Our top Thailand tours and excursions

Thailand is overflowing with guided tours and excursions, but not all are created equal. That’s why we only ever recommend the best of the best: the experiences guaranteed to get you under the skin of Thai culture.   

Ancient ruins at Ayutthaya

Tour of the ruins of Ayutthaya with an art history expert

Discover Thailand’s cosmopolitan roots on a tour of the Ayutthaya ruins, accompanied by art history expert Professor Chedha Tingsanchali. 

For four centuries, Ayutthaya was the center of a great kingdom that sprawled over much of Southeast Asia, with a culture and architecture influenced by nations as far-flung as Britain, Persia and Japan. Then, in 1767, it was sacked by the Burmese, and its monuments were left to rack and ruin. With Professor Tingsanchali on hand to demystify the city’s multicultural origins, you’ll hunt down crumbling chedi spires hidden along wood-paneled lanes, and Buddha images in temples sandwiched between modern businesses and cafés. For history lovers, this is one of our favorite tours in all of Thailand. 

Bowl of curry noodles with chopsticks and lime to garnish

Morning/afternoon class at Pantawan Cooking School

Heavily influenced by Laos and Myanmar, northern Thai — or Lanna — cuisine is totally different from Thai food as you know it.

At Pantawan you won’t just whip up some dishes, you’ll learn about the local food culture, hear personal stories, and get tips on how to use your newfound skills back at home. Begin with a tour of the local fresh market, then cook your own curry noodles, spicy laab or mango sticky rice back at the school’s beautiful gardens. 

Orange vintage car street art on wall in Talad Noi, Bangkok

Street art tour of Talad Noi

Though it’s now part of Bangkok’s sprawling Chinatown, the first residents of Talad Noi were Portuguese Catholics who moved from Ayutthaya in the 18th century.

Today, it’s the epicenter of Bangkok’s street-art scene, with colorful murals splashed on walls between Chinese temples and grand, European-style architecture. Snap up some street food (dim sum is a local fave) as you hear the stories behind the artworks, then finish up with an ice-cold drink on a rooftop terrace.

Orange vintage car street art on wall in Talad Noi, Bangkok

Street art tour of Talad Noi

Though it’s now part of Bangkok’s sprawling Chinatown, the first residents of Talad Noi were Portuguese Catholics who moved from Ayutthaya in the 18th century.

Today, it’s the epicenter of Bangkok’s street-art scene, with colorful murals splashed on walls between Chinese temples and grand, European-style architecture. Snap up some street food (dim sum is a local fave) as you hear the stories behind the artworks, then finish up with an ice-cold drink on a rooftop terrace.

Man cutting down coconuts in Thailand

Introduction to coconuts

Coconuts: not much to know, right? Wrong.

Today’s join-in tour will get you beneath the hairy husk of this humble fruit as you visit a museum, orchard, farm and family-run processing factory. Along the way, follow the coconut from cultivation to peeling, scraping, squeezing, distilling and crafting — ending in products as diverse as coconut oil and household appliances. Of course, you’ll also get to eat plenty of coconut-flavored goodies, including a traditional sweet dessert you’ll whip up yourself. 

Ruins of Sukhothai historical park

Sukhothai Historical Park

It was during the age of Sukhothai that Thai culture as we know it was born.

Hop on a tuk-tuk tour to uncover the 700-year-old remnants of this extraordinary city — which invented the Thai alphabet, spread Theravada Buddhism and presided over a golden age of the arts. Stop in at some of nearly 200 temples and spires spread out between trees, paddies, ponds and villages, and soak up the atmosphere of one of the great pre-modern civilizations.