Chiang Mai
Jungle treks, ethical elephant sanctuaries, ziplines, white water and Thailand’s highest mountain.
Thailand’s adventure destinations
Twelve bases, four regions. Each destination has six pages: overview, tours & tickets, things to see, getting there, travel guide and when to go.
We have organised Thailand the way active travellers move through it: by base. Each of the places below is somewhere you would stay for a few nights and go out from — to trek, climb, dive, paddle or simply explore. Pick by region and season, or start from what you want to do on our adventures by activity page.
Northern Thailand
Mountains, forests and hill villages. Best from November to February; hazy in March and April; green and wet from June to October.
Chiang Rai & the Golden Triangle
Tea-country ridges, Mekong boat trips, sunrise cliffs and Thailand’s boldest temple art.
Pai & Mae Hong Son
A mountain valley of canyon ridges, hot springs and river caves, on the road to Thailand’s remotest province.
Bangkok & Central Thailand
The capital and the national parks within three hours of it. Best from November to February.
Bangkok
Backstreet cycling, canal longtails, muay thai nights and the launch pad for every Thai adventure.
Kanchanaburi & Erawan
Seven tiers of emerald waterfall, river kayaking and raft houses, and the sobering history of the Death Railway.
Khao Yai
Thailand’s first national park: wild elephants, gibbons, hornbills, jungle trails and night safaris.
Andaman Coast
Limestone islands, climbing cliffs, coral reefs and rainforest on the west side of the peninsula. Best from November to April.
Khao Sok
Ancient rainforest, a flooded karst lake, floating raft houses and jungle rivers between the two coasts.
Krabi & Railay
Limestone towers, world-class sport climbing, longtail island-hopping and mangrove kayaking.
Phuket & Phang Nga Bay
Sea-canoe caves, Similan diving, monsoon surf, muay thai camps and island-studded Phang Nga Bay.
Koh Phi Phi & Koh Lanta
Maya Bay by longtail, reef sharks and turtles, mangrove kayaking and Lanta’s long, quiet beaches.
Gulf Islands
Three islands in the Gulf of Thailand, on a different weather calendar. Best from February to September.
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
Kayaking the 42 islands of Ang Thong, jungle waterfalls, hilltop hikes and the Gulf’s sunny summer.
Koh Tao
Thailand’s dive-school island: first breaths underwater, turtles and reef sharks, granite viewpoints and Koh Nang Yuan.
How to combine them
The north pairs naturally with Bangkok by overnight train or a one-hour flight. Khao Sok lies on the road between the Andaman coast and the Gulf, so it links Phuket or Krabi with Koh Samui. Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Phuket are connected by ferry; so are Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Our itineraries turn these links into day-by-day routes, and getting there explains every transport option.
Plan your days in Thailand
Turn a route into an adventure
Climbing courses, dive trips, small-group treks and marine-park boats run with limited places and fill up from December to February and in July and August. Compare what is bookable online and reserve in a couple of taps.