Three weeks is the point where you stop choosing between regions and just see the whole country. Our Thailand itinerary guide sets out three ways to spend a 3-week trip's extra week on top of the 2-week route: Chiang Rai, a night at Khao Sok, or a second coast. This route takes all three, since they link into one loop without a single dead travel day. If you'd rather add just one of them, two shorter alternatives follow the day-by-day.
The recommended route: the complete loop
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Bangkok | Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, overnight sleeper train | Chinatown street food |
| 3 to 5 | Chiang Mai | Old City, a hill trek, an elephant sanctuary, a cooking class | Khao soi |
| 6 to 7 | Pai | Canyon sunset, hot springs, Tham Lod cave | Pai's night market |
| 8 to 9 | Chiang Rai | The White and Blue Temples, the Golden Triangle | Northern-style nam prik ong |
| 10 | Khao Sok | A floating raft house on Cheow Lan Lake | A raft-house set Thai dinner |
| 11 to 12 | Ao Nang | The Krabi four islands by longtail | Fresh grilled seafood |
| 13 | Railay | A beach cut off from the road by cliffs | A beachfront seafood dinner |
| 14 to 15 | Koh Phi Phi | Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, before the crowds | A beach barbecue on Tonsai's strip |
| 16 to 20 | Koh Phangan | Ang Thong Marine Park, Bottle Beach, a slow finish | Hoy tod and beachside pad thai |
| 21 | Depart | Fly out from Koh Samui | A last breakfast |
The one connection worth planning around is day 10: there's no direct flight from Chiang Rai to the south, so you fly via Bangkok to Surat Thani, then take a van into the hills to Khao Sok, and it's worth building in a generous connection. Everything else links up with one sleeper train, a run of minivans and a single flight from Krabi across to Koh Samui. For the full day-by-day on each leg, including opening times and fees, see the Northern Thailand itinerary, the Khao Sok guide and the Andaman coast itinerary.
Other ways to spend 3 weeks
Northern Thailand itinerary
Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai, then the rest of your 3 weeks left for the coast.
Best for The full north as one leg
Khao Sok
A floating raft house on Cheow Lan Lake, bridging the Andaman and the Gulf without flying back to Bangkok.
Best for A jungle night between the coasts
Krabi guide
Ao Nang, Railay and the four-island longtail day, as one stop rather than a full coast crossing.
Best for An Andaman base, with day trips
Just the north, extended
If Khao Sok and a second coast feel like too many moving parts, spend those 11 days on the north and one Gulf island instead: a fourth night in Pai, then Chiang Rai, then fly south from Chiang Mai rather than connecting through Bangkok. This suits mid-December to early February best, when the north is cool and clear and the Gulf has settled.
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Bangkok | Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, night train | Chinatown street food |
| 3 to 5 | Chiang Mai | Old City, hill trek, elephant sanctuary, cooking class | Khao soi |
| 6 to 9 | Pai | Canyon sunset, hot springs, Tham Lod cave | Pai's night market |
| 10 to 11 | Chiang Rai | The White and Blue Temples, the Golden Triangle | Northern-style nam prik ong |
| 12 | Travel | Fly Chiang Mai to Koh Samui, boat to Koh Phangan | Dinner near your hostel |
| 13 to 20 | Koh Phangan | Ang Thong Marine Park, Bottle Beach, a proper slow finish | Hoy tod and beachside pad thai |
| 21 | Depart | Fly out from Koh Samui | A last breakfast |
Both coasts, no north
Drop the north and Chiang Rai entirely, and spend all 3 weeks between Bangkok, Khao Sok and both island coasts instead. This needs January to April, the one window when the Andaman coast (worst May to October) and the Gulf islands (worst October to December) are both calm at once.
| Days | Where | What | Eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Bangkok | Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun | Chinatown street food |
| 3 to 4 | Khao Sok | A floating raft house on Cheow Lan Lake | A raft-house set Thai dinner |
| 5 to 9 | Ao Nang and Koh Lanta | The Krabi four islands, the Emerald Cave, a slower pace | Fresh grilled seafood |
| 10 to 12 | Railay and Koh Phi Phi | Rock climbing, Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon | A beach barbecue on Tonsai's strip |
| 13 to 20 | Koh Phangan | Flight via Krabi and Koh Samui, then Ang Thong and Bottle Beach | Hoy tod and beachside pad thai |
| 21 | Depart | Fly out from Koh Samui | A last breakfast |
Prefer to add only Khao Sok, without a full second-coast crossing? Tack a single night on Cheow Lan Lake onto the end of our 2-week itinerary instead, flying home from Surat Thani or Phuket rather than Koh Samui.
Choosing between them
| Choose... | If you... |
|---|---|
| The complete loop (the recommended route) | Have 3 weeks and want the north, a rainforest lake and both coasts in one trip |
| Just the north, extended | Care more about mountains and temples than a second coast |
| Both coasts, no north | Want two island coasts over mountains, and you're travelling January to April |
Costs, best time and getting around
Outside transport legs, budget about 1,000 to 1,500 baht a day for food, drinks and local transport, more on the islands and around Phi Phi's restaurant strip. A few connections, including the Khao Sok and Krabi van transfers, don't have a single public fare online and are usually arranged through a guesthouse or agent once you're there. Mid-December to early February works best across the whole route: the north is dry and clear before the smoke starts, Khao Sok's rains have eased, the Andaman coast is calm and the Gulf islands are past their worst. Avoid February to April in the north for smoke (worst in March) and November on the Gulf islands for the monsoon. Ang Thong Marine Park usually closes from about 1 November to mid-December, so check before you book the day trip. Our Thailand cost guide has the full daily breakdown.
