10-Day Private Thailand and Vietnam Highlights

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Bangkok is your first introduction to Thailand: busy, warm and colorful, but still easy to enjoy at your own pace.

On arrival at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang International Airport, your private driver will meet you and take you to your hotel. The drive to central Bangkok normally takes around 60–90 minutes, depending on traffic.

The rest of the day is deliberately left open after your international flight. After check-in, you can rest at the hotel, enjoy dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant or take a short walk around the neighborhood.

If you still have energy in the evening, head out for a relaxed dinner and see Bangkok come alive after dark. There is no fixed evening activity, so you can settle into the city at your own pace.

Accommodation: Overnight in Bangkok

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Bangkok’s historic side is best enjoyed at an easy pace. Today starts with the city’s royal heritage, continues along the river and finishes with an evening cruise.

1. Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew: After breakfast, visit the Grand Palace, Bangkok’s most famous royal landmark and one of Thailand’s most important cultural sites. Inside the complex, you will also visit Wat Phra Kaew, home to the revered Emerald Buddha. Take your time to appreciate the traditional Thai architecture, detailed decoration and temple courtyards.

After the visit, enjoy lunch at a local Thai restaurant before continuing to the riverside.

2. Wat Arun: Temple of Dawn: Take a local boat across the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun. Its distinctive central tower is decorated with colorful porcelain and rises above the river, making it one of Bangkok’s most recognizable landmarks.

3. Chao Phraya River Evening Cruise: As the day cools down, board an evening cruise along the Chao Phraya River. From the water, see Bangkok’s temples, hotels and city lights from a different perspective. Dinner and live music are included if you choose this option.

After the cruise, return to your hotel or spend a little more time in central Bangkok, depending on your preference.

Note: The Grand Palace is officially open daily from 08:30–16:30, with ticket sales until 15:30. Foreign visitors pay 500 THB, and modest clothing is required.

Accommodation: Overnight in Bangkok

Meals: Breakfast

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After breakfast, your driver will take you to the airport for your flight to Chiang Mai. The flight takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. On arrival, you will be met at Chiang Mai Airport and transferred to your hotel.

In the afternoon, start exploring the historic heart of Chiang Mai.

1. Chiang Mai Old City: Walk through the Old City, surrounded by remnants of the ancient walls and moat. Its quieter lanes and traditional architecture offer a first introduction to the distinctive culture of northern Thailand.

2. Wat Chedi Luang: Visit this historic temple in the center of the Old City. Its impressive ancient chedi and traditional Lanna architecture make it one of Chiang Mai’s most important historic landmarks.

After sightseeing, return to your hotel and enjoy some free time. You may relax, stop at a nearby café or find a local restaurant for a northern Thai dinner.

The evening is deliberately kept free, giving you time to recover from the flight before tomorrow’s countryside excursion.

Accommodation: Overnight in Chiang Mai

Meals: Breakfast

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Today is a slower day in nature, with just two main stops so you have enough time to enjoy each one.

After breakfast, drive north of Chiang Mai for around 1.5–2 hours to Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall.

1. Bua Tong Sticky Waterfall: Surrounded by forest, Bua Tong is best known for its unusual limestone surface, which provides enough grip to carefully walk along parts of the waterfall. If you would like a little adventure, you can make your way closer to the flowing water. If you prefer not to climb, simply stay on the paths and enjoy the forest scenery.

Around 1.5–2 hours is a comfortable amount of time here without making the morning feel rushed.

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue through the countryside for a slower visit to Wat Ban Den.

2. Wat Ban Den: Walk through this colorful northern Thai temple complex and take time to see its carved woodwork, painted halls and peaceful grounds. If the weather is clear, the softer late-afternoon light makes the temple especially beautiful.

Only two places are planned today, giving you time to appreciate both rather than simply ticking off another list of attractions. The drive back to Chiang Mai takes around 1–1.5 hours, depending on traffic. Your evening is free.

Accommodation: Overnight in Chiang Mai

Meals: Breakfast

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Today is kept simple, with Elephant Nature Park as the main experience and no other major sightseeing added. This gives you enough time with the elephants without rushing between attractions.

After breakfast, drive for about 1 hour to Elephant Nature Park, a rescue and rehabilitation center for elephants.

1. Elephant Nature Park: Spend time learning about rescued elephants, their individual stories and how they are cared for. The experience focuses on responsible tourism and observing the elephants in a more natural setting rather than riding or watching performances.

The park offers different visit programs, so the exact timing and activities will depend on the program selected when your trip is booked.

2. Elephant Observation & Sanctuary Experience: Spend time observing the elephants and learning more about their daily care. Depending on the selected program, you may see them walking through the grounds, feeding or interacting with one another.

3. Return to Chiang Mai: After the experience, drive back to your hotel in about 1 hour. The evening is free for a Thai massage, shopping for local crafts or simply relaxing at the hotel.

