2 Weeks in Thailand: The Ultimate 14-Day Itinerary

Once we set our sights on SE Asia, Thailand was one of our main targets (along with Vietnam). We knew we wanted to give this country a little more time, so we decided on 2 weeks in Thailand to go from north to south. Vietnam visa issues ended up giving us a few extra days, but we could have spent much more time here. The food alone could have kept us here forever!

Here we will detail how you can explore Thailand, and what tell you what we were able to see and do in our 2 weeks there.

Getting There…

If you are flying in from the US, you will likely fly into Bangkok. BKK (Suvarnabhumi) airport is recommended over DMK (Don Mueang), because it is newer and better (or so we hear). This is where we flew in from, but we were coming in from Bali via Singapore (and our 24 hour layover). BKK was nice, and getting through customs and to transportation was no problem.

Bangkok is located more in the southern part of the country, but not as far south as the islands. For us, this felt like a perfect starting point for our time there. You can easily get a cheap connecting flight from here also, if you feel like starting in the jungles up north or beaches down south.

Our initial thought was about 2 weeks in Thailand, including travel days and what not. It ended up being a bit more so we had to adjust on the fly. Luckily there are plenty of options for places to go or stay, so it was very easy.

Bangkok

In general, big cities are not the highest thing on our priority list when we travel. So when we were planning, we felt that 3 days should be plenty. Our goal was to pretty much just explore the city, maybe find a cool city or food tour, and eat some good food.

This city has a ton to offer, especially if you’re looking for a nightlife scene. We did not explore any of that, but we heard a lot about it. There are a lot of stories about the famous “ping pong” shows. That is not our thing, so we steered clear of all that.

Where we stayed

Our friends, Joe and Sara, gave us a rec for a hotel to stay at in Chinatown area. But we also wanted to check out a different area as well. Our first couple nights we stayed in a smaller hotel called Let’s Zzz Bangkok. It was $32 per night when we stayed there. The location was good, it was walkable to a lot of the things we wanted to see. One of the reviews we saw recommended a small local restaurant nearby, called Mook Restaurant. This place happened to be closed when we were looking for food near the hotel, so we found Jeng Noodle Thai Food & Vegetarian. It was local and authentic, and really tasty. They did not speak much English, but did have an English menu and it was easy to order and pay (super cheap also).

Joe and Sara recommended the Hotel Royal Bangkok Chinatown since that us where they stayed. We stayed there on our final night. It was more expensive at $54 per night, and that played into why we only stayed here for one night. But, it is really nice and has an awesome rooftop pool and bar with a great view of the city. This hotel was definitely worth the money, and the location was great.

Right outside the front door were all of the street food stalls lining both sides of the street. Erin was not feeling great and wanted to rest, so I (Adam) went and explored on my own. I wish I had done more research on these specifically because it was a bit overwhelming and I was not sure where to go. There are Michelin rated stalls here, so I wish we could go back and find those ones. I ended up randomly stopping at a few, and it was all delicious (especially the dumplings).

Fun fact: as I am writing this (finally), we are in Portland, OR on a contract. We have been asking and researching about the restaurants we need to check out, and one that has come up multiple times is called Yaowarat. Which we did not know until we got here is what the Bangkok Chinatown area is actually called. So, we will definitely be checking it out here soon.

What we did

The Grand Palace

This collection of beautiful temples and buildings is definitely worth checking out. It is really beautiful in there, and there is a lot to see. The price was around $15 per person, but we thought it was worth that amount. Just remember you do need to wear pants or a sarong (cover your knees) and a shirt that covers your shoulders. There are a million little shops where you can find the classic touristy lightweight Thai pants with the elephants on them. They are cheap and a decent little souvenir.

Khao San Road

A famous spot in Bangkok. It is super touristy, but we found a spot to get some good not tourist trap food after looking for a bit. Apparently there is a good bar/night life scene here, but we had left by that point.

Wat Arun

We did not actually go into Wat Arun, we just went to a rooftop bar across the river from it. The rooftop bar had an awesome view of it, and of the rain storm that was rolling in. It started absolutely pouring rain while we were up there, but luckily we got a spot inside to stay dry-ish.

Co Van Kessel City Bike Tour

This bike tour had great reviews, but after going on it, we would not really recommend it. It was a decent way to see a good chunk of the city and the old town. We just felt that we did not really learn that much, and it was not all that exciting. If we were to do it again, we would probably look for a different tour, or just explore more on our own.

Yaowarat/Chinatown Food Stalls

I mentioned this earlier, this was definitely something to check out. Especially if you’re into trying some new and different foods. Going back, I would have definitely done more research on which stalls to try specifically. But, it is also worth just walking around and seeing what looks good. Bring cash.

Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai interested us to check out the beautiful temples. But, we were more interested in Chiang Mai, so we only gave ourselves one night (~24 hours total) here. This amount of time felt like enough for what we wanted to do.

