Thailand Laos Tour 17 days: A Majestic Trip

Warmly welcome you on arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport. We will pick you up with a comfortable vehicle to the center of Saigon to check-in your hotel, then take your time to have a rest after a long flight.
 

Today, we will take the whole day to explore Bangkok – the city of golden temples. The first destination is the Grand Palace, which includes 3 main sites: Royal Palace, Royal Office and pagodas (Wat) built in 1770s. Nowadays, most of national significant events takes place there.

Wat Phra Kaew is famous not only for its beauty of unique Thailand Buddhism architecture but also for the sacred jade Buddha statue. 

 Nearby Grand Palace is Wat Pho - the oldest and biggest pagoda in Bangkok with more than 1000 Buddha statues and the huge one sit-back Buddha in gold.

On route, we stop at Wat Arun, the most beautiful pagoda in Bangkok not only for its location on the Chao Phraya’s riverbank but also for the different architecture from other pagodas. 

We visit Wat Traimit. This pagoda is famous for its unique and historic beauty, and also for the huge golden Buddha statue.

Return to the hotel and you are free to explore Bangkok by night.

The morning will be on your own to go to shopping or explore Bangkok by yourself.
In the afternoon, we transfer to the airport, taking a flight to Chiang Mai. Checking-in the hotel in Chiang Mai and then you are free.

Morning after breakfast, we will visit the local market to discover the local products. After that we visit the world famous Wat Phra Kaew, one of the oldest and most revered temple in Chiang Rai city. The Wat Phra Kaew is an important temple in Thai history, as it was here where the Emerald Buddha was discovered in the year 1434 after lightning struck the chedi where it was kept.  

We move on to Wat Phra Singh, which was the storage of Phra Buddha Sihingh statue. The main structures of the Lanna style temple are the ubosot, the viharn, a chapel containing a footprint of the Buddha and the Kuti or monks living quarters.

Continue to visit Baan Dam (Black House), an eclectic mix of traditional northern Thai buildings interspersed with some outlandish modern designs.

Then take a boat to cruise on Mae Kok river from Chiang Rai to Karen village where you can watch elephants or feed them, especially enjoying your 1 hour elephant riding.
Heading back to Chiang Rai to overnight.  

After breakfast, we visit the Mae Fah Luang botanical garden, sited high up on the mountain of Doi Tung. Coming here, visitors are rewarded with a stunning display of plants and flowers.

We continue the trip by heading to the northern Thailand to Doi Mae Salong. which has early history focusing on opium trading. Climb up and down the green hills, covered with tea plantations. Here, you will get a chance to taste the delicious tea of the region.

From Doi Mae Salong, we will visit two villages of ethnic minorities: the village Akah of Loyo, and the village Lisu of Ban Hanygo.  Having lunch at the local restaurant at the Golden Triangle, then taking a boat trip along Mekong Kong River to see Thailand, Burma & Laos, confluence at the Golden Triangle, which is known for its beautiful scenery. Some of the sights in the area include a large golden Buddha image seated in a boat, an ancient temple on a hill and the House of Opium Museum.

Return to the hotel and you are free to relax.

Have breakfast and free time until transfer to Chiang Mai. It takes about 5-hour driving, therefore you can take your time to relax after checking-in the hotel in Chiang Mai.

Today morning, we have a walking tour to the old town with a stop at the old wall, the moat and a door of the old town. You will see the most beautiful temples of Chiang Mai: Wat Phra Singh temple, built in Lanna style architecture. Known as “The Monastery of the Lion Buddha’, this temple houses a number of highly revered and very old Buddha images.

The next is Wat Phan Tao, an ancient temple sitting right next to the sacred Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai town.

