Thai food is world-renowned for excellent reasons. Delicious stir fries, savory rice dishes, mouthwatering soups, and incredible desserts draw on rich culinary heritage. Goway’s itinerary, Classic Thailand for Foodies: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui, is the perfect introduction to the beauty and geographic diversity of this special corner of the world with a focus on its legendary food.
The trip is also ideal for first-timers in Thailand with visits to three quintessential destinations: bustling Bangkok, culture-rich Chiang Mai, and the white-sand beaches of Koh Samui. In each, you’ll get to know Thai culture on a deeper level, through its flavors, and gain an appreciation for the subtle regional differences of its cuisine. Sample delicious street food in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, shop the markets like a local, and bring home some new skills after an all-day cooking class in the south.
Travelers on this trip also have the opportunity to make meaningful local connections through visits to hill tribe villages and community projects. These immersive experiences make for more sustainable travel too, helping to support the communities visited. (Discover more mindful options in Thailand with the Tourism Cares Thailand map created in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.) Goway’s trip has this exact mission in mind. Think meals in local markets and cooking with produce you’ve picked yourself—all to make your journey that much richer (and more delicious).
Itinerary / 11 Days
PLAN YOUR TRIP
The unbelievable train tracks through Maeklong Railway Market
Courtesy of Goway
Days 1–3:Explore Bangkok’s Temples and Markets
At the airport, meet your private transfer to make your way to your accommodations at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon. To decompress after the flight, The Standard’s Sky Beach at the top of the hotel is the highest al fresco rooftop bar in Bangkok and offers a memorable 360-view of the city from the 78th floor. Grab a drink and get your bearings with this bird’s-eye view of Bangkok, before heading back to your room for a good night’s sleep.
Day two is all about the most iconic sites of this capital city. After a hotel breakfast, your local guide picks you up to begin your tour of the city with a focus on Buddhist culture.
You’ll begin with a visit to catch the morning chants of the monks at Wat Pho, most famous for its 147-foot-long statue of the Reclining Buddha, a revered idol where worshippers regularly leave offerings. Make sure to check out the intricate carvings on the Buddha’s feet. The tour continues at the nearby Grand Palace, which has served as the seat of the Thai Royal family for more than two centuries. The vast palace grounds have shimmering temples, including the Emerald Buddha, the most celebrated Buddhist image in all of Thailand. After touring these iconic Bangkok monuments, return to the hotel to nap, grab a bite, or relax by the terrace pool.
Bangkok truly comes alive at night. On night two in the city, get to know Chinatown—with a focus on the food. You’ll tour the renowned Yaowarat Street learning more about the history of the neighborhood and the local flavors through the street food vendors. After Chinese dumplings, peppered pork noodles, Chinese donuts, and a visit to a tea shop return to the hotel for a nightcap or simply some well-deserved rest.
Day three in Bangkok is a day trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market. At the floating market, discover the canal system that gave Bangkok the nickname the “Venice of the East” and vendors in boats. Next is an unforgettable visit to Maeklong with stalls so close to a train track that when trains arrive vendors scramble to put away their wares and make room.
Chiang Mai’s signature dish, Khao soi
Courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand
Days 4–6:Eat Chiang Mai’s Celebrated Food and Meet a Local Hill Tribe Village
Your airport transfer brings you to Rati Lanna Riverside Spa Resort—a five-star resort along the Mae Ping River. Settle into your new accommodations before heading to the nearby Chiang Mai Night Bazaar for shopping and a dinner of local street food favorites.
To begin your first full day in Chiang Mai, grab breakfast at the hotel before meeting your guide to drive up Doi Suthep, the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai, to visit Wat Phra Thai Doi Suthep and its sacred pagoda. After exploring Chiang Mai’s most famous temple, head further up the mountain via songthaew (a passenger vehicle adapted from a truck and favorite Chiang Mai mode of transport) to visit the Chang Khien Coffee Research Project for locally grown coffee and to learn about the North’s flourishing coffee industry.
In the evening, head to South Gate market to savor a dinner of delicious street food. You can enjoy deep-fried pancakes and taro, kanom jeen (rice noodles with curry soup), kanom krok (Thai coconut pudding), noodle soup, pad Thai, and the summer favorite of sweet mango with sticky rice.
The next day, visit Mae Tang District and Araksa Tea Garden, which specializes in producing high-quality Assam tea. At the garden, learn about the process of growing tea and then harvest some of your own. Lunch in the garden before returning to Chiang Mai for an evening of exploring or relaxing as you see fit.
Leave Thailand with delicious recipes to bring home with you.
Courtesy of Goway
Days 7–9:Relax on Koh Samui and Take a Cooking Class
Wake up the next morning for an elephant adventure. At Samui Elephant Kingdom, learn about the sustainable work this organization is doing and observe these majestic creatures from the 1,300-foot-long skywalk. Afterward, transfer back to the hotel to enjoy the beach or pool.
On your last full day in Thailand, a cooking class at Island Organics is in store. Chef Lat and her team welcome you with a tour of their gardens to pick produce for the lunch you’re about to make. As you cook, Lat tells you about her life in rural Thailand, and a delicious meal in this beautiful setting caps off the experience. Then, it’s back to the hotel for a swim and cocktails to toast to your trip before your flight out the next morning.
