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rural chiang rai
18 Days Itineraries Thailand Vietnam

Northern Loops of Thailand and Vietnam

Most suited for
Families, Couples
Ideal time to visit
November – April

Loop through the north of both Vietnam and Thailand, steering away from the typical route. Unlike many Vietnam and Thailand holidays, this is about much more than ticking off the main sights.

It’s about discovering extraordinary scenery, genuine interactions with locals, and some of the best food in Asia. It’s also a great way to see the marked contrasts between these two near neighbouring countries.

This holiday has an element of adventure, but you’ll always return to a very comfortable bed. Accommodation ranges from beautiful, hidden boutique hotels to local homestays. Activities are, as always, very carefully planned and tailored to you. Plus, with just one domestic flight, this is a beautiful option for those who prefer to soak up the atmosphere by traveling overland.

Either loop can be reduced in length if you are short on time, and it’s possible to tag on a beach stay at the end of the holiday in either country.

      

white temple

Trip Highlights

Immerse yourself in each region's way of life. Your guides will help you connect with people in a way that's authentic and respectful as you get to know the local culture and customs

Discover some of the most beautiful scenery of Southeast Asia. From walking or cycling through paddy fields and exploring limestone caves in Vietnam to waterfalls and birdlife in the bamboo forests of Thailand

Hanoi alleys

Get swept up in Chiang Mai and Hanoi. Explore the two cities on insider's tours of the backstreets, temples, and traditional, lesser-explored districts

Northern Loops of Thailand and Vietnam

As with all our holidays, this itinerary is just a starting point. We will create a bespoke package which will be completely unique for you. 

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Day 1

Your adventure begins

Depart your home country on your flight to Thailand.

Days 2 - 3

Chiang Rai

On arrival, you’ll be met by your guide and driver for the transfer to your hotel. The sleepy city of Chiang Rai lies on the banks of the Kok River, and here you can visit one of the most extraordinary temples in Thailand, adorned with gleaming white sculptures. In the evening, your guide will take you to eat, drink and haggle your way through the night market, which is less busy than but equally atmospheric as those in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

You’ll also explore the countryside surrounding the city. Take in dramatic hills, unusual cave temples and fields of pineapple, stopping for a slice of the freshly-picked fruit along your way. By night, you’ll stay at a boutique resort in the countryside which has an infinity pool and mountain views.

rural chiang rai
Days 4 - 6

Phayao Adventure

Depart Chiang Rai, travelling south by road with your guide and spend the next three days discovering the beauty of the Phayao province. This area is untouched by mass tourism, and a stay here will reveal a side of Thailand you didn’t know existed.

The town of Phayao, centred around an expansive lake, is lovely and here you’ll be taken to a local restaurant to enjoy a tasty Northern Thai speciality, Khao Soi, before a Thai-style punt on the lake and visit to a little-known temple. The surrounding countryside is, in a word, blissful. Here you’ll meet local people and discover the rural ways of life before your guide takes you to a fascinating hidden mountain spot.

During your travels through the province, you’ll stay as a guest of the welcoming communities in their homestays, eating authentic, mouth-watering meals (topped with Thai basil you can even pick yourself from their garden). If you wish, you can help out your hosts in making a famous local dessert, Khao Khuob, consisting of sticky rice with coconut wrapped in bananas leaves.

During your time in this region, you’ll also have the chance to discover the waterfalls and birdlife residing in the bamboo forests of Doi Luang National Park.

While travelling through the province, you’ll stay in some wonderful homestays as a guest of the friendly communities and enjoy deliciously authentic home-cooked meals. On day seven, you will be transferred to Chiang Rai for your onward flight to Bangkok.

Days 7 - 9

Chiang Mai

You’re firmly back on the tourist route in Chiang Mai, but the historic city is not to be missed, and you’ll stay in a beautiful boutique hotel within the old city walls. Explore the area on our signature tour, observing Buddhist monks collecting their alms at dawn and tasting the local street food to get a real feel of the Thai traditions and culture. Another highlight is paying a visit to a sanctuary for rescued elephants, a truly memorable and educational experience.

Days 10 - 11

Ba Vi Mountain National Park

Board a midday flight from Chiang Mai to Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, where on arrival your local guide and driver will meet you and transfer you into Ba Vi Mountain National Park. The forested area is just a 55km drive, but feels like a world away from the bustling city, offering a tranquil gateway to the country’s mountainous, scenic north.