Accommodation: Overnight in Chiang Mai

Meals: Breakfast

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After breakfast, your driver will take you to Chiang Mai Airport for your international flight to Hanoi. No sightseeing is planned today, as the flight, airport procedures and hotel transfers already take up a good part of the day.

Chiang Mai International Airport is relatively close to the city, but we recommend allowing around 2.5–3 hours before departure for check-in, security and immigration.

The direct flight to Hanoi takes around 1 hour 30–35 minutes. Flight times vary by travel date, so the final departure time will be arranged according to the available international flight schedule.

On arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, collect your luggage and meet your driver for the transfer to central Hanoi. The drive normally takes around 45–60 minutes, depending on traffic.

Once checked in, the rest of the evening is yours. A simple Vietnamese dinner near the hotel is a good introduction to Hanoi, or you may prefer a short walk around the neighborhood. There is no fixed evening activity, giving you time to settle into the new city at your own pace.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

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Hanoi feels very different from Chiang Mai. The streets are busier, French-influenced architecture appears throughout the city, and small cafés and food stalls are part of everyday life. Today starts with two important historic sites before slowing down in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake.

1. Ho Chi Minh Complex: Visit Ba Dinh Square and the surrounding Ho Chi Minh Complex, an important place in Vietnam’s modern history. A morning visit works particularly well during the warmer months. If the mausoleum is closed on your travel date, the visit can focus on the surrounding complex and nearby sites.

2. Temple of Literature: Continue to Vietnam’s first university. Walk through its traditional gates, gardens and five courtyards, and see the stone steles that record the names of successful scholars. Around 1–1.5 hours gives you enough time to see the main areas without making the visit tiring.

Enjoy lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant before continuing into the center of the Old Quarter.

3. Hanoi Old Quarter: Spend the afternoon walking through part of the Old Quarter rather than trying to cover every street. Narrow lanes, old shop houses, small cafés and family-run businesses give the neighborhood its character. There is also time to stop for a Vietnamese coffee or small snack if you wish.

4. Hoan Kiem Lake: Continue naturally from the Old Quarter to Hoan Kiem Lake. Slow down here and watch everyday Hanoi life around you, from local residents exercising to families meeting friends and street vendors passing by.

The evening is free for dinner or further exploration. A water puppet show can also be arranged if you would like an evening cultural experience and the show time fits your plans.

Accommodation: Overnight in Hanoi

Meals: Breakfast

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Today you fly from northern to southern Vietnam. The flight takes about 2 hours 10 minutes, and with several flights available each day, the timing can be selected to suit your group’s schedule.

After landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, meet your driver and transfer to your Ho Chi Minh City hotel. The afternoon is deliberately light, giving you a gentle introduction to the city rather than another full sightseeing day.

1. Nguyen Hue Walking Street: Depending on your arrival time and energy, take a relaxed walk around Nguyen Hue Walking Street and the surrounding central area. This is more of an introduction to the city than a formal sightseeing tour.

2. Ho Chi Minh City French Quarter: Explore the central area, where French colonial architecture stands alongside modern buildings. The contrast between the historic streets and the city’s fast-moving urban life gives Ho Chi Minh City much of its character.

3. Local Café Experience: Stop at a local café for Vietnamese coffee. It is a simple way to experience the city’s café culture while watching everyday life around you.

Your evening is free. You can explore Ben Thanh Market, enjoy a rooftop drink or find a local phở restaurant.

Accommodation: Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: Breakfast

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Today starts outside the city with a closer look at Vietnam’s recent history before returning to central Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon.

After breakfast, drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Your local guide will explain how the tunnel network was built and used during the war, as well as the difficult conditions faced by people living and working underground.

1. Cu Chi Tunnels: Explore the famous underground tunnel network outside Ho Chi Minh City and learn how it was constructed and used during the Vietnam War. The visit provides a closer understanding of life underground during this period of Vietnamese history.

After visiting the tunnels, return to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch before continuing your afternoon sightseeing.

2. Independence Palace: Visit this important landmark in modern Vietnamese history, formerly known as the Presidential Palace. Explore its historic rooms and grounds while learning about the events that shaped Vietnam during the 20th century.

After the tour, return to your hotel. Your final evening in Ho Chi Minh City is free. A riverside dinner or evening cruise can also be arranged if you would like a special way to finish the trip.

Accommodation: Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

Meals: Breakfast

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Your final morning is kept simple, with no fixed sightseeing so the day can follow your international flight time.

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy some free time for a final Vietnamese coffee, a short walk around the neighborhood or some last-minute shopping. If your flight leaves later in the day, luggage can be left at the hotel after check-out.

At the arranged time, your private driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The drive from central Ho Chi Minh City usually takes around 30–60 minutes, depending on traffic, so enough time will be allowed for the airport transfer, check-in and departure formalities.

Your journey through Thailand and Vietnam ends here. If you would like a slower finish to the holiday, the trip can also be extended with additional time in Vietnam or another Southeast Asian destination.

Meals: Breakfast