Next to Wat Phan Tao is Wat Chedi Luang. This is a Buddhist temple in the historic centre of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Then you will stroll along small streets lined with traditional houses, where you will take a rickshaw tour. After that, you will take a walking through the central market of Warorot. Among the numerous markets in Chiang Mai, this is one of the most well-known, located right in the center of town. Warorot Market is a great spot for travelers wanting to experience the true Thai culture and daily life. 
In the afternoon we visit the Doi Suthep hill. The mountain's temple is one of the most historically and spiritually significant places in Thailand. So, a lot of Thais and foreigners come to experience the special magic of this holy place. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is an impressive embodiment of the Lanna (northern Thai) culture and is a symbol deeply cherished by the people of Chiang Mai.
Return to the hotel and you can relax or enjoy going to the night market.

After breakfast, departure for Chiang Dao, famous for huge limestone mountains. Interstingly, when you visit an elephant camp, you can watch the elephants taking their morning bath and demonstrating some their skills. You will also learn how to properly ascend the elephant and lumber along a trail in the dense, leafy forest and along the Mae Ping River. 
In the afternoon, you will get an up-close look at the river on a bamboo raft trip. You will languidly cruise past traditional teak houses high on stilts along the lush banks. Bidding farewell to chilled-out Chiang Dao and its gentle people won’t be easy. Soften the blow with a stop at an orchid farm on your return to Chiang Mai. Revel in the assortment of colors and designs from stripped to dots. At the end of the day, you’ll have seen that Thailand’s natural bounty is an open-air art museum.

This day will start with a transfer to Doi Inthanon National Park. It will take approximately 2 hours to this highest peak of Thailand. On arrival, we will spend 2-3 hours trekking through the jungle following a narrow mountain trail which leads us to stunning hidden waterfall in the middle of lush jungle. Along the way before reaching the Pagagayaw Karen hill tribe village, we will pass through the farmland where you will see the coffee plantation, flowers farm and the beautiful rice terraces. Discover the Pagagayaw Karen hill tribe village and taste a cup of locally grown coffee, then move on to Vachiratharn Waterfall, a 70 meters high thunderous waterfall. Enjoy the cool fresh air at the waterfall before we continue back to the ground. After that you will visit the beautiful architecture of Napamaytanidol Chedi and Phra Mahatat Napaphon Bhumisiri which build to honor the 60th birthday of King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit. Heading back to Chiang Mai for your overnight. 

Breakfast is at the hotel. 
8:30 am - 2:00 pm (Join group) : You will be picked up by the school team and join the Thai Farm Cooking for Thai cooking classes in English. It will be a great experience for you to learn the recipes and tips of this succulent Thai cuisine.
-          Visit a local market
-          Explaining and learning about herbs and ingredients at our organic farm
-          Cooking jasmine rice and sticky rice
-          Pound and make a curry paste from scratch
-          Choose and make one curry paste, one curry and one soup
-          Cook a noodle dish and sweet dessert according to the day
 
Afternoon take direct flight to Luang Prabang ( Wed, Frid, Sun). On arrival, pick up and transfer to hotel. Time free and overnight in Luang Prabang
 

After breakfast, we embark on private boat for a relaxing cruise on Mekong river. Stop to Ban Xang Hai, which is famous for the traditional rice whiskey distilled. Continue cruising to visit the mysterious Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. 

Cruise downstream the Mekong river back to Luang Prabang.
Upon arrival, we then visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts, and the nearby magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture.
We may have time to Traditional Art and Ethnology Center (closed on Monday) to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures
Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Luang Prabang  
 

