Wonders of Thailand

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Chiang Mai

Welcome to northern Thailand! Arrive in Chiang Mai where you will meet your ACIS Tour Manager and transfer to the hotel before tonight’s special Khantoke dinner and cultural show. This traditional Northern Thailand meal and social gathering is served on low pedestal tray tables, with guests seated on bamboo mats or cushions as they experience authentic Lanna cuisine (adapted for milder tastes) in small bowls. The experience also features music and cultural performances such as the Forn Leb finger dance, Forn Thien candle dance, Ramwong circle dance, and Ram Dab sword dance.

Day 3: Chiang Mai

A sightseeing tour this morning shows you the wonders of Chiang Mai, which is known for its ornate temples. Visit the 600-year-old Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, an iconic and sacred landmark that dominates the horizon atop the peak of Doi Suthep mountain. Arriving at the top you will be rewarded by panoramic views over the city and the temple’s magnificent copper-plated chedi, crowned by a five-tier gold umbrella that is said to contain partial relics of Lord Buddha. You’ll also visit Wat Suan Dok, the Flower Garden Temple, whose large central stupa contains the ashes of Chiang Mai’s royal family; Wat Chedi Luang, famed for its enormous chedi; and Wat Phra Singh, built in 1345 and home to the famous Phra Buddha Sihing statue. After lunch, experience the colorful sights and sounds of one of Chiang Mai’s oldest public markets, where vendors sell everything from souvenirs to local farm produce, and household goods to street food. You’ll see the adjacent bustling flower market as well.

Day 4: Chiang Mai

Today a scenic drive through the countryside brings you to the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary and rescue center in Mae Taeng District. Spend time with the various herds, hand fruits and vegetables to the elephants from the viewing platform and observe these incredible giants as they roam the park with their family groups. During a shared lunch with your expert guide and park volunteers, learn stories about the recused elephants, the traumatic situations they’ve left behind, the need for protection efforts, and the important work of the rescue center. Return to Chiang Mai where the afternoon is free for you to explore more at your own pace.

Day 5: Sukhothai

Journey southeast this morning to the old town of Lamphun city for a visit to Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, another striking temple whose golden pagoda enshrines an authentic relic of the Lord Buddha. Next you’ll stop nearby at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. Built on a mound and surrounded by high walls, this is often thought to be the most beautiful and oldest surviving wooden structure in Thailand. Then continue to Sukhothai where you’ll discover Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a number of historic monuments and ruins such as beautiful standing Buddha statues, ruins of royal palaces, Buddhist temples, and the ancient city gates and walls.

Day 6: Ayutthaya

Rise early this morning to participate in the age-old Buddhist ceremony of giving alms, or Sai Bat, to the local monks. This moving ritual is an omnipresent part of the fabric of Thai life, even in the busiest cities—local people donate food and other offerings to the monks as a way of showing compassion and ‘making merit,’ or accumulating good karma. Return to your hotel for breakfast, then check out and travel to Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam. Throughout the centuries, Ayutthaya’s ideal location between China, India and the Malay Archipelago made it the trading capital of Asia. Visit Ayutthaya Historical Park, another UNESCO World Heritage site, where the historic city’s ruins speak to its heyday as one of the world’s wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities. You’ll have the chance to explore three immense temples and other ancient structures built during the early Ayutthaya period between 1350 and 1529.

Day 7: Kanchanaburi

Travel today to Kanchanaburi city, located at the point where the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers meet and form the Mae Klong River. Visit the steel “Bridge over the River Kwai,” a part of the Death Railway (Thailand-Burma Railway) constructed using Allied POWs in World War II. Nearby, visit the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery to pay respects to around 7,000 POWs who perished during the railway’s construction. Then visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre an interactive museum and research facility dedicated to preserving the history of this historic track. After lunch at a local restaurant, the rest of the afternoon in Kanchanaburi is yours to reflect and explore more at your own pace.

Day 8: Bangkok

Drive to Ratchaburi and take a ride through the canals where traditional communities still live and thrive along the riverbank. Your boat will arrive at the incredible floating market of Damnoen Saduak, which highlights how the area’s canals were once the main thoroughfares where people did all their trading and shopping. As colorfully clad merchants paddle along the narrow waterways in canoes laden with fresh fruit, vegetables, local snacks and souvenirs, try your hand at bargaining for a few of those snacks and don’t be surprised if the hustle and bustle results in a canoe-jam! Continue to Nakhon Pathom and visit Wat Phra Pathom Chedi, a temple compound that contains the second largest stupa in the world with a spire reaching 124 meters into the sky. Later you will arrive in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital city.

Day 9: Bangkok

Today’s sightseeing tour shows you highlights of Bangkok such as Wat Traimit, the Temple of the Golden Buddha, whose 5.5 ton seated Buddha is the world's largest solid gold statue; Wat Pho, an expansive complex known for its impressive Reclining Buddha and as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage; Wat Phra Kaew, the kingdom’s most sacred Buddhist temple, which is home to the stunning Emerald Buddha carved from a single, solid piece of green jade; and the Grand Palace, a former royal residence and a fascinating combination of Thai and classical European architecture. Following lunch, the afternoon is yours to discover more of the city at your leisure. In the evening enjoy a special final dinner at The Press Sky Bar, offering a full 360-degree panoramic view of the City of Angels as you dine.

Day 10: Departure

Depart for the USA.