Best of Tropical Thailand: Two-Week Highlights Vacation

What to expect on this itinerary
For those wishing to encounter the best of Thailand, we have handpicked a select number of premier destinations for the most enriching two-week tour that the country has to offer. You will journey to the most coveted Thai temples in the bustling city of Bangkok, explore the idyllic beaches on thriving islands, and immerse yourselves in the rich, cultural heritage of the local people. These are only a few of the captivating highlights that you can expect to indulge in during your luxurious stay in this Southeast Asian paradise.
Customizable Itinerary
Phuket – Grand Expeditions on Land and Sea
Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, is an inspiring destination that is teeming with diverse cultural experiences and entertaining highlights. After you check through immigration, you will meet your private limousine transfer and journey to Surin Beach. Here, you will stay at a premier 5-star resort, which will be just a minute’s walk from the shore. Your accommodation will exude opulence with its harmonious architectural design and first-class amenities. The professional staff will welcome you with friendly smiles and direct you to your extraordinary penthouse. Fit with your own private rooftop pool, your stay in Phuket will be the perfect island retreat.
On the evening of your first night, revel in a marvelous gourmet meal with ocean views. You will catch wafts of fresh seafood cooking on the grill as you sip on elegant cocktails. Peer out at the horizon, and you will witness the sun slowly give way to the night, and as it sets, the sky turns crimson and shares a picture-perfect backdrop for your delectable dinner. The following day, you will meet your expert tour guide, and discover many intriguing facets of Phuket’s rich culture and rugged landscape as your guide imparts valuable insight along the way. Wat Chalong is an immaculately-kept, gold-adorned temple that glistens under the sun. As you uncover its deep history, you will be filled with great admiration for the peoples’ spiritual practices. Afterward, you will set off to the majestic Big Buddha where you will encounter a momentous 112 feet tall statue of Buddha that towers over the entire island. You will capture unforgettable memories with uninterrupted vistas from the heights of this viewpoint. Your tour will culminate with trips to idyllic beaches, and you will feel worlds away as you dig your toes into the soft white sand and wade in the glimmering azure waters.
To conclude your adventurous stay in Phuket, you will transfer via private speed boat to the Similan Islands for an impressive Scuba diving experience. The archipelago boasts some of the most magnificent diving destinations in Thailand. Accompanied by professional guides every step of the way, you will feel completely safe as you swim amongst schools of hundreds of fish and encounter rainbow-colored coral reefs. You will laze around on the pristine beaches before you return to Phuket later this evening. Your final few hours in Phuket will be spent at a premier culinary school. In the morning, you will venture to an authentic market nearby in search of desirable fresh ingredients where you will feel the buzzing energy around you as you weave through the elaborate stalls. After you have collected your produce, you will learn to master the art of traditional Thai cuisine with the help of a revered, local chef. You will also be awarded a certificate to showcase your newly acquired skills before you depart Phuket.
What's Included:
Koh Phi Phi – Paradise in Phi Phi and the Greater Phang Nga Bay
Bangkok – Discover a Unique Perspective of Bangkok
Ayutthaya – Uncover the City’s Ancient History
Chiang Mai – Explore Authentic Thai Tradition
Trip Highlights
- Discover key cultural landmarks in Phuket, such as the Big Buddha statue and learn more about the coveted cuisine with an immersive culinary class
- Venture to the incredible Similan Islands for an impressive scuba diving experience at the leading coral reef destinations
- Explore premier beaches along the tropical coastline of Koh Phi Phi and traverse the emerald-green waters of the greater Phang Nga Bay
- Bask in a luxurious spa treatment that is rooted in ancient Thai massage practices at a leading wellness center
- Encounter the incredible Bangkok cityscape in the comfort of a VIP Club, airbus helicopter and witness the revered temples and cultural landmarks in the city with an experienced guide
- Marvel at the ancient temple ruins and relics at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya Historical Park
- Immerse yourself in the wilderness that surrounds the diverse Chiang Mai landscape and spend time connecting with a traditional ethnic hill tribe
Starting Price
$5,200 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 62 reviews
Zicasso's travel expert addressed our one issue with our bed instantly and helped with navigating having to potentially go home because of health issues. Aside from that, our tour guide in Chiang Mai was the best we have ever had and to top it, he was a photographer, so took the most amazing photos for us.
I felt Bangkok was tough to rate because it was a very busy, dirty city, but we had an amazing guide one evening. We had issues with the driver showing up at the right time a few times, but mostly in Bangkok. Our agent was the best at addressing our needs.
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Our Zicasso travel team did an amazing job planning every detail of our trip. We had limited time and wanted to see as much as possible, and they fulfilled that! They were very knowledgeable about everything and helped us make the most of our trip. We loved the one-on-one tours, especially the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai and the boat tour in the Phi Phi Islands! We would highly recommend them for planning your Thailand vacation!
