Thailand in 2 Weeks: An Itinerary From a Video Guide

A Thailand 2-week itinerary can cover Bangkok, the mountainous north and the southern islands in one loop: three days in Bangkok, three in Chiang Mai, two in Chiang Rai, three around Phuket and Koh Phi Phi, and a final three in Khao Sok National Park. That is the route Rhett and Claire lay out in their video guide, with one flight north and one flight south.

Below is their plan day by day, built only from what they show and say, with links to the moments in the video where each stop appears.

The Thailand 2-week itinerary at a glance

The source is How to travel Thailand | The PERFECT 2 week Itinerary by Rhett and Claire, published in February 2024. The couple say they spent a whole month in Chiang Mai, and they suggest starting in Bangkok, though you can reverse the loop and start in Phuket.

The creators call out Days 1 to 6, 10 and 11 by number; the other day numbers here follow the order of the video.

Days 1-3: Bangkok

Arriving. You will most likely land at Suvarnabhumi, and the creators note that Bangkok's other airport, Don Mueang, is the one you'll use for domestic flights. The creators' ride-hailing car took about 45 minutes; the train takes about 25 minutes and avoids the traffic, though it is awkward with lots of bags.

Where to stay. The creators warn that Airbnb can be tricky, since short stays under a month are technically not allowed, so they suggest a hotel or hostel. Their areas: Siam Square for shopping and location, Sukhumvit for bars and restaurants, Khao San Road for parties and backpackers, Old Town for the historic sights, and Silom for rooftop bars and street food at night. Pick a hotel within walking distance of a 7-Eleven and the BTS Skytrain.

Day 1. Head to Old Town for the Grand Palace, home of the Emerald Buddha, which the creators describe as Thailand's most sacred Buddhist temple. Cover your legs with long pants or a pair of the elephant-print pants sold everywhere. Take a tuk-tuk to Wat Pho for the giant gold-covered reclining Buddha; it is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, and you can book one at its school. For lunch, the creators had pad thai at Thipsamai, which they admit is touristy but fun for seeing the dish made. After a rest, do a food or city tour. Theirs was a tuk-tuk tour with street snacks, insects, a flower market and Chinatown.

Day 2. Take it easier: a walk in Lumphini Park (watch for monitor lizards), a guided tour of the Jim Thompson house to learn about Thai silk, and a canal boat to a mall. At Central World, they joined the line for boat noodles and Thai tea, and they point out that malls are a good way to try local dishes if street food makes you nervous. For the evening, pick one: sunset at a rooftop bar (they chose Eagle Nest, facing Wat Arun), the Jodd Fairs night market, Muay Thai at Rajadamnern Stadium or a walk down Khao San Road.

Day 3 (optional). The creators say you will have covered the best spots by now. If you want more, they suggest a day tour to a floating market and the railway market, about 1.5 hours' drive away, or a sky bar.

Days 4-8: Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

Chiang Mai (Days 4-6)

The creators flew north, a little over an hour, instead of taking the roughly 11-hour train or bus, and they suggest two to three nights.

• Day 4: Breakfast at their favorite café, Oasis Cafe, then a temple circuit: Wat Phra Singh, home of the Lion Buddha, Wat Chiang Man (the oldest, built in 1296) and Wat Chedi Luang (built in 1441). Then eat khao soi at Khao Soi Nimman; Rhett calls it his favorite dish in Asia.
• Day 5: Spend the day at Chai Lai Orchid, which the creators describe as one of the few ethical elephant sanctuaries. They walked the elephants through the forest, made food for them and bathed them in the river. There are bungalows on site if you want to stay over.
• Day 6: If you stay the night, the elephants come by in the morning. The drive back to Chiang Mai takes about two hours, and you can finish at a hilltop temple with views over the city.

Chiang Rai (Days 7-8)

The bus from Chiang Mai takes about 4 hours. Once there, the creators rented a scooter and went straight to the Blue Temple, created by a student of the artist behind the White Temple; entry was free, with donations welcome. Early the next morning, they visited the White Temple, which they say is worth coming to Chiang Rai for. Afterward, take the bus back to Chiang Mai and fly south to Phuket.

