THAILAND: Northern explorer - two weeks in northern Thailand

Where to go in Thailand

You could spend six months in northern Thailand and not experience all it has to offer, but even with just two weeks you can still have a great experience.

One of the advantages of the north is that there are so many places to go that it's pretty easy to get away from the tourist hot-spots and see something a little more off the beaten track.

The north of Thailand is particularly popular for its hilltribe trekking. Trekking can be organised from all the main tourist centres in the north. Be sure to read our advice on picking the right hilltribe trek for you.

Weather

Pay attention to the weather! There's few things as miserable as two weeks awash in jungle floods. More climate information can be found here: Travelfish interactive weather map.

Remember this is just a guide -- often the best trips are the ones you make up yourself!

Trip length

The suggested minimum time for a trip like this is two weeks, though three to four weeks is far more comfortable.

Sample plan

1) Bangkok -> Ayutthaya (historic centre, ruins)
2) Ayutthaya -> Lopburi (ruins, monkeys) 3) Lopburi -> Phitsanulok (flying vegetables, temples)
4) Phitsanulok -> Sukhothai (historic centre, ruins)
5) Sukhothai -> Chiang Mai (northern capital, temples, trekking)
6) Chiang Mai -> Chiang Dao (nature, trekking)
7) Chiang Dao -> Tha Ton -> Chiang Rai (trekking, temples)
8) Chiang Rai -> Lampang (temples, elephant centre)
9) Lampang -> Bangkok

Save some time

One day: return flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok
One day: if you leave Ayutthaya on the morning train, you can jump off at Lopburi, see the temples and monkeys then hop back on an afternoon train onto Phitsanulok
Two days: Skip Sukhothai and Phitsanulok
Three days: Skip Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Phitsanulok and Sukhothai

Take a sidetrip

Two days: From Chiang Rai strike northwest to the unique town of Mae Salong.
Two days: From Chiang Rai head north to the riverside town of Chiang Saen and then onto Chiang Khong.
Three days: Backtrack from Chiang Dao to visit Soppong.

Combine trip plans

If you want to work some island time into your holiday, the Thailand: Northern Explorer can easily be combined with Thailand: One week holiday for a bit of sun and sea at the beginnning of end of your trip.

Further reading

What is a good guesthouse in Chiang Mai?
Trekking in Thailand
Motorcycling northern Thailand -- the Chiang Rai loop

Sample Trip Times (in hours)

To help you work out how you'll get around, we've listed the trip durations for the various forms of transport available. Note that with the exception of flight times, these are average trip times, so no hate mail if you take the slow train.

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