Overnight international flight to Bangkok

Upon arrival in Bangkok, airport reception and transfer to the hotel. Depending on arrival time, spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

After breakfast, drive to Wat Pho in time to experience the monks' morning chanting ritual. One of the oldest and most extensive temples in Bangkok, Wat Pho is home to the famous 45m Reclining Buddha. It is also the original school of traditional Thai massage. Next, visit the Grand Palace, the most important and spectacular royal palace in Thailand. The palace is an architectural wonder of golden stupas, walls and pillars encrusted in shining and colorful mosaics. Previously the residence of the Kings of Thailand, there are multiple palaces within the complex which were used for different occasions; including the beautiful Wat Phra Kaew, which houses the most revered Buddha image in Thailand: the Emerald Buddha. Continue with a walk to the public ferry pier for a short boat ride to Wat Arun, once the grand royal temple to King Rama II. After exploring, eat lunch (not included).


Then proceed with a visit to Vimanmek Mansion, the largest teakwood mansion in the world. Also referred to as Teakwood Palace, it was built in 1900 by King Rama V as part of the Dusit Palace Complex. In 1982, Queen Sirikit was granted permission from King Rama IX to renovate the building for use as a museum. Today, the museum holds an impressive collection of photographs, personal art, and handicrafts that were all personally collected by King Rama V.


Continue with a visit to the Thai-style house of Jim Thompson, the legendary American businessman who came to Thailand at the end of World War II and rediscovered the Thai silk industry. His house is now a museum filled with fascinating Asian antiques and historical memorabilia. The house consists of six separate Thai teakwood houses from the Ayutthaya period put together as one. Jim Thompson's mysterious disappearance in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia remains a mystery to this day. After the tour, return to the hotel for the evening.


Note: Wat Arun Temple will be under renovation until further notice. Guests will still able to visit the temple and walk around it, but the constructions are ongoing and climbing up the stupa is prohibited. Ladies should wear a short-sleeved top with full-length pants or a knee-length skirt and gentlemen should wear pants and a short-sleeved shirt for religious reasons. Sandals and flip flops are not allowed. If this tour falls on a Monday, the Vimanmek Mansion part of the tour will be replaced with a tour of Suan Pakkad Palace Museum.
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Depart early morning for the two hour drive to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. This vibrant market features numerous small boats laden with colorful fruits and vegetables, paddled by Thai women wearing bamboo hats. Almost always crowded with hundreds of vendors, purchasers and tourists, the best way to experience the atmosphere of the market is to board a rowing boat and float through the small canals to buy fresh produce from the vendors. This is the only place to see the traditional way of selling and buying goods in Thailand.


Afterwards, visit the Nakorn Pathom; the site of the highest Chedi in Thailand called "Phra Pathom Chedi", which is the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia. Enjoy an excellent buffet lunch at the picturesque Samphran Riverside (formerly known as the Rose Garden). After lunch, there will be Thai cultural performances, including the colorful Buddhist ordination procession, an elegant fingernail dance, a Thai boxing demonstration, Hill Tribe dance performances, sword fighting, elephants, charming folk dances, a traditional Thai wedding ceremony and more.


This evening, transfer to Manohra Pier (or Saphan Taksin Pier), to board a boat for an evening cruise. Learn more about Bangkok and the Chao Phrya River, a truly magnificent waterway and one of the great rivers in Asia. The river has been a principal factor in the development of Thai heritage, culture, and economy, and is considered the nation's life and soul.


While cruising down the Chao Phrya River, enjoy a delicious Thai dinner and watch the panorama change to reveal fantastic treasures from the country's rich past, as well as fascinating modern architectural creations. The Manohra Luxury Cruise will take guests to the King Rama VIII Bridge, where the boat will turn around and head back to the pier. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.
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Transfer from Bangkok to the Sampran Riverside Resort in the Nakon Prathom Province. Once guests arrive, they are free to choose activities at leisure. All activities are spread around the village so visitors are free to roam around and try out the following: bamboo dancing, weaving, rice farming, Thai martial arts, garland making and vegetable carving, pottery, orchid growing and umbrella painting.


