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Snapshot of Thailand with Laos Explorer - Small Group
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Snapshot of Thailand with Laos Explorer - Small Group
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Length
14 Days
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Quality
This indicates the overall quality of the tour operator's products. A low rating does not mean it is not good - it just means that it does not include as much, or perhaps is of a more standard quality than the higher quality tours. For example, a 3 star quality rating means that it is a more standard/economical tour, while 5 stars is a very luxurious tour that often includes a lot of amenities. -
Starts in
Bangkok (Thailand)
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Ends in
Vientiane (Laos)
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Available Tour Start Dates
MAR 14, 2027 to FEB 27, 2028
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Activity Level
No Rating Provided
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Language
English
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Guaranteed Date(s)
Yes means that there is at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur. No means that there is not at least one tour date that the vendor guarantees will occur, which usually means that the vendor wants a certain amount of reservations on each tour in order for each one to occur. Of course, the terms and conditions of the vendor do allow for the vendor to cancel guaranteed tour dates for certain reasons (for example, a natural disaster).No
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Special Interest(s)
Small Group
There is at least one season during which this tour is offered as a Small Group. Such seasons are noted as being Small Group within the related date range.
From
Pricing listed is per person, based on double occupancy, and is the least expensive price for at least one departure date of this tour. Price is for the tour only. Additional items, including but not limited to, airfare (unless noted otherwise), travel insurance, and more, are additional.
$1,752.75
Overview
Bangkok’s temple courtyards and sizzling street food lead you north by rail to Chiang Mai, before the Mekong carries you into Laos and Luang Prabang. You’ll move between gilded temples, grand palaces and night markets, then trace the river towards a city recognized by UNESCO for its historic center. In Vientiane, you’ll visit its golden landmarks, while free time and Optional Experiences leave space for market finds, local flavors and more of the city at your own pace.
Visited During Tour
Bangkok (Thailand) | Chiang Khong (Thailand) | Chiang Mai (Thailand) | Chiang Rai (Thailand) | Luang Prabang (Laos) | Pakbeng (Laos) | Vientiane (Laos)
Dates, Offers & Prices Dates
Tour Itinerary Itinerary
More Details Details
Dates, Offers & Prices
The following are Snapshot of Thailand with Laos Explorer - Small Group tour dates available from Trafalgar. Select a bonus offer graphic to view its details, including its terms.
Tour Itinerary
Trafalgar Tour Code 1017-2562
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Day
1Begin Your Thailand Adventure in Bangkok
You’ll arrive in Bangkok among flashes of gold, spirit houses tucked beside modern buildings and flower garlands threaded with yellow marigolds. As you settle in, you might catch the scent of incense outside shrines, with gold leaf gleaming against towers of concrete and glass. Later, you’ll meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers, ready to begin eight days together through Thailand.
Accommodations: Cross Vibe Sukhumvit -
Day
2Explore Bangkok’s Temples and Grand Palace
At Wat Pho, tiled roofs and rows of painted columns lead towards the Reclining Buddha, which stretches almost the length of the hall, its gold surface catching the temple light. At the Grand Palace, mirrored mosaics, colored glass and intricate rooflines fill the royal complex as you move between its courtyards and halls. The afternoon is yours, whether that means following the scent of garlic and chilli towards a plate of pad Thai or finding a rooftop table above the city. You can also choose an Optional Experience through Thonburi’s klongs, traveling by long-tail boat past wooden houses and waterside temples before arriving at Wat Arun, its porcelain-covered spire rising beside the Chao Phraya.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Cross Vibe Sukhumvit -
Day
3Spend a Free Day in Bangkok
With Bangkok yours for the day, you can move between Siam’s polished shopping halls and Talat Noi, where old shophouses sit beside murals painted in bold reds, yellows and greens. Follow the paths around Lumphini Park’s lake beneath palms and broad-canopied trees, or board a river ferry and watch Bangkok pass from the water. For more, choose an Optional Experience to Ayutthaya, walking among the prangs, temple ruins and remains of the former Siamese capital before cruising back to Bangkok. Or head into Chinatown by tuk-tuk as evening settles over Yaowarat, sampling street food from sidewalk stalls before raising a rooftop cocktail above Wat Arun and Wat Pho.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Cross Vibe Sukhumvit -
Day
4Thailand by Rail: Bangkok to Chiang Mai
You’ll spend your last Bangkok morning choosing how to see the city before heading north. Join an Optional Experience at Jim Thompson House, teak walls glow deep honey-brown, silk catches the light in jewel tones and tropical greenery grows around the old Thai houses beside the canal. Or choose an Optional Experience beyond Bangkok, where Maeklong Market sits along the railway tracks until awnings are pulled back for the passing train, before boats loaded with pineapples, coconuts and green bananas crowd the water at Damnoen Saduak. Later, choose another Optional Experience and unwind with a traditional Thai massage. Then Bangkok slips behind you aboard the overnight train to Chiang Mai, with dinner before departure or in the dining carriage as the rails carry you north.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Overnight train Bangkok - Chiang Mai -
Day
5Chiang Mai’s Temples, Crafts and Night Market
After the overnight train, you'll climb to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, following its naga-lined staircase towards the hilltop temple and wide views across Chiang Mai. At Wat Suan Dok, rows of white chedis stand against the mountain backdrop, then at Wat Phra Singh, you'll wander among carved woodwork and layered Lanna roofs. Later, you can choose an Optional Experience at a 160-year-old Lanna family home, cooking Northern Thai dishes from recipes handed down through generations and sharing what you’ve made around the table. This evening, join your Travel Director at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, moving between stalls of handmade crafts and sizzling grills.
