21 daysThailandAges 18–40
21 days · Chiang Mai, Khao Sok & Koh Phi Phi
Thailand Complete is a 21-day group trip for solo travellers aged 18 to 40 who want the whole country, not just one region. You get Bangkok, the sleeper train north, Chiang Mai, a hill trek and an elephant sanctuary, the mountain town of Pai and Chiang Rai's White Temple, then south to a floating bungalow on Cheow Lan Lake, the Krabi islands, Railay, Phi Phi's Maya Bay and island time on Koh Phangan. Your Trip Host travels with you from the first evening to the last breakfast.
Updated
From, per person
$2,850 / £2,138 / €2,500 / A$4,050 / CA$4,030 / NZ$5,030 / ₹2,73,000
Free to reserve
Sarthak's best travel memories come from going solo: hostel dorms, a new activity most days, new cultures and new food. SoloNomads grew out of that.
Sarthak travels with every group, from the first day to the last, so there's always someone on hand to sort things out when plans change and to make sure nobody gets left out.
In every country, a licensed local agency and licensed local guides look after the ground services, so you get local know-how too.
Bangkok to Koh Phangan, 9 stops in 21 days.
9 stops
21 days
Day 1
Fly in whenever suits you and check in at the hostel. The Trip Host gets everyone together in the late afternoon to go through the three weeks ahead. Then we take the metro to Chinatown for a welcome dinner along Yaowarat Road, working our way from stall to stall: noodles, grilled seafood and mango sticky rice.
Day 2
We're at the Grand Palace gates when they open at 8:30, before the heat and the tour buses. Next door is Wat Pho and its 46-metre reclining Buddha, then a quick ferry across the river to Wat Arun. Cover your shoulders and knees for all three. The afternoon is yours for a massage, a nap or a rooftop. At 18:40 we board the sleeper train to Chiang Mai.
Day 3
The train is due in at about 07:15 and can run 30 to 60 minutes late. After coffee and a slow morning, we walk the old city's temples inside the moat, then a red songthaew takes us up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep for the gold chedi and the view over the city at dusk. In the evening there's a night market to browse. On Saturdays the Wualai Road walking street runs, and on Sundays the Sunday Walking Street runs through the old city.
Day 4
A van takes us up into the hills north of the city for a half-day trek through rice terraces and forest to a Karen hill-tribe village, with a local guide leading the way. Lunch is included. On the drive back we stop at a waterfall for a swim if the water's high enough. The evening is free.
Day 5
A half day at an elephant sanctuary in the hills, where you watch a small herd feed and roam. There's no riding on this trip. Lunch is at the camp. The afternoon is free. In the evening we go to an organic farm for a cooking class: pick the herbs, pound your own curry paste, cook four or five dishes and eat them for dinner.
Day 6
A minivan climbs the road to Pai, known for its 762 bends through the hills. We stop partway for the view from a lookout point. Pai itself is a small, laid-back town of guesthouses, cafes and a night market strung along a few streets, with a canyon and hot springs close by. The evening is free to explore.
Day 7
A songthaew loop takes in Pai Canyon for sunset views along the ridge, the Tha Pai hot springs, and Tham Lod, a cave you cross by bamboo raft under limestone ceilings full of swiftlets. There's a stop at a strawberry farm and a viewpoint over the valley on the way back. The evening is free.
Day 8
A minivan takes us straight from Pai to Chiang Rai, about five to six and a half hours through the hills without going back through Chiang Mai. We check in, then have the rest of the afternoon free before a group dinner in the night market, known for its food stalls and live music stage.
Day 9
We're at Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, soon after it opens, before the coach groups arrive: a maze of white plaster and mirrored glass with a golden ubosot next door. From there we drive north to the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet at the Mekong and Ruak rivers, with lunch and a stop at the Hall of Opium museum on the way.
Day 10
This is the longest travel day of the trip. We fly from Chiang Rai to Bangkok and on to Surat Thani, with a connection in between, then take a van to the Ratchaprapha Dam pier on Cheow Lan Lake. From there a longtail boat of about 45 minutes takes us out to our floating bungalow, moored under limestone cliffs that rise straight out of the water. Boats aren't allowed on the lake after sunset, so we need the flights to run on time. Dinner is included at the bungalow.
