Authentic Thailand is not found in many places anymore. Therefore, especially for you, we have created this itinerary for Southern Thailand that will take you to the more authentic places. If you go to Thailand for 3 weeks you will have to make many choices, of course you can never see everything. After all, Thailand is a pretty big country. In this authentic travel itinerary for 3 weeks in Southern Thailand, we skip Northern Thailand with Chiang Mai and Pai and thus head south from Bangkok alone. This saves a lot of miles and time. This allows you to travel more freely and end up seeing more of Thailand’s destinations.
Content of this blog:
Bangkok: 3 days
How to get to Bangkok: there are several daily flights to Thailand from a lot of places in the world. You can choose a direct flight or one with a transfer, which is often a bit cheaper. Through Skyscanner, you’ll see the cheapest option for your dates. Are you flexible in your dates? Then you can compare prices online to leave a few days earlier or later. This can save you a lot of money.
Activities in Bangkok: Your journey in Thailand begins, of course, in chaotic Bangkok. There is little authenticity here but there are certainly still beautiful places to be found. You can do many activities in Bangkok. Therefore, you can easily stay here for 4 weeks and still not have seen everything. We won’t do that now, of course, but make sure you start your trip slowly and take time to get used to the heat and recover from your jet lag. Stay at least 3-4 days in Bangkok and get to know this immense city. Take a fun cooking class, explore (lesser-known) temples and go to a Muay Thai match in the evening. Also read our article on the 15 most fun activities in Bangkok for more inspiration.
Tip: Transportation in Bangkok can be chaotic. Check out the 8 best options for transportation in Bangkok and check which one you want to use!
Accommodation in Bangkok: Going solo in Thailand? Then the Here Hostel and Back Home Backpackers hostel are the coziest and most social hostels to stay at. You will probably meet nice people here right away that you will even travel with later on! On the contrary, if you are looking for a nice hotel, in our opinion, Casa Nithra and Reno hotel are the best hotels in Bangkok: they both have a nice pool and they are right in the center of Bangkok.
Ayutthaya: 2 days
How to get to Ayutthaya: The easiest way to get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is by train. This one leaves every hour and also lasts only an hour. Tickets are available for as little as ā¬2! You can also choose to go by bus or minivan. Tickets can be purchased in advance, if desired, through 12GO.Asia.
Things to do in Ayutthaya: Ayutthaya is known for its many temples and ruins. Therefore, you will start admiring these right away today. Get on a bike, rent a motorbike or tour around by tuktuk. Make sure you also learn a little about Ayutthaya’s history. You can do this by hiring a guide, arranging an audio tour or buying an information booklet. This makes it even more interesting to see the temples in Ayutthaya.
Accommodation in Ayutthaya: 2 nice hostels in Ayutthaya are Early Bird Hostel and Zleepinezz Hostel. You can easily arrange bicycles at both hostels to explore Ayutthaya on your own or motorbike if you wish.
If you prefer a private room, Siri Guesthouse is a fine (budget) option with clean rooms and friendly staff. Just want to go for something more luxurious? Then check out the amazing Ayutthaya Retreat.
Khao Sok: 3 days
How to get to Khao Sok: From Ayutthaya, you must first return to Bangkok. You can do this again by train which only takes an hour. From here starts a long day of travel. You have three different options for getting to Khao Sok from Bangkok:
- You can choose to take an overnight bus to Surat Thani and from there take a minivan / cab / grab to Khao Sok.
- Or you take the night train to Surat Thani and from there continue to Khao Sok by minivan / taxi/ grab.
- Or you book a flight to Surat Thani and continue by minivan / cab / grab to Khao Sok.
Make sure you book any bus, train or plane tickets well in advance. For the entire course, visit 12GO.Asia.
Things to do in Khao Sok: You really come to Khao Sok for one thing: the magical overnight tour on Lake Khao Sok. Here you are going to see the beautiful nature of Thailand during the more than 24 hours in the national park. You stay overnight on a floating cabin on the lake, how fun is that! Read this article for all our tips for the overnight tour in Khao Sok as well as a handy packing list.
Accommodation in Khao Sok: To get into the national park, you should always book a tour. It is not possible to enter the national park on your own. Still, you have to spend one night in Khao Sok Village before you can do the tour because you have a long day of travel. We recommend booking your overnight stay at Palmview Resort in Khao Sok Village. The owner is the friendliest Thai man ever who makes you laugh so hard that the whole jungle joins in. He can also arrange the overnight tour for you, if you contact him in advance through booking.com.
Koh Yao Noi: 4 days
How to get to Koh Yao Noi: From Khao Sok, you’ll probably travel by minivan or cab to Phang Nga. From Phang Nga, you sail to Koh Yao Noi in 1.5 hours. In Khao Sok, make sure you arrange the itinerary with your accommodation in advance. They can help you with that very well. When you return from the overnight tour, you can board immediately so you will arrive in Koh Yao Noi the same day.
