Thailand Food Tour

Arrival at Bangkok airport, you will be met and transferred to take on a half day sightseeing to the old heritage of Siam. The tour will start with the Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok’s number one ‘must-see’ attraction as well as Thailand’s most important landmark. You will visit the main sites including the magnificent throne halls and the Emerald Buddha. Then continue to visit Wat Pho. Bangkok’s oldest temple is home to the magnificent reclining Buddha as well as the first school of traditional medicine and Thai massage and is also regarded as Thailand’s first University. After a day of touring in this vibrant metropolis, a relaxing evening beckons with a drive through Bangkok’s old quarters that delivers sights of an illuminated Grand Palace, the Royal Ground, temples and the lit-up Ratchadamnoen Avenue. As dinner time approaches, drop by Krua Apsorn restaurant for an appetizer known as “Somtam”, a light papaya salad. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the version with raw crab. For main course you make a stop in the older parts of Bangkok to try a classic Thai dish. The Pad Thai at Long Pha is cooked the old fashioned way on a charcoal grill and won’t disappoint. Then stroll along the Flower Market to see the myriad varieties of exotic orchids and sweet smelling flowers. The buzz in this market is best experienced at night during which busy vendors load their wares up and down their mopeds. A potential shopping opportunity awaits you at an adjacent local night market along the Memorial Bridge that overlooks the Chao Phraya River, where you can rummage for handicrafts or souvenirs to bring back home for your family and friends. Overnight in Bangkok.

At just an hour’s drive south of Bangkok, Samut Songkhram Province offers visitors a glimpse into Thai countryside life. You will start the day with a stop at a local train station to experience a short regional train ride bounding for an amazing country market that has sprouted along the railway tracks. Here, you will witness the dexterity and speed of the vendors as they quickly pack their stalls right before 10:20 am when the train approaches; hence bringing shopping to a brief halt. It is a standard practice and stall holders have learn the art of assembling and reassembling their wares at a moment’s notice. From here you will take a boat ride on the canals out to a small coastal village, where you learn how traditional coconut desserts are made, join hands with the knowledgeable host in this home stay setting and try cooking your own dessert, making a perfect snack for the way back to Bangkok. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, explore the best kept secret alleys of street food experience through Bangkok’s old town on foot. Stroll through local food stalls and market to enjoy the diversity of local Thai delicacies and Thai culture. Sample various kinds of local food, old-style Thai coffee and Thai sweet desserts, and learn from the shop owners about their secret recipes. Visit Wat Suthat, as well as the tall standing two pillars Giant Swing for a quick photo opportunity. A perfect walking tour that will give you a good mix of all local Thais, from food, culture and lifestyle!Overnight in Bangkok.

Check out from the hotel in Bangkok and drive north towards Ayutthaya where we will visit some of the most significant historical places and try a ride in the kermit tuk tuk, symbolic for and only found in Ayutthaya. Lunch at a local restaurant where you enjoy boat noodles, a signature noodle dish made famous in Ayutthaya. Apart from the main temples you pass along the way, highlights include Wat Tuk, the temple with the one eyed dog and the Temples of Sins, where you will be constantly reminded of how the wrongdoings in this life will come back to haunt you in the next. You also visit a local blacksmith at his workshop where some of the most beautiful swords(Dab) and knifes are made by hand.  For dinner travel to a local little cozy restaurant called Baan Kun Pra, situated just by the river. Arguably some of the best seafood in Ayutthaya can be found here. In the evening stroll the night market west of Bang Lan Road for a glimpse of the local life and some unique food tasting opportunities. Overnight in Ayutthaya.

Today the route takes you east to the valleys of Pak Chong and Khao Yai.
Before lunch, enter Khao Yai National Park, here you walk a trail and try to spot some wildlife, many birds can be seen and with some luck we might also spot larger mammals. Lunch at a local restaurant. Upon arrival at the GranMonte vineyard and winery, meet with the daughter of the founder, Nikki, an internationally renowned wine master whom will during this privately guided tour teach us how Thai wine is made and the secrets behind producing world class quality wine in a tropical country. Sip through the wide selection of locally produced wines, tour the vineyards and take in the tranquil and relaxed atmosphere. For dinner, a special experience with some of the best local food and wine. Overnight in Khao Yai.