Day 11
We're out on the lake before the mist clears, when the karst cliffs and the wildlife are at their best; look out for hornbills and, with luck, gibbons along the shore. After breakfast on the water we take a jungle walk and visit a limestone cave if conditions allow. Then we head back to shore for the van south to Ao Nang, our base on the Krabi coast. The drive is about 3 to 4 hours.
Day 12
A longtail boat day around four islands off Ao Nang: Chicken Island for its rock formation, Poda for a swim, Tup Island's sandbar at low tide, and a stop to snorkel over the reef. Lunch is included. We're back in Ao Nang for a free evening.
Day 13
A short longtail crossing takes us to Railay, a beach reachable only by boat because limestone cliffs cut it off from the road. The afternoon is free: swim off Railay West, walk over to the quieter East side, or watch the climbers on the cliffs above Phra Nang Beach. No scooters or cars here, so it's slower than anywhere else on the trip.
Day 14
A free morning on Railay before we take the longtail back to Ao Nang and the ferry on to Koh Phi Phi (some Ao Nang sailings call at Railay on the way). The crossing takes from about 50 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the boat. Phi Phi has no roads or cars, just a maze of walkways between the two bays. We settle in and the evening is free to explore Tonsai's bars and restaurants.
Day 15
An early boat takes us to Maya Bay, the beach from The Beach, on a timed entry slot with a cap on numbers. Boats moor at neighbouring Loh Samah Bay and swimming in Maya Bay is banned, so we walk in over the boardwalk and look. The same trip stops at Pileh Lagoon, where swimming is allowed, for a dip in still, cliff-ringed water. Lunch is included. The viewpoint above Tonsai is a steep climb of about 343 steps to the first lookout, and a good sunset walk if you've got the legs left.
Day 16
A morning boat takes us back to Krabi, where a short flight crosses the country to Koh Samui. From the airport we go straight to the pier for the boat across to Koh Phangan, on the quieter side of the island, well away from Haad Rin. The evening is free to settle in.
Day 17
A speedboat takes us out to Ang Thong Marine Park, a cluster of over 40 limestone islands. We kayak among the islands, climb to a viewpoint over the whole archipelago, and snorkel off one of the smaller islands. Lunch is included. It's a full day, and the best reason to give Phangan more than a couple of nights.
Day 18
Nothing is planned today. Try a Muay Thai lesson, a yoga class, a diving taster or just stay on your sunbed with a book. The Trip Host can point you to the best spots and book anything you want to try.
Day 19
A longtail boat takes us round to Bottle Beach on the island's quiet north coast. There's no road down to it, so most people come by longtail, and so do we. We spend the day on the sand and snorkelling just offshore, with lunch at one of the beach's small restaurants.
Day 20
A free day to fit in anything you haven't yet: a massage, another dive, or simply the beach. In the evening the group gets together for a farewell dinner by the sea, looking back on three weeks and six regions.
Day 21
The trip ends after breakfast. The boat to Samui takes about 30 to 45 minutes, so book a flight out of Koh Samui (USM) leaving after about 13:00, take the boat and bus combination via Surat Thani, or stay on: the Trip Host is happy to suggest where to go next.
Prices are per person, and reserving is free. A date goes ahead once about 10 travellers have joined. You pay nothing until then. Once it's confirmed, we send you an invoice for the full price, and you have 7 days to pay it (or until the trip starts, if that's sooner).
