Northern Thailand & Full Moon – Self-Launched 23-Day Adventure

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and take the Airport Rail Link (45฿) or a metered taxi (~400฿) to a hostel near Khao San in Banglamphu. Settle in, then explore Khao San and Soi Rambuttri on foot, with a first-plate of pad thai from a street stall (60–80฿). Book your onward bus and train tickets today at the terminal or via 12Go Asia.

🚌Airport Rail Link + walk

🛏Hostel dorm near Khao San (~£10)

• →Airport transfer to Banglamphu
• →Khao San Road & Soi Rambuttri wander
• →Street food dinner
• →Book onward transport tickets

Take the ordinary train or a minivan from Bangkok (train from Thonburi ~£3, 2–3 hrs). Stop at Damnoen Saduak or, cheaper and calmer, Khlong Lat Mayom floating market en route. In Kanchanaburi, walk the Bridge over the River Kwai and take a short longtail boat on the Kwai Noi (~400฿/boat, split with other travellers). Guesthouses cluster along the river (Maenam Kwai Road).

🚌Train/minivan Bangkok–Kanchanaburi

🛏Riverside guesthouse (~£12)

• →Khlong Lat Mayom floating market
• →Bridge over the River Kwai
• →Longtail boat on the River Kwai
• →Kanchanaburi night market

Catch the 8am bus from Kanchanaburi bus station to Erawan National Park (~£1.50, 1.5 hrs). Entry is 300฿; hike to the upper tiers (level 7) for the clearest pools and fewer crowds. Bring lunch, water and sturdy sandals — the limestone is slippery. Return by late afternoon bus and eat at the night market.

🚌Local bus to Erawan National Park

🛏Riverside guesthouse (~£12)

• →Erawan Falls hike and swim
• →Kanchanaburi night market snacks

Head back toward Bangkok and hop off at Ayutthaya (~£4 minivan, 2.5 hrs). Rent a bicycle (~80฿/day) from a shop near the ruins and ride the Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana loop — the flat UNESCO park is perfect on two wheels. Then a night bus or sleeper train from Ayutthaya up to Chiang Mai (2nd-class sleeper on train 9/109, ~£20–28).

🚌Minivan + bicycle + sleeper train

🛏Overnight sleeper train bunk

• →Cycle the Ayutthaya historical park
• →Ayutthaya street food lunch
• →Overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai

Arrive early morning and check into an old-city guesthouse. Climb the 306 steps of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (songthaew up from Chang Phueak, ~60฿ each way, entry 30฿) before the heat. Back in town, walk Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and the Sunday Walking Street market. Book your jungle trek and elephant sanctuary for the coming days at any agency on Moon Muang Road — compare itineraries and ask for responsible, no-riding camps.

🚌Songthaew (shared red truck)

🛏Old-city guesthouse (~£12)

• →Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
• →Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh
• →Sunday Walking Street market
• →Book trek and sanctuary locally

Join a small-group guided 2-day trek (book locally, ~£45–60 including guide, meals, transport and homestay) into the hills north or west of Chiang Mai. Trek 3–5 hours through forest and rice terraces, swim in a river, and overnight in a Karen or Lahu village homestay with a home-cooked dinner.

🚌Songthaew pickup to trailhead

🛏Village homestay (included in trek)

• →Guided jungle trek
• →Hill tribe village homestay
• →River swim

Walk out to the river and float back downstream on a bamboo raft (included in the trek price), returning to Chiang Mai by midday. Afternoon at an ethical elephant sanctuary — a half-day visit (~£60–80 direct booking) at Elephant Nature Park or a smaller Karen-owned project; book well ahead, avoid camps offering rides or bathing shows.

🚌Songthaew + sanctuary shuttle

🛏Old-city guesthouse (~£12)

• →Bamboo raft descent
• →Ethical elephant sanctuary half-day

Half-day canopy zipline course in the rainforest (~£55–65 booked direct or via GetYourGuide/Klook, including pickup from town). Keep the afternoon free — café-hop in Nimmanhaemin or grab a 1-hour Thai massage (~250฿).

🚌Zipline operator shuttle

🛏Old-city guesthouse (~£12)

• →Half-day zipline course
• →Nimmanhaemin café district
• →Thai massage

Take a Pai minivan from Arcade Bus Station (~£5, 3 hrs, 762 curves — take motion-sickness tablets). Check into a bungalow on the edge of town. Wander the Walking Street night market, catch live music at a retro bar on Pai's main strip, and rent a scooter for the next days (~200฿/day).

🚌Minivan Chiang Mai–Pai

🛏Pai bungalow guesthouse (~£10)

• →Scenic minivan over the mountains
• →Pai Walking Street market
• →Retro bar live music

Ride north to Tham Lod Cave (~50 km, 220฿ entry with a local bamboo-lamp guide, plus longtail raft through the cave ~150฿). Stop at the Sai Ngam hot springs on the way back (200฿) for a natural rock-pool soak. Fuel and lunch on the road.

🚌Scooter rental + fuel

🛏Pai bungalow guesthouse (~£10)

• →Tham Lod Cave with bamboo raft
• →Sai Ngam hot springs
• →Scooter ride through Mae Hong Son hills

Slow day: ride to Mo Paeng waterfall (a natural rock slide) and Pam Bok waterfall, then flop by the guesthouse pool. Dinner of northern-style food and drinks at a bar with a view over the valley.

