2 years ago I started to write travel guides on Local Guides Connect forum of my travels over the past years, and they became pretty popular unexpectedly!
(read my other blogs here: **7 USA National Parks â– Malta â– A complete guide to Madeira â– A complete guide to Istanbul**â– Travel guide to undiscovered Kyrgyzstan â– Travel guide to Antwerp in Belgium)
And guess what, I’m just back home from traveling nearly 2 months in Thailand so you are in for a treat! 
I don’t want to make the guide extremely long so I’ll try to be brief about every destination I went to. Let me start off by sharing my itinerary:
(blue lines = bus / train / ferry & black dotted line = plane)
I ended up staying in Koh Phi Phi for a month, but this route is easily possible in 3 weeks!
Because of that, I will design the guide based on a itinerary for 3 weeks. I believe that this guide is a perfect mix of the cultural north & some relaxing in the hot south.
An overview of the guide
- Bangkok (3 nights)
- Ayutthaya (2 nights)
- Chiang Mai (4 nights)
- Pai (2 nights)
- Krabi (4 nights)
- Koh Phi Phi (2 nights)
- Phuket (3 nights)
All pictures in this post are taken by myself, with a Google Pixel 3XL.
1. Bangkok (3 nights)
Bangkok is huge, insanely huge so determine before you come what kind of Bangkok experience you would like to have. If you want to party, stay in a hostel near Khao San Road. If you want to see as many temples as possible, stay as close as possible near the Wat Pho temple. If you want fancy rooftop parties, stay near the Sukhumvit area.
Getting around Bangkok is tricky, I am not going to lie. Compared to a very infrastructured megapolis such as Shanghai for example, Bangkok is quite underdeveloped if I may say so. It takes you a long time and you might need to take multiple modes of transportation to get somewhere.
- Metro: there are a few metro lines running in the city, but the stops are generally in an outer square of the city itself.
- Bus: definitely the cheapest way of transportation and is pretty quick because on a lot of roads there are bus lanes.
- Car taxi: pretty cheap if you use the app “Grab” as you get local prices, but if you have a lot of traffic on your way you might be stuck and walking is faster in the end.
- Scooter taxi: in the app “Grab” you also have the option to book a taxi where they pick you up with the scooter. Scooters are really quick as they can skip the traffic mostly but it might be scary for someone who is not used to it.
- Scooter rental: in case you are a daredevil, rent a scooter! But please only do when you are a very skilled driver as the traffic is insane here. But it will get you the quickest from point A to B surely.
What to do in Bangkok?
I only did Wat Pho of the two temples mentioned above, but doing both in 1 day is highly recommended and will take you more than a half day for sure. A huge reclining Buddha is located in Wat Pho, absolutely gorgeous!
Nearby Wat Pho you can take a taxi boat to the other side of the river, where Wat Arun is located. Do this 2 hours before sunset because the glow of the golden hour is magnificent on this temple.
- Sunset overlooking Wat Arun @ Vivi The Coffee Place
Just before sunset, head over to the other side of the river again and find a spot at a restaurant or a bar. They are pretty expensive and gets full every day around that time so go as early as possible. As I was on a budget I can recommend Vivi The Coffee Place as you can just get a coffee here and enjoy the view.
It is called the weekend market but you can come here during the week as well, but not as many places are open then. It is a good place to buy (slightly overpriced) souvenirs and clothes. Bargain for sure here! You can reach this place easily by the metro as it stops right here.
Night markets are everywhere in Thailand, and ofcourse in the capital as well. I decided to go for the night market in Chinatown, beautiful and many delicious food stalls!
2. Ayutthaya (2 nights)
Just an hour with the train from Bangkok you can find this ancient city. It is not just a normal ancient city, in fact it was the capital of the Siamese kingdom long before Bangkok was even on the map. The temples here are old, really old. And that delivers magnificent views!
To get around, you should take a scooter here as the distance between the temples are far. Also, if you want to visit the biggest Buddha of Thailand it is about 45km from Ayutthaya. I rented the scooter at Tour With Thai and the lady speaks perfect English and gives you a guide to all the temples.
What to do in Ayutthaya?
Visit here at sunset for amazing views!
There are a few things that Ayutthaya is famous for. One is the boat noodles which you can eat at this very local restaurant. The other two things you need to try in Ayutthaya are Roti Sai Mai and river prawns.
This was for me one of the highlights of my Thailand trip. You can find the biggest Buddha of Thailand (and most probably in the world) here: 92 meters high, 63 meters wide. Pictures don’t do it justice, but definitely check the picture with a human touching the finger to see the perspective how huge it is!
