Thailand Itinerary – 10 days

What to Do on a 10 Day Trip to Thailand

If you’re planning a 10-day trip to Thailand, and you’re not sure how to plan your itinerary, I’ve got you covered.

Known as the Land of Smiles, Thailand is a top destination in Southeast Asia for a good reason. It has everything from amazingly beautiful tropical islands and stunning nature, vibey cities pulsating with energy and party scenes, to serene culture and temples. To top it all off, Thai cuisine is to die for. It was the last country that I visited during my solo backpacking trip around Asia, and I didn’t want to leave!

Thailand is a huge country, with SO MUCH to experience, that you’ll probably find it hard to decide what to do. In this blog post, I’ll share my Thailand itinerary for 10 days so that you get the most out of your trip.

Of course, you can switch things up and stay in one place for longer and skip another that doesn’t interest you – it all depends on your preferences. My plan shows you how to experience different parts of the country within a limited time. I know that it includes a lot of traveling, but that’s how I like it!

Most Popular International Airports of Thailand:

• Bangkok International Airport
• Phuket International Airport
• Koh Samui International Airport
• Chiang Mai International Airport
• Krabi International Airport

Now let’s start with our detailed Thailand itinerary for 10 days

DAY 1: Arrive in Bangkok and explore

You’ll more than likely be exhausted as you land in Bangkok, which will make it even more of a culture shock! Exiting the airport and being hit by the heat and humidity is enough to take your breath away. Add to that the chaotic traffic, fast-paced energy, sights, and smells and you’ll probably be suffering sensory overload. I find that people either love Bangkok or hate it. But give it a chance, as Bangkok is so much more than what you see at first glance. Go easy on your first day to give yourself a chance to acclimatize. Check in to your hotel, get settled, and go and have a meal and drink nearby. Or if you have the energy, venture out and get started on the itinerary for Day 2.

Where To Stay

Honestly, I don’t like including lots of accommodation recommendations because where you decide to stay will depend largely on your budget, what kind of experience you’re looking for, and whether you’re traveling alone or not. A quick search on my favorite websites will give you all the information you need: Booking.com; Hostelworld.com; Airbnb.com. These are my go-to places for finding the best accommodations and they have reviews from other travelers for you to double-check.

In South East Asia, especially, you’ll be able to find so many affordable options from renting an Airbnb, to booking a single bed in a dormitory. Or if you want to go for more luxurious options, have a look at the skyscraper hotels that offer huge breakfasts, and rooftop pools, overlook the hustle and bustle on the streets, and offer magnificent views of the Chao Phraya River and over the city. Your options are endless.

• NAPPARK Hostel at Khao San (Hostelworld)
• The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok (Booking.com)
• Wake up to Sweeping Skyline Vistas at a Chic Urban Escape (Airbnb)
• Modern Loft Living near the Nana Skytrain Station

Transportation: How To Travel Around Bangkok

There are several ways that you can use to move around the city.

The first is to rent a motorbike but I honestly can’t recommend it. Even though it’s something that you will see other tourists do, it can be very dangerous. You’ll see how crazy the traffic is in Bangkok.

You can also use public buses. Tickets are very cheap and you’ll buy them from a person on the bus and the price will depend on the bus itself, which I’ve never seen before. If the bus is new and with an aircon, the price will bit a little bit higher.

And probably the best option in my opinion is to use the Grab app. It’s like the Uber app but for South East Asia. You can order your ride through the app (motorbike being the cheapest option) and it’ll show you how much it will cost, so you don’t even need to bargain!

DAY 2: Exploring Bangkok: Temples, markets & overnight ride to Chiang Mai

Since your time will be limited and you need to pack so much into your 10-day Thailand itinerary, we won’t spend too much time in Bangkok.

TIP: Always try to get going as early as you can. That way you will have more daylight, and you’ll beat the heat, humidity and tourist drives who usually start their day at around 10-11 a.m.

Below is a list of THINGS TO DO IN BANGKOK in no particular order. Choose those that you find most interesting….

Wat Skaet or Golden Mountain Temple

It’s a beautiful shrine with gold chedi located on an 80-meter-tall man-made hill that was built during the reign of King Rama III. You will have to climb up 300 steps to get to the top. That’s why I recommend going there first thing in the morning because it gets very hot and humid afterward. I got there at 8 a.m. and on my way to the top, I met maybe only 10 other people. It’s open daily from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha

It was built in 1782 and for 150 years was the home of the Thai King, the Royal court, and the administrative seat of government. Only 2 of the throne halls are open to the public now. It is also a place where you can see a small Emerald Buddha.

Wat Pho or Wat Phra Chetuphon or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha

It’s the only place where you’ll be able to see 15 meters tall and 46 meters long reclining Buddha covered in gold leaf.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam or Wat Arun

Also referred to as the Temple of Dawn. It’s another beautiful Buddhist Temple, that you can visit in Bangkok, located on the opposite side of the Grand Palace. You can catch a small shuttle ferry to get to the other side of the river.

