Self-Launched Thailand: Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Northern Express
8 days · Thailand
G Adventures charges £1,450
No-markup version: ~£447 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day independent version of G Adventures' TailorMade Northern Express: Bangkok's canals and Wat Pho, WWII history at Kanchanaburi and Hellfire Pass, the ruined temples of Ayutthaya, an overnight sleeper train north, and Chiang Mai's cooking schools, Doi Suthep and night markets. Book everything yourself on Klook/GetYourGuide or direct, stay in guesthouses and hostels, use public buses, songthaews and the State Railway of Thailand. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Bangkok — settle into Banglamphu
Bangkok
Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and reach the old town yourself: the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (~60 THB / £1.50) then MRT to Sam Yot or a metered taxi (~350-450 THB / £8-10) to Khao San / Banglamphu. Check into a guesthouse, get a Thai SIM (AIS/True, ~300 THB / £7), withdraw cash and eat street food on Soi Rambuttri. Book your Wat Pho / klong tour and sleeper train ticket online this evening.
🚌Airport Rail Link + MRT or metered taxi
🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm in Banglamphu, £10-14
- →Airport transfer on public transport
- →Thai SIM card and cash run
- →Khao San / Soi Rambuttri street-food evening
Bangkok klong boat and Wat Pho
Bangkok
Skip the private boat and take a Chao Phraya Express boat (~16-20 THB / £0.50) or a short long-tail klong tour from Tha Chang (~600-900 THB / £14-20 per boat, split if you can). Visit Wat Pho (£5 / 200 THB entry) and walk to the Grand Palace if you want (500 THB / £11). Afternoon free: Chinatown, Talat Noi street art or an air-con cafe. Evening: dinner at Yaowarat's street stalls.
🚌Chao Phraya Express boat and walking
🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm in Banglamphu, £10-14
- →Chao Phraya Express boat / long-tail klong tour
- →Wat Pho temple visit
- →Yaowarat (Chinatown) food crawl
Bangkok to Kanchanaburi — Bridge on the River Kwai and Hellfire Pass
Kanchanaburi
Take the local bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit / Sai Tai Mai terminal to Kanchanaburi (~2.5-3 hrs, 100-130 THB / £2.50-3) or the scenic morning train from Thonburi to Kanchanaburi (~100 THB / £2.30). Drop bags at a riverside guesthouse, then visit the Bridge on the River Kwai and the JEATH War Museum (£1-2). Book a shared minivan or songthaew day trip to Hellfire Pass and the Death Railway Museum (~800-1,200 THB / £18-27 shared), or take the local train to Nam Tok and walk Hellfire Pass yourself for less.
🚌Local bus or Thonburi-Kanchanaburi train; songthaew/shared minivan locally
🛏Riverside guesthouse in Kanchanaburi, £10-15
- →Bridge on the River Kwai
- →JEATH War Museum
- →Hellfire Pass and Death Railway Museum
Free day in Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi
Full free day. Options: rent a bike or scooter (~150-250 THB / £3-6) to Erawan Falls (300 THB entry plus transport, or join a shared trip ~800 THB / £18), the tiger temple alternatives at Wat Tham Suea, Lawa Cave, or just float and read by the river. Cheapest and most low-key: cycle the riverside back roads and swim in the Kwai Noi.
🚌Bicycle or scooter rental
🛏Riverside guesthouse in Kanchanaburi, £10-15
- →Erawan Falls (optional)
- →Wat Tham Suea viewpoint
- →Riverside cycling
Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya ruins, then overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai
Ayutthaya / sleeper train
Bus or train back toward Bangkok and onward to Ayutthaya (roughly 3-4 hrs total, ~150-200 THB / £3.50-4.50). Leave your bag at the station lockers or a guesthouse, then hire a bicycle (~50-60 THB / £1) or tuk-tuk to tour the temple ruins: Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Book a second-class sleeper on the State Railway of Thailand (roughly 700-900 THB / £16-20 for a lower berth) departing Ayutthaya around 20:00-21:00 and arriving Chiang Mai early morning. Book online in advance via the SRT D-Ticket site.
🚌Local bus/train to Ayutthaya; SRT overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai
🛏Second-class sleeper berth on the overnight train
- →Ayutthaya Historical Park temple ruins by bicycle
- →Overnight sleeper train experience
Arrive Chiang Mai — old city and night market
Chiang Mai
Arrive early morning, take a red songthaew into the old city (~30-50 THB / £1) and check into a guesthouse or hostel in the moat area. Rest, then walk the old city temples — Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man. Late afternoon: sunrise-watchers can instead do a shared songthaew up Doi Suthep (see day 7). Evening: book your cooking class for tomorrow and eat your way through the Sunday/Walking Street or Night Bazaar food stalls (khao soi ~60 THB / £1.40).
🚌Red songthaew from the station
🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm in Chiang Mai old city, £8-12
- →Old city temple walk
- →Chiang Mai Night Bazaar / Walking Street food stalls
- →Book cooking class
Thai cooking class and Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai
Morning half-day cooking class including market tour — book direct with a school such as Thai Farm Cooking School or Pantawan, roughly 900-1,400 THB / £20-30 with lunch included. Afternoon: take a red songthaew to the base of Doi Suthep and up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (~100-150 THB / £2-3.50 return, 30 THB entry), staying for sunset views over the city. Finish with a night-market dinner and a foot massage (~200-300 THB / £5-7).
🚌Red songthaew (shared taxi)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel dorm in Chiang Mai old city, £8-12
- →Half-day Thai cooking class with market tour
- →Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at sunset
- →Night market and Thai massage
Depart Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Last morning for a cafe breakfast or a wander through the old city moat. Take a metered taxi or red songthaew to Chiang Mai airport (~150 THB / £3.50) for onward flights, or the overnight train/bus south if continuing overland. No departure transfer needed — this is where the self-launched version ends.
🚌Songthaew or taxi to Chiang Mai airport
🛏None (departure day)
- →Old city morning walk
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£447 | £1,450 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,003 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£447
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Thailand: Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Northern Express cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £447 per person for 8 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £447 — a saving of roughly £1,003 (69%) per person.
How long is the Thailand trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, backpacker 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.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.