Things to do in Koh Yao Noi: Koh Yao Noi is known as a truly authentic Thai island. Many locals still live here, you can see the cows walking the streets and there is a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere. You encounter very few other tourists, which is exactly what makes it so nice. You can enjoy riding the motorbike or biking/mountain biking around the island to all the different beaches. You can also take a Muay Thai workout or a yoga class! Check out the best activities and tips for Koh Yao Noi.
From Koh Yao Noi, you can also take a day trip to our southern neighbor: Koh Yao Yai. This island is even more undiscovered than Koh Yao Noi: you will encounter almost no other tourists here. Still, we found this a very nice island to stay for 3 days. Especially since the beach to the northeast is perhaps the most beautiful beach in all of Thailand: Lam Haed Beach. We really loved this. Also check out our article on Koh Yao Yai.
Tip: On the islands, the easiest form of transportation is to rent a motorbike. There are risks involved here, however: in fact, without a motorcycle license, you are not insured if you have an accident. Beforehand, read this article for more explanation on renting a scooter in Asia.
Accommodation in Koh Yao Noi: It is most pleasant to stay on the east coast of Koh Yao Noi. Here you will find most of the restaurants and cafes. The nicest bungalows on the east coast are: Koh Yao Seaview and Sabai Corner Bungalow. The Awana Villa Resort is a great place if you want to be totally pampered. Already available from ā¬65 per night through this link.
Koh Ngai: 2 days
How to get to Koh Ngai: There are several ways to get from Koh Yao Noi to Koh Ngai. On 12GO.Asia you will see the option to go directly by speedboat. This takes 3.5 hours but is also pricey (ā¬50). If necessary, you can ask tour operators in Koh Yao Noi about the best way to Koh Ngai. If you can get to Koh Lanta then speedboats also go to Koh Ngai from there. These take another 1 hour from Koh Lanta.
Things to do in Koh Ngai: In Koh Ngai, you do nothing for a while. The island consists of one large, elongated sandy beach on which you will find resorts and bungalows. So you come here mostly to relax, sunbathe and swim. The nice thing is that you can snorkel right from the beach: you will immediately see beautiful fish, coral and several special starfish. Hiking is also good on Koh Ngai. You walk right through the jungle, past hundreds of palm trees, and you just don’t run into anyone. Really very special!
Accommodation in Koh Ngai: Because Koh Ngai is so small, there is also very little choice in terms of accommodations and prices are somewhat higher than in the rest of Thailand. The two cheapest options are Koh Ngai Seafood and Koh Ngai Resort. Do you have a little more to spend? Then check out Coco Cottage, this is really a great place to stay in Koh Ngai!
Koh Muk: 3 days
How to get to Koh Muk: From Koh Ngai, you catch the speedboat to Koh Muk in half an hour. You can arrange tickets for the speedboat at your accommodation in Koh Ngai or online through 12GO.Asia.
Things to do in Koh Muk: Koh Muk is our favorite island in Thailand. It has a truly authentic atmosphere, some fun activities and a beautiful beach. From Koh Muk you can take a day trip to the nearby island of Koh Kradan where you can do some great snorkeling. Furthermore, you can canoe to the extraordinary Emerald Cave (tip: leave early so you get there before all the other tourists). In the evening, end the day with a beautiful sunset at the fine Charlie Beach. We fell a little in love with Koh Muk, chances are you will too š
Accommodation in Koh Muk: There are many different price ranges in Koh Muk. For example, there is one hostel for solo travelers: the Koh Mook Hostel. Furthermore, Mookies Bungalow is a fine budget stay, close to the beach and with fun activities. Do you want something really luxurious as a finale? Then check out Sivalai Beach Resort. This really is the ultimate paradise on the most beautiful beach!
Back to Bangkok
Your 3-week tour of Thailand is nearing its end. From Koh Muk, take the boat to Ao Nang. From Ao Nang, you can go to the airport in Krabi. Here you will take a domestic flight to Bangkok. Check skyscanner for the cheapest options on this route.
Pay close attention! In fact, there are two different airports in Bangkok:
- Don Mueang airport, this is where domestic flights arrive and depart.
- Suvarnabhumi International airport, this is the airport where international flights arrive and depart.
So if you have a domestic flight first and an international one right after that you’re not going to make it. It’s a 45-minute drive, in Bangkok’s chaotic traffic, to the other airport. Rather, book one more night at a hotel near Suvarnabhumi airport so you won’t be in a hurry to catch your flight the next day anyway. A fine hotel near the airport is Gate 43 Airport Hotel.
Do you have longer and want to add more destinations to this list? Then look here for all our Thailand blogs or check out our popular 3-week South Thailand itinerary.
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