🚌Scooter rental

🛏Pai bungalow guesthouse (~£10)

• →Mo Paeng and Pam Bok waterfalls
• →Pool afternoon
• →Dinner and drinks in town

Morning minivan back to Chiang Mai (~£5). Afternoon cooking class (~£28–35 including market tour and dinner you cook yourself — book via Klook or direct with a small school like Thai Farm or Pantawan). Eat your pad krapow, green curry and mango sticky rice creations.

🚌Minivan + songthaew

🛏Old-city guesthouse (~£12)

• →Minivan to Chiang Mai
• →Half-day Thai cooking class with market tour

Rent a scooter or grab a songthaew to the 'Grand Canyon' quarry outside town (~20 km). Entry ~100–200฿ for swimming, cliff jumping and the inflatable water park; there's a climbing wall nearby if you want to try top-roping. Check the safety briefing yourself if you use the inflatables, and keep the evening for the Night Bazaar.

🚌Scooter rental + fuel

🛏Old-city guesthouse (~£12)

• →Chiang Mai Canyon swimming and cliff jumping
• →Inflatable water park
• →Night Bazaar

Day free in Chiang Mai — visit Wat Umong forest temple or the Nimman district. Take overnight sleeper train 10 or 110 from Chiang Mai to Bangkok (~£20–28 second class, ~13 hrs).

🚌Sleeper train

🛏Overnight sleeper train bunk

• →Wat Umong forest temple
• →Overnight sleeper train to Bangkok

Arrive into Krung Thep Aphiwat, check into a Banglamphu hostel and sleep a bit. Afternoon: the Chao Phraya Express boat (~15–20฿ per leg) between Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Tha Tien — entry 300฿ and 100฿. Sunset from a riverside bar or take a cheap public 'longtail' crossing for skyline views, then street food around Banglamphu.

🚌River boat + metro

🛏Hostel dorm near Khao San (~£10)

• →Chao Phraya Express boat
• →Wat Pho and Wat Arun
• →Longtail boat crossing
• →Sunset riverside drinks

Morning free for a 1-hour Thai massage (~250฿) at a temple-based school and last-minute shopping in Talat Noi. Then take the overnight train from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Surat Thani (~£18–25 sleeper, ~11 hrs) — or a VIP night bus (~£15) if trains are full.

🚌Overnight sleeper train

🛏Overnight train bunk

• →Thai massage
• →Talat Noi and Chinatown wander
• →Overnight train to Surat Thani

Arrive Surat Thani early; bus or shared van to Khao Sok village (~£5, 1.5 hrs). Book a full-day Chiew Lan Lake trip with a local outfit (~£30–40 including longtail, guide, kayak and lunch) — kayak between limestone karsts and jungle. Overnight in a Khao Sok village guesthouse or, splurge, a lake raft house (~£35–50).

🚌Train + bus/shared van

🛏Khao Sok village guesthouse (~£12)

• →Chiew Lan Lake longtail boat tour
• →Kayaking among limestone karsts
• →Jungle viewpoint walk

Bus to Don Sak or Surat Thani pier, ferry to Koh Phangan (Thong Sala, ~£10, 2.5–3 hrs), then a longtail taxi boat around the coast to Bottle Beach (~200–300฿). The bay has no road access — simple wooden bungalows, hammocks, and a beach that empties out at sunset. Book bungalows directly in advance.

🚌Bus + ferry + longtail boat

🛏Bottle Beach bungalow (~£15)

• →Ferry to Koh Phangan
• →Longtail to Bottle Beach
• →Sunset swim

Slow morning swimming and beach volleyball with whoever's around. Mid-afternoon longtail back to Thong Sala area for a beginner Muay Thai group lesson (~£10–15 at a local gym), then return to Bottle Beach for the evening.

🚌Longtail boat + scooter

🛏Bottle Beach bungalow (~£15)

• →Beach swimming and volleyball
• →Beginner Muay Thai lesson

Join a self-bookable day boat trip around the island (~£20–28 including lunch and snorkel gear, book via Klook or a Thong Sala agency) covering Koh Ma reef, Haad Sadet and quiet bays. Back for sunset and a group-style night out in Thong Sala if you've made friends at the hostel.

🚌Boat tour + songthaew

🛏Guesthouse near Thong Sala (~£13)

• →Island boat trip
• →Snorkelling Koh Ma reef
• →Thong Sala night out

Sleep in, beach day, then take a shared songthaew to Haad Rin for the Full Moon Party (entry ~200฿ on the beach). Buy drinks from 7-Eleven and beach buckets, and agree a meeting point and a licensed taxi back to Thong Sala in advance. Tickets are not needed — just turn up.

🚌Shared songthaew

🛏Guesthouse near Thong Sala (~£15, higher around Full Moon)

• →Haad Rin beach day
• →Full Moon Party

Gentle day: late breakfast, a 1-hour Thai massage on the beach (~300฿), hammock time and a sunset viewpoint at Amsterdam Bar or Srithanu. Reconfirm your ferry and onward travel to Bangkok or Surat Thani airport.

🚌Scooter or songthaew

🛏Guesthouse near Thong Sala (~£13)

• →Beach massage
• →Sunset viewpoint
• →Reconfirm onward travel

Ferry from Thong Sala to Donsak or Surat Thani (~£10), then bus to Surat Thani airport for a budget flight to Bangkok (~£25–40) or the overnight train/coach back. End of the self-launched trip.

🚌Ferry + bus + flight

🛏None (travel day)

• →Ferry to mainland
• →Bus to airport
• →Flight or train onward