This 2 week Thailand itinerary is similar to the one I took to see the Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai. It covers Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket with a few flights and an overnight train. It covers a lot of area but you’ll get to see a few different sides to Thailand.
I wrote this 2 week Thailand itinerary with the intent that it’s open and flexible. Though I have recommendations for each day, you can pick and choose what you would like to do and what times you’d like to move onto the next place.
| Days | 15 (or 14) |
| Start | Bangkok |
| End | Bangkok |
| Destinations | Thailand – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket |
| Transport | Train, plane, organised tour |
2 Week Thailand Itinerary: Overview
| Day 1: | Arrive in Bangkok |
| Days 2-3: | Bangkok |
| Day 4: | Day Trip to Ayutthaya |
| Day 5: | Bangkok, evening to Chiang Mai |
| Days 6-8: | Chiang Mai |
| Day 9: | Day Trip to Elephant Nature Park |
| Day 10: | Free day |
| Day 11: | Transfer to Phuket |
| Days 12-13: | Phuket |
| Day 14: | Back to Bangkok |
| Day 15: | Depart Bangkok |
Map of this 2 week Thailand itinerary.
Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok
Your trip starts when you arrive in Bangkok. You can arrive at any time and check into your accommodation. If you have the energy, go out and get something to eat and explore the city a bit. But if not, don’t stress; you can rest before starting your adventure on Day 2.
Book your stay in Bangkok
Day 2: Bangkok
It’s time to start exploring Thailand’s capital! Some of the best places to explore are the gorgeous wats (temples). My top 3 are Wat Phra Kaew (in the Grand Palace complex), Wat Pho and Wat Arun, though there are many more to see around the city. You can definitely spend all day just exploring some wats while walking along Bangkok’s streets and canals, eating its famous street food along the way.
Some things to do in Bangkok:
- Grand Palace (Wat Phra Kaew)
- Wat Pho
- Wat Arun
- Wat Saket
- Wat Ratchabophit
- Wat Suthat
- Wat Benchamabophit
- Wat Ratchanatdaram
- Museum of Siam
- Bangkok National Museum
- Bangkok National Gallery
- Jim Thompson House
- Suan Pakkad Palace
Day 3: Bangkok
Today’s another day in Bangkok! Perhaps today you’ll want to explore the Bangkok National Museum full of Thai art, the informative Museum of Siam, and the Jim Thompson House. Bangkok is a huge place so there are lots of options and lots of areas to see.
Book an Organised Tour in Bangkok
Day 4: Day Trip to Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is Thailand’s ancient capital and there’s so much to see there – it’s like a huge open air museum of centuries-old architecture. I can’t recommend a trip to Thailand without seeing this ancient gem! Ayutthaya is close to Bangkok and there are options for getting there via train, however a lot of people (myself included) go on a guided tour. Ayutthaya is very spread out so for a day trip, I do recommend this option.
Book an Organised Tour to Ayutthaya
Day 5: Bangkok & Transfer to Chiang Mai
You can spend another half day in Bangkok, doing anything you didn’t get to do, before heading off to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai is a while away, so I recommend either getting a flight at any time or you can take the overnight sleeper train. You will need to book the train at 12Go and then pick up your tickets at a shopping mall beforehand. I actually thought the sleeper train was fine – my only complaint is that they wake you up around 6 or 7 in the morning, which is quite early for me. But I hate flying so it was a good option for me.
Day 6: Chiang Mai
Arrive in Chiang Mai early in the morning, or be there ready to explore a new city. The main thing to do in Chiang Mai is to explore its many wats – there are over 100 in the city alone! From modest wooden wats to elaborately carved wats to wats with Donald Duck to wats made entirely of silver, there are so many to see. Spend the day exploring.
Book Your Stay in Chiang Mai
Day 7: Chiang Mai
Today you get another day in Chiang Mai. Like I said, there are so many temples to explore in the old part of the city alone that you will definitely find some to visit.
Day 8: Chiang Mai
Perhaps today you can explore Chiang Mai further or you can look to take a day trip. One place I highly recommend is Doi Suthep, an beautiful temple in the mountains. You can book a trip online and there are also many taxis willing to take you. It takes a few hours to get to Doi Suthep, explore the temple, and come back – and many tours add in an extra temple or two to visit.
Something else I enjoyed was a cooking class. I love Thai food so it was cool to make some myself and learn more about how it’s made authentically. My class (this one) was also in the countryside and I enjoyed seeing that angle of Thailand.
Day 9: Elephant Nature Park
Probably the most rewarding experience I had in all of Thailand was visiting the Elephant Nature Park about an hour outside of Chiang Mai. This is an ethical elephant sanctuary that rescues elephants from the logging and entertainment industries. I loved spending the day with these guys and with the animal lovers who take care of them.
The ONLY way to book tickets is on their website, where you’ll find a few different options for tours. I did the “Care for Elephants” tour.
Please note that there are so many elephant “sanctuaries” in Thailand but a lot of them are not true sanctuaries and they abuse the animals. Elephant Nature Park is vetted and approved by animal rights groups and animal lovers alike. If you choose to visit another sanctuary, please read reviews and look for instances of elephant riding, chains, or prodding.
Day 10: Free Day
Today’s an “extra” day for you to choose what you’d like to do. You can stay in Chiang Mai or perhaps take a day trip somewhere. Chiang Rai is a popular destination but I wasn’t a big fan, however there are lots of options.
You can also skip ahead and go to Phuket to get an extra day there that’s not on this itinerary. Or you can go to Phuket one day early to make this itinerary one day shorter. It’s completely up to you! However, if you do go to Phuket, I obviously would advise making that decision ahead of time so you can book a plane.
Day 11: Fly to Phuket
It’s time to transfer from Temples to Tropical Islands. You can leave for Phuket at any time, either spending another day in Chiang Mai or getting in some extra time at Phuket.
Book Your Stay in Phuket
Day 12: Phuket
It’s time to explore Phuket! One of the most popular things to do here is of course the snorkelling. The Phi Phi Islands are exceptionally popular. Though they’re crowded, I have to say – the scenery and marine life is absolutely beautiful. I really enjoyed my day at Phi Phi. And when you get back, you can enjoy some great vegan food at one of the many vegan restaurants in Phuket!
Book an Organised Tour in Phuket
Day 13: Phuket
This is another day for you to enjoy Phuket as you choose. You can spend the day snorkelling or perhaps book a land tour to see what’s in and around Phuket town. I visited the Similan Islands which was a long day but much less crowded than Phi Phi.
Day 14: Transfer to Bangkok
It’s time to leave Phuket and go back to Bangkok to catch your flight home. You can leave Phuket at any time.
Day 15: Depart
Unfortunately it’s time to leave. Depart Bangkok at any time.
2 Week Thailand Itinerary Checklist
If you’re going to follow this 2 week Thailand itinerary, here’s a checklist of what you’ll need to buy:
◻ Roundtrip flight to Bangkok
◻ 4 nights in Bangkok
◻ 5 nights in Chiang Mai
◻ 3 nights in Phuket
◻ 1 extra night in Bangkok
◻ Overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (or flight)
◻ Flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket
◻ Flight from Phuket to Bangkok
◻ Reservation for Elephant Nature Park
You can book the overnight train from 12Go. Please read the directions carefully as you’ll need to pick up the tickets from a shopping mall when you are in Bangkok.
Also, I had a flight with VietJet and there was about 8-10″ of legroom! I’m 5’1″ and my knees were pushing into the chair in front of mine. Luckily it was a short flight but I would recommend you avoid them.
Thailand is a great country and hopefully this 2 week Thailand itinerary will help you cover the highlights!
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