Best of Thailand in 14 Days — Self-Launched
14 days · Thailand
Vietnam Tour Fun charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£835 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Vietnam Tour Fun's 14-day Bangkok-to-Krabi circuit: royal temples and canal life in Bangkok, the floating market at Damnoen Saduak, Chiang Rai's White and Blue Temples, an ethical elephant sanctuary near Chiang Mai, then island time in Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi's Four Islands. Everything is booked direct — public buses, cheap domestic flights, shared longtail boats and GetYourGuide day tours — with hostel/guesthouse beds instead of tour hotels. Organise it yourself and you'll pay roughly a third of the operator's per-person price. All costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP, excluding international flights to/from Thailand.
Day-by-day
Arrive Bangkok — ease into the old city
Bangkok
Land at Suvarnabhumi and take the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (฿45) then the BTS or a metered taxi to your guesthouse near Khao San / Banglamphu. Grab a Thai SIM or eSIM at the airport (AIS/True ~฿300 for 30 days), then spend the evening walking Rattanakosin's lanes, catching the sunset over the Chao Phraya from Wat Saket's Golden Mount, and eating your first pad thai from a street stall.
🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS/taxi from Suvarnabhumi (~£2 total)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room guesthouse in Banglamphu (Nappark, Lub d, or similar) — ~£14/night
- →Golden Mount sunset viewpoint (฿100)
- →Khao San & Banglamphu evening wander
- →Airport SIM/eSIM setup
Bangkok's big three temples on foot
Bangkok
Do the Royal Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) first thing — go at 8:30am opening to beat heat and crowds, entry ~฿500, cover shoulders and knees. Walk 10 minutes to Wat Pho for the Reclining Buddha and a proper Thai massage at the temple's massage school (~฿320/hr), then cross the river by ฿5 ferry to Wat Arun, or take a ฿60 metered taxi to the Marble Temple (Wat Benchamabophit). Evening: Chinatown (Yaowarat) street food crawl — grilled seafood, mango sticky rice, ฿200-300 all-in.
🚌Walking, Chao Phraya cross-river ferry, occasional metered taxi (~£3)
🛏Same Banglamphu guesthouse — ~£14
- →Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew (฿500)
- →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha (฿300)
- →Wat Benchamabophit Marble Temple
- →Wat Arun crossing
- →Yaowarat food crawl
Damnoen Saduak floating market, then night bus north
Bangkok → Chiang Mai
Book a shared minivan day trip to Damnoen Saduak via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£22-28 per person, includes hotel pickup and longtail boat through the canals; skip the private tour the operator sells at $75). Stop at a sugar palm factory en route, then explore the market by longtail boat, drinking coconut juice and snacking on fresh fruit. Back in Bangkok by late afternoon — take the overnight sleeper bus or train to Chiang Mai (bus ~฿900-1,100/£20-25, ~10 hrs; sleeper train 2nd class ~฿800-1,000, book at any 7-Eleven or online via 12Go).
🚌Shared minivan day trip + overnight bus Bangkok–Chiang Mai (~£25 combined)
🛏Overnight bus to Chiang Mai (or night in a guesthouse if you prefer the train)
- →Damnoen Saduak Floating Market longtail boat tour
- →Sugar palm factory visit
- →Overnight bus north
Chiang Rai temples: White, Blue and Black
Chiang Rai
Arrive Chiang Mai early morning, then either take the Green Bus to Chiang Rai (~฿180-260, 3 hrs) or join a full-day White Temple + Blue Temple + Black House day tour from Chiang Mai (GreenWood or GetYourGuide, ~£30-38). Don't miss Maekhachan Hot Springs on the way for a soak and a soft-boiled egg. Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) is best before 10am; Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue) and Baan Dam (Black House) follow. Overnight in Chiang Rai's old town if self-organising, or return to Chiang Mai by evening with the tour.
🚌Green Bus Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai (~£5) or day tour transfer
🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse near the night bazaar — ~£12 (or Chiang Mai hostel ~£11)
- →Maekhachan Hot Springs
- →Wat Rong Khun White Temple (฿100)
- →Wat Rong Suea Ten Blue Temple
- →Baan Dam Black House Museum (฿80)
Ethical elephant sanctuary day
Chiang Mai
Return to Chiang Mai in the morning and spend the day at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary or Elephant Nature Park — book direct online, not via a hotel agent, and choose a no-riding, observation-and-feeding programme (~£60-75 for a full day including transport, lunch and a Karen-style tunic). You'll walk with rescued elephants, feed them bananas, join a mud spa session and wash them in the river. Back in town for evening, hit the Night Bazaar for khao soi (~£3).
🚌Sanctuary shuttle pickup + Green Bus back to Chiang Mai (~£5)
🛏Chiang Mai hostel/guesthouse in the Old City — ~£11
- →Elephant Jungle Sanctuary full-day ethical visit (~£65)
- →Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
- →Khao soi dinner
Chiang Mai free day — sticky waterfall or handicrafts
Chiang Mai
Hire a scooter (~฿250/day, bring an IDP) or take a songthaew to Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfall) in Nam Phrae, ~50 minutes out — climb the limestone falls barefoot for free (national park ฿100). Alternative: cycle San Kamphaeng's Handicraft Highway for celadon, umbrellas and silk workshops. Late afternoon, treat yourself to a 1-hour massage (~฿250) and Thai cooking flavours at a night market.
