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Destination
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Trip duration
7 days, 6 nights
Day 1
Bangkok – Phitsanuloke
For a journey back in time, we leave behind the capital city’s contemporary skyline and embark on a history-soaked road trip that winds its way up to the historic city of Phitsanulok. From Bangkok, we hit the road for ancient Ayutthaya, the former capital of the Kingdom of Siam. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Thailand’s major historical and cultural attractions and home to the ruins of palaces, temples, monasteries and statues dotted across a 4-km wide island at the confluence of three rivers. We explore the site by tuk-tuk, which enables a greater physical connection with amazing sites, including the famed Buddha head engulfed by the roots of an overgrown banyan tree, plus magnificent Wat Maha Dhat. We then continue to Lopburi, where we take lunch, followed by a visit to the Narai Raja Nives Palace, Prang Sam Yod (the Sacred Three-Spired Pagoda) and the Monkey Temple. In the afternoon, we continue on our drive to Phitsanulok, with an evening trishaw ride to explore the city’s famed night market, which has abundant food options and great bargains. Overnight at The Imperial Hotel and Convention Centre.
Food
-/L/-
Accommodation
The Imperial Hotel and Convention Centre
Day 2
Phitsanuloke – Sukhothai
We take a journey back in time today with exploration of ancient temples and heritage sites. Our morning gets off to a spiritual start with a visit to Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Phitsanulok. This is home to Thailand’s most beautiful Buddha image. We then head to historic Sukhothai, the capital of a kingdom that flourished from the mid-13th to the late-14th centuries. It laid the cultural and political foundation for the realm that became known as Thailand and sits at the centre of the golden era of the country’s development. This heritage can be seen in the 45 sq-km UNESCO World Heritage Site – home to 193 antiquities of royal palaces, temples, city gates and walls, scattered among ponds, rice paddies and villages. Next, we head to Ganesha Pottery Village, where local artisans use ancient sangkhalok skills to produce wonderful hand-painted pieces. Lunch is at a local restaurant, ahead of our drive to our final destination of Sri Satchanalai, the northern outpost of the Kingdom of Sukhothai where we visit Wat Chang Lom and Wat Chedi Jet Thaew. Overnight at Legendha Sukhothai Resort.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Legendha Sukhothai Resort
Day 3
Sukhothai – Chiang Mai
Delve into farming life; stand in awe of the magnificent Emerald Buddha; and sample one of Thailand’s most delicious snacks as we journey to Chiang Mai. Our first stop is the Sukhothai Organic Agriculture Farm where you will help plant, harvest, or mill rice – depending on the season – and plough paddies with a water buffalo. This is seriously good fun and highly educational. Afterwards, we enjoy an organic lunch in an open sala overlooking picturesque rice fields. We then continue to Chiang Mai, via Lampang, where we visit Wat Phra Dhat Lampang Luang, home to the only emerald Buddha statue, besides the one at Wat Phra Keo in Bangkok. After working up an appetite, we get to sample rice crackers during a visit to a domestic factory. Our last stop is at the Kad Ban Ta Market, ahead of our arrival in Chiang Mai. Overnight at The Empress Hotel.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
The Empress Hotel
Day 4
Chiang Mai
Today’s activities involve a fine blend of spirituality and cultural pursuits. An early start is rewarded with participation in a solemn monk alms offering in which we ‘gain merit’ by donating food in return for a blessing. Buddhists believe this ritual is rewarded with happiness. We then return to the hotel for breakfast and then drive up the Serpentine Road to Wat Doi Suthep Temple. This mountain-top shrine, which dates back to 1383, affords spectacular views of Chiang Mai city and the sprawling Ping Valley. We then head to Chiang Mai’s biggest market, Talat Warorod and continue by rickshaw to the city’s oldest temple, Wat Chedi Luang. After lunch, we visit a handicraft village. In the evening we enjoy a unique tradition of Chiang Mai, a khantoke dinner. This culturally rich experience involves dinner and dance and musical performances. The food is served in small bowls known as khan and guests are seated at a low table known as toke. Entertainers will perform intricate dances, including the forn leb finger dance and the ramwong circle dance. Overnight at The Empress Hotel.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
The Empress Hotel
Day 5
Chiang Mai – Thatorn
Combine nature, culture and history on today’s diverse excursion. Our first stop is at an orchid farm to get a colourful insight into the wide variety of species grown in Thailand. Afterwards, we drive to Elephant Poopoo Paper Park, an eco-friendly attraction where we see the transformation of elephant waste into paper. Next is Dara Pirom Palace Museum, an elegant property that belonged to one of the royal consorts of King Rama V. This building has been transformed into a museum and it houses a wide range of exhibits that showcase palace decor, as well as Chiang Mai’s rich culture and history. After lunch, we explore Chiang Dao Cave at Wat Tham Chiang Dao, which is home to sacred Buddha images. Our final destination is Thatorn, a rustic village a few kilometres away from the Myanmar border. Overnight at Maekok River Village Resort.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
Maekok River Village Resort
Day 6
Thatorn – Chiang Rai
