5/5
Thailand for Families: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi
10 days for families with children 6 and up: two nights in Bangkok with a canal boat and a cooking class, three in Chiang Mai with elephants and Doi Suthep, and four on a quiet Krabi beach with Railay and the Hong Islands.
10 days · Bangkok to Krabi · up to 12 guests
Wat Pariwat in Bangkok, where children hunt for the figures in the carvings Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wat_Pariwat_Ratchasongkram_ubosot_Bangkok_Thailand_by_Don_Ramey_Logan.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Bangkok to Krabi
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Most days are 2 to 4 hours on your feet, about 3 to 6 km, with a rest at the hotel pool in the middle or end of the day. The climbs are short: about 300 steps up to Doi Suthep, with a funicular for anyone who would rather ride. Snorkelling on day 8 is from a boat and a beach in calm, shallow water with life jackets for children; non-swimmers can paddle from the sand. The earliest start is about 7:30 am, on day 2 for Wat Pho at opening. Every day has a way for a parent and child to sit part of it out.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 695 (estimated price)
- Season
- November to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Wat Pho's 46-metre reclining Buddha at 8 am, before the tour groups, then a longtail boat through the Thonburi canals
- A Thai cooking class for children, eating what they cook for dinner
- Spotting the pop-culture figures hidden in the carvings at Wat Pariwat
- A morning with elephants at a sanctuary that does not offer riding
- Climbing the naga stairway to Doi Suthep and the view over Chiang Mai
- Painting your own paper umbrella in Bo Sang, then the night market
- A longtail boat to Railay and the cliffs above Phra Nang Cave Beach
- Snorkelling and a kayak into the lagoon of Koh Hong, with lunch on the sand
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 695 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Bangkok
Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang airport to your hotel by the Chao Phraya River
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Bangkok
- Drive about 1 h

Fly into Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) airport. A driver meets your family in the arrivals hall with a vehicle big enough for everyone's bags and takes you to the hotel near the river, about 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. The hotel has a pool and your room is a family, triple or connecting room.
Evening
Plan to land by mid-afternoon so children can swim or nap before the evening. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group in the lobby for a short briefing: how temples ask you to dress, how the boats work, what to pack in a day bag, and the plan for the next nine days. Then we walk or ride a short way to a family-friendly restaurant for a welcome dinner of mild dishes to share, such as chicken satay, fried rice, pad thai without chilli and mango sticky rice, where the children meet each other. Back at the hotel by about 8:30.
Included
- Pick-up at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) airport
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner at a family-friendly restaurant
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: If your flight lands late, your guide briefs your family at breakfast. Arriving a day early to recover from the flight is easy to arrange.
Wat Pho, the canals and a cooking class
Wat Pho, a longtail boat through the Thonburi canals, then a children's cooking class
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Bangkok
- Drive about 1 h
Jet lag tends to wake children early, so we use it. We leave at about 7:30 and walk through the gate of Wat Pho as it opens at 8, before the tour groups. The reclining Buddha is 46 metres long, covered in gold leaf, with mother-of-pearl patterns on the soles of its feet; children drop coins into the 108 bronze bowls along the wall for luck. From the pier beside the temple a longtail boat takes us across the Chao Phraya into the canals of Thonburi, about 90 minutes past wooden stilt houses, temples, monitor lizards on the banks and families feeding catfish from the steps.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a canal-side restaurant, then we head back to the hotel for a rest and a swim through the hottest part of the day. At about 3:30 pm we go to a cooking school that teaches children: a short look at the herbs, then everyone makes a spring roll, a mild green curry or pad thai and a dessert at their own station.
Evening
What you cook is dinner.
Included
- Wat Pho and the reclining Buddha at opening, with your guide
- Longtail boat through the Thonburi canals, about 90 minutes
- Lunch at a canal-side restaurant
- Thai cooking class for children, with dinner of what you cook
Easier option: Stay at the hotel pool after lunch and join the cooking class only, or skip it and eat at the hotel.
Free time: Rest from about 1:30 to 3:30 pm; evening free after the class
Activity: About an hour at Wat Pho, 90 minutes on the boat and about 2.5 hours at the cooking class. About 3 km on foot. Cover shoulders and knees at Wat Pho.