🚌Scooter hire or songthaew (~£5)
🛏Chiang Mai hostel/guesthouse — ~£11
- →Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall climb (฿100)
- →San Kamphaeng handicraft road (optional)
- →Thai massage (฿250)
Fly south to Phuket
Chiang Mai → Phuket
Book a budget flight ahead on AirAsia, Nok Air or Thai Lion — Chiang Mai to Phuket is often £25-45 one way, far cheaper than the operator's private transfer arrangement. Land at HKT, take the smart bus or shared minivan to Patong/Kata/Karon (~฿150-200). Spend the rest of the day settling in and watching sunset at Karon Viewpoint.
🚌Domestic flight CNX–HKT (~£35) + airport bus (~£4)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Kata/Karon/Patong — ~£15
- →Karon Viewpoint sunset
- →Beach walk at Patong
Phang Nga Bay by longtail and kayak
Phang Nga Bay
Join a shared Phang Nga Bay day tour (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£35-45 including hotel pickup, buffet lunch and kayaks) — the operator's boat trip is essentially this. Paddle sea caves and mangroves at Panak Island, drift through Hong Island's hidden lagoons, stop at Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island) and Ko Ta Pu, then swim and sunbathe on a quiet beach. Book the cheap version with longtail boats rather than a private speedboat and you save 60%.
🚌Tour pickup included; longtail boat transfers
🛏Same Phuket guesthouse — ~£15
- →Phang Nga Bay longtail cruise & kayaking (~£40)
- →James Bond Island
- →Hong Island lagoon
Phuket beach day and nightlife
Phuket
Free day. Rent a snorkel set (~฿150) for Kata or Ya Nui beach, or visit the small Phuket Aquarium at Cape Panwa (฿180). Adrenaline seekers can book Hanuman World ziplining direct (~฿1,900/£43). End the night at a seafood grill on the sand (~£8) followed by Bangla Road in Patong if you want the full Phuket nightlife circus.
🚌Songthaew or scooter around the beaches (~£4)
🛏Same Phuket guesthouse — ~£15
- →Beach snorkelling (snorkel hire ฿150)
- →Cape Panwa Aquarium (฿180) or Hanuman World zipline (optional)
- →Bangla Road evening
Ferry to Koh Phi Phi
Koh Phi Phi
Take the morning ferry from Rassada Pier (Phuket) to Tonsai Pier, Phi Phi Don — ~2 hrs, ฿450-600 booked on 12Go or direct at the pier. Check into a guesthouse on the quieter Loh Dalum side, then spend the afternoon swimming off Loh Dalum Beach. Hike up to Phi Phi Viewpoint for sunset (฿30 entry).
🚌Public ferry Phuket–Phi Phi (~฿550/£13)
🛏Phi Phi guesthouse/dorm, Loh Dalum side — ~£16
- →Phi Phi Viewpoint sunset (฿30)
- →Loh Dalum Beach swim
Phi Phi island hopping and plankton swim
Koh Phi Phi
Book a shared longtail or speedboat island tour at the Tonsai pier or on Klook (~฿900-1,300) covering Maya Bay (currently on a timed-entry permit), Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave and Bamboo Island, with snorkelling stops on the way. Later, hike to Moo Dee Bay on the island's wild east side (free, 45 mins), then join an evening plankton snorkel trip (~฿500) to swim in bioluminescence.
🚌Shared longtail boat island tour
🛏Phi Phi guesthouse — ~£16
- →Shared Phi Phi boat tour (~£28)
- →Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island
- →Night plankton snorkel (~฿500)
Phi Phi to Krabi
Krabi
Ferry across to Krabi's Klong Jilad pier (~1.5 hrs, ฿350-450). Base yourself in Ao Nang or Krabi Town — Ao Nang is closer to the boat trips, Krabi Town is cheaper and has the night market. Afternoon wandering Krabi Town's walking street and riverside, or lounging at Nopparatthara Beach. Seafood dinner at Ao Nang's beachfront (~£7).
🚌Public ferry Phi Phi–Krabi (~฿400/£9)
🛏Krabi guesthouse in Ao Nang or Krabi Town — ~£13
- →Krabi Town walking street
- →Nopparatthara Beach
- →Ao Nang sunset
Four Islands tour with Poda picnic
Krabi
Take the classic Krabi Four Islands shared longtail tour (~฿1,200-1,500 with lunch, book at Ao Nang beach or Klook) — Chicken Island (Koh Kai), Koh Tub and Koh Mor sandbar, snorkelling stops, a picnic lunch on Poda Island, and Phranang Cave beach below Railay's cliffs. Note there's a ฿200 national park fee for Phranang/Maya Bay areas. Back by mid-afternoon for a lazy beach hour.
🚌Shared longtail tour from Ao Nang
🛏Krabi guesthouse — ~£13
- →Krabi Four Islands longtail tour (~£32)
- →Chicken Island & Koh Tub sandbar
- →Poda Island picnic lunch
- →Phranang Cave
Krabi departure
Krabi
Final morning for a Krabi Town market breakfast and last-minute souvenir shopping, then share a taxi or take the airport bus from Ao Nang/Krabi Town to Krabi International Airport (~฿150-350 depending on mode). If you've got time, add a Railay Beach half-day before flying out.
🚌Airport bus or shared taxi to Krabi Airport (~£5)
🛏None — onward travel
- →Krabi Town market breakfast
- →Souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. Vietnam Tour Fun
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vietnam Tour Fun | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£835 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £915 per person (52%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vietnam Tour Fun-style trips? Check them out here.~£835
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Thailand in 14 Days — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £835 per person for 14 days in Thailand. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Vietnam Tour Fun?+
Yes — Vietnam Tour Fun charges around £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £835 — a saving of roughly £915 (52%) per person.
How long is the Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Thailand.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, beaches, budget trip through Thailand, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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