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. Visitors will still able to visit the temple and walk around it, but the constructions are ongoing and will not be able to climb up the stupa. 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 make way 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, be picked up from the hotel and transferred to Manohra Pier (or Saphan Taksin Pier), where travelers will 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 travelers 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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This morning, begin the journey to Ayutthaya, located in the lower half of northern Thailand. Head north along the historical Chao Phraya River and enjoy the everyday scenes of Thai life along the way. Lunch will be included en route. Upon arrival in Ayutthaya, the ancient capital city of Siam, visit the Summer Palace of King Rama V as well as some of the key temples in this former capital. With a mixture of Thai, Chinese and Gothic architecture, this proves to be a well preserved monument to the former Thai Kingdom. After the tour, transfer to the hotel for check-in. ...read less

This morning, transfer out of the city to Uthai Thani, a small town on the Sakaerkrang River that is rarely visited by tourists. Visit the Wat Chantaram, an impressive temple containing the Crystal Hall and Golden Shrine. Then enjoy lunch at the Uthai River Lake Country Resort and continue driving north to Phitsanuloke, a major regional commerce center that is spread along the banks of the Nan River. Visit the much venerated shrine of Wat Mahathat, which is home to one of Thailand's most beautiful Buddha images. Then continue to Sukhothai and check in at the hotel for the evening. ...read less

This morning, head to Sukhothai's Historic Park to visit the numerous temple ruins and beautiful landscape of lotus ponds and moats. The ruins of nearly two dozen monasteries with art and architecture styles of the original Khmer, Mon, Sinhalese and Tai influences remain inside the walls of this old city. From here, continue your journey north to the ancient town formerly known as Muang Chaliang, but later renamed Si Satchanalai under the reign of a new government. Ruins of 134 monuments have been discovered within this town's park, which serves as an excellent contrast to Sukhothai's Historical Park. There is a sense of history and a mysterious atmosphere among these ruins as they remain largely unrestored. ...read less

Morning transfer to the Sukhothai Airport for the return flight to Bangkok. Reception at airport and transfer to Kanchanaburi Province. Upon arrival, visit the cemetery of allied prisoners of World War II. Then visit the JEATH (Japanese, English, Australian, American, Thai and Holland) War Museum that commemorates the prisoners of war that were held captive here by the Japanese. Continue to the famous bridge on the River Kwai before experiencing a ride on the infamous Death Railway across the bridge, through local farmland and limestone mountains, and finally to Tam Krasae Station where travelers will depart for lunch at a local restaurant.


After lunch, head north to the uniquely scenic borderland of Sangkhlaburi, the westernmost district adjacent to Myanmar. Enjoy a coffee break at the Groeng Grawia Waterfall before continuing to Three Pagodas Pass - the mainland route into Thailand since ancient times that holds both Buddhist and historical significance from the Burmese-Siamese War of 1548. The pass is named for three small, crumbling pagodas which were built as symbols of peace. Transfer to the guesthouse in Sangkhlaburi for the evening and enjoy a traditional Thai dinner.
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This morning visit Mon Temple or Wat Wangwiwekaram, which was built by the people of the Mon Hill Tribe and is highly revered by Mon, Burmese, and Thai ethnicities from both sides of the border. Then enjoy a nice walk along the Wooden Bridge on Khao Laem Lake that provides a terrific view of Sangkhlaburi and the surrounding landscape. The bridge is over 850 meters (2,788 feet) long and considered to be Thailand's longest wooden bridge. Afterwards, enjoy a boat trip on the magnificent Khao Laem Lake to a floating village. On the way, make a brief stop at a sunken temple.


Return to Kanchanaburi for lunch at a local restaurant and then continue to Hellfire Pass Memorial, the renowned site at which prisoners of the Second World War were forced to create a pass for the Death Railway. Visit the informative museum and walk along the trail to the site of the pass. In the early evening, depart for a night jungle safari. Upon arrival at the camp, travelers can play with the resident elephants and bathe them in the river. Afterwards, embark on a night safari by elephant back through the camp and into the woodlands along the River Kwai. Conclude the night with a barbecue dinner on the riverbank before transferring to the hotel for the night.
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This morning, transfer approximately 1.5 hours through scenic agricultural areas, hills, and forest to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. On arrival, receive an introduction on the elephants and then change into traditional Karen clothing. After being allocated bananas and sugar cane to feed to the elephants, walk through the Sanctuary, where one will find free-roaming elephants and hear their individual stories. Visitors can touch, feed, photograph, and interact with the elephants at their leisure while learning about their lifestyle and behaviors. After meeting all of the elephants, accompany them to a nearby mud spa. Get muddy with the elephants and apply a healthy cosmetic mud treatment to their skin. Next, walk them to a nearby river and join them in the water for a refreshing bath. Take a swim and help bathe and brush the elephants while they wade through and play in the water. Once the elephants are clean, take some final photos with them, and then it will be time to part ways and change into some dry clothes. Eat some snacks and seasonal fresh fruit, before leaving. ...read less

Transfer to Bangkok for the flight home or continue with the Yampu Tours add-on of choice.