Our top Thailand tours and excursions

Before Bangkok became famous for its busy nightlife and glitzy malls, it was known as the “Venice of the East”: threaded through with hundreds of canals (or khlongs) and lined with teakwood homes and shrines.  

A half-day tour of Thonburi will introduce you to a little slice of that old Bangkok, where transport is by longtail boat instead of skytrain, and where life still moves at a lazy pace in teakwood villages along the khlongs. After puttering past old shophouses and temples, whose eclectic architecture reflects the region’s centuries of trade, you’ll disembark to explore an icon of Bangkok: the sparkling, mosaic-encrusted temple of Wat Arun. From here, it’s a short walk to the Grand Palace, whose magnificent complex of over 100 buildings has been the seat of Thai royalty for over two centuries.

Encompassing 42 jewel-like islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Ang Thong National Marine Park is a wonderland of dense jungle, hidden waterfalls and sandy beaches so brilliant they almost hurt the eyes. 

As far as we’re concerned, the best way to discover this natural playground is with a full day’s island-hopping by speedboat, with plenty of stops to feel the sand between your toes, trek to mountain viewpoints, and swim in warm, clear waters among coral reefs darting with fish of all colors, shapes and sizes. Stop for a delicious buffet lunch on the shores of Ko Pha Luay, then spend the afternoon chilling out beneath the palm trees, swimming, or perhaps heading back out on the water for a kayaking adventure to some of the more remote corners of the marine park. If you ask us, that’s as close to a day in heaven as you’ll find on Planet Earth.

Once you’ve seen one island, you’ve seen them all — or have you? Spend a day island-hopping in Thailand’s beautiful south and discover a treasure trove of hidden coves, pearl-white beaches and vivid coral reefs.  

Whether it’s Phi-Phi, Phuket, or Krabi, Thailand’s southern reaches are world-famous for their palm-fringed sands and turquoise seas basking in the heat of the tropical sun. But while they might all sound alike, Thailand’s southern islands can be surprisingly diverse, encompassing uninhabited jungle islets, sleepy seaside fishing towns, upmarket enclaves and deserted, hidden coves. The best way to get a sense of the variety is to spend a day island-hopping by boat, swimming among coral reefs teeming with fish, stopping to sample seafood fresh from the waves, and cruising to beaches so stunning they’ve starred in Hollywood films.

Combine luxurious, safari-style tents with a world-class, animal-friendly elephant sanctuary — all set against the backdrop of the magical Thai rainforest — and you get one of our favorite wildlife experiences in Southeast Asia. 

Deep in the Khao Sok National Park, surrounded by towering limestone mountains and virgin jungle, is Elephant Hills: part nature park, part wildlife sanctuary, and part luxury eco-lodge. After you’ve settled into your tent on Thailand’s most beautiful lake, there’s a whole menu of amazing experiences to get stuck into. Head out canoeing on the Sok River as hornbills fly overhead, drink cocktails in the club bar as you watch traditional Thai dance, and — of course — meet the elephants who call this paradise home. Elephant Hills is committed to the welfare of these gentle giants, so you’ll be able to meet, touch, feed and interact with them, but not ride them.

Learn about one of the darkest periods in Thai history: the construction of the “Death Railway” and the Bridge on the River Kwai. 

To wander the sleepy streets of riverside Kanchanaburi, it’s hard to imagine that this was the setting for one of the most horrific events in Thailand’s history. During WWII, thousands of local people and Allied prisoners of war were forced to build the infamous “Death Railway”, including the famous Bridge on the River Kwai. The bridge still stands today, and monuments commemorating those who died constructing it are found throughout Kanchanaburi. Visiting these memorials and reading first-hand accounts of their suffering at the Railway Museum is a sobering experience, but it’s unmissable if you want to understand the trauma of this important piece of Thailand’s history.