It is not as known as other temples as it is rather far from Ayutthaya, 45 km which I did by scooter.
3. Chiang Mai (4 nights)
I took the night train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai which lasted for about 12 hours. It is perfect as you can sleep comfortably and save on a hotel for a night. Ideal for backpackers!
Chiang Mai is much smaller than Bangkok but it is much more charming because of that. In the city itself there is not incredibly much to do but there are so many day trips that you can do. Definitely get yourself a scooter here to get around, Mango scooter rental was the smoothest rental I did in my life. Just 5 minutes and I was sitting on my scooter.
What to do in Chiang Mai district?
It is more than 100km away and will take you 2 hours with the scooter but it is definitely worth it. On the way to the highest point of Thailand (2565 meters), you can stop at the following amazing places:
- Two Pagodas
- Kew Mae Pan Nature trailer (hike with a guide)
- Wachirathan Waterfall
- Pha Chor (canyon in Mae Wang National Park)
This is another day trip that you can do with the scooter and is much closer to Chiang Mai. There are quite some temples in this mountain range and you can visit several places on the way:
- Wat Umong (temple with catacombs)
- Wat Pha Lat (most gorgeous temple here in my opinion)
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
- Doi Pui (magnificent viewpoint)
- Hmong Village (tribe touristic village)
Also not really far from the city center but worth a visit. The expansive gardens are incredibly picturesque!
If there is one dish you need to eat in Chiang Mai district, it is Khao Soi. It is a rich and comforting Northern Thailand coconut curry noodle soup. I tried it at many places in Thailand, but the best one I ate was here!
The loveliest bar in Chiang Mai for sure. Every day there is live jazz music and the atmosphere is incredible! Lots of tourists come here.
4. Pai (2 nights)
Pai is a tiny city located in a valley between mountains, close to the Myanmar border. The road from Chiang Mai to Pai is only 80km, but has 762 sharp corners. If you like driving with the motorcycle or scooter, I would recommend to do that! Taking the songthaew taxi will only make you sick I believe. I did the road with a scooter in fact in about 2h30.
There is no doubt that to get around in Pai itself, one needs a scooter to enjoy to the fullest. There are barely taxis here and no public transport.
What to do in Pai?
This is probably on the top of the list of many blogs, and there is a reason for it. During sunset it is just phenomenal. The view over the canyon while the sun is dropping is so mesmerizing!
I didn’t expect this to be one of the highlights of my trip to Pai when I came here!
You enter this park which is completely built by a whole community living there and they take such good care of the nature and wildlife, so gorgeous to see. There is no fixed entrance fee, just a lady who says you can donate how much you feel like!
It is a really steep drive with the scooter to the viewpoint, so make sure that you are comfortable driving one to avoid accidents. Once you get to the top, you’ll have a magnificent view on a hill over the valley of Pai!
This Buddha is located on top of a hill, so be prepared before taking the many many stairs. I came around noon so the sun is relentless. Definitely take some water as you go up.
All night markets in Thailand are amazing, but there is something special about this cozy one in Pai. It is rather big for such a small city and you can eat and buy lots of things here.
5. Krabi (4 nights)
The easiest way to get from the north to the south is by plane, and it is cheap too! For most days you can easily fly for 50$ from Chiang Mai or Bangkok airport to Surat Thani, Krabi or Phuket, including luggage!
I can highly recommend to stay in Ao Nang, as this gives you the best opportunity to see the most in Krabi for sure.
Again, to get around in Krabi is by scooter. It is incredibly cheap to do so and the best rental in Ao Nang is Mr. Kord.
What to do?
Lots of people are staying in Railay, but that is limiting your options to see places around as Railay is a remote area only accessible by longtail taxi boat. I suggest you to stay in Ao Nang and take a day trip to Railay. The beach where you arrive on the west side is beautiful, but definitely take the walk of 20 minutes to the Phra nang Cave Beach, that was for me the most gorgeous beach in Thailand! While you walk to that beach, there is kind of a secret climb to a viewpoint and the Princess Lagoon. There are safety ropes but be careful because it is a very dangerous climb, do it with hiking shoes not with your flip flops.
- Dragon Crest hike
This is an extremely exhausting hike because of the elevation difference and the fact that you are hiking in the middle of the jungle. It is super humid so it will be sweaty business no matter what you do.