Days 9-14: Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Khao Sok

For the beach stretch, the creators give two options: the southwest (Krabi, Phuket, Maya Bay and Koh Phi Phi) or the southeast islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. They choose Phuket because its bigger international airport has direct flights home, and Maya Bay is close by.

Phuket and Koh Phi Phi (Days 9-11)

• Day 9: Beach time on the west coast (they film on Kata Noi and also name Banana Beach and Freedom Beach), then the Big Buddha on the hill. In the evening, Bangla Road is the island's nightlife strip.
• Day 10: Go early to Karon Viewpoint for views over most of the island, then wander colorful Phuket Old Town, built up during the 19th-century tin-mining boom, for its Hokkien-style noodles or roti with curry. From Rassada Port, about 10 minutes away, take the ferry to Koh Phi Phi. Once there, walk around Phi Phi town, catch sunset from the viewpoint and try fried rice served in a pineapple.
• Day 11: Take a longtail boat tour to Maya Bay, which the creators call the most famous beach in Thailand, with stops at Monkey Beach and Viking Cave and time to snorkel. Book online ahead or on the island.

Khao Sok National Park (Days 12-14)

Head back to Phuket early. Elephant Hills picks guests up at Rassada Port and drives them to Khao Sok, which the creators call a highlight of the whole trip. They spent about two hours feeding and watching elephants, followed by a guided river float, food back at camp and an evening of jungle sounds.

The next day goes to Cheow Lan Lake: a night in a water bungalow, kayaking and a forest walk where you might spot gibbons. The creators say few tourists come here and call it a must if you love nature. On Day 14, Elephant Hills shuttles you back to Phuket (or onward) after lunch, and you can fly home from Phuket International Airport or via Bangkok.

What the creators recommend

• Tuk-tuk rides and a tuk-tuk food tour as an introduction to Bangkok.
• Wat Pho's reclining Buddha.
• Boat noodles, which they call one of Bangkok's most popular dishes.
• Khao soi at Khao Soi Nimman in Chiang Mai.
• An ethical elephant sanctuary, chosen with care.
• The White Temple in Chiang Rai.
• Khao Sok National Park, their favorite place to slow down.

What the creators say to skip

• Short-term Airbnb stays. Book a hotel or hostel instead.
• Elephant attractions that aren't ethical. The creators stress choosing an ethical place to spend your money.
• Temple visits in shorts. Cover up with long pants.
• A packed second day in Bangkok. After a busy first day, they suggest taking Day 2 easier, and they treat Day 3 as optional.

Budget and booking tips

The video gives only a few prices, all from early 2024: about $11 per person for the Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai bus, 250 baht to rent a scooter in Chiang Rai, free entry to the Blue Temple and 100 baht for the White Temple. Everything else, from hotels to the Elephant Hills stay, you will need to price for your own dates. Our guide to working out a daily travel budget shows how to build that number, using creator prices as anchors and updating them.

A few practical notes for booking this route:

1. Lock in the two internal flights first (Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai to Phuket), since every other leg hangs off them.
2. Decide early whether to stay overnight at Chai Lai Orchid, which has bungalows on site, and book the Elephant Hills stay that the creators' Khao Sok days are built around.
3. Plan the Phi Phi ferry around the last departure, which the creators say usually leaves Rassada Port around 3 p.m.
4. Book the Maya Bay longtail tour online ahead or on the island, as the creators suggest.

Check before you go: prices, ferry times, temple fees and entry rules have likely changed since the video was filmed, so confirm them before you book.

More itineraries for Asia

If you are adding another country or a city stop, these posts follow other creators' videos the same way. Two weeks in Vietnam runs from Ho Chi Minh City through Hoi An and Ninh Binh to Hanoi and the northern mountains. Bali in two weeks moves from the Uluwatu cliffs to the rice fields of Sidemen and Ubud and ends on Gili Trawangan. For shorter city stays, see three days in Singapore, Hong Kong in 3 days or our four-day Seoul itinerary.

Turn this video into your own plan

Rhett and Claire's video is one of the picks in our roundup of YouTube travel guides worth planning a trip around. If two weeks at this pace doesn't fit your trip, you can turn this same video into a plan tailored to your own trip on Vidtrip, with your trip length, budget, pace and interests, plus daily times and local-currency costs. To work through the video yourself, see our guide on turning a travel video into a day-by-day plan.