Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia known for its beaches, ornate temples and vibrant food and market scene. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia, and it’s easy to see why! It’s a relatively inexpensive destination where some of the best food can be found at street food stalls, travel throughout the country is simple and cheap and a variety of hotels offer something for every type of traveler.

Read on for how to spend ten days in Thailand.

Is ten days in Thailand enough?

Ten days in Thailand is the right amount of time to explore the two sides to this country- its buzzing cities and pristine beaches. Ten days in Thailand also gives enough time to try a range of food and experiences only found here, like riding in a long-tail boat, visiting an elephant sanctuary, taking an authentic Thai cooking class and exploring the country’s temples.

Best time to visit Thailand

Thailand has a tropical climate that is generally hot and humid throughout the year. There is a wet season that shifts throughout the country.

In general, the most ideal time to visit Thailand is November through February which is the cool and dry season throughout most of the country (except the Eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand which has a wet season September – December). During this time the north of Thailand has lows around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the south of the country is generally in the 80 degree range. May to October is considered the wet season, with September seeing the most rainfall and April seeing the highest temperatures.

Thailand ten day itinerary

This ten day Thailand itinerary covers a mix of city and beach. It gives you a taste of the two most popular sides of Thailand, experiencing its buzzing city life and natural wonders. If you have ten days to explore Thailand I recommend splitting it up like this:

• 5 days in Bangkok
• 5 days in Phuket

Five Days in Bangkok

Bangkok is where most trips to Thailand will begin due to its large international airport. It’s the capital city of Thailand and an incredibly vibrant place. It’s filled with a combination of old and new- temples and skyscrapers, buzzing food markets and state-of-the-art malls. There’s something for everyone in this city, and starting your trip with five days in Bangkok is a great way to get introduced to Thailand.

Five days in Bangkok is enough time to get a good taste of the city and hit the highlights. Find out what to do, where to eat and where to stay for five days in Bangkok.

What to do in Bangkok

Visiting Bangkok’s Temples

Every trip to Bangkok should include a visit the city’s temples. There are over 400 temples in Bangkok. Some of the most popular temples that I recommend you visit are:

• Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest temples in Bangkok. It’s well known for its 151-foot gold plated reclining Buddha.
• Wat Arun is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya that runs through Bangkok. It’s one of the best known, and considered one of the most beautiful, temples in Bangkok. It’s famous for an over 250 foot tall central spire that’s often called Bangkok’s Eiffel Tower.
• Wat Pak Nam is known for its over 300-foot tall giant gold Buddha statue. The Buddha can be viewed on the Chao Phraya river and visits can ride in an authentic Thai long-tail boat on the river to view it.

Boat rides on the Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya river runs through Bangkok and connects various points of interest. It’s 231 miles long and water taxis and private boats for hire run up and down the river. Enjoying a sunset ride down the Chao Phraya is a great activity.

You can hop on a traditional long-tail boat to see sights along the river (I highly recommend viewing Wat Pak Nam from a long-tail boat at sunset) and many hotels can arrange sunset cruises on their private vessels complete with cocktails and lite bites.

Bangkok’s best markets

Bangkok is well known for its world class yet inexpensive food scene. In this city you can find everything from Michelin star restaurants, bustling street food markets and food stalls selling delicacies (some of the food stalls are even Michelin star rated!). It’s easy to eat well for little money in Bangkok. Checking out the city’s market scene and eating from food stall vendors is a must in Bangkok.

No trip to Bangkok is complete without checking out the street food scene. The city’s best and most respected street food can be found in the Chinatown (Yaowarat) neighborhood. There are endless options here, from having a walking meal sampling the different vendors to sitting down at an outside pop up restaurant. Evening is the best time to visit Chinatown’s food scene and it makes for an exciting and authentic Bangkok dinner experience.

In addition to the street food, Bangkok is full of vibrant markets selling all type of goods- from flowers to groceries to clothing and household products. The best markets in Bangkok to visit are:

• Chinatown or “Yaowarat” has the city’s best street food scene. It’s one of the busist and most exciting parts of Bangkok.
• Chatuchak Market (aka JJ Market) is Bangkok’s biggest market with over 15,000 stalls selling food, art, antiques and clothing.
• Flower Market Pak Khlong Talat is the city’s fresh flower market. This is a fun market to explore to see the exotic plants and flowers.

Thai cooking class

Thailand’s cuisine is loved and revered across the globe. The exotic ingredients and complex dishes make the cuisine seem difficult for the home chef to master, but that’s not the case. A fun experience in Bangkok is taking a Thai cooking class to learn about the art of cooking authentic Thai dishes.

I recommend taking a cooking class with Blue Elephant. Blue Elephant is a highly respected restaurant in Thailand, and their outpost in Bangkok is set in a beautiful and historic colonial-style mansion. On the lower levels is the restaurant and the cooking school with fully equipped facilities is on the upper floors.

Some of the Blue Elephant cooking classes include a visit to a food market with your chef to pick out the ingredients you will use in your dishes. After try your hand creating traditional Thai recipes you will enjoy the fruits of your labor in the Blue Elephant restaurant.

