10 Days in Thailand – My Family Itinerary

This is the exact 10-night route my family takes when we have just over a week. Three nights in Bangkok, three nights in Chiang Mai, four nights on a beach. Two flights, three regions, no rush.

The reason this itinerary works is balance. You get the city, the north, and the south without committing more than three or four nights to any of them. The connections are short flights, not long drives, so you don’t lose half a day in transit.

At a glance

• Nights 1 to 3: Bangkok. Mandarin Oriental or Anantara Riverside.
• Night 4: Fly to Chiang Mai (afternoon flight).
• Nights 4 to 6: Chiang Mai. Anantara Chiang Mai or 137 Pillars House.
• Night 7: Fly to Krabi via Bangkok (morning flight).
• Nights 7 to 10: Krabi (Tubkaek or Railay). The Tubkaak or Rayavadee.

Day-by-day

Day 1: Arrive Bangkok

Arrive at BKK (Suvarnabhumi) Airport. Take a taxi or pre-arranged car to the riverside (45 to 60 minutes in traffic). Check in. Eat a light early dinner at the hotel. Sleep.

If you arrive in the morning, fight the jet lag with a quick lunch at the hotel and a 45-minute walk along the river before crashing.

Stay: Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (splurge), Anantara Riverside (family), or the Capella (newest).

Day 2: Bangkok temples

Get up early (6:30 to 7am) for the temples while it’s still cool.

• Wat Pho first (open at 8am, fewer tour groups before 9:30).
• Walk or tuk-tuk to the Grand Palace next door (open 8:30).
• Lunch at the riverside back at the hotel.
• Afternoon by the pool.
• Sunset cocktails on the river. Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin if you can.
• Dinner: Eat-Sight-Story for casual Thai with a view of Wat Arun, or Le Du for a tasting menu.

Day 3: Bangkok food and shopping

Slow morning. Late breakfast.

• Take the BTS to Asok (10 minutes). Walk Sukhumvit.
• Lunch at one of the food hall food courts inside EmQuartier or EmSphere (good intro to Thai dishes you might not order otherwise).
• Afternoon: take the river boat back upriver, or do an hour at the spa.
• Evening: pre-dinner cocktails at Lennon’s atop Rosewood Bangkok. Dinner anywhere on Sukhumvit. Soei (off Sukhumvit Soi 4) for the best regional Thai value meal in the city.

Day 4: Bangkok to Chiang Mai

• Morning: pack, late breakfast.
• Catch a Thai Airways or Bangkok Airways flight to Chiang Mai (CNX). Multiple options every hour.
• Arrive Chiang Mai by 3 to 4pm.
• Check in. Take a walk if you’ve still got energy. Wat Phra Singh is a 10-minute walk from most central hotels.
• Dinner inside the old city. Huen Phen for classic northern Thai.

Stay: Anantara Chiang Mai for family or walking access. 137 Pillars House for the romantic boutique. Four Seasons Mae Rim if you want the resort experience (note: 25 minutes from town).

Day 5: Chiang Mai old city and an elephant sanctuary

• 7am: walk Wat Phra Singh before the heat.
• 8am breakfast at the hotel.
• Half-day at an ethical elephant sanctuary. Elephant Nature Park is the main one. Book ahead.
• Back to the hotel by 4pm.
• Sunday Walking Street (if Sunday) for street food and crafts. Otherwise: dinner at the night bazaar or at Khaomao Khaofang.

Day 6: Chiang Mai cooking class or temple day

Two options depending on the energy in your group.

Cooking class day:

• Morning: a half-day Thai cooking class. Thai Farm Cooking School is a good intro.
• Afternoon: hotel pool or massage.
• Evening: cocktails at North Gate Jazz Co-op.

Temple day:

• Doi Suthep early morning (45 minutes up the mountain, cool, dramatic).
• Lunch at Khao Soi Khun Yai.
• Afternoon at the pool.
• Dinner at Hideout for a serious meal.

Day 7: Chiang Mai to Krabi

The transit day. Plan for it.

• 8am breakfast.
• Mid-morning flight to Bangkok. Connect to Krabi (KBV). Total transit time about 5 hours door to door.
• Pre-arrange a car or hotel transfer from Krabi airport. Tubkaek is 30 minutes away, Ao Nang is 25 minutes, Railay is 25 minutes plus a 15-minute boat from Ao Nang.
• Light dinner at the hotel.

Stay: The Tubkaak for the quiet boutique. Rayavadee for the Railay experience. Centara Grand for families with energetic kids.

Day 8: Krabi pool and beach

The first proper beach day. Sleep in.

• Pool morning.
• Lunch at the hotel.
• Walk the beach in the late afternoon.
• Sunset cocktails. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 9: Phang Nga Bay day trip

• 8am: speedboat day trip to Hong Island or Phang Nga Bay. Book through the hotel.
• Back at the hotel by 4 to 5pm.
• Pool, sunset, dinner.

If your group prefers slower days, swap the day trip for a half-day kayak at the hotel and a long lunch.

Day 10: Last beach day, fly home

• Sleep in. Big breakfast.
• Beach or pool morning.
• Afternoon: pack. Lunch at the hotel.
• Late afternoon transfer to Krabi airport. Fly home, usually via Bangkok or Singapore.

What to add if you have more time

• Add one more night on the beach. Always the right call. Cut the Bangkok finale or extend the trip by a night.
• Swap Krabi for Phuket if you want more variety, restaurants, or shopping.
• Add Koh Yao Noi if you want a second island. Two-night side trip from Krabi or Phuket.

What to cut if you have less time

• Cut to one Chiang Mai night if you can only do nine nights. You’ll regret it less than cutting Bangkok or the beach.
• Skip Chiang Mai entirely for a one-week trip. Do Bangkok plus a beach.

What I’d never do on 10 days

• Two beach destinations. You’ll spend a full day in transit between Phuket and Samui. Pick one.
• A side trip to Koh Phi Phi from Krabi. It’s nicer in theory than in practice for short trips. Stay put.
• Bangkok at the end. Always start in Bangkok. End on a beach.

If you want help tuning this to your dates, kids, and budget, email me at hello@bangkokjohn.com.