Where we stayed

Spinomad Hostel was our place of residence for our one night in Chiang Rai. It was ~$13 for the night, for a private room and shared bathroom. We would definitely recommend this place, especially for the price. There is a wine bar and eatery in the same building, which was a nice place to grab a drink. The people were all very nice also. For the shared bathroom, we did not see one other person or have to wait for anything.

What we did

Temples

Wat Rong Khun – White Temple
Wat Huay Pla Kang & Big Buddha
Rong Suea Ten Temple – Blue Temple

This was the order we went to them. The White Temple was definitely the most impressive and coolest. It is the furthest away from where we were staying, so we started there. If you only are going to see one, see this one for sure. The detail is so incredible.

The Big Buddha was pretty cool too. It is freaking huge. The Blue Temple was OK. It is much closer to everything, so it is worth checking out if you want to. We were kind of over temples by this point, so that may have played a roll in it not being our favorite.

To get to the temples, we used Grab from town to the White Temple. It was a little tougher to get a ride from the White Temple. We finally got a ride, and were able to ask our driver if he would take us to the Big Buddha and wait for us, then take us to the Blue Temple. He was willing to wait, and we came to an agreement on a fair price. It was very kind of him, and he did not need to, so we made sure to give him a few extra bucks as a thank you. I cannot remember the exact cost, but it was not expensive by any means.

The other temple we were considering, was the Black Temple, or the Baan Dam Museum. But we did not check that one out.

Food

I (Adam) had probably the best bowl of Tom Yum Goong (Tom Yum Soup) that I have ever had here. We randomly stopped into a restaurant (Connect Cafe, very authentic lol) on the street after we got into town from our flight. It was a super hot and humid day, which I typically would not want a hot soup on. But, for some reason it was calling my name. The soup had to be about a thousand degrees, and was super spicy (in the best way). So, I was sweating buckets while trying to eat this soup. This makes it sound like a bad experience, but this soup was so damn good that I could not stop eating it. Freaking fantastic!

We also randomly went to a cat cafe thing (Cat n A Cup). It was weird, but the cats are pretty cute. I am allergic to cats, so we stayed just long enough to grab a bite and then leave.

Chiang Rai Night Bazaar

The night bazaar was really cool. We would highly recommend checking it out while you are in Chiang Rai. It was a Sunday night, so it was more mellow than other nights. But there were still a good amount of people, and even a really good live band that was crushing it. Tons of food stalls there, I cannot remember exactly what we had, but I do remember that it was tasty.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai are pretty close to one another up in the northern part of the country. We decided to hop on a bus for the 3.5-4 hour drive. It is really cheap, and we even “splurged” on the VIP bus tickets. The VIP tickets were in the $12 range (regular ~$6), and seemed very worth it. Our seats were large, comfortable, and had a lot of leg room (important for a tall person). Highly recommend buying the VIP tickets, and buying them in advance.

We were really excited about Chiang Mai from what we have heard from others, and that we would be staying in one spot for a few days. Our checklist here included visiting an Elephant sanctuary, a cooking class, more delicious food, and relaxing a bit.

Where we stayed

The Warehouse Chiang Mai is where we stayed for our four nights in Chiang Mai. Overall, it was great, and would recommend to anyone. We pain $119 for our four nights there. The room was clean, good wifi and AC, a lovely pool, some nice views of mountains, it was quiet at night, and very nice people at the front. The location was very walkable, and not far from all the things on the eastern side of the city.

What we did

Thai Akha Cooking Class

This cooking class was awesome! We got to go to the markets before and get some of the fresh ingredients, as well as try some different random things while we were touring the market. It felt like we made so much food, but they do tell you to come hungry.

Everyone was able to choose between a variety of main dishes and curries that you wanted to cook. Then we all made some papaya salad, egg rolls, and dessert. The instruction was great, and they made it fun for all of us. As with pretty much everywhere in Thailand, the food was really good, even with us making it!

Elephant Freedom Project

When you think of Thailand, often times you think of elephants as well. It is a very popular thing to do to see then when in Thailand. We definitely wanted to see them, but we wanted to make sure we it right and not contribute to the abuse of these beautiful animals. Erin did a lot of research to make sure we found a legit company that takes care of them and does not exploit them for tourist money.

Erin came upon the Elephant Freedom Project, and felt like it was the right one for us. A big thing that we learned and looked for was that they DO NOT RIDE THE ELEPHANTS! Our goal was to just be able to observe them in their natural environment and learn more about them.

With the Elephant Freedom Project we were able to help make their food and feed them, go on a walk through the jungle with them, and walk down the river to an area where they could get a bath. We got to spend a full day with them, and it was such a great day and experience overall. Would highly recommend an experience like this, but definitely do your research to find a company that takes care of the elephants and treats them well.