Accommodations: The Empress -
Day
6Explore Chiang Mai at Your Own Pace
With a free day in Chiang Mai, you can follow the old city’s moat and weathered brick walls, slip into a shaded courtyard for coffee or sit down to khao soi, its coconut curry crowned with crisp noodles and sharpened with fresh lime. Or choose the Elephant Nature Park Optional Experience, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you'll watch rescued elephants play and forage while expert staff share their individual histories. Back in Chiang Mai, there’s still time for a cold drink in a leafy courtyard or a final wander through the old city as lanterns begin to glow.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: The Empress -
Day
7Northern Thailand: A Final Day in Chiang Mai
A final full day in Thailand is open for exploring Chiang Mai or choosing an Optional Experience to Doi Inthanon National Park. On the mountain, forest paths wind between moss-covered trees and thick ferns, with the rush of waterfalls breaking through the green and mist sometimes hanging between the branches. Tonight, choose a Khantoke dinner, sharing Northern Thai dishes and sticky rice as traditional music and dance unfold around you.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: The Empress -
Day
8Journey North From Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
Leaving Chiang Mai behind, the road north takes you to Chiang Rai, where Wat Rong Khun gleams almost entirely in white, its mirrored surfaces flashing against delicate sculpted detail. At Wat Rong Suea Ten, deep cobalt walls, painted ceilings and gold accents cover the temple interior. From Chiang Rai, you’ll continue to Chiang Khong on the Mekong, where the river marks the edge of Thailand and Laos lies just beyond. Check into your hotel and settle in for the night, with tomorrow’s crossing waiting on the other side of the water.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Chiangkhong Teak Garden Riverfront -
Day
9Thailand to Laos: Across the Mekong
A new country begins across the Friendship Bridge, where you’ll say goodbye to your Thailand Travel Director and meet the Travel Director joining you through Laos. On the Mekong, settle into the cruise with a boxed lunch as forested hills, riverside villages and wooden boats pass beyond the deck. It’s a gentler introduction to Laos, with everyday life along the river unfolding around you before you arrive at your hotel and settle in for the evening.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
Accommodations: Mekong Riverside Lodge -
Day
10Cruise the Mekong Towards Luang Prabang
From Pakbeng, you return to the Mekong for another day aboard your river cruise, watching kingfishers flash above the water and water buffalo stand half-submerged near the banks. Herons and egrets lift from the shallows as villages appear between long stretches of forest, before you reach UNESCO-listed Xieng Thong temple. From the pier, continue on foot past Vieng Temple and into the peninsula, where gilded roofs, whitewashed colonial façades and shaded lanes carry you towards your hotel.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
Accommodations: Villa Oasis -
Day
11Luang Prabang: Temples, Markets and Traditions
The day begins with Luang Prabang’s alms-giving ritual, as you watch saffron-robed monks pass in near silence while offerings of sticky rice are placed into their bowls. Later, a tuk-tuk carries you through the old town to the morning market, where baskets of fruit, vegetables and herbs crowd the stalls, before you reach Wat Mai and its gilded carvings. From Phou Si Hill, you look out across tiled rooftops and the two rivers below. At the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center, textiles, baskets and traditional crafts tell you more about Laos’s ethnic cultures. The afternoon is yours, or you can choose an Optional Experience to Kuang Si Falls, where pale turquoise pools spill through tiers of forest. Tonight, another Optional Experience returns you to Phou Si for sunset before dinner beside the river, with Luang Prabang’s rooftops below and the Mekong nearby.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Villa Oasis -
Day
12Laos by Rail: Luang Prabang to Vientiane
Before leaving Luang Prabang, you have one last morning for strong Lao coffee, temple courtyards and a final browse through its small shops and stalls. Or choose an Optional Experience in a local home, cooking Lao dishes before carrying what you’ve made to a nearby temple as an offering for the monks. Later, board the high-speed train to Vientiane, where gilded stupas rise above low rooftops and French-influenced façades line the streets. Along the Mekong, the river deepens to copper at sunset while sidewalk cafes fill with diners and tables line the waterfront for dinner. After checking in, you can head out for a walk beside the river and take in your first night in Laos’s capital.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Lao Orchid -
Day
13Laos’s Capital: Vientiane in Full
