Classic Thailand & East Coast Island Hopping — Self-Launched

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and take the Airport Rail Link into town (£1–2), then MRT to Hua Lamphong for Chinatown. Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Soi Nana in Talat Noi / Chinatown — the same neighbourhood G Adventures uses. Spend the evening orienting yourself: a beer on a Talat Noi rooftop bar, then a wander down Yaowarat Road for the street food crawl (char kway teow, mango sticky rice, grilled seafood). Grab a Thai SIM/eSIM (£8–12 for 15 days) at the airport or a 7-Eleven.

🚌Airport Rail Link + MRT (£2)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Chinatown (£10–18)

• →Chinatown and Yaowarat street food wander
• →Buy Thai SIM/eSIM
• →Soi Nana / Talat Noi bar hop

Do the longtail klong (canal) tour yourself from Tha Chang or Phan Fa Lilat pier — a shared longtail boat through Thonburi's canals costs around £10–15 per hour for the boat, split with whoever's aboard, or join a Klook/GetYourGuide small-group canal tour (£15–25). Walk to Wat Pho (£1.50 entry) for the Reclining Buddha. If you want to try the G Adventures-style rafthouse night, book one night at one of the floating rafthouses on the River Kwai (e.g. near Sai Yok) — most hostels can arrange it. Otherwise take a minivan from Bangkok's Mo Chit bus terminal to Kanchanaburi (2.5–3 hrs, £4–5). Stay near the River Kwai bridge.

🚌Shared longtail boat (£5 split), minivan Bangkok→Kanchanaburi (£5)

🛏Guesthouse near River Kwai bridge, Kanchanaburi (£10–18)

• →Thonburi canal longtail boat
• →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha
• →Overnight rafthouse option on the River Kwai

Hire a bicycle or scooter (£5–8/day) or grab a songthaew to the Bridge on the River Kwai, the Allied War Cemetery and the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre (£2 entry). For Erawan, the cheapest independent route is the local bus from Kanchanaburi bus station to Erawan (about 1.5 hrs, £2) — go early, entry is £8 and the seven turquoise tiers take 3–4 hrs to walk. Alternatively a Klook/GetYourGuide Erawan + River Kwai day tour runs £25–35 if you'd rather not self-organise. Back in town for dinner at the night market.

🚌Local bus to Erawan return (£4), scooter/bike hire (£6)

🛏Guesthouse near River Kwai bridge (£10–18)

• →Bridge on the River Kwai
• →Allied War Cemetery & Railway Centre
• →Erawan Falls seven-tier walk

Bus from Kanchanaburi to Suphanburi or direct minivan to Ayutthaya (2.5–3 hrs, £5–6). Store your bag at the station or a bike rental shop, rent a bicycle (£3) and ride the ruins circuit: Wat Mahathat (Buddha head in tree roots), Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Chaiwatthanaram — a combined temple pass is about £5. In the evening, bus or train to Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bang Sue) station and board the overnight train to Chiang Mai — book a 2nd-class sleeper berth on the Thai Railways site or 12Go (£20–28, departs around 18:00–22:00, arrives 07:00–09:00). Bring snacks; the dining car is cheap.

🚌Minivan Kanchanaburi→Ayutthaya (£6), train to Bangkok (£1), sleeper train to Chiang Mai (£24)

🛏2nd-class sleeper berth on overnight train

• →Ayutthaya bicycle temple circuit
• →Wat Mahathat & Wat Chaiwatthanaram
• →Overnight sleeper train experience

Arrive early, check into a guesthouse inside or beside the old town moat (£10–18). Walk the old town orientation yourself: Tha Phae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, the Sunday Walking Street if it's a Sunday. In the afternoon take a red songthaew (£2) up to Doi Suthep and Wat Phra That (£1.50) for the view over the city. Do your own street food crawl around Chang Phueak night market or the Wualai Saturday market — Northern Thai sai ua sausage, khao soi (about £1.20 a bowl), nam prik dips.

🚌Songthaew to Doi Suthep return (£3), walking

🛏Guesthouse inside Chiang Mai old town (£10–18)

• →Old town orientation walk
• →Wat Chedi Luang & Wat Phra Singh
• →Doi Suthep temple
• →Chang Phueak street food crawl

Pick your optional: a half-day Northern Thai cooking class booked direct with one of the old-town schools (around £22–28 including market visit and 5–6 dishes), or the half-day cycle tour G Adventures offers at 1,500 THB — book it direct with a local operator the day before (£35). Cheaper option: rent a bike (£4) and ride the Samoeng loop's flatter sections or the Ping River paths. In the evening, catch a Muay Thai fight at Tha Phae Boxing Stadium (£15–25) and eat at the night bazaar.

🚌Bike hire (£4) or songthaews (£3)

🛏Guesthouse inside Chiang Mai old town (£10–18)

• →Northern Thai cooking class
• →Chiang Mai cycling tour
• →Muay Thai fight at Tha Phae Stadium
• →Night Bazaar food stalls

Cheapest: bus or 2nd-class train to Bangkok (£12–18, 10–12 hrs) — better to fly. Budget airlines (Thai Lion, Nok, AirAsia) from Chiang Mai to Don Mueang run £25–45 booked a few weeks out and take 1 hr 10. Back in Bangkok, return to the Chinatown hostel and spend the afternoon at Wat Arun (£1.50 plus £1 ferry) or the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Pre-book tomorrow's bus/ferry south tonight — a joint bus+ferry ticket from Bangkok to Koh Tao via Lomprayah or Seatran runs £20–28.

