Thailand 7-Day Itinerary: Bangkok, Chiang Mai & the Islands

Overview

Thailand in 7 days works best as a classic three-part trip: 2–3 days in Bangkok (temples, street food, Chao Phraya river), 2 days in Chiang Mai (old city moat, Doi Suthep, night market), and 2–3 days on the Andaman coast (Krabi, Phi Phi Islands, Railay Beach). This route gives you Thailand’s essential contrast — the chaos and grandeur of the capital, the more meditative north, and the turquoise-water south.

Best for: First-time Thailand visitors Budget: €50–120/day (excluding flights) Best season: November to April (dry season throughout)

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Day 1–2: Bangkok

Day 1 — Grand Palace and Riverside: Arrive early and go directly to the Grand Palace complex (Rattanakosin Island) — open daily from 8:30 AM. The complex includes the Grand Palace itself (still in partial official use), the Emerald Buddha (the most sacred Buddhist icon in Thailand), and the Wat Phra Kaew temple complex surrounding it. Arrive when it opens to avoid the worst heat and queues (€15 entry). Dress code is enforced — cover shoulders and knees; wraps are available at the entrance.

After the Palace, walk to Wat Pho (the reclining Buddha — 46 meters long, covered in gold leaf, a strikingly immediate experience) and take the short ferry (€0.20) across the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn, its porcelain-tiled towers most beautiful at sunset).

Evening: Khao San Road for the backpacker experience (overwhelming, intentionally), or the rooftop bars of the Sathorn/Silom area for a more sophisticated Bangkok evening.

Day 2 — Markets and Temples: Chatuchak Weekend Market (Saturday–Sunday only, the world’s largest weekend market — 8,000 stalls covering 35 acres, everything from live plants to vintage denim) or Or Tor Kor Market (the quality fresh food market, one of Bangkok’s best, daily).

Afternoon: Jim Thompson House (the famous American silk merchant’s assembled Thai house complex, excellent Thai art and textile collection, €7 entry) and the adjacent BACC (Bangkok Art and Culture Center, free entry, good for contemporary Thai art).

Evening: The Asiatique Riverfront night market or dinner at one of the restaurants on Sukhumvit Soi 38 (a famous street food alley, now somewhat gentrified but still excellent for pad thai and satay).

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Day 3–4: Chiang Mai

Fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (1 hour, €25–50). The city of 200,000 in northern Thailand’s mountains has a completely different pace from Bangkok — cooler (especially November–February), more meditative, and built around a preserved moat encircling the old city.

Day 3 — Old City Temples: Doi Suthep Temple (the gilded temple on the mountain 15 km above the city, 1,676m altitude, the best views over Chiang Mai and the surrounding valley, accessible by songthaew shared pickup trucks for €2 each way). Best visited in the morning.

In the old city: Wat Chedi Luang (a partially ruined 15th-century chedi, large enough to walk inside the base), Wat Phra Singh (the most important temple within the moat, Lanna-style architecture), and the Sunday Night Market (Wualai Road, silver and handicraft sellers).

Day 4 — Elephants and Nature: The Elephant Nature Park (€70/day visit, €130/overnight — an ethical sanctuary, no riding, feeding and bathing elephants in a riverine forest setting) is one of Thailand’s most responsible and affecting tourism experiences. Book in advance.

Alternatively: Doi Inthanon National Park (Thailand’s highest mountain, 2,565m, 90 km south of Chiang Mai — waterfalls, forest walks, Royal Twin Pagodas, possible morning frost from November to February).

Evening: The Chiang Mai Night Bazaar or the Saturday Night Market (Wualai Road, different from Sunday) for Northern Thai food — try khao soi (coconut curry noodle soup, a Chiang Mai specialty), sai oua (Northern Thai sausage), and nam prik ong (pork and tomato dip).

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Day 5–7: Krabi and the Andaman Coast

Fly from Chiang Mai to Krabi (2 hours, €40–70).

Day 5 — Railay Beach: Take a longtail boat from Ao Nang (€3, 15 minutes) to Railay Beach — accessible only by boat due to the limestone cliffs that cut it off from the mainland. Three beaches: Railay West (the best for swimming), Railay East (mangroves, local boats), and Phra Nang Beach (the most beautiful, with the Princess Cave shrine on the cliff). Excellent rock climbing routes on the surrounding karst cliffs.

Day 6 — Island Hopping: The standard 4-island longtail boat tour (€20–25/person from Ao Nang pier) visits Poda Island, Tup Island, Chicken Island, and the offshore snorkeling sites — a full day of island-hopping, snorkeling, and beach lunch.

Alternatively: Phi Phi Islands day trip (1.5 hours by speedboat, €40–50/person including snorkeling) — the famous Maya Bay (The Beach filming location, now carefully managed with timed visitor limits) and the Phi Phi Don village.

Day 7: Morning relaxation at Ao Nang or Krabi Town, then transfer to Krabi Airport for your flight home (or onward to Phuket for extended beach time, 90-minute drive or ferry).

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Practical Tips

Internal flights: Book Bangkok–Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai–Krabi well in advance — AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, and Nok Air frequently have sales bringing prices to €20–40 per sector.

Best Andaman season: November to April — dry season, calm seas, clear water for snorkeling. May to October is monsoon season on the Andaman coast (rough seas, some ferries cancelled, heavy rain but dramatic scenery).

Street food safety: Bangkok’s street food is generally safe — eat where the locals eat, look for constant turnover of food (freshly cooked, not sitting out), and avoid anything that’s been sitting in the sun for hours. The risk of food poisoning from Bangkok street food is significantly overestimated by first-time visitors.

Temples: Always remove shoes at temple entrances (there’s usually a rack outside). Cover shoulders and knees — the Grand Palace is the strictest, but all significant temples expect covered clothing. Men and women are both expected to cover up; this is cultural respect, not optional.