Leave Khao Yai and the beautiful valleys heading towards Nakorn Ratchasima on route 2. After a few hours, stop for lunch by the Phi Mai temples, an 11th century Khmer compound and enjoy a local specialty, the Pad Mii Korat. If you’re well versed in Thai cuisine you probably heard of the renowned Pad Thai, a quite basic fired noodle dish. Pad Mii Korat is its sibling, cooked in a slightly different way and obviously best enjoyed right here in Korat. Continue the ride and arrive Khon Kaen in the afternoon for an Issan style cooking class held in a garden. Experience and learn the techniques how local food is cooked and what distinct the north eastern kitchen from the rest of Thailand. Later, drive into the town of Khon Kaen to visit the lake and watch the sun set at the One Pillar Pagoda. Dinner at a Hug Hang restaurant, offering an interesting fusion menu. Overnight in Khon Kaen.

Local picnic breakfast out in the open at a rice field before the journey takes off towards Sukhothai. Heading west from Khon Kaen we leave the northeast and travel back to the central plains of Thailand.  After passing several national parks, stop in Phitsanulok for a daring tasting experience at the local market. Insects and bugs are both local delicacies here. For those who prefer just regular lunch, a local restaurant hosts us for a Phitsanulok meal. After lunch, a visit to Wat Mahatat or Wat Yai. Situated by Naresuan Bridge, this temple is home to what many consider to be the most beautiful golden Buddha image in the Kingdom, unknown to most tourists. In the afternoon stop by a local community just by the historical park Si Satchanalai. In this village elephants end up after getting rescued from abusive working/living conditions. Hear the stories of the elephants and how their fate brought them to this village. Apart from the elephants the community also makes handcrafted wooden and silk products. Upon arrival in Sukhothai check in at the hotel situated by Sukothai Historical Park, the UNESCO world heritage site. Overnight in Sukhothai.

Following breakfast, transfer from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai. For those interested, visit the Sukhothai Historical Park before departure to Chiang Mai. After a 4 hour ride north arrive Saraphi, a small district south of Chiang Mai town.  Lunch is served in an authentic yet comfortable and modern teak house home stay, where you also will spend your night. Your hosts are great entertainers and a friendly couple, which means plenty of good laughs together.
In the afternoon explore the surroundings by foot and get close up to the Thai countryside. Rice fields, small villages, rivers and of course lots of local temples is a guarantee. While in the area, don’t miss the ordained old Lamphun road, with its trees wrapped in orange ribbons, protecting the trees from being cut down. In need of a love boost? The trees and the road are supposedly sending out a romantic vibe and the location has been the shooting place for many emotional scenes in Thai love movies. Before watching the sun set over the plains of Chiang Mai, enjoy a home cooked barbecue with northern Thai native eats.

After a short 30 minute drive to the city of Chiang Mai, breakfast at a cozy little food stall. Continue to a renowned Thai gourmet coffee shop where coffee is treated like art for a cup of freshly brewed cup of your choice. After breakfast in the city, visit an authentic Chiang Mai market filled with fresh groceries from nearby farms, we are guided by a TV –chef showing us her best tips and advice when picking out ingredients for the Thai dishes. Loaded with vegetables, meats and fresh fruits for dessert we take on the mission trying to cook a Thai dish to perfection.
After the cooking class, travel on the back of a local songtaew (pickup truck) to the underground temple Wat Umong. Make merit at this unique temple and come back to the city a better person. Back to the hotel for a refreshing shower and maybe a quick nap. In the evening, visit a local market in Chiang Mai, where you will find both genuine and odd products sold by the locals. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and start the journey northeast towards Chiang Rai. After about a 3 hour drive, including a 1 hour scenic drive through a national park, stop at an Akha Hilltribe and visit a homestay to see how the locals live on the hillside of the mountain. After another hour in the van, time for lunch at Cabbages and Condoms restaurant in Chiang Rai. This community initiated restaurant is part of the chain of Cabbages and Condoms restaurants around Thailand, educating locals about reproductive health. After lunch, what suits better than a cup of freshly brewed coffee. However, your next stop is not your ordinary coffee shop. At this project elephants eat and digest coffee beans, which gets rid of the bitterness in the beans. The beans are then handpicked from the elephant dung and turned into coffee. Top of the visit by tasting this exclusive black gold. Late afternoon, check in at the hotel. Overnight in Mae Chan.

Following breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to Chiang Rai airport for your onward flight. End of services.