Wat Pariwat, then fly to Chiang Mai
Bangkok to Wat Pariwat, Suvarnabhumi airport, a flight to Chiang Mai, then the old town and the night market
- Breakfast
- Stay in Chiang Mai
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Breakfast early with bags packed. At about 8 am we drive to Wat Pariwat, south of the old city, a temple whose white ordination hall is covered in carved figures. Look closely and the carvings hide characters children know: superheroes, cartoon figures and, under the altar, a footballer. Your guide sets a spotting game, then explains why a temple has them: the abbot wanted to show that the world keeps changing.
Afternoon
The guide fixes our departure time from the flight time, leaving at least two hours for traffic and check-in; from the temple it is about 40 minutes to Suvarnabhumi for a late-morning flight north, about 1 hour 15 minutes, with lunch on your own at the airport or on board. Chiang Mai airport is ten minutes from the old town, and we check in to the hotel by the moat by mid-afternoon for a swim.
Evening
At about 6 pm we walk to the night market with your guide: the Night Bazaar on most evenings, or the Saturday or Sunday walking street when your dates fall on a weekend. Children can try grilled sticky rice, coconut ice cream and roti, and dinner is what you choose from the stalls.
Included
- Wat Pariwat with your guide
- Flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
- Night market walk with your guide (the Night Bazaar, or the Saturday or Sunday walking street)
Easier option: Stay at the hotel in the evening and let your guide point you to a restaurant on the moat.
Free time: Afternoon free at the hotel; dinner on your own at the market
Activity: About 45 minutes at Wat Pariwat and about 90 minutes at the night market, on foot on flat streets. Hold small children's hands in the market crowds.
A morning with elephants
Chiang Mai to an elephant sanctuary in the hills and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chiang Mai
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave at about 8 am for the hills outside Chiang Mai, about an hour by road, to an elephant sanctuary that does not offer riding or shows. We name it when your dates are confirmed, because we check its welfare record in person each season. The staff introduce the herd and tell each elephant's story, many of them retired from logging or trekking camps. Children help chop and bundle sugar cane and bananas, then hand the food to the elephants and watch how they use their trunks. We walk with the herd along a forest track as they graze and, when the sanctuary's rules allow, watch them wallow in the mud or the river. Staff decide how close we stand, which is usually close enough to hear them breathe.
Afternoon
Lunch is a Thai meal at the sanctuary. We drive back to Chiang Mai, arriving at about 2:30 pm, and the rest of the day is free for the pool.
Included
- Half day at an elephant sanctuary that does not offer riding, with its own guides
- Preparing and giving food, and a walk with the herd
- Lunch at the sanctuary
Easier option: Stay at the shelter while the group walks with the herd; the elephants pass close to it.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours at the sanctuary, mostly standing or walking slowly on uneven forest ground. Wear clothes you do not mind getting muddy and closed shoes; bring a change of clothes.
Doi Suthep and the umbrella village
Chiang Mai to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, then Bo Sang, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chiang Mai
- Drive about 1.5 h

We leave at about 7:45 and climb the mountain road above Chiang Mai, about 16 km and 30 minutes of bends, to reach Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at about 8:15, ahead of the tour buses. A stairway of about 300 steps rises between two long naga serpents with mosaic scales; children count the steps while anyone who would rather ride takes the funicular.
Morning
At the top a gold chedi shines in the middle of the temple courtyard, and on a clear morning the terrace looks over the whole city, about 700 metres below on the plain. Your guide shows how to walk around the chedi three times, clockwise, and children can ring the rows of bells. We drive down and east to Bo Sang, the umbrella-making village, where craftspeople make paper umbrellas from mulberry bark and bamboo. Each child paints their own small umbrella or fan to take home.
Afternoon
Lunch is khao soi, Chiang Mai's curry noodle soup, with a mild version for children. We are back at the hotel by about 2 pm.
Included
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep with your guide, entry and the funicular
- Umbrella-making workshop in Bo Sang, with a small umbrella or fan painted by each child
- Khao soi lunch
Easier option: Ride the funicular up and down Doi Suthep instead of climbing the steps.
More active option: Walk down the stairway after the visit while the rest of the group takes the funicular, about 10 minutes.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About an hour at Doi Suthep, including the steps, and about 90 minutes in Bo Sang. Cover shoulders and knees at the temple. The mountain road has many bends: travel-sickness tablets help.