In Vientiane, your tuk-tuk carries you towards Patuxai, where painted ceilings and carved mythological figures sit above the monument’s broad archways before you climb for views across the capital. At Carol Cassidy’s Lao Textiles workshop, you watch silk glide through the loom as fine patterns build row by row beneath the weavers’ hands. At the COPE Visitor Center, photographs, prosthetics and personal accounts document the lasting impact of unexploded ordnance in Laos and the rehabilitation work supporting those affected. Later, you can stay in Vientiane and wander through Buddha Park, passing serene Buddhas, Hindu deities and strange stone creatures before stepping inside the giant pumpkin through its demon-shaped mouth. Or travel to Vang Vieng, where you walk through green countryside beneath sheer limestone cliffs and spend time in a Hmong village. Then cross the water by sampan before venturing into limestone caves, their sculpted walls disappearing into the darkness.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
Accommodations: Lao Orchid -
Day
14Say Farewell to Thailand and Laos
Your journey through Thailand and Laos ends in Vientiane as you check out of your hotel and say goodbye to your Travel Director and fellow small group travelers.
- Meals Included:
- Breakfast
More Details
Trafalgar is informing us of the following additional details regarding their Snapshot of Thailand with Laos Explorer - Small Group tour:
Travelers Notes
* TRIP RUN BY COSTSAVER* THAILAND: USA passport holders traveling to Thailand do not require a visa for tourism stays up to 30 days. However, you must submit an online arrival card three days prior to your arrival.* LAOS: USA passport holders require a visa for Laos. The visa can be obtained upon arrival or prior to departure (we recommend 60 days prior). * IMPORTANT: Please see important details sent with your invoice and documents. * ARRIVAL: Guests are to arrive at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) or Don Mueang Airport (DMK). * DEPARTURE: Guests are to depart from Wattay International Airport (VTE). * TRANSFERS: Both complimentary and chargeable transfers are not offered in conjunction with this trip. Guests should make their own way from/to the airport at their own expense. * PORTERAGE: Porterage is not included; guests will be required to handle their own luggage throughout the tour.* GROUND HANDLER: This trip is operated by DTH Thailand.* NOTE: This Trip falls under LEVEL 2. Please refer to the Deposit, Payment and Cancellations policies on our website.
Pricing listed above for tours is per person, in US Dollars, and is based on double occupancy. Pricing may change for other occupancy types. Pricing is based on the last time the vendor electronically sent us pricing data, which varies by vendor (usually occurs overnight or multiple times throughout each day).
Pricing and availability are subject to change and must be confirmed by one of our travel advisors, who can contact the vendor to do so. Intra-vacation air (also referred to as internal air) is usually based on economy class seating (do not assume otherwise, unless explicity noted otherwise) and may be 100% non-refundable at time of final payment. Air quotes (including intra-vacation airfare) may be subject to change until final payment has been received by the vendor. Flight confirmation may be based on availability. Air reservations may not be able to be confirmed until a passport copy is received by the vendor. The following charges are not included in the vacation price unless otherwise noted: airfare to and from the start of your vacation; airline baggage fees including checked and/or excess baggage fees; Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees, including the September 11th Security fee, passenger facility charges, Federal domestic flight segment fees, and U.S. and international arrival and departure and other government-imposed fees added by the airline and applicable at time of booking; port taxes; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ship's crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant or onboard your vessel (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; optional excursions; additional activities and excursions purchased online; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection; and all other items of a personal nature. Itinerary details are provided by the vendor. Vendors may reserve the right to change itineraries, even on existing reservations. There may be instances where the name of a tour contains a tour length in it, but where there is a version of the tour that is a different number of days in length. You can check the true length of a tour by referring to the length value listed in association with that tour. Destination images displayed on this web page, some which are supplied by the related vendor and some which are not, are intended to simply give a general representation of the region of the world being visited during the tour. Such images are not necessarily of the exact areas being visited during the tour. Hotel details (including, but not limited to: rating/class, descriptions, images, amenities and addresses) are provided by Trafalgar. Hotel amenities may be communicated in shorthand by Trafalgar (for example, if "Laundry" is listed that may only mean that the hotel has an optional fee-based service that would allow for your laundry to be done by their staff). We reserve the right to correct errors.