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We loved our trip to Thailand with our Zicasso agent, who provided expertise and details that fulfilled our goals. We had a short time period with a busy up-front schedule. Thankfully, we could relax in sheer natural beauty at the end.
Highlights: Our Bangkok guide, who kept in touch throughout our trip, was a wonderful surprise, and is now a friend! He wore an unsung hero cape as he juggled changes seamlessly! Some major highlights that we loved were the temples, temples, temples, train market, floating market, canal boat ride, Chiang Mai's mountain village, and the elephant sanctuary – that was a beautiful experience we will never forget. And the speedboat island tour was fantastic!! Those were the major Zicasso highlights and we are happy to provide more details too.
Areas to change: Given this was our first Zicasso trip and we are now true fans (sharing with our friends), this one tweak is really for our family preferences. For us, it was hard to get back into the car once we hit the ocean. On our next Zicasso vacation, we know to ask how much driving will be involved in seeing the sites for awareness. We may have kept the same itinerary, it just would have been great to know ahead of time.
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We had a great trip to Thailand with our Zicasso trip planner. They set us up with a very helpful guide in Bangkok, who made it easy from the time we stepped off the plane, through all the temples, activities, night markets, tuk-tuks, and boats.
Our hotel in Bangkok was great, with nice views and a nice breakfast buffet. We took the free hotel ferry to the shopping mall and it was a lot of fun.
Our resort in Koh Samui was incredible. It had a great beach and pool. The elephant sanctuary and the cooking class were highlights. We would probably pass on Pig Island next time as it was very dirty and we saw pigs getting attacked.
Overall, we had a great time and the tour guide took care of us completely, from start to finish.
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During the trip, our Zicasso travel agent promptly responded to issues/inconveniences. Our guides in Bangkok and in Siem Reap were the best tour guides of them all, as were the foodie tour guides in Bangkok and Phuket. We truly enjoyed this trip.
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Our Zicasso travel agent did a wonderful job taking our requests and styling a complex, detailed itinerary. Everything worked perfectly. The guides all communicated with each other and the drivers were always at the expected locations. All accommodations were awesome and well-located.
Beginning in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we visited Doi Inthanon National Park, the Doi Suthep mountain temple, and had an absolutely awesome time visiting with elephants at the elephant sanctuary, among other things. We even got to play with a two-week-old elephant. All our dining recommendations were awesome and we particularly enjoyed our time with the guides.
Next, we flew to Krabi for unforgettable views and relaxing beach time. Again, the resort was awesome. We even went mountain climbing on Railay Beach. My son got engaged at the New Year's gala at our hotel, which was spectacular; an unbelievable stay. We particularly enjoyed our time with the guide!
Next, we finished in Bangkok, where the highlight was riding in the tuk-tuks and doing a city food tour. Our guide was so awesome and knowledgeable.
Unfortunately, eight of the 10 of us then flew home, while my wife and I continued to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Our guide was such a good travel companion and we left Cambodia with a true knowledge of Cambodian life/history/temples. He was very forthcoming about his life growing up under the Khmer Rouge. Although a long day, the temple tour was unbelievable, culminating in Angkor Wat. Our hotel was awesome and blocks from the nightlife on Pub Street. It was such a great stay.
Next, we flew to Saigon. We were met by our guide, who noticed we were hungry and immediately stopped at a local street food vendor for our first foray into bun bo. It was so good. The mix of history, countryside visits, and city tours with our guide was awesome and she even left us with a customized pictorial of our visit. The other excursion that needs mention is the Vespa city and food tour. Our main guide was delightful, giving us a true taste of Saigon culture and food. The drivers were so great. This tour finished with a surprise visit to a local bar/club, where we had front-row seats to an awesome Latin band for a nightcap. It was truly unforgettable. Also, we cannot forget our visit to the Cu Chi tunnels, where our guide did a great job educating and touring us through this unbelievable history.
Then, we flew to Hanoi to another awesome location. Highlights in Hanoi would be visiting the Hoa Lo prison, having dinner in a local family's home, and especially the Minsk backstreet tour. Our tour drivers were so awesome. This excursion really gave us a feel for the city/backstreets, as well as an idea of the frightening life of riding a motorbike through the city and back alleys of Hanoi. It was truly unforgettable. This tour finished with my knees about a foot away from the speeding train at Hanoi train station, another can't-miss site!
Next, we visited Ninh Binh for trekking, biking, and bamboo boating. The scenery was awesome and it was definitely a nice break from the busy city.
The trip finished with a two-night, three-day cruise on Hạ Long Bay. The scenery was unbelievable and the staff were excellent; so attentive and informative.
This trip truly was spectacular and we are so happy that Zicasso connected us with our agent to make all of this happen. We couldn't be happier with the entire trip!
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