The Golden Buddha Temple or Wat Traimit

Temple where you can see a 5.5-tonne statue of a seated Buddha. It dates back to the 13th century and is nearly 5 meters in height.

A trip down the Chao Praya River on a long-tailed boat to see a slice of traditional life

Floating Markets – there are several floating markets around Bangkok that you can visit. The one pictured in all the postcards is the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. To visit this one, you need to make an early start as it’s 100km out of the city. Be warned that it’s become very touristy and that it’s best done as a day trip. Most people opt to do this through a tour operator, which saves a lot of hassle. Just 14km out of the city, Taling Chan Floating Market (also known as Khlong Lad Mayom), is a smaller market frequented by locals and offers a more authentic experience.

Lumphini Park – a great place to see the greener side of Bangkok

Markets and shopping

• Chatuchak Weekend Market – largest market in Thailand with 15,000 stalls and 11,505 vendors, divided into 27 sections. Open only on Saturday and Sunday.
• CentralWorld, IconSiam, Platinum Fashion Mall or MBK – huge shopping malls

Views, people-watching, eating, and drinking

• King Power Mahanakhon – observation desk at 314 meters, 78 floors located in central business district.
• Lebua Tower – place where Hangover 2 was filmed
• Rooftop bars with breathtaking views – Sirocco, Sky Bar and Octave
• Khao San Road – a messy favorite among backpackers and others who come purely to observe the craziness. This busy street is filled with drinking (and drunk!) tourists, pubs, overpriced restaurants, market stalls selling cheap souvenirs and scorpions on sticks. Not everyone’s cup of tea and definitely not my thing!
• Themed cafes are all over – Unicorn Café, Husky Café, Owl Café, Hello Kitty, Little Zoo Café, Dog Café, Mermaid Café, Rabbit Café… the list is ENDLESS
• And last, but not least… Bangkok is filled with fantastic restaurants ranging from Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Italian and everything in-between!

As fascinating as the city is, we have to keep moving on in this THAILAND itinerary for 10 days…

Northern and Southern Thailand is in stark contrast to each other. Northern Thailand is characterized by more chilled vibes, green jungle, waterfalls, and elephant sanctuaries, while Southern Thailand is where you’ll find tropical beaches and islands with turquoise seas and white sandy beaches.

For those of you wanting to see everything as much as I do, I’d suggest going to Chiang Mai in the north first and then heading down to the islands. It’s a hectic schedule trying to pack everything into a 10-day trip to Thailand, but once you hit those beaches in the south, you’ll appreciate it in the end.

Getting to Chiang Mai

There are two main options to get to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, and again it will depend on your budget and on how comfortable you want your trip to be.

Of course, the easiest and fastest option will be to catch a flight to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. The price for your flight will be around $30-50 depending on how much luggage you have.

Alternatively, you can catch an overnight bus or sleeper train. This is an adventure in itself and has the advantage of saving on accommodation for the night.

Be sure to compare prices, as sometimes the bus or train can come in at the same price as a flight.

Day 3: Chiang Mai exploring

Chiang Mai, also known as the Rose of the North, is surrounded by gorgeous rainforests, green countryside, and waterfalls. The city has become a nomad hub of Thailand and is filled with ex-pats from all over the world who have chosen to make it their home, as you’ll witness from the number of them working away in the cute coffee shops all over the town. Although it’s grown into a modern city, the Old Town is still firmly steeped in Thai culture and is filled with loads of beautiful, serene temples, markets, and cheap places to eat.

There is so much to do in Chiang Mai that I could create a separate blog about it in itself. In order to keep this blog post not unbelievably long I will mention just the main things that you can do in the city.

1. Explore the Old town with its great amount of temples
2. Hike up to Doi Suthep, located 15 km out of the city. You’ll have to either climb 309 steps or get on the tram to get to the top. Explore beautiful temple and enjoy magnificent views of Chiang Mai from the top.
3. Drink coffee or eat healthy meals in numerous amount of wonderful coffee shops. You can also check out Nimman Road as it has the highest amount of of places in one street.
4. Cooking class – generally speaking, you can do it in almost every city in Thailand but I chose it to do it here as I had more time. You learn so much about the culture in the process. It’s a great experience to try something new, dive deeper, and a fantastic way to meet new people.
5. And because I was traveling during the off-season it was only me and another beautiful couple during the class, which made it even better. So squeeze it into your 10-day Thailand itinerary when you have the chance. Highly recommended!
6. Don’t forget to check out the biggest Sunday Weekend Market that happens here. It blew my mind. Several streets are closed to the traffic and every inch gets filled with people. It even was very hard to walk there. No matter if you want to buy something or not it’s simply a must-see. It takes place every Sunday from 4 p.m. until after midnight.
7. Try Khao Soi. It’s also a noodle dish but it’s served mainly in Northern Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Be prepared it may be very spicy but it’s delicious.
8. Grand Canyon. It looks like a very fun natural water park. I couldn’t go there because I hurt my back one day before that but if you feel tired and don’t want to explore in the sun, you should definitely check it out.

