Self-Launched Highlights of Thailand: Bangkok to Chiang Mai via the Golden Triangle
10 days · Thailand
Globus charges £3,000
No-markup version: ~£920 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of Globus's 'Independent Highlights of Thailand' — Bangkok's Grand Palace and klongs, then north by sleeper train and bus to Chiang Rai, Doi Mae Salong, the Golden Triangle and the White Temple, finishing in Chiang Mai with Elephant Nature Park and Doi Suthep. Same route and same headline experiences, booked yourself through GetYourGuide, Klook (train and bus tickets) and direct operator websites. Budget guesthouses and hostels instead of Globus's four-star hotels, public trains and buses instead of private transfers. All costs are approximate per person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Bangkok — settle into Khao San / Riverside
Bangkok
Fly into Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK). Take the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (~60 THB / £1.30) then the BTS Skytrain, or a metered taxi (~350–450 THB / £8–10 including tolls) to a hostel or guesthouse near Khao San Road or the riverside in Banglamphu. Check in, sort a local SIM or eSIM (~£8 for 15GB/15 days), and pick up a rabbit card or just pay per BTS journey. Evening: pad thai and a beer on Khao San or, better, along Soi Rambuttri. Sleep early — tomorrow starts with the temples.
🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS or metered taxi (~£1.30–10)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Banglamphu/Riverside (£10–16)
- →Airport Rail Link into the city
- →SIM/eSIM setup
- →Evening walk along Khao San and Soi Rambuttri
Bangkok: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and the klongs
Bangkok
Do this yourself in the same order Globus does, but on foot and by boat. Start at 8:00 at the Grand Palace complex (500 THB / £11; covers the Funeral Palace, Reception Palace, Throne Hall, Coronation Hall, Royal Guest House and Temple of the Emerald Buddha) — book online to skip the queue and dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered, no flip-flops). Walk 10 minutes to Wat Pho / Temple of the Reclining Buddha (300 THB / £7). Cross the river by the Tha Tien–Wat Arun ferry (5 THB / £0.12) to Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn (200 THB / £4.50). Finish with a public longtail boat ride through the Thonburi klongs — either the cheap cross-river ferries or a shared longtail from Tha Chang (~£8–10 shared) — or book a 2-hour klong tour on GetYourGuide ahead of time (~£25). Lunch at a riverside noodle shop near Tha Tien.
🚌Walking, cross-river ferry (5 THB) and shared longtail boat (~£8–10)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Banglamphu/Riverside (£10–16)
- →Self-guided Grand Palace + Emerald Buddha (500 THB)
- →Wat Pho Reclining Buddha (300 THB)
- →Wat Arun (200 THB)
- →Longtail klong ride through Thonburi
Bangkok free day: Jim Thompson's House, floating market or river cruise
Bangkok
The Globus day is optional-activities day — replicate your pick. Jim Thompson's House is easy by BTS to National Stadium (200 THB entry / £4.50 plus £1 metro). Damnoen Saduak floating market: book a shared minivan day trip on Klook or GetYourGuide (~£25–30, leaving around 7am, back by 2pm). Or do the Chao Phraya dinner cruise (~£25–35 via Klook). Cheapest and arguably best option: the public Chao Phraya Express Boat to Thonburi and back (~£1.30 each way) plus street food at Bang Rak. Book tonight's sleeper train in advance on the State Railway of Thailand (DTicket) app — Bangkok Krung Thep Aphiwat to Chiang Mai, 2nd class sleeper ~£28–35.
🚌BTS/Chao Phraya Express boat or shared minivan to floating market (~£1.30–30)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Banglamphu/Riverside (£10–16)
- →Jim Thompson's House (200 THB) or Damnoen Saduak shared day trip
- →Chao Phraya Express Boat
- →Reserve sleeper train to Chiang Mai
Sleeper train north to Chiang Mai (or fly)
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Day at leisure in Bangkok, then ride the overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai. Leave bags at the guesthouse, take a river boat to Wat Saket (Golden Mount) or wander Talat Noi, then head to Krung Thep Aphiwat station by MRT for an 18:00–18:40 departure. Book a 2nd class lower berth (~£28–35) via the SRT DTicket app or at the station; 1st class (two-berth cabin, ~£50 each) if you want privacy. The private first-class cabin is the only way to mimic Globus's private transfer on this leg. Alternatively fly Bangkok–Chiang Mai with AirAsia/Nok Air (~£30–45, 1h15) if you're short on time — but the train saves a hotel night.
🚌SRT sleeper train Bangkok–Chiang Mai (~£28–35) or domestic flight (~£30–45)
🛏Overnight on sleeper train (2nd class berth) or cheap Chiang Mai guesthouse if flying
- →Golden Mount / Talat Noi morning
- →Board overnight sleeper train
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: Kok River longtail, Doi Mae Salong tea and hill tribes
Chiang Rai / Doi Mae Salong
Arrive Chiang Mai around 07:30 and take a Green Bus to Chiang Rai (~4 hours, ~230 THB / £5) or, closer to Globus's Kok River longtail, travel first to Tha Ton and take a shared longtail boat up the Kok River to Chiang Rai (~2–3 hours, ~£8–10 per person, booked locally at the Tha Ton pier). Then take a local songthaew or book a shared minivan day tour from Chiang Rai (Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£25–30) covering Doi Mae Salong tea plantations and the Yao, Lisu and Akha hill-tribe villages. If you prefer independent travel, rent a scooter (~£8/day) or use the Mae Salong public minivan from Chiang Rai's old bus terminal. Overnight in Chiang Rai old town near the clock tower.
