Thailand Real Food Adventure
8 Days Starting in Bangkok and ending in Chiang Mai
Visiting: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya / Overnight Train, Chiang Mai, Village Homestay
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TTZF
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
Indulge in the complex flavours, fresh aromas and heavenly spices that make Thai food so addictive. Explore bustling markets and taste tropical fruits and aromatic dishes whipped up in front of your eyes. Learn the trick behind making palm sugar, experience the thrill of cruising through Tha Kha Floating Market by paddleboat, slurp noodles alongside locals in Bangkok, enjoy some home-cooking with a family in Chiang Mai, sit down to a khan tok feast and tour all the must-see sights of Thailand. This is an incredible culinary journey through one of South East Asia’s most addictive food cultures.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Bangkok
Location: Bangkok
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner
Sa-wat dee! Welcome to Thailand's capital, Bangkok – famous for its tuk-tuks, khlong boats and street vendors serving up delicious Thai dishes. Your food adventure begins this evening with a welcome meeting at 5 pm. If you arrive early, maybe check out the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, wander down Khao San Road or indulge in a Thai massage. After the meeting, head out with your group for dinner at popular restaurant Krua Apsorn and get to know the delicious Thai cuisine this region is famous for. After, explore the area and sample some Thai sweets with your leader and fellow travellers.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Bangkok
Location: Bangkok
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
After an early breakfast, visit Tha Kha Floating Market. Walk past canals filled with sellers hawking their fruits and wares, then board a paddleboat to explore the waterways further. The area is well known for coconut palm sugar production, and you’ll stop in at a riverside operation to see how it’s made. After, travel back to Bangkok, where you’ll have a free afternoon to shop, sightsee or simply relax. Tonight, head to Chinatown for a walking tour. This is a great place to sample some local street food, so ask your leader for their insight and recommendations. You might also like to join other members of your group to enjoy live music at one of the lively bars in the area.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Ayutthaya
Location: Ayutthaya
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, leave Bangkok and travel by private vehicle to a local village and community farm for a day of cooking Central Thai specialities. Learn about the age-old agricultural traditions still being practised today and enjoy the freshest ingredients straight from the garden. You’ll help to prepare a home-cooked lunch of local delicacies, like kaeng som (green papaya soup), spicy fish cakes and watercress salad with chicken, followed by multiple desserts using ingredients like coconut, rice milk and crispy noodles! Later this afternoon board a longtail boat and cruise the Chao Phraya River to visit a Buddhist temple on a small, remote island. Head to Ayutthaya city for a free evening to explore.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Ayutthaya / Overnight Train
Location: Ayutthaya / Overnight Train
Accommodation: Overnight sleeper train
Accommodation Name: Overnight sleeper train
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, you’ll explore Ayutthaya – the second capital of Siam after Sukhothai, and once one of the most powerful cities in Asia. Stop by a street food stall for a demonstration and tasting of roti sai mai – a dish synonymous with the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. It consists of a thin pancake wrapped around delicious, fine strands of thin-spun cotton candy. Lunch today is a steaming bowl of guay-tieo-ruea (boat noodles). The Ayutthaya take on this classic combo of fragrant pork broth, roasted slices of meat, Thai-style pork balls, sliced morning glory stalks, fresh green onion and a choice of rice noodles is considered the original and the best. While the food is no longer served out of sampans on the river, the narrow rowboats are used as decoration at roadside eateries to indicate what's on the menu. See the remains of Ayutthaya’s golden age with a guided tour of the ruins and temples spread across the town, including the rows of headless Buddhas at Wat Phra Mahathat and a Buddha head surrounded by Banyan tree roots. Grab a bite to eat before boarding your overnight train to Chiang Mai.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Chiang Mai
Location: Chiang Mai
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Arrive in Chiang Mai by mid-morning. The most vibrant city in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has many famous temples and an interesting old city area. Most importantly, Chiang Mai is famous for its Northern Thai cuisine and may well be home to many of your favourite Thai dishes. Lunch today is a plant-based meal at a popular local restaurant that sources organic vegetables from nearby farms. After lunch, take an orientation walk around the streets of the city, stopping at Wat Chedi Luang and enjoying a pick me up at Akha Ama – a social enterprise created by a member of the Akha tribe who wanted to highlight the produce of his community and provide an income source to its coffee growers. Take time to relax and refresh before a dinner at a local restaurant. If you’re keen to explore further, the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is full of local handicrafts and Northern street food dishes.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Village Homestay
Location: Village Homestay
Accommodation: Homestay
Accommodation Name: Homestay
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travel to a small Thai village where you’ll meet Aoi, your gracious host for your overnight homestay experience. On the way to Aoi’s village, stop for lunch at a restaurant specialising in the local delicacy of fermented rice noodles. Next, visit some local producers – including a mushroom farm where you'll pick up ingredients for a Northern Thai cooking class. Over the years, a khan tok dinner has become the traditional way to welcome guests in Northern Thailand, with the term ‘khan tok’ meaning both the meal and the raised tray on which it’s served. Eleven dishes are featured on this delicious khan tok menu, so cut, chop and sizzle, then tuck into dishes like nam prik ong (chilli paste with tomatoes), deep fried vegetables, hung leh (curry) and mushroom larb (spicy mushroom salad). Enjoy the fruits of your labour against a backdrop of local musicians singing and dancing.
