Bangkok, Phuket & KrabiThailand in 6 nights

Thailand's most popular pairing: two nights in Bangkok for the Grand Palace and the river, then the Andaman islands with two nights in Phuket and two in Krabi. We start in the city while you are fresh, fly south, and end on the quieter Krabi coast, flying home from there. It suits first-timers, couples and families who want both culture and beaches.

Day 1

Arrive Bangkok (2 Nights)

About 30 km · 45 minutes–1 hour from Suvarnabhumi airport

Welcome to Thailand. Your driver meets you at Suvarnabhumi arrivals for a private transfer to your hotel, about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. Check in and rest after the flight. In the evening your driver takes you to the riverside pier for a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya river, a shared boat of about two hours that passes the floodlit spire of Wat Arun and the roofs of the Grand Palace. The buffet includes vegetarian dishes. Overnight in Bangkok.

• Chao Phraya river
• Wat Arun by night
• Grand Palace from the river

• Note: Tell us about Jain meals in advance; we will ask the cruise to prepare them.

Prafull’s tipFill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within three days before you fly. It saves time at immigration.

Dinner

Day 2

Bangkok

A temple day with a private English-speaking guide and car. You reach the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha, as the gates open at 8.30 am, before the heat and the tour groups. Then Wat Pho and its 46-metre reclining Buddha, covered in gold leaf, and a short ferry across the river to Wat Arun and its spire of porcelain mosaic. Lunch on your own. The evening is free; ICONSIAM and Asiatique on the river are easy outings. Overnight in Bangkok.

• Grand Palace
• Wat Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha)
• Wat Pho
• Wat Arun
• Chao Phraya ferry

• Note: The Grand Palace sometimes closes at short notice for royal ceremonies; if so, we reorder your day.

Prafull’s tipThe Grand Palace dress code is strict: covered shoulders, long trousers or skirts, no ripped jeans. Ignore anyone outside who says the palace is closed today.

Breakfast

Day 3

Bangkok – Phuket (2 Nights)

About 1.5 hours by air, plus airport transfers

A private transfer to the airport after breakfast and a flight of about an hour and a half south to Phuket. Your driver meets you at arrivals for the drive of about 45 minutes to an hour down the west coast to your beach hotel. The afternoon is for the pool and the sea. In the evening, watch the sunset from the beach, or ask us for a car to Promthep Cape at the island's southern tip. Overnight in Phuket.

• Patong, Kata or Karon beach
• Promthep Cape (optional)

• Note: The included flight has a checked-baggage allowance, usually 15–20 kg; excess baggage is charged at the airport.

Prafull’s tipDomestic flights can leave from either Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang. Check your ticket; we tell your driver which one.

Breakfast

Day 4

Phuket – Phi Phi Islands Day Trip

Hotel pick-up at about 7 am in a shared minivan for the pier on Phuket's east coast, then a shared speedboat of about an hour to the Phi Phi islands. You walk to Maya Bay along a boardwalk from the back of Phi Phi Leh, then cruise into the emerald water of Pileh Lagoon and past the cliffs of Viking Cave. There are snorkelling stops, with gear provided, and lunch on Phi Phi Don, usually with vegetarian dishes. Back at your hotel by about 5 pm. Overnight in Phuket.

• Maya Bay
• Pileh Lagoon
• Viking Cave
• Phi Phi Don
• Khai or Bamboo Island

• Note: Maya Bay usually closes in August and September each year; swimming in the bay is not allowed at any time.
• Note: Speedboats are shared, with about 30–40 guests. A private speedboat can be arranged at extra cost.

Prafull’s tipSit towards the back of the speedboat if you are prone to seasickness; it is less bumpy.

Breakfast & Lunch

Day 5

Phuket – Krabi (2 Nights)

About 165 km · 2.5–3 hours by road

A slow morning and check-out, then on the way out of Phuket we stop at the Big Buddha on Nakkerd Hill and Wat Chalong. Your private car crosses the Sarasin Bridge off the island and runs through the limestone hills of Phang Nga to Ao Nang, about 2.5 to 3 hours. Check in and rest. In the evening, walk the Ao Nang beachfront at sunset, with the cliffs lit up behind the beach and longtail boats pulled up on the sand. The beach road has plenty of Indian and vegetarian restaurants. Overnight in Krabi.

• Big Buddha
• Wat Chalong
• Sarasin Bridge
• Ao Nang beach

Prafull’s tipBook tomorrow's island tour for the earliest boat. The beaches are quieter and the light is better.

Breakfast

Day 6

Krabi – Four-Island Tour

A boat day from the beach at Ao Nang. You leave at about 8.30 am by shared longtail or speedboat for Phra Nang Cave beach on the Railay peninsula, with its limestone walls and fertility shrine. Then the rock pinnacle of Chicken Island, snorkelling over the reef, and the sandbar that joins Tup Island to its neighbours at low tide. Lunch is served on Poda Island, where you have time to swim off the white sand. Back in Ao Nang by about 3 pm. Overnight in Krabi.

• Phra Nang Cave beach
• Chicken Island (Koh Kai)
• Tup Island sandbar
• Poda Island

• Note: Boat trips can be cancelled in rough seas, especially from May to October; we rebook or refund the tour.

Prafull’s tipWear water shoes and carry a dry bag for your phone; you wade ashore from the boat at most stops.

Breakfast & Lunch

Day 7

Krabi – Departure

About 30 km · 30–45 minutes to Krabi airport

A slow breakfast and a last swim, or an early walk along the Ao Nang beachfront while the cliffs catch the morning light. Check-out is usually at noon; ask us about a late check-out if your flight is in the evening, or leave your bags with the hotel. Your driver collects you about three hours before your flight for the drive to Krabi airport, which is small and easy to get through. Most flights home to Mumbai connect through Bangkok. Your holiday ends here.

• Ao Nang beach
• Krabi International Airport

Prafull’s tipIf your flight is in the evening, ask about a late check-out when we confirm the hotel.

Breakfast

Tour details

Accommodation

Choose the hotel category. The same route and sightseeing in every category.

Hotels are confirmed when you book. If a hotel is full, we give you one of the same category in the same area, and tell you before you pay.

Optional add-ons

Not in the price. Prafull can book them for you or you can pay locally.

Tour information

Read this to prepare for your holiday.

Good to know

• Indian passports currently get visa-free short stays; we confirm the rules when you book. Passports need six months' validity. Fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before you fly.
• Maya Bay usually closes in August and September. From May to October, Andaman boat trips can be changed or cancelled in rough seas.
• Temples need covered shoulders and knees. Wear easy slip-on shoes; you take them off often.
• Thailand is 1.5 hours ahead of India. Indian and vegetarian food is easy in Bangkok, Patong and Ao Nang; Jain meals need notice.
• Bangkok traffic is heavy at rush hour. We time transfers around it, and the Skytrain is quicker for evening outings.
• Pack reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes and a dry bag for the boat days.

When to go

November to April. Dry season on the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi). Koh Samui is at its best from January to August. May to October brings rain to the west coast.

Our favourite months

Cancellation policy & payment terms

• Cancellations must be sent in writing, on email or WhatsApp; the date we receive it is the cancellation date.
• Flights, trains, visa fees and non-refundable hotel or activity bookings are refunded only as their own rules allow.
• Date changes are free when made 30 days or more before travel, subject to hotel availability and any difference in price.
• Refunds are paid within 14 working days of us receiving them from the hotels and suppliers.
• No refund is possible for services not used during the holiday.
• Hotels may ask for a refundable security deposit at check-in, paid directly to the hotel.

Questions about this holiday