🚌Green Bus Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai (~£5) + Kok River longtail (~£8–10) + songthaew/shared minivan
🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse or hostel (£10–16)
- →Kok River longtail boat
- →Doi Mae Salong tea plantation
- →Yao, Lisu and Akha hill-tribe villages
Golden Triangle: Hall of Opium, Mekong boat, Blue Temple
Chiang Rai / Golden Triangle
Take the local bus or songthaew from Chiang Rai's old bus terminal to Chiang Saen (~1 hour, ~30 THB / £0.70). From Chiang Saen it's a short songthaew hop to the Golden Triangle viewpoint where the Ruak meets the Mekong and Thailand, Laos and Myanmar converge. Visit the Hall of Opium in the Golden Triangle Park (~200 THB / £4.50). Book a shared Mekong longtail boat to Don Sao island (Laos duty-free) at the pier (~£8–10 per person, 1 hour) — bring your passport. On the way back stop at Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, in Chiang Rai (free, donations). Evening: Chiang Rai Night Bazaar for khao soi and grilled skewers.
🚌Local bus/songthaew Chiang Rai–Chiang Saen (~£1) + Mekong longtail (~£8–10)
🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse or hostel (£10–16)
- →Hall of Opium (200 THB)
- →Golden Triangle viewpoint
- →Mekong River longtail boat to Don Sao
- →Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple)
- →Chiang Rai Night Bazaar
White Temple, then bus to Chiang Mai
Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai
Morning at Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple (100 THB / £2.30), about 13km south of town — take a local songthaew from the old bus terminal (~20 THB) or a Grab (~£4 total). Spend 1.5–2 hours there. Then take a Green Bus or a shared minivan from Chiang Rai Arcade Bus Terminal to Chiang Mai (~3h15, ~£5–6). Check into a guesthouse inside the old city moat. Evening: walk the moat, grab dinner at Ploen Ruedee night market, and pre-book Elephant Nature Park for tomorrow (they fill up — book direct on elephantnaturepark.org at least a week ahead).
🚌Songthaew to White Temple (~£0.50) + Green Bus/minivan Chiang Rai–Chiang Mai (~£5)
🛏Chiang Mai old-city guesthouse or hostel (£10–18)
- →Wat Rong Khun / White Temple (100 THB)
- →Ploen Ruedee night market
- →Confirm Elephant Nature Park booking
Ethical elephant day at Elephant Nature Park
Chiang Mai
Book the Elephant Nature Park single-day visit directly with the sanctuary (~2,500 THB / £56 including hotel pickup, lunch and a guide) — this is the same operator Globus uses, just without the markup. You'll feed and observe rescued elephants, meet the dogs and cats at the onsite rescue shelter, and eat a vegetarian buffet lunch. Pickup is around 8:00, return around 17:00. Avoid any 'riding' or 'bathing' camps — ENP is a genuine sanctuary. Pack sunscreen, a hat and shoes you don't mind getting muddy.
🚌Included minivan pickup from sanctuary, ~1.5h each way
🛏Chiang Mai old-city guesthouse or hostel (£10–18)
- →Elephant Nature Park full-day visit with lunch (2,500 THB direct)
Chiang Mai temples: Wat Phra Singh and Wat Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai
Walk the old city in the morning: Wat Phra Singh (free/50 THB donation), Wat Chedi Luang (50 THB) and Wat Chiang Man. Then get to Doi Suthep yourself: a red songthaew from Chang Phuak gate costs ~60 THB / £1.30 each way and takes 45 minutes up the mountain — far cheaper than a tour. Entry to Wat Doi Suthep is 30 THB / £0.70, plus the 306-step naga staircase (or a tram). Optional evening: a Khantoke dinner and dance show (~£15–20 via Klook) or a half-day Thai cooking class (~£20–25, book direct with a school such as Pantawan or Thai Farm). Last night on the Nimman or old-city night market.
🚌Songthaews around the old city and up Doi Suthep (~£3 total)
🛏Chiang Mai old-city guesthouse or hostel (£10–18)
- →Wat Phra Singh
- →Wat Chedi Luang
- →Wat Doi Suthep via red songthaew (30 THB entry)
- →Optional Khantoke dinner or cooking class
Depart Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Breakfast, then transfer to Chiang Mai International Airport by red songthaew (~40 THB / £0.90) or Grab (~£2–3), 15 minutes from the old city. If you have a later flight, squeeze in a final khao soi and a coffee in Nimman. If you're extending, Pai (3 hours by minivan, ~£6) or Chiang Rai again are easy add-ons — or take the sleeper train back to Bangkok for ~£30.
🚌Songthaew or Grab to Chiang Mai airport (~£1–3)
🛏N/A
- →Final khao soi breakfast
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£920 | £3,000 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,080 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£920
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 Self-Launched Highlights of Thailand: Bangkok to Chiang Mai via the Golden Triangle cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £920 per person for 10 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 Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £3,000 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £920 — a saving of roughly £2,080 (69%) per person.
How long is the Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, budget, foodie 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?
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