Thailand & Laos: A Family Adventure for Kids

Arrive in Bangkok and meet your guide for the transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, set off at 08:00 for a full day discovering Bangkok's local side, travelling the way residents do. Start with a ride on the city's elevated Skytrain, busy in the morning with commuters avoiding street traffic, then disembark near the Chao Phraya River to board a public boat, taking in the skyline and stilt houses along the riverbank. The boat drops you near Wat Pho and the Grand Palace; spend the rest of the morning exploring these two landmark sites and learning about Thailand's royal history and spiritual traditions. Hop aboard a tuk tuk through the old town to Museum Siam, exploring the history and identity of Siam and its relationship with neighbouring countries, before returning to the hotel by private transfer. Overnight in Bangkok.

Pick-up is at 07:00 for a full day exploring Thailand's ancient capital by train, boat and tuk tuk. Take a scenic 80-minute train ride from Bangkok through the countryside to Ayutthaya, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city that dates to the 14th century and was once the largest city in the world before falling to invading forces from Myanmar. Explore the temple-studded landscape aboard a distinctive Kermit tuk-tuk, visiting Wat Yai Chaimongkol, Wat Phra Srisanphet and Wat Mahathat, famous for the stone Buddha face grown into a tree's roots. Between temples, browse a local market and walk through the Muslim Quarter, sampling the local delicacy of candy floss roti, then enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Finish with a leisurely hour-long long-tail boat ride around Ayutthaya island for a different perspective on the historic sites, before returning to Bangkok by private van. Overnight in Bangkok.

After breakfast, check out and fly to Chiang Mai, where your guide meets you and transfers you to the hotel. In the afternoon, visit Wat Umong, a forest temple known for its tunnels dug into a mound, each housing a Buddha shrine, set in shaded grounds around a natural lake, ideal for quiet reflection. Continue by private van up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai's most famous landmark and northern Thailand's most important temple, climbing the stairs to its gilded stupa for sweeping views over the city. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

Pick-up is at 08:00 for a day exploring Chiang Mai's lesser-known corners by local transport. Set off on a songtaew, a local pick-up truck taxi, to Wat Gatekaram, wandering the alleyways of this small trading community, then continue to Wiang Kum Kam, a 'lost civilization' wiped out by a flood two centuries ago; hop on a bike (subject to availability for very young children) to pedal slowly among the scattered ruins and visit the site museum. Board a long-tail boat for a scenic ride down the Mae Ping River, passing riverside villages and fishing boats, then disembark for lunch at a local Thai restaurant. Continue by samlor, a pedal-powered trishaw once ubiquitous in Thailand, to Wat Chedi Luang, a spectacular pagoda that once housed the Emerald Buddha, before finishing the day with a tuk tuk ride to Waroros Market to browse the sights, smells and spices of a working Thai market. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

A free day to relax, or choose between two optional half-day activities: a Creative Chiang Mai art tour through the Nimmanhemin district, visiting the Chiang Mai University Contemporary Art Gallery and meeting a local artist, followed by a hands-on session painting a miniature elephant statue at Elephant Parade House to support elephant conservation; or the Art and Craft of Chocolate, a two-hour workshop at Siamaya Chocolate Shop and Factory making and tasting your own chocolate bar from locally sourced cacao. Without an optional activity, the afternoon is free to explore independently. Overnight in Chiang Mai.

After breakfast, check out and fly to Luang Prabang, where a guide meets you on arrival and transfers you to the hotel. The rest of the evening is free at leisure. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

This morning, explore the UNESCO town of Luang Prabang on a family-friendly photo hunt, collecting images from a list of iconic sites around the historic centre by tuk tuk and on foot, a fun way to discover the town's culture and history together. The afternoon is free at leisure, or choose an optional half-day horse riding excursion at the Namkhan Horse Stables. In the early evening, meet your guide at the Bamboo Experience Plantation and Pavilion to learn about bamboo's traditional and modern uses in Lao culture, trying your hand at bamboo weaving, the Kamu bamboo dance, bamboo walking and crossbow shooting, then learning to make khao tom, a sticky rice dessert wrapped in banana leaves. Take part in a traditional Baci ceremony, a ritual of blessing performed for important occasions, where flower trays and food offerings are blessed with a chanted mantra before cotton threads are tied around your wrists for good luck. Finish with an authentic Laotian dinner of bamboo-themed dishes and the khao tom dessert. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Head to the countryside to a local organic farm, a stilted wooden farmhouse set amid rice paddies, established by the community to promote sustainable growing methods over destructive slash-and-burn farming. Walk the organic vegetable garden with a local farmer, then watch basket weaving, noodle making and sugarcane juicing before joining the fields yourself, helping to plough, plant, harvest or thresh rice using traditional techniques, depending on the season. A selection of rice-based snacks caps off the morning before returning to Luang Prabang. In the afternoon, drive through the countryside to Kuang Si Waterfall, a cascading series of forest pools; relax by the clear blue water or trek to the top of the falls, with a possible stop at a nearby Asiatic Black Bear sanctuary, home to bears rescued from poachers. In the early evening, join a game of petanque with local enthusiasts, a French sport adopted during the colonial period and beloved in Laos today, followed by a traditional Sin Dat barbecue, or "Lao Fondue", at Dyen Sabai restaurant on the Nam Khan River. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meet your guide for a short tuk tuk transfer to the Royal boat pier, then cross the Mekong by boat to Ban Chan, a village long known for its clay pottery, once favoured by the ancient kings of Laos for its skilled potters. At the Pottery House, get hands-on with the clay under the guidance of skilled local potters, then join a traditional Lao lunch cooked by the host family using local and often home-grown ingredients, sampling Luang Prabang specialties like khaiphaen (fried river weed), grilled fish, eggplant dipping sauce and spicy papaya salad. Return to Luang Prabang by boat, with the rest of the afternoon free at leisure. In the early evening, visit Garavek, a cosy 30-seat theatre in a converted colonial house, for an hour-long traditional Lao storytelling performance featuring a khaen player and an English-speaking storyteller bringing local myths and legends to life. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Transfer to Luang Prabang International Airport for the connecting flight to Phuket. On arrival, a local representative assists with the private transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Phuket.

A free day to relax at the hotel and enjoy the beach, or choose from two optional activities available throughout the Phuket stay: a half-day Meet & Greet with the rescued elephants of the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, learning their individual stories before joining them on a forest walk to observe their natural behaviour, foraging, bathing and playing, with a vegetarian Thai buffet included; or an evening at Carnival Magic Phuket, a colourful theme park with interactive zones, a buffet dinner, a Carnival Parade show and the illuminated Kingdom of Lights (available Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings). Overnight in Phuket.

Another free day on Phuket's beaches, or use it for whichever of the two optional activities from Day 12 you didn't book. Overnight in Phuket.

After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for the flight back to Bangkok and onward home.