok–Kanchanaburi
• →JEATH War Museum
• →Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
• →Bridge over the River Kwai

Catch the local bus from Kanchanaburi bus station toward Erawan National Park (~£2-3 each way, roughly hourly from 8am). Pay the 300 THB (~£7) park entry, then hike the 1.5km trail through the seven-tiered turquoise pools — swim at tiers 2-4 and continue to the top for the quieter falls. Bring sturdy trainers and a dry bag. Book a shared songthaew or driver for the return (~£8 split) if the bus timing is awkward. Evening back in town: night market dinner and a cold Chang by the river.

🚌Local bus ~£5 return

🛏Same Kanchanaburi riverside guesthouse (~£15)

• →Erawan National Park entry (300 THB)
• →Seven-tier Erawan Waterfall trek & swim
• →Kanchanaburi night market

Take an early bus or minivan back toward Bangkok and stop in Ayutthaya (~£5, 2-3 hrs). Rent a bicycle from a shop near the ruins (~£2/day) and loop the UNESCO Historical Park: Wat Mahathat (Buddha head in tree roots), Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon and, if time allows, Bang Pa-In Summer Palace by songthaew (~£3). The 220 THB (~£5) archaeological pass covers the main sites. That evening board the ordinary sleeper train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai (~£18-22 for a second-class berth) — the train passes right through the town, so you don't need to return to Bangkok.

🚌Bus ~£5 + sleeper train ~£20

🛏Second-class sleeper berth on the night train (~£20, included in transport)

• →Bicycle rental around Ayutthaya Historical Park
• →Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
• →Bang Pa-In Summer Palace (optional)
• →Overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai

You'll arrive around midday. Settle into a guesthouse in the old city or near Tha Phae Gate (~£13-16/night, the same area as the tour's 3* hotels). Spend the afternoon slowly: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and the silver Wat Sri Suphan, then a 'monk chat' session at Wat Suan Dok (free, most afternoons). Riverside Ping galleries, the Sunday Walking Street market if it's Sunday, or a night bazaar dinner of khao soi (~£2.50).

🚌Local songthaew rides ~£2 total

🛏Old city guesthouse in Chiang Mai (~£14/night)

• →Wat Chedi Luang & Wat Phra Singh
• →Wat Sri Suphan Silver Temple
• →Monk chat at Wat Suan Dok
• →Night Bazaar / Walking Street market

Book a small-group Doi Inthanon day trip via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£30-35 including hotel pickup, transport, park entry and lunch) — this is the sensible place to swap private guiding for a shared tour, as the mountain is 90 mins from town. You'll hit Wachirathan and Mae Klang waterfalls, the King and Queen pagodas, the twin chedis, a Karen hill tribe village (Mae Klang Luang) and the Mae Klang Luang nature trail, with a local coffee stop. Alternatively, DIY it by renting a scooter (~£8/day) plus 300 THB park entry, but the guided shared van is better value once fuel and timing are counted.

🚌Shared tour minibus (included in activity cost)

🛏Same Chiang Mai guesthouse (~£14)

• →Shared Doi Inthanon day tour (GetYourGuide/Klook)
• →Wachirathan & Mae Klang waterfalls
• →King & Queen pagodas
• →Karen village & Mae Klang Luang nature trail

Book the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary half- or full-day 'no-riding' programme direct on their website or via Klook (~£65-75 including pickup, traditional Karen clothing, feeding and mud spa, and a traditional lunch) — essentially the same experience the tour includes. Confirmed ethical operators only: no riding, no bathing shows, small groups. Bring a swimsuit and towel; expect a transfer of roughly 1-1.5 hrs to the camp. Back by late afternoon for a night-market feed and a massage (~£6).

🚌Sanctuary pickup included

🛏Same Chiang Mai guesthouse (~£14)

• →Elephant Jungle Sanctuary full-day experience (feed, mud spa, walk with elephants)
• →Traditional Karen-style lunch
• →Thai massage on Loi Kroh Road

Book a low-cost flight Chiang Mai–Phuket well in advance (~£35-45 on AirAsia/Thai Vietjet/Nok Air, 2 hrs) — cheaper and far faster than the 20+ hour train/bus combo. From Phuket airport take the smart bus or airport bus to Kata/Karon (~£4, ~1 hr) rather than a taxi (~£12). Base yourself in Kata: dorms from £8-10 or a basic guesthouse twin ~£16-18, a short walk from the sand instead of the tour's beach resorts.

🚌Flight ~£40 + airport bus ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Kata/Karon (~£16/night)

• →Budget flight to Phuket
• →Airport bus to Kata Beach
• →Sunset swim at Kata Beach

A free day at your own pace: swim and snorkel off Kata Noi or hop a longtail boat to Banana Beach (~£12-15 for a shared trip). Other options: Hanuman World ziplining (~£35), the Phuket Aquarium at Cape Panwa (~£4), or a seafood dinner at Rawai. In the evening take a songthaew/tuk-tuk to Patong (~£4) for the Bangla Road spectacle and night-market snacks.

🚌Songthaew/tuk-tuk to Patong ~£4

🛏Same Kata guesthouse (~£16)

• →Snorkelling / longtail boat trip
• →Hanuman World zipline (optional, ~£35)
• →Phuket Aquarium at Cape Panwa (optional)
• →Bangla Road & Patong night market

Keep it lazy: a morning swim and beach time at Kata, then an afternoon in Phuket Old Town for Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafes and the Sunday Lard Yai walking street market if it's Sunday. Grab a local bus or songthaew to Old Town (~£2). Finish with a cheap beach barbecue or a smoothie-bowl dinner and pack for the flight out.

🚌Local bus/songthaew ~£2

🛏Same Kata guesthouse (~£16)

• →Kata Beach swimming & sunbathing
• →Phuket Old Town walk
• →Lard Yai walking street market (Sundays)

Take the airport bus from Kata to Phuket International Airport (~£4, allow 1-1.5 hrs in traffic) or a shared van (~£6). If you have a late flight, squeeze in a last market visit and souvenir run near Karon. This itinerary ends here; extend with the islands (Koh Lanta, Phi Phi) if you have extra days — boats run from Rassada Pier from about £10-12.

🚌Airport bus ~£4

🛏—

• →Airport bus to HKT
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping