Location
  • Thailand
    • Bangkok
    • Koh Phi Phi
    • Koh Phangan
Length
11 days
Activities
Snorkeling Swimming Trekking

Program Details

Program Tags
Adventure Travel
Travel Type
Guided
Housing
Hostel Hotel Sleeper Train
Age Min
18

Pricing

Starting Price
762
Price Details
Complete price: €630 / £550 / $999 AUD
Included in the price is 10 nights accommodation, train, bus & ferry transport, all activities in the itinerary, some food & drinks, local tour guides and expert tour leader. There are no hidden costs with Ultimate Thailand!
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals Tour Guide Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Sep 29, 2023
Jul 06, 2015
10 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Our amazing 11 day itinerary is the ultimate start to your trip in Thailand and South East Asia. We'll take you on an epic journey from the dazzling city of Bangkok to the jungles of Khao Sok National Park. From there, we party on the beach in Koh Phi Phi before making our way to the home of the full moon party in Koh Phangan.

Our trip includes 10 nights accommodation, loads of activities and even some food and drink. We also take the hassle out of planning as our our ultimate tour guides will organize all your travel arrangements, leaving you to concentrate on having the trip of a lifetime!

Traveling solo? No problem! Meet some new mates from around the globe as well as an awesome tour leader who is an expert in all things when it comes to Thailand. Join us in Thailand and experience the best 11 days of adventure.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Ultimate Travel.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Explore Bangkok's stunning temples.
  • Stay on floating rafthouses & see monkeys in the jungle.
  • Visit 'The Beach', Maya Bay & go snorkelling.
  • Check out fire shows in Koh Phi Phi.
  • Party in Koh Phangan, home to the 'Full Moon Party'.

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.83 Rating
based on 6 reviews
  • 5 rating 83.33%
  • 4 rating 16.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.35
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.35
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 3.85
Showing 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Default avatar
Rachel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience

Ultimate Thailand was a fantastic tour with such an amazing group! Our tour guide Fiona was the absolute best, who ensured every person had a great time and was kept safe no matter what! I would recommend this trip because it is a great cultural experience, beautiful island, and never ending fun!

69 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Faith
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best way to see Thailand!

Fiona from ultimate single handedly made this tour awesome! Everything was fun, well managed and organised and even when something went wrong it was fixed instantly! Saw the city, the lakes and the beautiful beaches... All the best bits of Thailand! The age group of people was perfect and meant that everyone got along and was friendly to one another. A nice variety of hostels, floating raft houses and cabins which were all comfy and well air conned.

What would you improve about this program?
Having to get back up to Bangkok after the tour solo should be made clearer
64 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Kristin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Perfect Holiday

This was one of the most fun tours I have ever been on! The whole group of us was a similar age which helped because we then all had a similar approach to what we wanted from the tour, to experience a different country and have heaps of fun. We bonded so well that we are all talking fairly seriously about having a reunion on the Ultimate Vietnam tour next year! Also, the two guides were amazing if very different. Fiona was perfectly cool under pressure and very organised during the day but also knew how to let off steam and fit right in with the group at night too. And Jeff while inexperienced seemed eager to soak it all in and learn along the way, all while providing a great sense of humour and making us feel at ease. The accomodations might not always have been amazing but I never felt unsafe in the places we stayed, and transportation was overall not too bad either (and probably quite good by Thailand standards). If you are looking for an affordable trip that will give you more than you paid for in fun and adventure then look no further!! I love Ultimate Thailand!!

What would you improve about this program?
In the description online I might add a warning about the rainy/dry seasons. While it doesn't make a massive difference, I know there are people out there who would get frustrated if they didn't have perfect weather despite planning their trip during the rainy season. Also, it may have been in there, but a clearer description of the types of accomodation available, that most of it is twin or triple share rooms, and an ability to upgrade from that if you want (again I may have just missed where it says this because I really am not bothered by it). Otherwise it was pretty awesome!
64 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Christine
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Real Ultimate Thailand Itinery

Day 1 - Welcome to Bangkok! After checking into your room and meeting your Ultimate Thailand roomies, meet the rest of your Group at our Welcome Dinner. Your Group Leader will explain everything you need to know about the trip and answer all your questions. After dinner, we’ll explore some of our favourite Bangkok nightlife spots!

Day 2 - Our tour of Bangkok begins with a barely average boat trip through the city's largest sewage ways. Our Thai guide (not so much the Western Guides) will show you the same side to the city that you've already seen and let you enjoy walking for hours in the sauna that is Bangkok while pointing out the historic and religious landmarks like Starbucks. Explore the Dawn Temple (not the Temple of Dawn), Reclining Buddha Temple and if you're looking to spend even more money, the Golden Mount. Tonight we party in Bangkok.... at the same bar.... again.

Day 3 - Spend the whole day sitting in the non air-conditioned reception due to check out time, get a Thai massage or hit the town for more shopping. That evening we travel to the train station in rush hour traffic to catch the overnight train to Southern Thailand. If your idea of fun is being freezing cold, being hassled by Thai sellers, sleeping with your bag as there is no room for luggage, and waking up at 6AM then the overnight train is loads of fun. Have dinner on the train, as long as you provide it all yourself, and don't even think about drinks as the train is as alcohol free as the temples, sleep in your own bed and wake up at 6AM feeling unrefreshed for another day of travel to Khao Sok National Park.