Days 12 - 13

Pu Luong Nature Reserve

Drive past breathtaking mountain scenery, into the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, lying along two mountain ridges. During your two-night stay at the Pu Luong Retreat, picnic lunches and dinners are included, while you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy a range of activities.

Explore the beautiful retreat that provides captivating panoramic views in a tranquil setting. Head out on a bamboo river raft, cruising along the Cham river, or descend into the beautiful valley for a walk around tumbling rice terraces. Interact with the villagers living in the hills above the retreat, getting a glimpse into daily life and textile crafts as you explore the working farmland and rice fields.

Days 14 - 15

Ninh Binh & Trang An Ecosystem

Departing Pu Luong, you’ll travel east through the beautiful countryside to Trang An Ecosystem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Ninh Binh province. Here you’ll board a small sampan (rowing boat), travelling along the river flanked by dramatic limestone mountains and green fields. During your two night stay in the region, you’ll stay in a boutique retreat amidst paddy fields with a swimming pool to relax by.

Head out on a cycling tour through the quiet and peaceful trails, soak in the magnificent beauty amongst the mountains or take a short hike to the top of Hang Mua for a spectacular aerial view of the region. Stop at a local house in a peaceful village before a chance to visit Bai Dinh Temple, Vietnam’s largest Buddhist temple complex and an important pilgrimage site.

Ninh Binh
Days 16 - 17

Hanoi

Spend the last two days of your holiday in Hanoi, enjoying a range of exclusive and unique experiences accompanied by your private guide. Get out early to explore the colourful markets, quiet streets and stroll around the lake. Along the way you may catch the Hanoians practising badminton, t’ai chi and open-air aerobics. Immerse yourself in the old town with its railway line running through the streets as residents go about their daily lives almost oblivious to the slow-moving trains!

Sip on Vietnamese coffee or a cold local beer and discover the city’s distinctive and lively street food culture. Marvel at the French colonial architecture and weave through the labyrinthine of alleyways in the old quarter. There are many museums to visit as well depending on your interests, covering the ancient history, military history, fine arts or the serene Temple of Literature.

Day 18

Fly home

Fly home from Hanoi or extend your trip to visit one of the beautiful beach areas.

Amazing cultural and relaxing experience in Thailand

ETG picked such a good range of places allowing us to sample the big cities, the very rural villages and the people who lived there, the jungle and national parks and the beaches. The booking and arrangement was made very simple... The company included surprise activities (a paid-for fancy dinner and massages). Would highly recommend!
Lil
11 June 2025

Excellent850 Reviews

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What’s included:

With ETG, what’s included is shaped around ease. We take care of the practical details that can distract from the experience itself, so you’re free to relax into the journey and enjoy it as it unfolds. 

Here’s what comes as standard in all of our holidays:

All flights (unless you’ve booked your own)
Carefully selected guides and drivers
All accommodation
Many meals and snacks
Immersive experiences throughout
All regional transport
Gratuities
24/7 In-Country support
Personal travel consultant throughout

Pricing:

Each journey is shaped around you, so costs vary depending on season, flight choices, accommodation and how much is built in. 

As a guide, most of our two-week trips fall between £5,000 and £10,000 per person. 

Some fall below that, particularly for families or travel outside peak periods. Others go beyond it when the brief includes business-class flights, longer stays, or more ambitious hotel choices. 

We discuss budget early, so everything is clear from the start. 

 

Meet Our Experts

Ella is a Southeast Asia expert. Her first trip to the region shifted her perspective fast. It was the everyday moments, not the big sights, that won her over. Now she helps travellers experience Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam beyond the obvious, gently reworking familiar routes, slowing the pace and shaping holidays that feel thoughtful, personal and refreshingly unformulaic.

“This route gives you time to notice things. The food, the scenery, the way daily life unfolds in the north of both countries. Travelling overland makes a real difference, and by the end you feel like you’ve seen a side of Thailand and Vietnam that many people miss.”

Ella
Regional Expert
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Explore Our Hotels & Villas

Wherever you go, and whatever you do, at the end of every day you can always be sure of a comfortable rest. Every location on our list of hotels is handpicked, and in its own way, shares the history, the hospitality, and the soul of the destination. Below are some examples of the different hotels we use.

Aira Boutique Pool

Hanoi - Superior

Aira Boutique

Ninh Binh - Comfort

Tam Coc Garden

Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat

Hanoi - Superior

Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat

Chiang Rai & The Golden Triangle - Superior

Phu-Chaisai

Chiang Mai - Deluxe

Rachamankha

North Vietnam - Comfort

Pu Luong Retreat

The ETG Guarantee

We guarantee you an experience no one else has ever had. 

The travel magic you’ll remember won’t be found on a well-trodden – or over-Instagrammed – itinerary. It will be the surprises, discoveries and secrets that you’ll uncover along the way with us.

Do you ever feel like people aren’t listening to you?  

We get it. And we will – that’s a promise. Your holiday starts with a proper, no-pressure call to understand what you want, what you don’t want, and what matters to you. From there, we create a completely unique adventure, inspired by our conversation together.

And because of our long-standing relationships with trusted partners across Asia, you’ll have access to experiences you can’t find on Google. The kind of special experiences that are literally impossible to find on your own.

Experiences in Thailand & Vietnam

Crafting bespoke packages is the heart of what we do. Each holiday is specially designed to confound preconceptions and share magical, memorable, and truly exceptional experiences.

Hanoi

A Tribute to Uncle Ho

Hanoi

Water Puppets Performance

Hanoi

Hanoi Social Enterprise Lunch

Train Vietnam

Hanoi

Reunification Express Train

Pu Luong

Pu Luong

Walking and Cycling

Hanoi

Museum of Ethnology

Hanoi

History Tour by Military Jeep

Hanoi

Early Morning Hanoi Tai chi

Hanoi

Cultural Tour by Jeep

Important FAQs about Thailand

At Experience Travel Group, we’ve been crafting immersive holidays in Thailand for around 20 years and some of our team live there. Our in-depth local knowledge, long-standing partnerships and network of specialist local guides, we can really help you under the skin of the country and discover her secret sides.

Over the years, we’ve developed enriching experiences that bring together cultural depth and give you the freedom to explore. Think hands-on food adventures in Bangkok’s backstreets, access to peaceful beaches, countryside stays where local life still ticks to its own rhythm, or journeys into the mountainous north to meet the hill tribes – all bespoke to you.

With our expert planning and on-the-ground support, you can get into holiday mode knowing everything’s covered – while still having the freedom to discover Thailand your way. We don’t do cookie-cutter trips. Every holiday is personal, every route considered, and every detail designed to show you a side of Thailand that most visitors miss.

So come with us, to the Thailand we know and love.

In general, November to April is the most popular time, with warm, dry weather across most of the country – ideal for both exploring and beach time. But Thailand’s seasons aren’t as simple as they look, and with a little know-how, there’s somewhere worth visiting year-round.

The Andaman Coast (Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta) is at its sunniest between November and April, while the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao) comes into its own from February to August when the west coast monsoon winds bring in rain to the west coast. With its mountains and cooler breezes, Northern Thailand is best for trekking and outdoor adventures from November to February.

Travelling during the “green season” (roughly May to October) can be rewarding: fewer crowds, greener landscapes, and lower hotel rates. Rain tends to arrive in short, heavy bursts rather than all day, leaving plenty of sunshine in between. National parks are glorious at this time, with waterfalls in full flow. During late August and September, Thailand often experiences flooding, so this time is usually best avoided, though even then, you can still visit many of the beach destinations very happily.

The months of April and October are the turning points worth considering for great-value travel, with fairly reliable weather. In April, the Songkran New Year festival is a joy to be part of, if you don’t mind getting a soaking from a water pistol (or water blaster!). The rates fall dramatically compared with March. While Songkran marks the start of the rainy season, it has not fully kicked in. It can be a good time to travel throughout the country for those who can put up with some serious heat and humidity. In October, the rains tend to fall away as Thailand returns towards the settled November weather.

So while November to March might be the sweet spot for most of Thailand, there’s always a way to plan a Thailand holiday that fits your timing – and often, going slightly against the grain can mean quieter beaches, great value and a richer experience.

Every ETG holiday is designed to feel seamless, immersive and stress free. We’ll arrange international flights (if you’d like us to), your drivers and guides, and stays in characterful hotels we know and trust.

You’ll experience the country in a way that’s completely bespoke to you – from quiet moments to big adventures – all planned by our specialists. And while you’re away, our local team is on hand 24/7, so you’ll always feel well looked after.