14-Day Thailand Itinerary: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the Andaman Coast

Fourteen days is the first trip length at which Thailand stops being a choice between the city, the mountains and the sea. Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the Andaman coast fit together comfortably in two weeks, as long as you fly the long legs, keep the coast on the Andaman side between November and February, and leave two days empty on purpose. This route does that, and it names the moments where a plan usually breaks: the Bangkok airport transfer, the choice between the sleeper train and a morning flight, the day you cross from Krabi to Phuket by boat, and the last night before a long-haul departure.

The short answer: fly into Bangkok and stay three nights, fly to Chiang Mai for four nights, fly to Krabi and base yourself in Ao Nang for three nights, take the morning ferry to Phuket for the final three nights, and fly home from Phuket. That is 13 nights across four bases with two domestic flights, one ferry and no night buses. If you only want one beach base, or your ticket returns from Bangkok, the variations below show what changes and what it costs you.

Your two-week route at a glance

Who this route suits, and who should change it

This plan is built for a first or second visit between November and February, for travellers who want the three classic regions without a rental car and without spending every second day in transit. It assumes you are happy to fly twice within Thailand, that you would rather have two empty days than a fourth region, and that you can arrive in Bangkok and leave from Phuket. It works for couples, friends and families with school-age children, because no single travel day is longer than about five hours door to door.

Change it if any of these apply. If you have 10 or 12 days, use the shorter versions further down rather than compressing every base. If your flights are a round trip to Bangkok, read the Day 14 note before you book anything else. If you are travelling from mid-February onwards, the northern haze season starts to matter and the month-by-region guide explains when to swap Chiang Mai for something else. And if you already know you want one beach base rather than two, the Phuket or Krabi comparison settles it in a few minutes.

Four decisions to make before you book

Open-jaw flights: in Bangkok, out Phuket

The route runs north first and finishes on the coast, so the cleanest ticket is a multi-city booking into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and home from Phuket. Phuket is a major international gateway with long-haul flights and extra winter capacity from Europe; TUI, for example, adds a further weekly London Gatwick flight for winter 2026/27, and Virgin Atlantic has announced a seasonal London Heathrow service from October 2026. If a multi-city fare is much more expensive than a round trip to Bangkok, keep the route as it is and add a domestic flight from Phuket to Bangkok on Day 14 with at least four hours before your long-haul departure, or move the last night to Bangkok and fly up on the evening of Day 13.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai: fly by default, take the sleeper if you want the train

A non-stop flight takes about 1 h 20 and runs from both Bangkok airports throughout the day. The alternative is Special Express No. 9, the modern sleeper, which leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal at 18:40 and arrives in Chiang Mai at 07:15. The train does not change the number of nights in the plan; it moves one Bangkok hotel night onto the rails and gives you a full Day 4 in Chiang Mai from breakfast. It does need booking the moment sales open, 90 days before departure, because December berths go early. The train or flight guide compares timings, fares and what each option does to your Bangkok days.

Two coastal bases or one

Ao Nang plus Phuket gives you Railay's limestone and the quieter Krabi boat trips, then Phuket's Old Town, its long west-coast beaches and the easiest airport for a long-haul departure. The price is one transfer day, Day 11, spent partly on a ferry. If you would rather not move again, take six nights in one place: Phuket if flight choice and variety matter most, Ao Nang if scenery and cheaper island hopping matter more.

Which weekday to arrive

Two weekly markets are worth planning around. Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok runs on Saturday and Sunday, and Chiang Mai's walking-street markets run on Saturday (Wualai Road) and Sunday (Ratchadamnoen Road). Arriving on a Friday puts the weekend in Bangkok for Chatuchak; arriving on a Wednesday puts Saturday and Sunday in Chiang Mai for the walking streets. Pick the one you care about more, then let the flight fares decide.

Day-by-day plan

Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok

Most flights from Europe and North America land between morning and early afternoon after an overnight sector. Plan nothing beyond the transfer, a shower and a walk. From Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link runs to Phaya Thai, where you can continue by BTS or taxi; a taxi straight from the airport is simpler with luggage and takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half depending on traffic. Stay in the old town by the river if temples are your priority, or near a BTS station in Silom or Sukhumvit if you prefer easy transit and evening food. Submit your Thailand Digital Arrival Card online three days before you land; it is free and mandatory for every foreign passenger.

Day 2: Old Bangkok on foot and by river

Be at the Grand Palace when the gates open. The complex and Wat Phra Kaew enforce a dress code (covered shoulders and knees for everyone), and the first hour is markedly cooler and emptier than mid-morning. Walk south to Wat Pho for the reclining Buddha and the massage school, then take the cross-river ferry to Wat Arun. Late afternoon light on the prang, seen from the opposite bank, is the classic view. Finish with dinner in Chinatown or along the river; both are a short taxi ride away.