🚌Flight Chiang Mai→Bangkok (£32), Airport Rail Link (£1)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Chinatown (£10–18)

• →Wat Arun and river ferry
• →Book onward bus+ferry ticket to Koh Tao

Take the night or early-morning Lomprayah/Seatran coach from Khao San or the Southern Bus Terminal to Chumphon (6–7 hrs), then the high-speed catamaran to Koh Tao (1.5–2 hrs). Joint tickets are £20–28 and can be bought on 12Go or at any Khao San travel agent. Use the wait at Chumphon Pier for a beach walk and cheap lunch — that's exactly the G Adventures 'leisure time at Chumphon Pier'. Arrive Koh Tao mid-afternoon; book a guesthouse or resort on Sairee or Mae Haad beach (£12–20).

🚌Coach Bangkok→Chumphon + catamaran to Koh Tao (£24)

🛏Beach guesthouse/budget resort, Sairee or Mae Haad (£12–20)

• →Chumphon Pier beach walk
• →Sairee Beach sunset

Book the classic around-island snorkel boat direct with any dive shop on Sairee or via Klook — £18–28 including mask, lunch on board and the national park fee for Koh Nang Yuan. The standard circuit hits Koh Nang Yuan, Mango Bay, Hin Wong Bay, Ao Leuk and Shark Bay. If you dive, an intro dive is £38–45. Note: many boats stop at Koh Nang Yuan where there's a small extra landing fee — carry cash. Back in the evening, eat at a beach BBQ on Sairee.

🚌Walk or songthaew to pier (£1)

🛏Beach guesthouse/budget resort, Sairee or Mae Haad (£12–20)

• →Full-day snorkelling boat: Koh Nang Yuan, Mango Bay, Hin Wong Bay, Ao Leuk, Shark Bay
• →Optional intro dive

Take the morning Lomprayah catamaran from Koh Tao to Koh Pha Ngan (£9–12, about 1 hr). From Thong Sala pier, a songthaew or shared taxi up the west coast to Salad Beach takes 25 minutes (£4–6). Check into a beach bungalow around Salad/Chaloklum (£12–20) — this is the quiet north-west corner, far from the Full Moon party chaos. Afternoon: swim, short hike over to Haad Yao, or walk to the Mae Haad sandbar at low tide. Dinner at a local Thai restaurant on the beach (£5–7).

🚌Lomprayah catamaran (£10), shared songthaew (£5)

🛏Beach bungalow, Salad Beach (£12–20)

• →Salad Beach swimming
• →Haad Yao / Mae Haad sandbar walk

Rent a scooter (£6–8/day) — the island's standard transport — and ride to Than Sadet waterfall and Wang Sai waterfall in the morning (free, small parking fee), both short jungle walks. Afternoon could be a drop-in yoga class at one of the Chaloklum or Srithanu studios (£8–12), or a hike up to Khao Ra (£0), the island's highest point, roughly 2–3 hrs round trip with a guide optional. If you want the Full Moon Party, check the calendar — Haad Rin is a £6 songthaew ride away and entry is free/£3.

🚌Scooter hire (£7), fuel (£2)

🛏Beach bungalow, Salad Beach (£12–20)

• →Than Sadet & Wang Sai waterfalls
• →Khao Ra hike
• →Drop-in yoga class
• →Optional Full Moon Party at Haad Rin

Short catamaran hop from Thong Sala to Koh Samui's Nathon or Maenam pier (£7–9, 30–45 min). Songthaew or Grab to a budget guesthouse near Lamai or Bo Phut (£15–25 a night for a private bungalow, dorms £8–12). Spend the afternoon at the Big Buddha, Wat Plai Laem, or just swim at Chaweng. Note the east-coast islands are pricier than the north — book ahead in high season.

🚌Catamaran (£8), songthaew (£3)

🛏Budget bungalow/guesthouse, Lamai or Bo Phut (£15–25)

• →Big Buddha & Wat Plai Laem
• →Chaweng or Lamai beach afternoon

The headline day: a speedboat day trip to Ang Thong National Marine Park, bookable direct with any Samui tour office or on Klook/GetYourGuide, £30–45 including lunch, snorkelling gear and the park fee. Highlights are the Emerald Lake (Talay Nai), the viewpoint climb on Ko Wua Talap and snorkelling stops. Boats leave around 08:00 and return 16:30–17:00. Book the cheapest version that includes the park fee to avoid a surprise charge on the pier.

🚌Hotel pickup included in tour, or songthaew to pier (£2)

🛏Budget bungalow/guesthouse, Lamai or Bo Phut (£15–25)

• →Ang Thong Marine Park speedboat tour
• →Emerald Lake & Ko Wua Talap viewpoint
• →Snorkelling stops

A morning swim, then a songthaew to Samui Airport (£3–5). Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on Samui flights so book early — £45–75 one-way to Suvarnabhumi, roughly 1 hr 15, and there are several morning departures. Allow 3 hrs between landing and any international connection (G Adventures themselves advise booking onward flights after 15:00). If you're not flying out the same day, a night bus+ferry back to Bangkok via Surat Thani is £18–25 instead.

🚌Songthaew to airport (£4), flight Samui→Bangkok (£60)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Morning beach swim
• →Departure