Day trip to Ayutthaya

A day trip to the historic city of Ayutthaha is a great way to experience Thailand’s history. It’s a quick and easy day trip from Bangkok and one hours drive.

Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and became the second Siamese capital. At the time it was one of the world’s largest cosmopolitan areas and center for global diplomacy and commerce. It was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century, and today visitors can explore the ruins of this once great city.

Where to stay in Bangkok

Bangkok has a variety of hotel offerings. From city skyscraper hotels, to smaller more design focused accommodations, there is something for every type of traveler.

One of my favorite hotels in Bangkok is The Siam Hotel. This luxury boutique hotel has 39 rooms and is set on 3 acres of gardens along the Chao Phraya River. It’s in a quieter neighborhood known as the cultural Dusit district. The Siam Hotel feels set back and tucked away from the busy Bangkok streets, making it a great hotel to relax at after a day exploring. It’s privately by a local family and feels like a true urban oasis.

One of the best things about The Siam Hotel is its design. The building has an art deco combined with tropical Southeast Asian villa aesthetic. The property is part hotel part museum and filled with antiques, art and books from the owner’s private collection.

The amenities at at The Siam Hotel are also top notch. The hotel’s pool overlooks the river and is an ideal place to relax in between touring the city. The Siam Hotel’s Opium Spa is one of the best in Bangkok and I highly recommend enjoying a treatment. The food at The Siam is incredible and the hotel’s main restaurant, The Story House, serves contemporary cuisine with modern flavors and makes one of the best Thai iced teas I had in Bangkok.

If you’re looking for a more urban accommodation, I recommend staying at SO/ Bangkok which rises 30 stories overlooking the city. The SO/ Bangkok has an urban and modern design and offers incredible panoramic city views. It’s situated near Lumpini Park, the “Central Park of Bangkok.”

The SO/ Bangkok’s interior design is inspired by the five elements- water, earth, wood, metal and fire. Each guest room is decorated to match its element. The star of the property is its infinity pool located on the 10th floor. The pool overlooks the city and Lumpini Park.

Five days in Phuket

After spending five days exploring vibrant and busy Bangkok, it’s time to head south and relax in nature. Phuket is one of the country’s most popular tropical islands that’s known for its beaches. Five days in Phuket gives you enough time to relax at the beach while also checking out some of the island’s most popular attractions.

How to get to Phuket

It’s very easy, and relatively inexpensive, to travel within Thailand. Phuket is located less than a two hour flight south of Bangkok. There are a variety of domestic airlines that offer frequent flights throughout the day. It’s also possible to travel from Bangkok to Phuket on land, but that journey is much longer.

What to do in Phuket

Best beaches on Phuket

The star of Phuket is its beaches. The island is famous for white sand, turquoise water and limestone cliffs. Any Phuket vacation should include a good amount of sunbathing and swimming in the Andaman Sea. The three most popular beaches on Phuket are:

• Patong Beach which offers a lot of water activities and is a great option for families.
• Karon Beach which is located in a very family-friendly section of Phuket.
• Kata Beach which is located on a bay and a great place to watch the sunset.

Sail around Phang-nga Bay

Phang-nga Bay is situated between Phuket and Thailand’s mainland. This area is known for its many small islands, limestone cliffs and rock formations. One of the highlights of a visit to Phuket is exploring this area. There are a variety of ways you can tour the bay, from group trips and speed boats. I recommend hiring a traditional Thai long-tail boat.

Green Elephant Sanctuary Park

If you would like to see Thai elephants while in Thailand, it is incredibly important you do this in an ethical and responsible way. The Green Elephant Sanctuary Park is a sanctuary for elephants and their bonded humans, called Mahouts. The sanctuary offers the elephants and their Mahouts a new life as they both move there. There is no elephant riding or chain use and the sanctuary offers the elephants as close to a natural existence as possible.

The Big Buddha

Phuket’s Big Buddha is considered one of the most important landmarks on the island. It is a 147 foot tall statue of Buddha created out of white jade marble. The sit is located on a hill overlooking Phuket. This is a religious site that has a meditative feel to it.

Lily pad cafe 

Phuket’s lily pad cafe, named Ma Doo Bua, is a popular spot to enjoy a meal and take photos. This Instagram-famous restaurant serves contemporary Thai cuisine in an outside setting around a beautiful water lily pond. Visitors can take their own pictures or make an advanced reservation to have the cafe’s professional team take done pictures and video.

Where to stay in Phuket

I recommend staying at a beach resort in Phuket, and one of the best is the InterContinental Phuket Resort. This is a new luxury beachfront property located on Kamala Beach. It’s a sleek and sophisticated resort that’s also quite large with five swimming pools, six restaurants, the Sati Spa and an expansive beachfront area.

Kamala Beach is one of the best beaches in Phuket and offers and unparalleled sunset experience. The InterContinential has a great beachfront bar and restaurant which is an ideal spot to end your day and watch the sky light up orange.

The star of the property is a central white temple-like building called the Sawan Pavilion. Sawan houses the resort’s new fine dining experience, Hom, as well as the Sati Spa.