Explore The City/Old City

There is so much to do in the Old City. Tha Phae Gate is cool to check out at night for some photos. Restaurants and food galore. Be sure to get some Khao Soi while you are there, it is Chiang Mai’s specialty and so good.

We are big fans of rooftop bars, so we looked for one and found one at Hotel Yaayee on the western side of the city towards the mountains. Chill vibe, tasty snacks, and good drinks, it is worth checking out and has a beautiful views of the mountains as the sun sets behind them. When you get hungry, head just down the street to Kuakai Nimman for some real Thai food. It appeared to be all locals and zero tourists, so it was perfect. It was another experience where it was so spicy, but so good that I could not stop eating. Erin was just laughing at me as I say how hot it is but keep eating it.

The vibe of Chiang Mai is great, and we really enjoyed our time there. Apparently there a lot of digital nomads that live there, and I can see why they like it.

Krabi/Railay Beach

Our plan was to finish off our time in Thailand in the southern part near Krabi, in Railay Beach. We allotted 4 night here to allow us to be able to relax a bit more here as well. Things we were looking to do here included rock climbing, kayaking, snorkeling, beaching, and visiting Koh Phi Phi.

Railay Beach is only accessible by boat. It is a narrow strip of land/beach in the southern part of the country, but still on the mainland.

Where we stayed

Sand Sea Resort on Railay Beach. It is a beautiful sprawling resort that connects the east and west sides of Railay Beach. The location is directly on the beach, which made for some great breakfast views and sunsets on the western side. We paid $218 for our 4 nights here, so it was more expensive than some of our other lodging. But, this was for an upgraded Tropical Villa. The room was absolutely beautiful, and even had a private outside rain shower. Overall, we were very pleased with this place and would recommend for others.

There are quite a few options to choose from here. We did go in the shoulder season, so depending on when you go, the prices will vary for sure. Other options we were looking at were Railay Princess Resort & Spa, which looked pretty nice and is in a similar location to Sand Sea. The place that we were hoping to stay at was Railay Phutawan Resort. There were a couple blogs that we like that recommended this place, and it looks like it has an incredible view from the pool. It was booked up when we were there, so check early.

What we did

Rock Climbing

Neither of us had done much rock climbing, and I (Adam) had actually never rock climbed before. So we figured what better way to get into it than on the limestone cliffs of Thailand! Real Rocks was the company we used on Railay Beach, and we had a great experience with them.

There are options for a half day or full day, we went all in with the full day. It was such an incredible experience, and would highly recommend. To say we were tired by the end of the full day would be an understatement though, so it is definitely a great physical challenge.

In the morning, we met with our guides, and headed to our first climbing location on Phra Nang Beach. We did all the introductory stuff, and then got into the climbing for a few hours. Before lunch, we went for a bit of a hike into a cave and then rappelled down the side of a cliff back to Railay Beach. The rappelling was super cool, and provided a great view of the beach.

As we got back to the beach, we split for lunch. After lunch we met back up with our guides at the new climbing location. This area was definitely a bit more advanced, and we could get way higher up on the cliffs. Erin crushed it, and did way better than me. But, it was super fun and definitely would recommend for anyone looking to challenge yourself. We were also able to make some friends with the people we climbed with, and ended up hanging out and having a drink on the beach later.

Kayaking/Snorkeling

Along the beach there are plenty of options to rent a kayak and snorkel gear. Our resort offered rentals, so we used them. It was easy and cheap. There are so many of the small islands and caves that you can explore with a short paddle out there. The snorkeling was not all that great, but the kayaking was for sure worth it and fun.

Day Trip to Koh Phi Phi

This is definitely one of the things in Thailand that we wish we would have done better. Koh Phi Phi was on the list, and we were initially planning on staying there at least one night. But, with it being the “rainy season” and the forecast not looking awesome, we decided to just make it a day trip. The weather was perfect and did not rain one bit.

The ferry from Railay to Phi Phi was more expensive than I wanted, especially when we were only going to be able to be there for a few hours. Even though it was not exactly what we were looking for, we still tried to make the best of it.

Koh Phi Phi is absolutely beautiful, but it is a bit touristy. We started with hopping on one of the local boats over to Long Beach to do some snorkeling. It is really pretty, and we saw some cool fish and coral reef. There is an area where you can swim out to see a bigger reef and even some black tip sharks. We decided not to because of all the passing boats and traffic in the water.

After that, we hopped back on a boat to get back to the dock, and headed over to Loh Dalum Beach on the other side of the island. The tide was low, so we waded out pretty far. We got food, and then relaxed in the shade until our boat was ready to take us back.

Visit Phra Nang Beach

A short walk over to the south side will get you to Phra Nang Beach. It is absolutely beautiful, and very large so there is more room to spread out.