Day 3: Markets, canals and a half-day buffer

Treat this as a flexible day. On a Saturday or Sunday, Chatuchak Weekend Market fills the morning. On a weekday, choose between Jim Thompson House, a canal boat along the khlongs, or an unhurried street-food walk through Bang Rak. Keep the afternoon loose; this is where jet lag catches up. If you have chosen the sleeper train, check out in the morning, leave bags at the hotel, and be at Krung Thep Aphiwat by 18:00 for the 18:40 departure.

Day 4: Fly to Chiang Mai

Book a departure before noon. Chiang Mai's airport sits a short taxi ride from the old city, so even a 10:00 flight leaves you a whole afternoon. Start inside the moat with Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh, then Wat Chiang Man, the city's oldest temple, and settle into the pace of the lanes. Stay inside or just outside the old-city moat for walkability, or in Nimman if you prefer cafés and newer hotels.

Day 5: Doi Suthep and a slow afternoon

Go up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep early. Shared red songthaews leave from near the zoo and the university once they fill; the climb takes roughly half an hour to three quarters, and a Grab is the fallback if you do not want to wait. December mornings are cool on the mountain, around 15 °C at dawn in the city and cooler higher up, so carry a layer. Come down for lunch and spend the afternoon on Wat Umong, a cooking class or simply the cafés. In the evening the night bazaar runs daily; the walking-street markets are Saturday and Sunday only.

Day 6: Doi Inthanon, or elephants without riding

Doi Inthanon National Park is a full day with a hired driver or a small-group tour: Wachirathan Waterfall, the summit, the twin pagodas and the Kew Mae Pan nature trail, which is normally open in the cool season and closed during the rains. Confirm the trail status with your driver on the day, and expect to pay the park's per-person entry at the gate. If you would rather spend the day with elephants, choose a sanctuary that allows no riding, no shows and no bathing crowds, and book it from Chiang Mai rather than through a hotel tout.

Day 7: Buffer day in Chiang Mai

This day is deliberately empty. If Doi Inthanon was rained off, do it now. If everything went to plan, cycle out to Wiang Kum Kam, the ruined city south of town, wander the moat lanes, do laundry, and have an early night before the coast. Do not fill it in advance.

Day 8: Fly to Krabi, settle into Ao Nang

Thai AirAsia flies non-stop from Chiang Mai to Krabi in about 1 h 50, with departures spread through the day; take a morning or early-afternoon flight so you reach Ao Nang in daylight. From Krabi airport, shared shuttle vans and taxis run to Ao Nang in about 45 minutes to an hour. If the non-stop flight on your date does not work, fly Chiang Mai to Phuket instead and run the coast in reverse: Phuket first, ferry to Ao Nang, and depart from Krabi via Bangkok. Stay in Ao Nang itself rather than Railay for these three nights; it keeps the ferry on Day 11 simple.

Day 9: Railay by long-tail

Long-tail boats leave Ao Nang beach for Railay West when they fill, a crossing of about 15 minutes. Walk through to Phra Nang Cave Beach, climb to the viewpoint if the path is dry, and swim between the karst towers. Railay is boat-only, so check the time of the last boat back and keep your phone and passport in a dry bag.

Day 10: Islands, or nothing

Choose one boat day: the Hong Islands by long-tail, a Four Islands trip, or Phi Phi by speedboat. Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September and is open in this window. This is also the coast's weather buffer; if the sea is rough or you are tired, swap it with Day 9 or drop the boat and keep the beach.

Day 11: Ferry to Phuket

The daily high-season ferry leaves Nopparat Thara pier in Ao Nang at 10:30 and reaches Rassada pier in Phuket at about 12:30. Some operators sell a combined Ao Nang, Phi Phi and Phuket ticket with a few hours on Phi Phi; confirm the onward departure when you book. The road fallback is a minivan or taxi of about three hours. From Rassada, Phuket Old Town is 15 minutes by taxi and the west-coast beaches around 45. Base yourself in the Old Town for character and short transfers, or at Kata, Karon or Nai Harn for a beach outside the door.

Day 12: Old Town and the south of the island

Spend the morning on Thalang, Dibuk and Yaowarat Roads, the pastel shophouses and the coffee. Phuket's distances are longer than they look, so group the south into one afternoon: the Big Buddha above Chalong, then Rawai and the Phromthep Cape sunset. If Day 12 is a Sunday, the Old Town walking street runs in the evening.