Prepare yourself and bring lots of water. I drank 2 liters of waters over the hike! It took my 3-4 hours for the hike there and back. You could go faster but also definitely slower so make sure you go up latest at 1pm. But the views are so worth the hike! It is absolutely gorgeous. One thing that was quite annoying was the constant chirping of the crickets, a very high pitched constant sound.
- Day trip to Emeral Pool & Tiger Cave Temple
I did not do this day trip myself but it was on my planning. I had a friend who did it who said it is definitely a must-do!
This is such a gem and from what I have read the best restaurant in Ao Nang. It is a bit of a walk from the main street but so worth it. I can highly recommend the pineapple fried rice with chicken. So fresh and tasty!
6. Koh Phi Phi (2 nights)
You have most probably heard or have seen pictures before about Koh Phi Phi in your life. If I had to describe shortly, it would be as “Paradise on Earth”.
I arrived at Tonsai Pier with a ferry from Ao Nang. (tip: buy your ferry tickets at a local counter, it is much cheaper than online!)
I can be very short about how to get around in Phi Phi, as this island is not allowing cars, motorcycles or bicycles even. You can only reach places by your two own feet or perhaps by a taxi longtail boat if your hotel is far away for example.
What to do?
- Sunset speedboat tour with Tipper Phi Phi Tours
If you want to see all the highlights around Koh Phi Phi in one day, you have to do this tour! It starts around noon and lasts for 7h30, and includes lunch and free drinks for just 55$-what a bargain! Tipper is an amazing guide and will explain you in detail everything about each spot.
You’ll get to see the following on the tour:
- Maya Bay - probably the most known beach in the world, because of the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio.
- Pileh Lagoon - this became my most favorite spot. This bay is just pure magic, water so clear like you’ve never seen before!
- Viking Cave
- Monkey Bay
- Bamboo Island - paradise island which was also featured in “The Beach”.
- Many snorkel (gear included) points, you can even swim with the sharks!
You can book this tour online here!
Koh Phi Phi is not Google Maps friendly at all. The roads are not actual roads so please make sure to ask directions to the viewpoints, locals will gladly help you. The stairs to Viewpoint 1 are very steep and it is nice there, but definitely hike a bit further up to Viewpoint 2. This is the best sunset view!
It gets really busy around sunset as tourists love this spot, so make sure you get on time here to get a good spot.
- Rosniyom live music bar & restaurant
I am in love with this place! Ôn the owner transformed this place from a restaurant to a very cozy live music bar after Covid. Every night there is live music by the very talented Tao and what a performer he is. He brings the whole place to life and takes every single person into his pocket.
On top of that, this place is serving such delicious Thai dishes! I highly recommend the crispy pork!
Carlito’s is such a cozy bar located just at the beach and sea. The staff is incredibly friendly and the prices are good. You can also play Yenga at the table! There is a fire show every day, the best one in Phi Phi, that starts around 10pm. After that, there is amazing live music.
Most probably this is one of the best restaurants in Phi Phi Don. I came here like 5 times eating several dishes and literally the whole menu is incredibly delicious. The staff is super friendly, I can really recommend the fried fish and the hot pot!
7. Phuket (3 nights)
For me, Phuket was the most disappointing in Thailand after hearing stories about it. It is absolutely packed by tourists and it seemed a bit like Europe in Thailand to me. Nevertheless there are some beautiful spots to visit! If you want to party, Patong is the place to be for you.
What to do in Phuket?
A gorgeous temple!
This is probably the most famous Buddha in Phuket and you can expect lots of tourists here. It is a fun drive with the scooter up the hill and you pass by an elephant sanctuary as well. You can visit the temple for free.
When you walk under the Big Buddha, there is a sweet lady who teaches you everything about meditation!
When you have a scooter in Phuket, definitely make the time to drive up the hill here. Tunk-Ka cafe is very classy and the interior is just gorgeous with a nice view!
Whooo, you have made it until here! Thank you so much for scrolling to this guide, I really hope that you enjoyed the information and pictures. Hopefully it will be of good use one day when you visit Thailand. 
As you can see in the guide, all the places are clickable and will direct you to the Maps page. To make it easy for you, I have combined them all in a list on Google Maps! You can find it here: 21 days in Thailand
I have spent many hours writing this post, selecting and editing my pictures. It would be great if you can press that like button and leave a comment!
THANK YOU!
Peace out,
Stephen
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Thanks for this post!
. I loved every single photo that you’ve posted It’s really awesome. 
. Måste tacka dig för en mycket bra reseskildring. Det du har gjort är en reseguide för de som vill se Thailand för en “billig” peng.