Day 4 - We travel by longtail boat to our floating raft houses hidden deep in the rainforest of the Khao Sok National Park. See amazing animals, including the exotic cockroach and the elusive mosquito, breathtaking scenery and learn absolutely nothing about the local history of the area. The clear water is warm all year round. Enjoy a swim, kayak on the lake or take a relaxing nap in a hammock, as long as you bring your own hammock. That evening, after an average dinner of bland fish caught on the lake, we take an early evening 'safari' to see absolutely nothing. Literally....nothing. If you're looking for a good nights sleep after your night on the overnight train then think again. Enjoy 6 hours of electricity where you can choose between a fan to blow the hot air around your room or charging your phone to be able to use the torch to access the death trap toilets. You are joined by hundreds of bugs in your room and if you're really lucky, you'll wake up with a cockroach on your pillow and ants all over your body.

Day 5 - Wake up in a pool of your own sweat in your floating hut to the sound of people's disappointment at the lack of sunrise. We jump in the longtail boat to travel straight back to the mainland with absolutely no monkey spotting on the way before we travel to our next stop, Khao Sok Jungle Village. On the way we stop to feed the baby wild monkeys after you have forked out again to buy the food for them. Chill out with no wifi or electricity due to a powercut or go tubing on the dirtiest river in South East Asia. That evening eat at the hostel after a 3 hour wait for your food and then walk down to the 'Thai Reggae Bar' which plays the classic reggae artist, Taylor Swift.

Day 6 - Today we arrive at Koh Phi Phi, home of the stray cat, for two nights of tropical island 'fun'. We arrive late-afternoon and check in to the worst accommodation on the island lacking any sort of air con and home to all the bugs you can imagine. That night we meet at an average Mexican restaurant for dinner followed by a mediocre bar for drinks. Later that night you can watch fireshows and explore the nightlife of Koh Phi Phi.

Day 7 - Today we take a cattle boat tour of the Phi Phi Islands where you can snorkel with jellyfish and then explore Maya Bay 'The Beach' but not Monkey Bay because they don't bother to take you there. We kayak our way into Maya Bay whilst passing other tours on speed boats who have been dropped off right on the beach. If you're really lucky you will get to swim from the boat and lose all the skin on the front side of your body. That night there is no party and you don't go to any beach clubs.

Day 8 - We arrive on the tropical island of Koh Phangan, home of the world-famous Full Moon Party which you only get to experience if you go on every other tour. Arrive after a whole day of torturous travel on 2 boats and a 3 hour bus journey. You'll be staying a short walk from the beach. Tonight we relax at the hostel, like every other night that you spend here.

Day 9 - Today is a free day to do whatever you want. Scuba Dive, hire a moped or do Wipe Out for another added charge or stay at the mediocre beach and do nothing. Prepare to pay 500baht to nearly kill yourself at Wipe Out and swim in a dirty lake for a few hours this afternoon! There is heaps to do in Koh Phangan - if you pay for it. That evening we drink again and look forward to having your night ruined by the tour guides boyfriend drama!

Day 10 - Today is the last day of the tour although it really finished about 4 days ago on a different island. Do nothing all day again and then enjoy the farewell party later on tonight. Have the opourtunity to let off lanterns on the beach this evening if the weather isn't windy, rainy, cloudy or anything but sunshine and no wind. Your resort accommodation is included on the final night.

After the tour you'll be left broke, covered in mosquito bites and raring to go back to home luxuries. If your definition of a great holiday is sleeping with a thousand bugs most nights, suffocating in 35 degree heats without air conditioning and breaking your bank with a ton of extra hidden costs then this is the tour for you.

Despite the negativity in this review, the tour was massively improved by the people that came on the tour with us and of course one of our tour leaders, Jeff.

What would you improve about this program?
Read the above.
56 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Rich
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

From Boston to Bangkok

Honestly I joined Ultimate Thailand on a bit of a whim, having worked in Boston for awhile and wanting a break to really see what else is out there. I made the right choice. Things started off right with a personal sign and punctual pick up at the airport and the momentum kept on moving. My guide, Nikki from Liverpool!! was an absolute blast, very knowledgeable and incredibly outgoing. I felt immediately comfortable with the group, the welcome dinner and first night out being a terrific icebreaker for a my solo travels. I've since traveled to Koh Tao with members of my group and we are planning further adventures. The highlight for me was Khao Sok National Park, the second stop after Bangkok. Bangkok, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Phangan are great, the hustle, bustle and energy comparable to a weekend blitz of New York but I much preferred being out of the city and seeing the Asiatic landscapes of the National Parks (Khao Sok and Maya Bay). Moments and days like those are the reason I travel and thanks to Ultimate Thailand I've made friends to keep the good times rolling!!!!

What would you improve about this program?
I found it a little bit hard to find the hostel in Koh Phi Phi, getting turned around after the beach party. In the day time without drinking however it wasn't difficult.
74 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

FANTASTIC!!

I had never done any travelling before so was quite apprehensive to start with, especially as I was travelling on my own. As soon as I met the group, I was immediately put at ease. The tour guides were fantastic, extremely knowledgeable about Thailand and made sure we had the most amazing experience on the trip.
I absolutely loved the itinerary of the trip! We saw some amazing and diverse parts of Thailand, from the crazy city of Bangkok to the most spectacular beaches and the stunning Khao Sok National Park.
Deciding to do this trip was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made! If you are looking to meet like-minded people, visit some spectacular places and start your adventures in South East Asia, then I cannot recommend this trip more highly!

75 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Our local accommodation has been selected to offer a unique Thai experience including a spot in the hustle and bustle of the city, an overnight sleeper train, a floating bamboo raft house. a nights stay in the jungle and a beachside hideaway!