Wake up as the sun rises, we will prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temple to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets.
From there, we will visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken. This is the best chance to experience the flavor of local life
Wake up as the sun rises, we will prepare to join the most sacred tradition of Laos, the daily morning alms giving, which dates to the 14th century. More than 200 Buddhist monks depart from various temple to gather their daily meal from the faithful residents sitting quietly on the streets.
From there, we will visit the temporary morning market near the former Royal Palace. Just set on the ground, the local people come here to barter their day’s catch from rice, to vegetable, to fish, or chicken. This is the best chance to experience the flavor of local life
After breakfast at the hotel, we ascend the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the Mekong River.
If time permits, we will visit UXO Visitor Center (closed on Saturday, and Sunday), where you can find the documentation about the secret war in Laos.
We then visit the Buffalo Dairy Farm, which is the first of its kind in Laos. The farm helps Lao farmer have benefits from the dairy products from their buffaloes, that they cannot imagine before.
This then takes us to the beautiful Kuang Si waterfalls which is the biggest in the Luang Prabang area with three tiers leading to a 50-metre drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. The pools also make great swimming holes and are very popular with both tourists and locals.
You have the rest of the afternoon to refresh with the cool clear water, or hiking to the top of the waterfalls.
There is also the chance to walk to the nearby village of Ban Thapene, and explore the hidden waterfalls, which is rarely visited by other tourists
If you wish, we will also take a short visit to the Bear Rescue Center, which houses a couple of dozen animals rescued from the hands of poachers and traffickers.
On the way back to Luang Prabang, we will take a short visit to the Ock Pop Tock Living Craft Center, set serenely close to the Mekong, this beautiful, traditionally styled workshop, where weavers, spinners and batik makers produce top-quality fabrics, offers free tours every half-hour. This is also one of the best spots to admire the sunset in Luang Prabang
Transfer back to your hotel late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang

After breakfast, we make our way over the mountains to Xieng Khuang, the province which is best-known for having been heavily bombed during Indochina War. But of course it is also famous for the historic Plain of Jars. The journey takes about 8 hours and we can make some stops at villages to observe the rural life of local people, including ethnic minorities such as the Hmong people. Our first stop is at Ban Kiew Nya for the panoramic view before continuing down to Ban Phoudam, where we can see the two hill tribe minorities of H’Mong and Khamu living in harmony. After that we visit the H’Mong market at the junction of Phoukhoun. From there, we will drive further to visit Tham Pra, which served as the hospital for the army during Indochina Wars. Arrival in Phonsavanh, the capital of Xiengkhouang province and check into your hotel. Overnight at hotel in town!
 

The “Plain of Jars” is an impressive archaeological site where hundreds of large stone jars are scattered all over a plateau. These huge jars are supposedly over 2,000 years old, but most of archaeologists still question their purpose. We have time today to explore the Plain of Jars site 1 and some nearby villages, populated by the Hmong hill tribe and Tai Dam people; they are very poor but possess a vibrant local culture and an interesting history. We leave Xieng Khuang for our scenic drive to Vang Vieng, a small town, which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with its limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. Along the way, we will stop at the peak of Phou Phiengpha, which offers the panoramic view over the region. Our next photo stop is Phatang Mountain view point to admire the beautiful scenery before reaching Vang Vieng.
Overnight in Vang Vieng

In the morning, we will first stroll around the town to visit the local market to catch a glimpse of everyday life in a typical Lao rural area. After breakfast, we depart to visit Tham Nang Fa cave which is located on the banks of Nam Song River in the north of Vang Vieng.
This cavern considered a big cave that massive eerily lit up with gel spotlights that filling by the huge limestone formations and has spectacular stalactites in various unique formations, whether in Buddha, kitchen, or animals, and so forth. Take a guided tour walk through the grand hall, along the pavement into a narrow alley and relish the attractiveness of stalactites that was hidden in this cavern. 
We bid farewell to Vang Vieng and drive to Vientiane. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, this capital conjures up exotic images, with a curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences. Overnight in Vientiane.

In the morning, we will first visit Wat Si Muang, which is very famous for its supernatural power. We then transfer out to see Buddha Park, an enchanting collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures on the Mekong Riverside meadow, close to the Friendship Bridge. There are approximately 200 religious images dating back over 500 years, which were created by a mysterious monk spreading his philosophy on life and revealing his ideas about the universe.
In the afternoon, we see the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to Lao’s national icon, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop enroute to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. A spectacular view over the Mekong River at sunset is a perfect way to finish the day.
Overnight in Vientiane

You are free to stroll around the town for your own exploration before taking the departure flight.