Fly south to the Krabi coast
Chiang Mai to Krabi by air, Krabi Town, then a beach hotel at Klong Muang
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Krabi
- Drive about 1.5 h

Morning
A morning free in Chiang Mai to swim, pack or walk the old town lanes.
Afternoon
Around midday our vehicle takes the group to Chiang Mai airport, ten minutes away, for the flight south to Krabi. We fly nonstop when a direct service runs on the day, about 2 hours; otherwise we change in Bangkok and the journey takes about 5 hours door to door, with lunch at the airport. On the nonstop, we land in time for a late lunch in Krabi Town, about 15 km and 20 minutes from the airport, by the river with its view of the mangroves and limestone peaks. Then we drive about 35 km and 40 minutes to Klong Muang, a quieter beach north of Ao Nang, where the water is shallow and the hotel faces the islands. Check in, change and go straight to the sand or the pool. Your guide hands out the plan for the next three days, which can change with the tide and the weather.
Evening
The evening is free; the hotel and a few restaurants along the beach suit families.
Included
- Flight from Chiang Mai to Krabi (direct when one runs on the day, otherwise via Bangkok)
- Lunch in Krabi Town, or at the airport when the flight goes via Bangkok
- Transfer to the beach hotel at Klong Muang
Free time: Morning free in Chiang Mai; late afternoon and evening free on the beach
Activity: Mostly seated in the vehicle and on the plane. The day is longer if the flight goes via Bangkok; we tell you which when we confirm your dates.
Railay by longtail boat
Klong Muang to Ao Nang, by longtail boat to Railay and Phra Nang Cave Beach, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Krabi
- Drive about 1 h
Railay sits on the mainland but has no road in, so the only way there is by boat. We leave at about 8:30 for Ao Nang beach, about 25 minutes, and board a longtail boat for the 15-minute ride round the headland, landing on Railay West before the day boats fill it. The beach sits between limestone cliffs where climbers hang on ropes above the sand, and children can watch them from below. A shaded path along the foot of the cliffs leads to Phra Nang Cave Beach, about 15 minutes' walk, with a cave in the rock and islands just offshore.
Morning
The water here is shallow and calm in the dry season, so this is the place to swim and build sandcastles for the morning.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a restaurant on Railay, then the longtail takes us back to Ao Nang in the early afternoon and our vehicle returns to the hotel. Watch for the monkeys along the path: keep food and bags closed.
Included
- Longtail boat from Ao Nang to Railay and back
- Railay West and Phra Nang Cave Beach with your guide
- Lunch on Railay
Optional experiences
- Beginner rock-climbing session on Railay for children and adults, about 3 hours with a local climbing school (price confirmed at booking)
Easier option: Stay on Railay West's sand and in the shade while the group walks to Phra Nang.
More active option: Join a beginner rock-climbing session on the cliffs, booked as an option when you confirm.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 km on foot on a flat path, and time in the sea. Boats land on the sand, so wear sandals you can wade in. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and hats.
Snorkelling in the Hong Islands
Klong Muang to the pier, by boat to the Hong Islands and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Krabi
- Drive about 30 min
The day the children talk about afterwards. We leave at about 8:30 for the pier, about 20 minutes, and a boat takes the group out into Phang Nga Bay to the Hong Islands, about 30 to 40 minutes. Koh Hong hides a lagoon inside a ring of cliffs, which you enter through a gap in the rock; when the tide is right we paddle in by kayak, with a guide for each boat. Then we stop at a reef in shallow, clear water to snorkel among parrotfish and sergeant majors, with masks, snorkels and life jackets sized for children. Non-swimmers can float in a life jacket next to a parent or watch from the boat.
Afternoon
Lunch is on the beach of one of the islands, with time to swim and look for hermit crabs. The order of the stops follows the tide table, and if the sea is rough your guide moves the day to day 9. We are back at the hotel by about 3:30 pm.
Included
- Boat day to the Hong Islands, with national park fees
- Kayak into the Koh Hong lagoon when the tide allows
- Snorkelling, with masks, snorkels and children's life jackets
- Beach lunch on the islands
Easier option: Stay on the beach or the boat while the group kayaks and snorkels.
