The best things to do in Thailand make three trips in one: the temples and markets of Bangkok, the old city and mountains of Chiang Mai in the north, and the islands of one coast. The month you travel decides which coast. This page lists 18 things to do with the entry prices reported for 2026, then sorts the places by region, season and type of traveller.
Tours and activities to book in Thailand
Six popular outings from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, with live prices and availability.
Bangkok: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun Guided Tour
Guided visit of the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in Bangkok, about five hours.
- Duration: 5 hours
- Free cancellation
4.8(6,151 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $22per person
From Bangkok: Ayutthaya Temples Guided Tour with Lunch
Day trip from Bangkok to the temples of Ayutthaya with a guide and lunch.
- Duration: 7 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.7(12,588 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $44per person
Chiang Mai: Elephant Sanctuary Feeding Program Half-Day Tour
Half-day visit to an elephant sanctuary outside Chiang Mai, with a feeding programme.
- Duration: 5.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.9(7,305 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $25per person
Chiang Mai: Doi Inthanon, Twin Pagodas & Waterfalls Day Tour
Day tour from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon National Park, the highest mountain in Thailand.
- Duration: 9 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.7(7,666 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $37per person
Phuket: Maya, Phi Phi, and Bamboo Island with Buffet Lunch
Day trip by boat from Phuket to Maya Bay, the Phi Phi Islands and Bamboo Island.
- Duration: 8 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.6(22,223 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $42per person
James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket
Day on Phang Nga Bay with James Bond Island and Hong Island, leaving from Phuket.
- Duration: 8 to 9 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.8(843 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $47per person
See more activities in Bangkok
See more activities in Chiang Mai
The 18 best things to do in Thailand, with 2026 prices
| Experience | Where | Reported price for foreign adults |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew | Bangkok | 500 THB |
| 2. Wat Pho and Wat Arun | Bangkok | 300 THB and 200 THB, as reported |
| 3. Street food in Chinatown | Bangkok | Free to walk |
| 4. The ruins of Ayutthaya | North of Bangkok | Day trip, entry paid per site |
| 5. Old city temples | Chiang Mai | 20 to 50 THB each |
| 6. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep | Chiang Mai | Temple about 30 THB, reported, park trails and waterfalls 100 THB |
| 7. A day at an elephant sanctuary without riding | Chiang Mai | 2,500 to 3,500 THB at Elephant Nature Park |
| 8. Sunday Walking Street market | Chiang Mai | Free |
| 9. Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain | Chiang Mai province | 300 THB park fee |
| 10. The White Temple | Chiang Rai | 200 THB since January 2026 |
| 11. Big Buddha and Promthep Cape | Phuket | Free |
| 12. Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay | From Phuket or Krabi | 400 THB park fee, plus the boat |
| 13. Phang Nga Bay by canoe | From Phuket | 300 THB park fee, plus the boat |
| 14. Similan Islands | From Khao Lak or Phuket | 500 THB park fee, 15 October to 15 May |
| 15. A night on Cheow Lan Lake | Khao Sok | 200 to 300 THB park fee, sources differ |
| 16. Learning to dive | Koh Tao | Open Water course reported at 10,000 to 13,500 THB |
| 17. Island hopping in the Gulf | Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao | Ferries reported at about 200 to 700 THB per leg |
| 18. A Thai cooking class | Chiang Mai or Bangkok | Varies by school, ask before booking |
Prices were compared across guides and operators on 14 November 2026. Park fees are often paid in cash and are not always part of a tour price, so ask before you book. Several fees, such as Khao Sok and the dive courses, differ from one source to the next.
Best places to visit in Thailand by region
Bangkok and the central plains: 3 days
The capital has the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, the river and some of the best street food in the country. On a weekend, add the Chatuchak market, which has thousands of stalls. Three days cover the centre, with a fourth for a day trip to the ruins of Ayutthaya.
Three days cover the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Chinatown, the main things to do in Bangkok. Siam and Sukhumvit, on the Skytrain, suit a first visit when you choose where to stay in Bangkok.
The north: 4 to 6 days
Chiang Mai is the base, with temples inside a moat, weekend markets, cooking schools and elephant sanctuaries. Day trips reach Doi Inthanon and the White Temple of Chiang Rai, and a winding road leads to Pai. Smoke from field fires often spoils the air from about February to April.
Doi Suthep, the temple above the city, and the Sunday walking street are two of the top things to do in Chiang Mai.
The Andaman coast: 5 to 7 days
The west coast is the one with limestone cliffs, Maya Bay and the long beaches of Phuket. Phuket is the hub because it has the airport and most of the boats. Its island and day trips are in things to do in Phuket.
Krabi and Railay suit climbing and long-tail boats. Koh Lanta is quiet and works well for families.Koh Lipe sits far south near the Malaysian border. Khao Sok, inland, is a rainforest with a lake where you can sleep on a floating raft.
The Gulf islands: 5 to 7 days
Koh Samui has the airport and the resorts. Koh Phangan, 20 to 30 minutes away by ferry, is known for the Full Moon Party and has calm beaches in the north. Koh Tao, further out, is a big centre for learning to dive. Ferries link all three.
The east and Hua Hin: 2 to 4 days
Pattaya, Koh Samet and Koh Chang are the beaches nearest to Bangkok. Pattaya is a road trip, while the two islands need a ferry. Hua Hin, three to four hours by train, is a resort town popular with Thai families and retirees.