After enjoying an international buffet lunch, visit the resort canal side market to buy fresh local produce from the boats or souvenirs from the shops. The resort also has a range of homemade herbal products such as soaps, shampoo, balms and coconut oil whose ingredients are either home grown or sourced locally. In the late afternoon, enjoy an optional elephant demonstration and a Thai village cultural show. Having been performed for 40 years, this is the longest running show in Thailand and is a musical that depicts typical village life. The performance takes place in a classic air-conditioned theater. Dinner is to be coordinated by guests; the options are the Rimnam, Inn Chann or Asuka restaurants.
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Across the Ta-Chine river lays a 15-acre piece of land which used to be fruit orchards and paddy fields. The Sampran Riverside has been working with the local community to bring it back to its former glory with an organic farm project. The goal is to be a model farm for the local community to highlight organic methods and diminish the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Cross the river by rowboat for a briefing on the farm, followed by a guided tour of the land and its lotus pond. Enjoy several demonstrations, including how to climb trees to pick coconuts and how to harvest betel nuts. Observe the water buffaloes and their keepers plowing the paddy fields, sample fresh fruits and vegetables, try homemade herbal teas and learn the art of folding lotus petals.


Afterwards, enjoy a traditional cooking class followed by lunch. The chef and his team will teach the following dishes: Tom Yum Goong - a spicy prawn lemongrass soup, papaya salad and barbeque pork (or chicken) on skewers served with sticky rice, green curry with beef, marinated chicken wrapped in pandanus and stir fried fresh vegetables from the organic farm. After lunch, participate in an herbal product workshop for 30 minutes. Learn to make traditional herbal inhalers using local ingredients. The inhaler is called Som-o-meu after its main ingredient, which is a type of pomelo. Dinner is to be coordinated by guests; the options are the Rimnam, Inn Chann or Asuka restaurants.
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Return transfer to Bangkok for a flight to Koh Samui. Upon arrival, airport reception and transfer to the hotel. Afterwards, spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Start today's tour with a visit to Ladd Koh View Point for a panoramic view of the famous Chaweng Beach. Its powdery white sand contrasts with the clear blue sea to create incredible scenery. Next, stop at a the famous Hin Ta and Hin Yai rock formations, or "Grandpa and Grandma Rocks". Continue to Wat Kunaram to pay respects to the mummified body of Luang Por Daeng, a sacrosanct monk who died more than 30 years ago in a sitting position of meditation. His body remains in the same position today and shows few signs of any major decay.


Then head to Na Muang Waterfall, which features a truly spectacular set of two cascades. The smaller waterfall drops 18m and is ideal for swimming. It is also accessible by car, while the larger waterfall drops 80m and requires a 20-minute walk up a hill. Proceed from there to visit "Big Buddha," a 12-meter high statue of Buddha that is located on a hilltop with beautiful views. Enjoy a set Thai lunch at local restaurant and continue to Nathon, the capital of Koh Samui, for some shopping. Return to the hotel late in the afternoon.
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Depart from Koh Samui today for a small, lesser developed island with a rich jungle in the center, and beautifully tranquil surroundings. Koh Tao's setting offers amazing opportunities for relaxation on its white sandy beaches, as well as superb snorkeling and diving in crystal-clear, warm waters. Shallow reefs are just a stone's throw from the island and they feature corals of all colors, shapes, and sizes with hundreds of varieties of reef fish. After snorkeling, enjoy lunch at a restaurant on Koh Nang Yuan and then relax and take in the atmosphere. Return to the pier in Koh Samui in the late afternoon and transfer to the hotel.


Note: This tour is subject to cancellation if the tour operators do not have 10 participants. If one is interested in doing the Coral Island Tour, Speedboat Tour of Ang Thong, or Koh Phangan Tour instead of the Catamaran Tour of Koh Tao & Koh Nang Yuan, please contact the travel consultant.
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Depending on the departure time, enjoy the morning at leisure before transferring to the airport for the flight to Bangkok and connection home or continue with an optional Yampu Tours add-on.