Day 4: Chiang Mai exploring and an overnight ride to Bangkok

For nature lovers, this day is perfect to check out the hikes and day trips to the elephant sanctuaries. The sanctuaries rehabilitate elephants and you can go and spend some time with them. Unfortunately, many places still offer elephant riding as a fun activity because of tourist demand. Please DO NOT RIDE THE ELEPHANTS. It’s such a cruel industry and should have been closed by now.

After your full day in Chiang Mai, its time to hit the road again and to head back into Bangkok, either by flight or taking an overnight train or bus. (As an alternative here, you could fly straight to the islands from Chiang Mai and bypass Bangkok completely. Check out the flight prices and see what best suits your needs.)

Day 5: Bangkok to the islands

On arrival back in Bangkok, you’ll have another day to explore and you may want to take this time to check out anything you may have missed in your first 2 days in the city.

Finally, it’s now time to hit the stunning islands in the Gulf of Thailand: Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan.

How to get to the islands from Bangkok:

You have two main options: either an overnight bus or train with a ferry (these can be bought as combination tickets), or a short flight.

I opted for the bus and ferry combination. The bus leaves around at around 9 p.m. and it will leave you right at the pier the next morning, where you will catch your ferry to Koh Samui. You’ll arrive on the island by mid-morning which leaves you with time to explore the island that day.

My ticket for the bus from Bangkok and a ferry to Koh Samui was $22 and I booked it online through 12Go.Asia. You’ll be able to purchase train tickets from them too and as they’re a highly regarded legitimate company, you’ll have peace of mind using them for all your travels across South East Asia.

TIP: Keep in mind that if you’re looking for the cheapest option, you’ll be able to find tickets in person from small ticket offices on the streets. Most of the time the rates will be lower and you’ll be on a less comfortable bus with locals. Buying your tickets online, though, will save you more time as you won’t have to walk and find the office.

The second option is to fly to Koh Samui. This ticket usually costs around $120-150. You may want to base yourself in Koh Samui or hop onto a ferry to another island.

The 3 islands are a bit different from each other, but they’re all absolutely stunning. To help you decide, here’s a glimpse of what they have to offer.

• Koh Samui is the biggest, most developed, and most touristy island.
• Koh Phangan is a party island, well-known for the famous Full Moon Party. If this is not your scene, avoid it when the parties are held (you’ll find a calendar of parties online).
• Koh Tao is famous for its scuba diving, has a more rustic feel, and is more laid-back. They offer diving courses and this is the place to find cheaper certificates.

After visiting all 3, Koh Tao comes out on top for me. It has a bit of everything: stunning beaches, beautiful nature and a bit of that party scene. But no matter where you choose to base yourself, visiting the other islands is as easy as hopping onto a ferry and you can be there in 1-2 hours.

Day 6 – Koh Tao

Koh Tao may be the smallest island, but it’s a true paradise and stole my heart the moment the minute I arrived.

In order to move around the island freely it’s better if you get yourself a scooter when you get there. That way you will be able to go anywhere you like and won’t rely on anyone.

List of things to do in Koh Tao:

• Chalok Baan Kao area to explore and enjoy the beach
• Freedom Beach and John-Suan Viewpoint – short and steep hike with stunning, breathtaking view of the island
• Deisha Viewpoint, Koh Tao Viewpoint, Mango Bay North Viewpoint
• Sairee beach – place to watch the sunsets
• Pub crawl – if you like to party, runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

You can’t come to Koh Tao and not visit Nang Yuan Island nearby. It’s just a short 10-minute ride away and you can either opt to book a snorkeling trip together with lots of other tourists or catch a private boat there which will allow you to have as much time there as you need.

You’ll be able to view Nang Yuan from Koh Tao, but make the trip there to experience this idyllic island first-hand. The island itself is very small and in terms of exploring, there’s not much to see beyond the famous viewpoint. However, for snorkeling and relaxing on the beach, you won’t find a better spot. As it’s a privately-owned island, you need to pay an access fee and the hours are controlled.

Day 7 – Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is a stunning island between Koh Samui and Koh Tao. It has a lot of breathtaking view points that you can enjoy and great diving places if you don’t want to go to Koh Tao. Also, it has a beautiful beach line that connects Koh Phangan to small Koh Ma at low tide.

If you opted to stay on Koh Phangan and lap up its party scene, you absolutely have to make the day trip around Angthong National Marine Park. The park covers 42 islands in a total area of 102 km², of which about 50 km² are land and the rest is water. The stunning views are picture-perfect and this excursion was the highlight of my trip to the Gulf of Thailand. The tour cost was $35 but it was truly worth it!

Day 8 – Getting to Ao Nang, Krabi

The beautiful island of Krabi is our next stop on this 10-day itinerary of Thailand. Again, you can either catch a flight there or take a ferry and a bus. The ferry and bus combination takes about 5-6 hours but it goes by very quickly. In peak season, be sure to buy your ticket in advance from 12go.asia or if you’re traveling at a quiet time of year, you can pick one up at the pier. The ticket will cost you around $30.