For the ultimate get back to nature experience, we explore Chiang Rai’s lush landscapes. Our adventure starts with a journey on simple long-tail motorboats up the Kok River, alongside a scenery of dense jungle foliage and traditional bamboo huts. We jump ashore at Ban Pha Tai and continue by road to Doi Mae Salong, passing through beautiful mountain scenery. Mae Salong sits 1,800 metres above sea level and it is famous for its sprawling tea plantations. This area became home to a Chinese military division in 1961. Near the peak are several tea plantations and tea houses, as the cooler climate at an elevation of 1,800 metres produces superior leaves. Through the Chinese connection, there are also abundant open-air bazaars and shops that sell Chinese specialties, such as preserved fruits.We have lunch here and then drive to Mae Sai, the northernmost Thai town on the Myanmar border, where we browse the local market. We then head to Wat Rong Khun, the ‘white temple,’ which features unique kanok architecture and surreal sculptures designed by famed national artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Overnight at The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort and Spa.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort and Spa
Day 7
Chiang Rai – Bangkok
We leave behind Chiang Rai’s sublime scenery and tranquil charm for the vibrancy of the capital Bangkok. Ahead of our departure, we visit the Golden Triangle and take a short boat ride on the Mekong River to see the area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. Our navigation along the Mekong River reveals a sweeping landscape of rugged mountains framing this majestic waterway. We then drive to Chiang Rai Airport to catch our short flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival, we will be met by our driver and transferred directly to the hotel for check-in. Lunch is either at a local restaurant, or a lunch box will be provided before our drive to Chiang Rai Airport for your flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival in the capital, we will be met by our driver and head directly to the hotel for check-in.
Food
B/L/-
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- Tours and transfers with licenced English / German-speaking guiding services / assistance. Other languages are on request and are subject to availability with supplementary charges apply;
- Accommodation in sharing twin / double room with air-conditioning;
- Transportation for tour and transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, unless otherwise stated;
- All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the program;
- All applicable taxes and service charges;
- All meals as indicated in the program (food only).
Not Included
- Voluntary Carbon Offset Compensation: USD 1.50 per person per day;
- Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees and optional tours/ visits, unless otherwise stated;
- Hotel accommodation in the destination of commencement;
- Any domestic / international airline tickets, airport taxes, visa fees, specific camera / video fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general pick-up / drop-off regions (such as airports, out-of-town resorts, ports, harbours and accommodation in surrounding towns);
- Any accommodation expenses of a personal nature. This includes (compulsory festive) meals and drinks, mini-bar consumption, laundry, room service, any telephone or other communication cost not mentioned in the program;
- International travel and medical insurance coverage for customers.
Payment and Cancellations
- Full payment is due 30 days prior to departure. We reserve the right to release all services in case of payment default.
- Intermediate bank charges and fees are the responsibility of the client.
- Cancellation policy: In case of cancellation, the following cancellation fees will apply:
• Between 30-15 days prior to departure - 25% of total price
• Between 14-7 days prior to departure - 50% of total price
• Less than 7 days prior to departure – 100% of total price
You are booking
7 Days Around Thailand Lifestyle and Culture
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Destination
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Trip duration
7 days, 6 nights
About your trip
RESERVATIONS
All tours and services can be booked directly with our office in China
A TRAILS CHINA / DAOCHENG
Beijing Office
Suite 810, SunFlower Tower
#37 Maizidian Street Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: (86-10) 6515 9259
Fax: (86-10) 6515 9293
Email: info@atrails.cn
CONFIRMATIONS
All reservations are confirmed by return with the up-dated booking status within 2 working days. Due to occasional delays in communication with more remote destinations, it may take a few days longer to get confirmation.
RATES AND AVAILABILITY
All rates are quoted in RMB and are subject to change without prior notice. Inclusions and exclusions in the tour packages are indicated at the end of each itinerary. Commonly our package tour rates include accommodation, transfers, certain meals, and other tour related services. Domestic or international airfares are included where mentioned. Our tour itineraries do not include visa fees and expenses of a personal nature. The validity of our rates is November 01, 2018, until October 31, 2019, unless otherwise specified.
SERVICES
Local English speaking guides are accompanying tours and transfers in each destination. German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and Chinese speaking guides are available on request in major cities and subject to confirmation.
DELIVERY FEES
A delivery fee will be charged according to the distance traveled, if any train tickets are required to be delivered to clients’ hotel.
PAYMENT
Full pre-payment by bank transfer is required 30 days before the commencement of services.
Our bank account details are:
Bank Name: Bank of China Beijing JianGuoMen Wai Sub-Branch
开 户 行：中国银行北京建国门外支行
Account Name：ATC TRAVEL SERVICES (BEIJING) LTD.
账 户 名：北京道成国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3259 6908 9747
账 号：3259 6908 9747
Swiftcode : BKCH CN BJ 110
For itineraries operated outside China
Account Name：BEIJING GLORY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE CO, LTD.
