16 Day Thailand Itinerary from Bangkok to Krabi for Adventure Lovers
Bangkok Canals and Muay Thai Fights
On your first full day in Bangkok, you’re going to explore the city by a longtail boat and watch some extreme Muay Thai fights.
The best way to explore Bangkok is by longtail boat and exploring it through its canal system. This gives you a completely unique view of the city, and you can explore the backwater channels to see a completely different way of living.
In the evening, you’re going to visit Rajadamnern Stadium. Now, this is the world’s oldest Muay Thai stadium and probably the best place to watch fights for tourists in Bangkok. They have fights every night, and they’re some of the most brutal fights you’ll ever see. In Muay Thai, you can knee, kick, punch and elbow, and this is where some of the best fighters in the world come to compete.
Now, you can definitely spend a much longer time in Bangkok. However, for the purposes of this itinerary, which is an adventure itinerary, we’re only going to spend one day there and move on to our next destination.
Erawan Waterfalls and Kanchanaburi
So, day two, you’re going to head to the town of Kanchanaburi to hike some of the most beautiful waterfalls you’ll ever see at Erawan Waterfalls. On this hike, there are seven tiers of waterfall, so this hike is not too long. It’ll take you about an hour to complete one way and then another hour heading back, and you’ll hike past some of the most beautiful waterfalls you’ll ever see.
Erawan Waterfall is a seven-tier waterfall, and you can hike up it and then swim in some of the pools. You have some of the most beautiful turquoise waters that you can swim in, and you can even jump off some of the waterfalls too. Beware of the fish, though. They do bite a little bit.
On day three, you’re going to explore some of the historic sites of Kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi is home to some of the most brutal atrocities that were committed in World War II. Now, you’re going to ride along the Death Railway, which is a really scary experience. The track winds along a cliff face, and there’s a steep drop down the other side.
In the evening, you’re going to catch another longtail boat up the River Kwai to a floating hotel. This is a unique hotel experience right in the middle of the jungle, unlike anywhere else you’ll ever stay, and you can spend the evening watching the sunset and floating down the river.
Chiang Mai, Pai and Tham Lod Cave
On day four, you’re going to head back to Bangkok to catch a flight to Chiang Mai, and you’ll spend the evening exploring the old town.
On days five and six, you’re going to head out into the wilderness. You’re going to do a two-night, three-day trek into the Thai jungle. Now, the jungles that surround Chiang Mai are absolutely stunning. You’re going to do some pretty intense trekking. You also get to do some bamboo rafting and elephant spotting. In the evenings, you’re going to spend time staying in a rural village with local people to learn about their local culture. This will be a really intense experience that you’ll never forget.
On day seven, after you head back to Chiang Mai, you’re going to take the winding road to Pai. This road is notoriously windy. It has 762 bends in the road and winds through the jungle with a really scenic route. In the evening, once you arrive, you’ll spend the time exploring the old town and the night market.
On day eight, you’re going to rent a motorbike and explore the countryside. The countryside of Pai is absolutely stunning, and there are some of the best roads to ride on in the country here. Visit some natural hot springs, some mountain viewpoints and Pai Canyon.
On day nine, you’re going to join a group tour to Tham Lod Cave. Here, you’re going to bamboo raft your way through an enormous cave in Northern Thailand. You’ll also get to watch as hundreds of birds leave the cave at sunset.
Khao Sok Night Safari and Jungle Trek
On day 10, you’re going to head back to Chiang Mai before catching a flight to Khao Sok. Here, you’ll arrive in the ancient rainforest of Khao Sok at your jungle accommodation. You’re going to do a night safari where you’re going to see some of the most interesting animals in the whole of Thailand.
A night safari is interesting because you get to see a lot of animals that don’t come out during the day. When I did a night safari in Khao Sok, I saw this enormous 3 m long reticulated python, and it’s one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen.
On day 11, you’re going to do a guided trek further in the jungle. This will be much longer than the night safari, obviously. On the night safari, you can’t go too far because it’s the middle of the night, but on the jungle trek, you’re going to go much further into the jungle in the hopes of seeing more of the native wildlife.
On this trek, you’ll eat your lunch in the middle of the jungle and spend some time in some amazing waterfalls. This is one of the wildest jungles in Thailand. Watch out for lizards, wild snakes and monkeys.
Cheow Lan Lake and Krabi
On day 12, you’ll transfer from your jungle accommodation to Cheow Lan Lake. Now, this is a man-made lake, and it’s the biggest in Thailand by a long way. It’s absolutely huge. You get to hop on a boat and explore the different parts of this lake.
The lake is known for its stunning limestone backdrop, and again you’ll stay in a floating hotel in the middle of the lake. In the morning, you’ll wake up to one of the most amazing sunrises you’ll ever see in Thailand.
On day 13, you’re going to move to Krabi. You’re going to check in at your hotel and spend some time relaxing on the beach after such a few difficult days traveling and exploring.
Railay Beach and the Four Island Tour
On day 14, you’re going to take a longtail boat to Railay Beach. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Railay Beach is an adventure paradise. Not only is the boat trip there one of the most beautiful you’ll ever take, there’s also stunning limestone cliff faces which you can scale up if you’re a mountain climber. There’s also cave systems to explore and, again, some fascinating wildlife.
Watch out for the dusky leaf monkeys that live here. They’re a much rarer type of monkey that live on Railay Beach.
On day 15, you’re going to explore some of the amazing islands of Krabi on the Four Island Tour. It’s going to take you to four new destinations. The first place it’s going to take you on this tour is to Koh Kai and Koh Tup. Now, these are two fascinating islands that are connected by a white sandbar. If you’re lucky and the tide is out, you’ll be able to walk across it completely.
On the day I was there, the tide was in a little bit, but you could still walk across it and get to see this fascinating sandbar that connects the two islands. After that, you’re going to hop back on the boat to round the back of Koh Kai, which has some of the best snorkeling you’ll ever see. Here, you’re going to see clownfish, parrotfish and a whole bunch of other fish that I don’t know the name of. This is one of the best snorkeling spots in Thailand.
Finally, you’re going to head to Koh Poda, which is this really unique, fascinating island that has a mountain in the middle. This has one of the best and most beautiful beaches you’ll ever see. By day 16, you’re going to be pretty exhausted. You’re going to spend the morning relaxing by the beach and maybe drinking a coconut before heading back to Bangkok to end your trip.
Now, this is an adventure itinerary that I’ve done myself personally. I’ve been at every location on this list. When I first came to Thailand many years ago, this was the kind of trip that I was most excited to do. I’m not the kind of lay-on-the-beach guy. I like to go explore and do cool new things and explore places that most people haven’t been to, so this is why I like this adventure itinerary so much. You’re going to go a little bit out of your comfort zone, which I