Andaman coast or Gulf of Thailand: when to go
The two coasts have different rainy seasons, so one of them is usually in good shape. Sources disagree by a few weeks on where each season starts and ends.
| Months | Andaman coast: Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta | Gulf: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao |
|---|---|---|
| November to December | Dry season starts, high season | Rainy season, November the worst |
| January to April | Dry and calm sea | Dry, February to April the driest |
| May to August | Monsoon, showers and rough sea | Mostly dry |
| September to October | Wettest months, some boats cancelled | Rain returns in October |
Two closures matter on the Andaman side. Maya Bay shuts from 1 August to 30 September, and the Similan Islands open only from 15 October to 15 May. Hotels on that coast are noticeably cheaper in September and October.
Where to go in Thailand: which place for which traveller
| You want | Go to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A first trip | Bangkok, Chiang Mai, then one coast | City, culture and beach in two weeks |
| Beaches with children | Koh Lanta, Koh Samui, Hua Hin | Calm water and family hotels |
| Scenery and boat trips | Phuket, Krabi, Railay | Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay nearby |
| Diving | Koh Tao, Similan Islands | Cheap courses on Koh Tao, clear water in the Similans |
| Parties | Koh Phangan, Patong, Bangkok | Full Moon Party, Bangla Road |
| Temples and food | Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai | The main temples and night markets |
| Nature | Khao Sok, Doi Inthanon | Rainforest, lake and mountain trails |
| A short break from Bangkok | Koh Samet, Hua Hin, Pattaya | Reached in a few hours without flying |
Some visitors end up staying. The best places to live in Thailand are often the same towns seen from a resident's side.
How to get between regions
| Route | Transport | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok to Chiang Mai | Plane, or night train | About 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20, or 12 to 13 hours |
| Bangkok to Phuket | Plane | About 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30 |
| Bangkok to Krabi | Plane | About 1 hour 25 to 1 hour 35 |
| Bangkok to Koh Samui | Plane | About 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 |
| Phuket or Krabi to Koh Samui | Direct plane, Bangkok Airways | About 50 minutes to 1 hour |
| Phuket to the Phi Phi Islands | Ferry or speedboat | 45 minutes to 2 hours |
| Koh Samui to Koh Phangan | Ferry | About 20 to 30 minutes |
| Koh Samui to Koh Tao | Catamaran | About 1 hour 45 to 2 hours |
| Bangkok to Hua Hin | Train | 3 to 4 hours |
Bangkok Airways flies between the Andaman coast and Koh Samui, which saves a return through Bangkok. Frequencies change with the season, so check the timetable. Night trains to Chiang Mai sell out in high season, from November to February.
A first trip to Thailand: 10 to 14 days
Start with three days in Bangkok, while the jet lag wears off. Fly or take the night train to Chiang Mai for three or four days. Then fly south for five to seven days on one coast: Phuket and Krabi from November to April, Koh Samui and its neighbours from January to August.
With ten days, keep one island. With two weeks, split the beach days between two places that a ferry connects.
Most passports now get 30 days without a visa, which is enough for this route. Every foreign traveller also fills in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before landing.
In this section
The best things to do in Bangkok with 2026 prices and hours: Grand Palace tickets and dress code, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, markets and a 3-day itinerary.
Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThings to do in Chiang Mai in 2026: old city temples, Doi Suthep fees, weekend markets, elephants, Doi Inthanon, burning season and Yi Peng dates.
ADwarf, public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsThings to do in Phuket in 2026: Big Buddha reopening, Wat Chalong, Promthep Cape, boat trips to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay with park fees, a 3-day plan.
kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThings to do in Krabi with 2026 prices: 4 Islands, Hong Islands and Phi Phi park fees, Tiger Cave Temple, Emerald Pool, Railay and a 3-day itinerary.
Badin Limapornvanich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThings to do in Koh Samui in 2026: Big Buddha, Fisherman's Village, Ang Thong park fees and closure, beaches, ferries, taxis and a 3-day itinerary.
Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsKoh Lanta in 2026: beaches by type of traveller, Old Town, the national park, Koh Rok and 4 islands trips, plus ferries and minivans with prices.
Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsKoh Lipe in 2026: Pattaya, Sunrise and Sunset beaches, snorkelling in Tarutao park with fees, boats from Pak Bara, Langkawi and Koh Lanta, cash tips.
Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsKoh Chang in 2026: west-coast beaches, Klong Plu waterfall and park fees, Koh Rang snorkeling, Bang Bao, and the bus, flight and 90 THB ferry from Bangkok.
Adam, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsKoh Samet in 2026: the 200 THB park fee, beaches from Sai Kaew to Ao Prao, Ban Phe ferry times, buses from Ekkamai and how to plan a weekend.
Avenlarosa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsKhao Sok National Park in 2026: entrance fees, Cheow Lan Lake by longtail boat, floating bungalows, trails, caves and how to get there from Phuket or Krabi.
Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsThings to do in Pattaya in 2026: Sanctuary of Truth, the Koh Larn ferry, Nong Nooch, beaches and water parks, with prices, baht bus fares and tips.
Niels Mickers, CC BY 3.0 NL, via Wikimedia CommonsThings to do in Hua Hin with 2026 fees and hours: Phraya Nakhon Cave, the railway station, Cicada Market, Khao Takiab, Kui Buri and trains from Bangkok.
Mathias Krumbholz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsBest islands in Thailand in 2026: 15 islands on the Andaman Sea, the Gulf and near Bangkok, compared by traveller, season, ferry price and budget.