账 户 名：北京千乘假期国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
账号：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
Bank Name: Industrial Bank Co., Ltd Sanyuanqiao Sub-Branch
开 户 行：兴业银行三元桥支行
CHILD POLICY
For children aged between 2 and 11 years following rates will apply:
- Child in shared adults’ room with extra bed will pay 80% of the total package price
A maximum of two children per party is granted such a discount. Besides this general policy, specific conditions may apply case by case.
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation of confirmed reservations, following general cancellation charges apply :
- Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 20% of the total amount
- Between 15 and 7 days prior to arrival : 50% of the total amount
- Less than 7 days prior to arrival : 100% of the total amount.
Special conditions apply for cruises, beach resorts as well as for some of the boutique and landmark hotels. Expeditions and specific products may have different conditions.
Domestic and international air tickets are non-refundable once issued. You are obliged to pay full airfare (inclusive of any tax and fuel surcharge) of any cancelled tickets based on the contract rate.
PROGRAM CHANGES
We reserve the right to re-arrange the order of any tour program, to cancel or substitute elements of any tour itinerary without notice, when local conditions require such changes. All itineraries depending on domestic flight confirmations are subject to changes.
Any increase in taxes or fuel surcharges imposed by the authorities will be advised as soon as we are informed of them, and they will be added to the invoice.
Flight and train details mentioned in our itineraries are for indicative purposes only.
CONFIDENTIALITY
This agreement, its contents and all related documentation sent over to the customer/tour operator are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties.
COMPLAINTS AND IRREGULARITIES
We consider complaints as valuable feedback to improve service delivery levels. We request that service delivery failures or customer concerns, be reported during the customer’s stay, to one of our representatives. It is the aim of the company to solve any irregularity on the spot. The company reserves the right to refuse to take action on perceived irregularities submitted to the company 14 days after the customer returns back home.
FORCE MAJEURE
During the term of this agreement, neither party shall be in default of its obligations to the extent that its performance is delayed or prevented by causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, bankruptcy of a vendor, strikes and other labor disturbances, acts of war, or civil disturbances, or other equivalent or comparable events.
INDEMNITY
The client agrees to indemnify and to save A Trails – Daocheng from harm and against all damage or injury (including death) to property or person(s) resulting from intentional or negligent acts or omissions from their respective officers, employees, agents, contractor or subcontractor in connection with the performance of this agreement.
LEGAL NOTE
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (and/or applicable in relation to the country it is legally represented) for the time being in force and the parties agree to submit any dispute arising between the parties under this agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the respectable Arbitration Institute, Office of the Judiciary applicable at the time of submission of the dispute to arbitration and the conduct of the arbitration thereof shall be under the auspices of the specific Arbitration Institute accordingly.
IMAGES
Images displayed on the website have a promotional intent only and are not necessarily reflecting the actual destinations and service conditions. These may belong to ATrails staff, customers, photographers we are collaborating with or retrieved from websites such as Pexel, Pixabay, Unsplash or Originoo. While trying to be the most accurate as possible, is agreed that those images do not necessarily depict the actual services promoted.
LIABILITY
We act as an intermediary between the concerned airlines, hotels, all transport operators and local tourist offices providing the services. The Company is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the tourists, including those occurring outside the touring programs. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accidents, natural and disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by the tourists. Programs and prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of printing and are therefore subject to change without advance notice before or during the tour. Acknowledgment and confirmation of the above-mentioned conditions is active, once clients participate in one of the provided services via us. The itinerary of the excursion, package and/or tour cannot be altered or changed without prior permission from us. We cannot be held liable if you amend the excursion and its content in your brochures or give wrong descriptions to clients that are travelling.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AUTONOMOUS REGIONS IN CHINA
The Company is not responsible for any last-minute closure of specific regions or tourism sites caused by decisions taken by local or national authorities to restrict access hereto. We will provide alternative itineraries where necessary and reduce cancellation fees to a minimum, however, such imposed closures are beyond our control and constitute a case of force majeure.
The areas concerned include but are not restricted to : The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, minority regions in Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Travel breaks down borders and brings people together: The nearly 900 million people who travel every year make the sector one of the biggest in the world, a major employer and a key element in the global economy. But this has its downside, too: increasing pollutant emissions from the tourist traffic, loss of coastlines and other landscapes through excessive building development and sexual exploitation of children are just some of the negative consequences of the growth in global tourist travel. In order to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, our Corporate Responsibility Strategy focuses on four prime issues:
- We increase efforts to ensure that children and adolescents in tourist areas are protected against sexual exploitation, one of the worst forms of abuse of young people today.
- We promote fair working conditions and sensibly service provider partners to social and environmental concerns.
- The supply and saving of clean water is a further key issue.
- We develop our own projects to meet the growing threat posed by climate change. Indeed, helping counter the adverse effects of global warming is one of the biggest challenges faced by the world tourist.