Thailand North to South: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai & Koh Lanta

Private airport transfer to the Capella Bangkok, a contemporary luxury hotel on the Chao Phraya River with one of the finest riverside positions in the city. Welcome dinner at the hotel's celebrated Côte restaurant.

Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho in the morning with your private guide. Afternoon: Wat Arun across the river, then the Thonburi canal network by private long-tail boat. Evening free.

Drive north to Ayutthaya — the second Thai capital, sacked by the Burmese in 1767, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary ruined temples. The headless Buddha statues and crumbling prangs have a haunting beauty. Return to Bangkok in time for dinner.

Fly Bangkok–Chiang Mai (included), then drive south-east to Sukhothai — Thailand's first capital, founded in the 13th century. Two nights at a resort adjacent to the historical park. This evening, a sunset walk through the illuminated ruins.

A 06:30 start for the greatest possible experience of Sukhothai: bicycling through the historical park as the sun rises over the lotus-filled moats and illuminates the seated Buddhas in golden-hour light. Afterwards, drive to the even less-visited Si Satchanalai — Sukhothai's sister city, with fewer tourists and arguably more intact ruins. Return for afternoon rest.

Drive north through the foothills to Chiang Mai (approximately 5 hours, with a stop at Wang Kum Kam — an ancient Lanna city predating Chiang Mai itself, largely still buried underground). Arrive at the Dhara Dhevi in time for dinner in your villa.

Morning in the walled old city: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and the Three Kings Monument. Lunch at a recommended restaurant near Tha Phae Gate. Afternoon drive to Doi Suthep for sunset at the mountain temple.

Morning at the ethical elephant sanctuary. Afternoon: market visit and cooking class at a Chiang Mai cookery school, preparing a 4-course northern Thai meal that you'll eat together with your guide.

Drive north to Chiang Rai (2.5 hours). Visit Wat Rong Khun — the astonishing all-white temple completed by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, its surface inlaid with mirror glass — and the Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten). Overnight in Chiang Rai.

Drive to the Golden Triangle — the meeting point of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, once the world's largest opium-growing region. The Hall of Opium museum tells this history compellingly. Cross the Mekong by long-tail boat to the Laos river island of Don Sao for an afternoon wander. Return to Chiang Mai by afternoon flight or road.

Fly Chiang Mai–Krabi (via Bangkok if required), then private transfer to the Pimalai Resort on Koh Lanta. The journey ends at a resort whose 900-metre private beach, turquoise lagoon and forested headlands represent the Andaman coast at its most unspoilt.

A full-day boat tour of Koh Lanta Marine National Park — snorkelling the pristine coral reefs of Koh Rok Nok and Koh Rok Nai, two uninhabited islands with crystal-clear water and some of the best coral in the Andaman. A picnic lunch on the beach.

Morning sea kayaking through the mangrove channels of Ban Klong Nin — a genuinely wild experience, paddling beneath arching mangrove roots with kingfishers overhead. Afternoon: Koh Lanta Old Town, a charming 19th-century fishing settlement of wooden Sino-Portuguese shophouses on stilts above the sea.

A day with no schedule. The private beach stretches for 900 metres. The spa offers Thai massage and body treatments. The Rak Talay restaurant serves Thai and seafood. Or simply float in the sea.

Transfer by boat or road to Krabi Airport for onward flights. Your driver sees you off with the traditional Thai blessing: "Hom choke dee" — good luck.