3 Dec – 23 Dec 2026
AvailableNorth dry and cool, Andaman coast in its dry season. The Gulf is still easing out of its rains and Ang Thong Marine Park reopens around mid-December, so the Phangan days (18 to 23 Dec) are the least certain part of this departureMax 16 people
Price
$2,850 / £2,138 / €2,500 / A$4,050 / CA$4,030 / NZ$5,030 / ₹2,73,000
14 Jan – 3 Feb 2027
AvailablePeak dry season everywhere on the route, including the Gulf for the Phangan days (29 Jan to 3 Feb)Max 16 people
Price
$2,850 / £2,138 / €2,500 / A$4,050 / CA$4,030 / NZ$5,030 / ₹2,73,000
11 Feb – 3 Mar 2027
AvailableThe north days (13 to 19 Feb) come just before smoke builds from about 20 Feb, and the group leaves the north on Day 10 (20 Feb). Makha Bucha, a Buddhist holy day when alcohol sales are banned, falls on 21 Feb (Day 11)Max 16 people
Price
$2,850 / £2,138 / €2,500 / A$4,050 / CA$4,030 / NZ$5,030 / ₹2,73,000
You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Once enough travellers have joined, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by card or bank transfer within 7 days, in your own currency: USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, CAD, NZD or INR. Reservations close 7 days before the trip starts.
No. The long moves are the sleeper train, two flight days (Days 10 and 16) and a few longer van rides, and most stops get two nights or more before we move on. If three weeks is more than you have, Thailand in 2 Weeks or Northern Thailand Adventure (9 days) cover parts of the same route.
Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some bring a friend. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.
The Trip Host travels with the group for all 21 days and handles the trains, flights, boats, vans, tickets and check-ins. They're also the person you go to if anything goes wrong. Where an activity needs a local guide, one leads that visit. Nothing on the itinerary is compulsory, so tell the Trip Host if you want to skip something and nobody will wait for you.
It starts at our hostel in Bangkok on the afternoon of Day 1, and we send you the address when you book. It ends on Koh Phangan after breakfast on Day 21. Book a flight from Koh Samui (USM) leaving after about 13:00 on Day 21, or take the boat and bus to Surat Thani, which is usually cheaper but takes longer.
The route works best from mid-December to about 20 February, when the north is dry and cool, Khao Sok and the Andaman coast are in their dry season, and the Gulf islands have settled after their rains. Our departures are timed so the north comes first and the Gulf last: the Gulf's rain runs from October to December, so a December start reaches Koh Phangan as it eases, and Ang Thong Marine Park reopens around mid-December. We don't run it from late February to April, when smoke from burning fields fills the north, or from May to October, when the Andaman coast is in its monsoon.
Many nationalities can visit Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days, which covers this trip. Rules change, so check our Thailand visa guide for your passport before you book flights. Everyone also needs to file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within 3 days before landing. Travel insurance is a condition of joining, and it must cover medical treatment and evacuation.
Social hostels and guesthouses with air-con on land, plus one night in a sleeper-train berth, one on a floating bungalow at Khao Sok and one in a beach bungalow at Railay. You share a twin or small dorm room with travellers of the same gender, and private rooms are available on request.
Thirteen meals are included: eight lunches and five dinners. Outside the included meals, daily spending is about 800 to 1,300 baht in Bangkok, 700 to 1,200 baht in Chiang Mai and 1,000 to 1,500 baht on the islands, not counting your bed. A street-food dish costs about 50 to 80 baht. If you're vegetarian, vegan or have allergies, tell us when you book. Thai food is easy to adapt, and for serious allergies we can give you a card in Thai to show at restaurants.
A backpack or soft bag you can carry up a pier ramp and along Phi Phi and Railay's walkways, because suitcases don't work on this route. Bring clothes that cover shoulders and knees for the Grand Palace and the temples, a light layer for the train and the hills, sandals, a dry bag, a refillable water bottle and reef-safe sunscreen.
You won't need one, because we arrange transport at every stop. To ride legally in Thailand you need a motorbike licence from home and an International Driving Permit that covers motorbikes. Without both you can be fined, and your travel insurance probably won't pay out if you crash.
Averagely fit. There's a fair amount of walking, including a half-day hill trek, some uneven ground on the Pai loop and at Khao Sok, and getting in and out of longtail boats most days. You need to be comfortable in the water to snorkel, and you can stay on deck if you'd rather.
Ask here and someone on the team will email you back within 1 to 2 business days.
From
$2,850 / £2,138 / €2,500 / A$4,050 / CA$4,030 / NZ$5,030 / ₹2,73,000