Plotting the ideal Thailand travel itinerary when you have 3 weeks is not so easy. Thailand is a huge country and each particle has its own charms and beautiful nature. The distances are great, so unfortunately you have to make (a lot of) choices. You want to see as much as possible, but not be constantly traveling.
We spent months tinkering with our tour of Thailand and how much we enjoyed it when it finally arrived. Although the original idea was to combine Northern and Southern Thailand, this soon proved to be too much. The North deserves a trip of its own! We decided to focus on a 3-week round trip through Southern Thailand and a small piece of Central Thailand.
In this travel blog, we show you our ideal itinerary, tell you the highlights of each location and explain how to get there (unfold the accordions). Sometimes you can travel somewhere in three ways; we’ll give you the pros and cons of each option.
We did this Thailand itinerary in February 2023, in high season, that is. This is a safe month in terms of weather, but it is also the busiest month. If you are traveling in a different period and want to make the same itinerary, be sure to check if you are in the right season. Thailand has different rainy seasons across its regions.
This round trip is based on 3 weeks (21 nights), but you can also stick to this itinerary if you have longer time. At each place where we would spend extra days, we mentioned it. So if you go for 4 weeks, you can still follow this itinerary, with maybe an extra island! Also at the bottom of the blog are the places we would add or remove with more/less time.
#1 Kanchanaburi
Why Kanchanaburi?
As for us, there is one main reason to go to Kanchanaburi: the waterfalls. Kanchanaburi is home to Thailand’s most beautiful waterfalls: the Erawan and Huai Mae Khamin. Both parks have 7 floors of waterfall fun.
But the region offers much more. Does “The Bridge over the River Kwai” mean anything to you? It is one of many monuments to a black history dating back to World War II.
Furthermore, Kanchanaburi is a place not yet discovered by mass tourism and still has unspoiled nature. You will find beautiful temples, rice fields and mountains where you can sometimes walk around all alone.
It is really doable to travel directly to Kanchanaburi after arriving in Bangkok. We opted for a private cab to avoid too much hassle after more than 24 hours of travel. This was a wonderful start to our trip.
How many days in Kanchanaburi?
We recommend at least 4 nights if you want to see some highlights and also relax a bit at the beginning of your vacation. If you don’t want to schedule a relaxation day at all, 3 nights will probably suffice as well. Do you have much more time? Rent a car and explore the beautiful surroundings!
Route: from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
There are three different ways to get from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. You can take the train, a shared minivan or a private cab. We explain all options below, including duration and price.
Kanchanaburi hotel tip
Good Times Resort is located in the city of Kanchanaburi and on the river. It is a nice and quite luxurious start to your vacation. Close to everything, but complete peace and quiet on the resort grounds.
#2 Krabi
Why Krabi province?
Krabi is a beautiful province located on the Andaman Sea, in Southern Thailand. You will find one of the most beautiful coastlines in Thailand. To admire these, head to the Railay Peninsula or book a day tour to the Hong, Phi Phi islands, or the 7 islands just off the coast of Ao Nang.
But there is also much to do inland. The Tiger Cave Temple with its 1,237 steps, the Esmerald pool, hiking to the Khao Ngon Nak viewpoint and kayaking in Ao Thalane are just a few options.
How many days in Krabi?
We recommend staying at least 4 nights total in Krabi. But if you have more days, definitely consider extending your stay. The region is beautiful, but very touristy. If you have longer time, consider staying on one or more islands instead of taking a day tour. Consider the Phi Phi Islands or the quieter Koh Lanta.
If you have to choose a hotel in Krabi, you will find that you are faced with a difficult choice: do you stay on Ao Nang or on Railay? We could not choose and stayed in both places for 2 nights, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages. Want to know what we think about it? Then fold out the question below.
Route: from Kanchanaburi to Krabi (Ao Nang & Railay)
To get to Krabi from Kanchanaburi, you have to travel via Bangkok. From Bangkok fly to Krabi, or take a bus. Once in Krabi, take a minivan or cab to your accommodation in Ao Nang or Krabi town. There you can possibly take the boat to Railay. We explain all options below, including duration and price.
Railay hotel tip
This hotel is located at Railay East. A ten-minute walk from the beautiful, busy beaches. This stretch of Railay is nice and quiet, has cozy bars, restaurants and beautiful patches of mangrove forest. The bungalows are very nice, each has its own roof terrace and we spotted Dusky Leaf Monkeys in front of our cottage!
#3 Khao Sok
Why Khao Sok National Park?
Khao Sok is home to the oldest, tropical rainforest in the world. The nature here is truly breathtaking and it is one of the most special places in Southern Thailand.
Beyond the incredibly large and spectacular rainforest, most people come here for one thing and that is Lake Cheow Lan. You can book a day tour here, but even more fun is to opt for the “2 days 1 night tour. You then sleep on the lake, in a floating bungalow. A very special experience to sleep like this in nature, without mobile coverage and completely disconnected from the world. That doesn’t have to be primitive at all by the way, there are more luxurious options as well. 👉 Read all about our experience with the ‘2 days 1 night tour’ on Cheow Lan Lake here.
But you can also do fun things in Khao Sok Village. Consider a night safari, hiking through the rainforest by yourself, organized treks and kayaking or tubing on the river.
How many days in Khao Sok?
We recommend staying here for at least 3 nights. If you opt for the 2 days 1 night tour, you can basically travel straight to your next destination on the second day, but it’s much chillier to spend another night in Khao Sok Village.
Route: from Ao Nang to Khao Sok
You have two options to travel from Ao Nang to Khao Sok (Khlong Sok). You can take a shared minivan, or a private cab. We explain all options below, including duration and price.