More active option: Swim further along the reef with the boat crew while the group stays in the shallows.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 5 hours on the water, with time on a beach. Snorkelling is in calm, shallow water; children wear life jackets throughout. Bring a rash vest and reef-safe sunscreen.
A free day on the beach
Klong Muang, at your own pace
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Krabi
A whole day with nothing planned, because families on the longer competitor trips asked for one. Stay on the beach in front of the hotel, where the sea is shallow enough for small children at low tide, or by the pool.
Morning
Your guide is at the hotel through the morning to book anything you would like to add: a beginner climbing session on Railay, the Emerald Pool and the hot springs in the forest inland, a sea-kayak trip through the mangroves, or the 1,260 steps of the Tiger Cave Temple for older children who want a challenge. Each is an option at its own price, shown before you book it. If the Hong Islands day was moved by the weather, it happens today instead.
Evening
In the late afternoon the group gathers on the beach to watch the sun set behind the islands, then sits down together for a farewell dinner at a restaurant by the sea, where your guide and the children say their goodbyes.
Included
- Farewell dinner by the sea
Optional experiences
- Beginner rock climbing on Railay
- Emerald Pool and hot springs
- Mangrove sea-kayak trip
- Tiger Cave Temple steps
Free time: Free all day until the farewell dinner
Activity: Your guide books optional trips the evening before or in the morning; prices are shown before you book.
Depart from Krabi
Your hotel to Krabi International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A last swim before breakfast, then check-out, usually by 11 am or noon. Our vehicle takes the group to Krabi International Airport (KBV), about 40 km and 50 minutes, with your See Sight Tours guide to the check-in desk. Most families fly home through Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur: book a flight from Krabi leaving after about 12:30 pm, or a connection in Bangkok that allows at least three hours between flights if you change airports there. If your flight leaves later, the hotel can usually keep your bags and offer a late check-out room at extra cost, and we time the transfer to your flight. If you would like to stay on at the beach or fly home from Phuket, tell us when you book and we will arrange the extra nights and the transfer to match. Children leave with a painted umbrella, a recipe they cooked themselves and photographs of elephants and islands.
Included
- Drop-off at Krabi International Airport (KBV)
Free time: Morning free until check-out
Activity: Book a flight from Krabi leaving after about 12:30 pm.
- Bangkok2 nights
- Chiang Mai3 nights
- Krabi4 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: November to February is the dry, cooler season: warm days around 28 to 32°C in Bangkok and Krabi and cool mornings in Chiang Mai, sometimes below 15°C. From late February to April the north is hotter and smoke haze from agricultural burning can hide the views from Doi Suthep. The Andaman Sea is calmest from December to April; in November a late shower or swell can move a boat day. Songkran, the Thai New Year water festival on 13 to 15 April, turns every street into a water fight. Monkeys at Railay and on some islands snatch food and bags: keep snacks out of sight.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Families with children aged 6 and up on a first trip to Thailand
- Parents who want flights, boats, tickets and timings handled for them
- Children who like doing things: cooking, feeding elephants, painting, climbing steps, snorkelling and kayaking
- Families who want both temples and four nights on a beach
Not for you if you want
- Children under 6: the trip is designed for children 6 and up
- Families who want to ride elephants: the sanctuary does not offer riding
- Step-free access or pushchairs: temples, boats and beaches have steps and sand
- Adults travelling without children: our Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai trip suits you better
- Travellers who want a party beach: the Krabi base is quiet
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are Families with children aged 6 to 15
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Bangkok2 nights
- Chiang Mai3 nights
- Krabi4 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 2 in a riverside Bangkok hotel, 3 in a Chiang Mai hotel by the old town moat, 4 in a beach hotel at Klong Muang, Krabi
- Hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard with a pool and family, triple or connecting rooms, named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) airport
- Flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and from Chiang Mai to Krabi, with checked bags
- Our own vehicle and driver in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi
- Longtail boat through the Thonburi canals
- Longtail boat from Ao Nang to Railay and back
- Boat to the Hong Islands and back
- Drop-off at Krabi International Airport (KBV)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the welcome dinner in Bangkok to the Krabi airport drop-off, with the sanctuary's own guides, the cooking-school teachers and the boat crews where each activity needs them; their tips are included
Activities
- Bangkok: Wat Pho and the reclining Buddha at opening
- Bangkok: longtail boat through the Thonburi canals
- Bangkok: Thai cooking class for children