Day 13: Beach day and final buffer

A beach day at Kata, Karon or Nai Harn, or a Phang Nga Bay trip if you skipped the boats in Krabi. Keep it undemanding and be back in time to pack. Do not book a boat if your flight on Day 14 is early.

Day 14: Depart from Phuket

Allow 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter to reach the airport from the Old Town or the west-coast beaches, and be there three hours before a long-haul departure. With a round-trip ticket to Bangkok, fly Phuket to Bangkok first (about 1 h 20) with a connection of at least four hours, or spend the final night in Bangkok and fly up the evening before.

How to book the transport

• Domestic flights. Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air fly from Don Mueang; Thai Airways and Thai Vietjet fly from Suvarnabhumi; Bangkok Airways appears at both, so read your booking. Both airports have Chiang Mai flights through the day. For Chiang Mai to Krabi, Thai AirAsia shows non-stop flights through December; Chiang Mai to Phuket has more choice. Book the December legs as soon as your dates are fixed, and check which Bangkok airport you are leaving from before you book the hotel.
• The sleeper train. Book on the State Railway of Thailand's D-Ticket site, which opens sales 90 days ahead. For 15 December 2026, at the time of checking, a second-class air-conditioned berth on No. 9 cost 938 to 1,038 baht and a first-class berth 1,446 to 1,646 baht. First class on the older No. 13 was already on a waiting list at the 90-day mark.
• The ferry. Ao Nang to Phuket runs daily in the high season; the operator warns that low-season sailings are not daily. Buy a day or two ahead from any Ao Nang agent or the pier; the operator listing at the time of writing quoted 900 baht.
• Local transport. Grab works in all four bases. Chiang Mai's red songthaews and Bangkok's BTS, MRT and river boats are cheap and easy; Phuket's Smart Bus links the airport with the west-coast beaches. Agree taxi fares before you get in where there is no meter.

Best time for this route

November to February is the dry, cooler season across Bangkok, the north and the Andaman coast, which is why this plan stays on the Andaman side. The Gulf islands (Samui, Phangan, Tao) are still in their wet season in November and December; Thai Meteorological Department normals give Ko Samui about 490 mm of rain in November against roughly 174 mm for Phuket, and Phuket drops again to about 62 mm in December. Chiang Mai is at its best in December and January, with cool mornings and warm, clear days. From late February into April the north's smoke season builds, so an early-year trip should watch the air-quality forecasts or reorder to put the coast last.

Shorter, slower and reversed versions

• 12 days. Drop Ao Nang: fly Chiang Mai to Phuket on Day 8 and take five nights there, with Phi Phi as a day trip. Or keep both coasts and trim Bangkok to two nights and Chiang Mai to three.
• 10 days. Bangkok 2, Chiang Mai 3, one coastal base 4, flying every leg. Skip Doi Inthanon and the islands unless the weather is settled.
• Slower. Cut Phuket and give Ao Nang six nights, with Railay, the Hong Islands and a rest day; fly home from Krabi via Bangkok.
• Reversed. For arrivals via Phuket, or if you want to end in Bangkok for shopping and a late flight: Phuket 3, Ao Nang 3, fly Krabi to Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 4, fly to Bangkok 3.

What to leave for another trip

Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Pai and Chiang Rai each cost a night that this plan needs elsewhere; add them only by removing a whole base, not by shaving a night from every stop. Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe deserve their own southern trip. And leave the Gulf islands for a trip between February and September, when their weather turns.

Common mistakes

• Booking a round-trip to Bangkok and only then realising the route ends 700 km south. Decide the ticket shape first.
• Flying to Chiang Mai from the wrong Bangkok airport. Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi are on opposite sides of the city.
• Waiting to book the sleeper train. December berths are constrained from the day sales open.
• Staying on Railay when you have a ferry to catch. The long-tail to Ao Nang adds a step to an already fixed morning.
• Adding a Gulf island in December because a friend loved it in July.
• Scheduling a boat trip on the last day. Keep Day 13 loose and Day 14 for the airport.

Entry rules and practical notes for winter 2026–27

Every foreign passenger must also complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online, submitted three days before arrival; keep the confirmation on your phone. Thailand's public holidays in this window include 5 December, 10 December, 31 December and 1 January; tourism runs as normal, but government offices close and domestic flights around New Year fill early. Carry a light layer for Chiang Mai mornings and the sleeper train, reef-safe sunscreen for the islands, and a dry bag for boat days. Tap water is not for drinking; refill stations and bottled water are everywhere.

Photo credits

Railay, Krabi by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (cover; resized for web display). Wat Phra That Doi Suthep by Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0. Buildings in Old Phuket Town by Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0. All via Wikimedia Commons.