Khao Sok hotel tip
Khao Sok Jungle Huts Resort equals waking up in jungle huts with monkeys that occasionally come to your window to watch. When you arrive at these jungle huts you realize you are in the rainforest. What. Is. This. Delicious. Want to get out of the jungle and have a nice dinner and a drink? Or a massage? A five to ten minute walk puts you in the village!
#4 Koh Phangan
Why Koh Phangan?
Say Full Moon Party, you say Koh Phangan. But whether you want to experience this celebration or not, Koh Phangan is a true gem.
We deliberately skipped the Full Moon Party. We chose the quiet period and how much we enjoyed this island! On Koh Phangan you will find beautiful beaches, Thailand’s most fun jungle and beach parties, as well as pristine jungle, viewpoints, yoga and wellness retreats, temples, waterfalls….
By the way, an absolute must-do day trip is the Ang Thong National Marine Park. 42 islets with beautiful underwater world, the most beautiful beaches and we even saw whales there! You can take this day trip from either Koh Phangan or Koh Samui.
How many days in Koh Phangan?
Koh Phangan is quite large so we recommend staying here for at least 6 nights. We stayed 3 nights in the south at Haad Rin and three days in the north, at Mae Haad. The north is a lot quieter than the south. We would not have wanted to miss both places, but would have liked to stay at both much longer. Especially if you still want to have some beach days and catch a party. Also, Koh Phangan sounds like your little island, consider staying longer if you can!
Route: from Khao Sok to Koh Phangan
To get to Koh Phangan, take a minivan from Khao Sok to Donsak pier to take the ferry there. We explain everything to you below, including duration and cost.
Other island options
Does Koh Phangan not sound like your island at all? Then check out nearby Koh Samui or Koh Tao. Koh Samui would be especially ideal for families who love resorts and Koh Tao is the Valhalla for diving enthusiasts.
Koh Phangan hotel tip
Tommy Resort is located on Haad Rin beach. Outside the Full Moon Party, this beach is a fine place to hang out. In the middle of the coziness and the most beautiful spots of the island are easily accessible. The hotel has a nice pool, is located on the beach and has nice rooms and good beds.
#5 Bangkok
Why Bangkok?
You either love Bangkok or you hate it. It’s probably where you arrive by plane and where you leave again. We deliberately chose to keep Bangkok for the end.
We had already heard from quite a few people that it can be disappointing to be so caught up in the chaos of the city after a long trip. Therefore, we too decided to travel on immediately. We do have to admit that it also took some getting used to being in a big, “dirty” city after 17 days of nature. But after less than 24 hours, we loved the city 🙂
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, a huge city, so there is a lot to do. Shop in modern and large malls, have drinks at the finest rooftop bars, stroll the night markets, visit temples…, you name it. And if you do long for a return to nature, you can go to the jungle island, or Lumphini Park.
How many days in Bangkok?
You won’t be bored in Bangkok and we recommend staying at least 4 nights here as well. This way you will get to know the city a little bit and maybe you too will fall a little bit in love with this metropolis. We could have stayed there much longer, but, Thailand is actually too beautiful to stay too long in the city – and this article was written by a city girl 😉
Route: from Koh Phangan to Bangkok
There are several options to get from Koh Phangan to Bangkok. The fastest is to fly from Samui, but that is also the most expensive option. It is cheaper to go to Surat Thani and fly or take the train or bus from there. You will be on the road much longer, though. We’ve written out all the options for you, including prices and duration.
Bangkok hotel tip
We love infinity pools and Amara Bangkok Hotel has a very nice one! It is wonderful to end the trip in luxury and be able to swim with a view of the beautiful skyscraper MahaNakhon.
Round trip Thailand: 3 weeks itinerary
If you follow our itinerary you will end up with the following itinerary, totaling 21 nights:
- Kanchanaburi: 4 nights
- Krabi (Ao Nang & Railay): 4 nights
- Khao Sok: 3 nights
- Koh Phangan: 6 nights
- Bangkok: 4 nights
We recommend staying at least three nights everywhere so you can get to know the place a bit. But more is always better! Do you have a few extra days? Then we do not recommend choosing an additional destination, but rather adding these days to Krabi, Koh Phangan or Kanchanaburi. There is so much to do that you can easily fill your days. Do you have to skip a place? Then we would skip Krabi. It is beautiful there, but we are not into mass tourism.
Keep in mind that each move takes almost an entire day; the distances are very long. If you do want an additional destination, it’s best to choose islands nearby. In the Andaman Sea (Krabi), we would consider Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi. Want to get your diving certification? Then consider Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand.
Can I do this route the other way around?
You certainly can! We did choose this route very deliberately for the following reason:
- We did not want to fly on directly from Bangkok because we were afraid of missing the connection. Which turned out to be justified fear, as we were delayed 3 hours.
- We had already read up on Krabi, but were afraid these beaches would disappoint after Koh Phangan. And it had been. The beach at Ao Nang was fine as the first beach of the vacation, but the whole town was more disappointing otherwise. Railay, on the other hand, is one of the most beautiful beaches ever!
About our ideal Thailand itinerary in 3 weeks
This was it, the itinerary we made in February 2023. It was a wonderful trip and we wish we could stay much longer in this beautiful country.
In this blog you saw many links where you can book tickets to get from A to B. It’s good to know that you can also book everything locally. Some people like to have everything fixed in advance; others prefer to arrange everything locally. If you book everything locally, the guide prices in this blog can also be useful for negotiating 😉
Hope you got something out of this long travel blog. I have done my best to make the information as complete as possible.
Have questions, additions or have you seen a mistake? Let us know in the comments!