There is an “interesting” shrine on the beach to check out as well.

Erin swam out to Ko Rang Nok from the beach. This beach is also where you access the Bat Cave where you can get some cool views.

Hike to East Railay Viewpoint

On your way back to Railay, you can hike up to the viewpoint that is along the way. Bring proper footwear, because it is pretty steep. It was also super muddy for us, but we managed. The viewpoint is awesome. There is also a lagoon that you can get to from the same area. We decided not to because it was so muddy and the hike down seemed a little sketchy with how slick everything was.

Ao Nang

As I have referenced previously, our Vietnam visas were delayed and there was no way we could get them any sooner. So we had an extra three nights to hang out here. We opted to move to Ao Nang versus stay in Railay to see something new.

Where we stayed

Ao Nang Colors Hotel was where we stayed in Ao Nang. It is walkable to everything in the area, but far enough away to be quiet. There is quite a bit of nightlife here for it being a relatively smaller area, so it was nice to be off the main strip. Our room was nice, and it had a balcony. There is a rooftop infinity pool, which was also pretty nice. Overall, there could be some touch ups on things, but we enjoyed the stay. The cost was just over $90 for the three nights.

What we did

Thai Massage

Our hotel offered massages, so we took them up on it. We figured we needed to get the full Thai experience with a Thai massage. It is definitely a different experience compared to other massages we have had. Maybe not the most relaxing massage, but enjoyable nonetheless, and it was pretty cheap.

Hike Dragon’s Crest (Ngon Nak Nature Trail)

Since we had some extra unplanned time, we needed to look into some things to do. Our “go to” when we’re back home is to find a hike or brewery (usually both). No breweries here, so we found this hike to a viewpoint that wasn’t too far away.

Some reviews we had seen talked about people renting motorbikes and driving out there. It was a little further than I was comfortable driving (~30 minutes one way), and was unsure of the road conditions. So we just got a “Grab” (Uber) out there.

It is located in a national park, so there is a small fee (200 THB/$5-6USD), that is cash only. You also need to sign in and out, to keep track of people. Get there early because you can’t start the hike after 2pm.

Expect to sweat! It’s a decent hike, nothing too crazy in terms of elevation gain (~1900 feet) and mileage (~5 miles). But, it is soooo humid. By the time we reached the top, it felt like I (Adam) had jumped in a pool because I was completely soaked. Clothes and all.

This hike is definitely worth it if you’re looking for some exercise and a good viewpoint.

Ao Nang Landmark Night Market

There are night markets everywhere, and Ao Nang definitely has a good one. It offers tons of different food stalls of all sorts of Asian cuisine, and even a stall that offered pizza. We walked from our hotel to get some steps in, and it was only about a 15 minute walk mostly along the beach.

Muay Thai was another thing we were interested in, and there is actually a stadium that hosts fights at the night market. There were a lot of promoters around the market, and we contemplated going to it. But it was more expensive than we wanted, and we mostly just wanted to see it for a little bit, so we decided not to go.

But, we lucked out, because they were setting up a free match out in the market where they were doing another musical performance as well. We were eating some of the food we got from the stalls and having a beer, and we ended getting to see some Muay Thai. Albeit, I am confident it was not to the same level as inside. But, it was enough for us to get the experience.

Overall, would recommend the night market for sure.

Food

We had our best overall Thai meal on our last night in Thailand here. Erin found it while searching for local restaurants, and it was in this off street back alley type place, so we new it was going to be good. It was this local family owned place, that seemed like mostly locals instead of tourists. Another thing that we have found that correlates to good Asian food, are the plastics chairs and tables outside. The less fancy they seem, the better the food is. If they are tiny, and made for a child, then it is even better! This also can make it tough for a taller person, but it is worth it.

Family Thaifood & Seafood is the name of the restaurant. It is off the main streets a bit, but not all that hard to find with Google Maps. Part of me thinks we were meant to stay in Thailand the few extra days to get our Thai massage experience and find this restaurant. We had so much delicious food in Thailand, but this place was the best.

Our order consisted of papaya salad (som tum), crab omelette (kai jeow pu), thai basil beef (pad kra pao), and mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang). I wish we weren’t full so that we could have ordered more. Some of the workers spoke a little english, so ordering and paying was pretty easy overall. Check this place out if you are in town.

Fire Show

REEVE Beach Club is an awesome spot right on the water. It is definitely a bit more touristy, but we did not mind. We came here for the sunset and some drinks, but ended up being able to see a fire show on the beach. There is a rooftop patio that we were able to score a couch spot overlooking the beach for the show. It is not the cheapest, or most authentic Thai place, but it was great for a little snack, some drinks, and a fire show.

TLDR

Definitely go to Thailand. It is one of the places that we would like to return to some day. But, there are many places to visit first. It is easy to get around the country in 2 weeks, so check out all the cool places.