- Bangkok: Wat Pariwat
- Chiang Mai: half day at an elephant sanctuary that does not offer riding
- Chiang Mai: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, with entry and the funicular
- Chiang Mai: umbrella-making workshop in Bo Sang
- Chiang Mai: night market walk with your guide
- Krabi: Railay West and Phra Nang Cave Beach
- Krabi: Hong Islands boat day with national park fees, a kayak into the lagoon when the tide allows, and snorkel gear and life jackets for everyone
Meals
- All 9 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: canal-side in Bangkok, at the elephant sanctuary, khao soi near Bo Sang, Krabi Town (or the airport when the flight goes via Bangkok), Railay and a beach lunch on the Hong Islands
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Bangkok, the dinner the children cook at the cooking class and a farewell dinner by the sea in Krabi
Not included
- International flights to Bangkok and home from Krabi
- Visas or travel authorisations, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips for your See Sight Tours guide and drivers (optional)
- Optional activities, such as rock climbing, the Emerald Pool and hot springs, or a mangrove kayak trip
- Personal spending and souvenirs
- Late check-out on the last day
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 695 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
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Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in hotels with pools and family rooms, all breakfasts, 6 lunches and 3 dinners, flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and on to Krabi, airport transfers at both ends, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every activity in the day plan, including the cooking class, the elephant sanctuary, Railay and the Hong Islands snorkel day with park fees.
What ages is this trip for?
The trip is designed for families with children 6 and up. The activities suit children of about 6 to 15, and teenagers enjoy the snorkelling, the kayak and an optional climbing session. Grandparents travelling with the family are welcome. For younger children, a private trip lets us change the pace and the activities.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, counting children, so it is usually three or four families. That is small enough for one boat, one cooking class and one table, and for the guide to change the plan when a child is tired. Other family trips in Thailand take 16 to 20.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Bangkok to the check-in desk at Krabi airport, handling flights, boats, tickets and timings. The elephant sanctuary's staff, the cooking-school teachers and the boat crews lead their own activities, with your guide alongside. We introduce your guide before you travel.
Do our children need to swim to snorkel?
No. Snorkelling is in calm, shallow water and every child wears a life jacket, which we provide in children's sizes along with masks and snorkels. Non-swimmers can float next to a parent or stay on the beach. Strong swimmers can go further along the reef with the crew.
Is the elephant sanctuary ethical?
We use a sanctuary that does not offer riding, shows or painting by elephants, and we check its welfare practices in person each season before naming it. Families prepare food, feed the elephants and walk with them, with the staff deciding how close we stand. Whether the elephants bathe in front of visitors follows the sanctuary's own rules.
I am a single parent. Do I pay a single supplement?
No. A parent sharing a room with one child pays the per-person price with no supplement. The single supplement, from CAD 695, applies only to a guest who wants a room alone. Tell us your family's make-up when you book and we ask each hotel for the right triple, family or connecting rooms.
When is the best time to take children to Thailand?
November to February is the best time: dry, warm and calm on the Andaman Sea, with cool mornings in Chiang Mai. March and April are hotter and smoke haze can cover the north. We do not run the trip from May to October, when the monsoon brings rough seas to Krabi.
Will my children find something to eat?
Yes. Thai food is easy to order mild: fried rice, chicken satay, pad thai without chilli, noodle soups and fresh fruit are on almost every menu, and your guide orders for children at included meals. Tell us about allergies when you book; peanuts and shellfish are common in Thai cooking, so we brief each kitchen.
How does booking work?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes included: the small group starts from CAD 4,085 and the private trip from CAD 7,355. We confirm any child rate with your quote. Choose a start date and send a request to book; we confirm within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we have confirmed.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version is for your family only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and the same hotels and activities. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, without a guide, send us an inquiry from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, flights and activities separately.
Do we need a visa for Thailand?
Canadian and US passport holders can currently visit Thailand visa-free for a tourist stay of up to 30 days, which this 10-day trip fits. Every traveller, including each child, fills in the online Thailand Digital Arrival Card in the three days before arrival, and passports need six months' validity. Rules differ by passport and can change, so check before you book.