Included Activities:
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Day 7: Chiang Mai
Location: Chiang Mai
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast this morning is a Northern Thai breakfast of gai tod (fried chicken), fried rice, sweet sticky rice and egg custard. Bid farewell to your homestay hosts and take a scenic, winding drive to one of the country's most stunning temple complexes, Doi Suthep. A 300-step naga-guarded stairway leads you to the temples and the climb is well worth the effort. The chanting of Buddhist monks and the sweeping views of the city make for a memorable experience. Head back into town for a delicious lunch of khao soi (a curry noodle dish, renowned in the region). This afternoon you might like to check out the bustling Warorot Market (Kad Luang). One of Chiang Mai’s largest markets and a thriving social hub, this is the perfect place to get a glimpse into daily life and pick up some snacks unique to the region. Taste your way through the stalls and be sure to try sai ua (Chiang Mai sausage) or bamboo worms.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Chiang Mai
Location: Chiang Mai
Meals Included: Breakfast
There are no activities planned for today and your adventure comes to an end after breakfast. You’re free to leave at any time, but this doesn’t mean your adventure has to end! If you would like to spend more time in Chiang Mai, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to book additional accommodation.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (5 nights), Overnight Sleeper Train (1 night), Homestay (1 nightt) -
Meals
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners -
Bangkok - Welcome Dinner
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Bangkok - Tha Kha Floating Market tour
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Bangkok - Palm Sugar Demonstration
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Bangkok - Chinatown walking tour
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Ayutthaya - Regional Specialties Cooking Class
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Ayutthaya - Homemade Dessert Making Lesson
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Ayutthaya - Chao Phraya Long Tail Boat Cruise
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Ayutthaya - Wat Niwet Thamma Prawat Visit
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Ayutthaya - Temple Ruins entrance & guided tour
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Ayutthaya - Roti Sai Mai demonstration & tasting
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Included Activities
Bangkok - Chinatown street food tourBangkok - Tha Kha Floating Market tourBangkok - Palm Sugar DemonstrationBangkok - Mae Klong Railway Market tourBangkok - Night Market visitAyutthaya - Regional Specialties Cooking ClassAyutthaya - Homemade Dessert Making LessonAyutthaya - Chao Phraya Long Tail Boat CruiseAyutthaya - Wat Niwet Thamma Prawat VisitAyutthaya - Temple Ruins entrance & guided tourAyutthaya - Roti Sai Mai demonstration & tastingChiang Mai - Wat Chedi Luang entranceHomestay - Khantohk Cooking ClassChiang Mai - Doi Suthep Temple entrance and guided tour
Transport
OVERNIGHT TRAINSOvernight sleeper trains in Thailand are air-conditioned and have sleeping berths down both sides of the carriage. The carriage is multishare, with are curtains that close over the beds. A sleeping sheet and a pillow are provided, and our luggage travels in the carriage with us. There is a western and Asian-style toilet located at the end of the carriage, but no showers. Carriage lights staying on during the night, so an eye mask is a good thing to bring with you, as is warm clothes as the air conditioning can be cold. For more on overnight trains in Thailand and around the world: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/overnight-train-travel-around-the-world/
Accommodation
Hotel (5 nights), Overnight Sleeper Train (1 night), Homestay (1 nightt)
Important Information
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 4 (Overnight Train) and Day 6 (Village Homestay) where you will be in shared accommodation, and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. Please note that some room configurations have two single beds, although a double bed will always be requested.2. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip.3. This trip starts with a welcome meeting at 5pm on Day 1 in Bangkok. This trip ends on Day 8 in Chiang Mai and you are free to leave at any time.
Mode of Transport
OVERNIGHT TRAINSOvernight sleeper trains in Thailand are air-conditioned and have sleeping berths down both sides of the carriage. The carriage is multishare, with are curtains that close over the beds. A sleeping sheet and a pillow are provided, and our luggage travels in the carriage with us. There is a western and Asian-style toilet located at the end of the carriage, but no showers. Carriage lights staying on during the night, so an eye mask is a good thing to bring with you, as is warm clothes as the air conditioning can be cold. For more on overnight trains in Thailand and around the world: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/overnight-train-travel-around-the-world/
Mode of Transport
OVERNIGHT TRAINSOvernight sleeper trains in Thailand are air-conditioned and have sleeping berths down both sides of the carriage. The carriage is multishare, with are curtains that close over the beds. A sleeping sheet and a pillow are provided, and our luggage travels in the carriage with us. There is a western and Asian-style toilet located at the end of the carriage, but no showers. Carriage lights staying on during the night, so an eye mask is a good thing to bring with you, as is warm clothes as the air conditioning can be cold. For more on overnight trains in Thailand and around the world: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/overnight-train-travel-around-the-world/
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
The cuisine of Thailand includes a lot of meat and seafood. For vegetarians and vegans we recommend reviewing the itinerary and inclusions to ensure that you will be able to fully participate and enjoy this trip. We also have many other trips to Thailand which can accommodate a range of dietary requirements.
This trip includes an overnight train between Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai. Accommodation is simple but comfortable – soft sleeper class multi-share compartments with air conditioning and bunk beds, with sheets and a pillow provided.
There is one night at a homestay on this trip, a wonderful opportunity to witness everyday Thai life. Facilities can be basic and multi-share, with fold-out mattresses on the floor and shared bathrooms. The rewards of such an authentic local experience are immeasurable. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions