L'Heure du Voyage
🇹🇭 Itinerary · Thailand · 30 days

1 Month in Thailand 2026: The Grand Tour

30 unhurried days: Bangkok, the historic route, the Golden Triangle, then both southern coasts. The grand tour of Thailand, with budget and transport detailed.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

10 places

Average budget

€2,800-5,000

Total distance

~3,500 km

Profile

Long trip

Season

Nov-Mar

Bangkok 3d · Ayutthaya 1d · Sukhothai 2d · Chiang Mai 3d · Pai 2d · Chiang Rai 2d · Krabi 3d · Koh Lanta 3d · Phuket 3d · Koh Samui 6d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Map of the 1-month Thailand itinerary: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Pai, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Phuket, Koh Samui

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

11 days, day by day

1

~€70/day

Bangkok · D1 to D3 · Capital immersion

  • D1 Arrival, rest, first street-food evening in Sukhumvit.
  • D2 Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun at sunset.
  • D3 Jim Thompson House, cooking class, rooftop. Chatuchak market on weekends.
🛌 🛌 Sukhumvit · e.g. Josh Hotel (3 nights)·🚇 BTS and Chao Phraya boats·Bangkok guide →
2

~€55

Ayutthaya · D4 · Fallen capital

  • Morning Train or minivan from Bangkok (1h30, €2-4).
  • Day Temples by bike (€10/day): Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
  • Evening Riverside night market.
🛌 🛌 Ayutthaya (1 night)·🚆 Train from Bangkok
3

~€60/day

Sukhothai · D5 to D6 · Cradle of Siam

  • D5 Bus from Ayutthaya (5-6h). Settle near the historical park.
  • D6 UNESCO historical park by bike, calmer and more open than Ayutthaya.
🛌 🛌 Sukhothai (2 nights)·🚌 Long-distance bus
4

~€65/day

Chiang Mai · D7 to D9 · Capital of the North

  • D7 Flight Sukhothai/Phitsanulok → Chiang Mai, or direct bus. Square Old City.
  • D8 Doi Suthep, then an ethical elephant sanctuary (no riding).
  • D9 Cooking class, night markets, Wat Phra Singh and Chedi Luang.
🛌 🛌 Chiang Mai (3 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight or bus
5

~€45/day

Pai · D10 to D11 · Slow living

  • D10 Minibus (3h, 762 bends). Pai Canyon at sunset.
  • D11 Scooter (€5): waterfalls, Land Split, Sai Ngam hot springs.
🛌 🛌 Pai (2 nights)·🚐 Minibus from Chiang Mai
6

~€60/day

Chiang Rai · D12 to D13 · Temples and the Golden Triangle

  • D12 Back to Chiang Mai then bus to Chiang Rai. White Temple (Wat Rong Khun).
  • D13 Blue Temple, Black House, Golden Triangle viewpoint (Laos, Myanmar).
🛌 🛌 Chiang Rai (2 nights)·🚌 Bus
7

~€70/day

Krabi · D14 to D17 · Heading south

  • D14 Flight Chiang Rai → Krabi via Bangkok (transit day, ~€90).
  • D15-16 Railay, Phra Nang, 4 Islands longtail tour.
  • D17 Hot springs and Emerald Pool inland.
🛌 🛌 Ao Nang (4 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight essential
8

~€65/day

Koh Lanta · D18 to D20 · Quiet island

  • D18 Ferry or minivan to Koh Lanta. Long, calm western beaches.
  • D19 Diving or snorkeling at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (among the country's best).
  • D20 Lanta Old Town, mangroves, sunset at Kantiang Bay.
🛌 🛌 Koh Lanta (3 nights)·⛴️ Ferry
9

~€80/day

Phuket & Similan · D21 to D23 · Diving

  • D21 Transfer to Phuket or Khao Lak. Phuket's Sino-Portuguese Old Town.
  • D22 Diving liveaboard or snorkeling at the Similan Islands (water 29°C, 30 m visibility).
  • D23 Western beaches, rest before the Gulf.
🛌 🛌 Phuket / Khao Lak (3 nights)·🚐 Minivan + boat
10

~€75/day

Koh Samui & the Gulf · D24 to D29 · Unwind

  • D24 Flight to Koh Samui (the Gulf has its own climate, often dry Jan-Mar).
  • D25-27 Chaweng and Lamai beaches, Big Buddha, inland waterfalls.
  • D28-29 Trip to Koh Tao (diving) or the Angthong marine park.
🛌 🛌 Koh Samui (6 nights)·✈️ Flight Phuket → Samui
11

Flight

Return · D30

  • Morning Flight Koh Samui → Bangkok for the international connection.
  • Evening Flight home via Bangkok, Doha or Dubai.
✈️ Domestic + international flight

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,800

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €700
  • 🏨 Guesthouses: €14/night
  • 🍜 Street food: €10/day
  • ✈️ 3 domestic flights + buses: €300
  • 🎫 Activities over 30 days: €350
Recommended

Comfort

€3,800

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €800
  • 🏨 3-4★ hotel: €50/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €25/day
  • ✈️ 3 domestic flights: €280
  • 🎫 Diving + tours: €500

Premium

€5,000+

per person

  • ✈️ Premium flight: €1,600
  • 🏨 4-5★: €160/night
  • 🍽️ Fine tables: €55/day
  • 🚖 Private transfers
  • 🎫 Private diving liveaboard: €700

Shorter, longer

Other durations

1 week

1 week

Bangkok + the South. The essential formula.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Full North and South loop.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour, from the Golden Triangle to both coasts.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

A month lets you mix train, bus and 3 domestic flights. The only truly essential flight is the North-to-South leg (Chiang Rai → Krabi), which saves two days on the road.

🚆

Train Bangkok → Ayutthaya

€2-4 · 1h30 · frequent departures

🚌

Bus Ayutthaya → Sukhothai → Chiang Mai

€10-15 · the central historic route

🚐

Minibus Chiang Mai ↔ Pai

€8/leg · 762 bends · bring motion-sickness pills

✈️

Flight Chiang Rai → Krabi

~€90 via Bangkok · the drop south

✈️

Flight Phuket → Koh Samui

~€80 · to switch to the Gulf

Adapt by season

Flip the tour by season

The grand tour ends with the Gulf (Koh Samui), which works from November to March. In the rainy season (May-October), reverse the order: do the Andaman and the Gulf while they are workable, and keep the North (dry most of the year) for the end. Avoid September-October on the Andaman, the monsoon peak.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • Keep the Gulf (Koh Samui) for the end: its offset climate often saves the last week.
  • • Take your time in Sukhothai, calmer and more photogenic than Ayutthaya.
  • • The ethical elephant sanctuary near Chiang Mai, with no riding.
  • • A diving liveaboard at the Similans rather than a day trip.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Cut Koh Samui to 4 nights and add Koh Tao for divers.
  • • Skip Phuket town if you prefer the calm of Khao Lak.
  • • On a rainy-season month, flip it: start with the Gulf, end in the North.
  • • Add a Cambodia loop (Angkor) from Bangkok if the visa allows.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Isn't a month in Thailand too long? +
No, it is the ideal format to avoid rushing: the cultural North, both southern coasts and the Gulf, with real breaks. It is also the best flight-to-time ratio.
How many domestic flights are needed? +
Three are enough: the Chiang Rai → Krabi drop, then Phuket → Koh Samui, and the Samui → Bangkok return. The rest is by train and bus.
Can you do both southern coasts in a month? +
Yes, and that is the point. The Andaman (Krabi, Lanta, Phuket) then the Gulf (Samui): two moods and two climates, which hedges the weather by season.
What budget for 30 days? +
Around €2,800 as a backpacker, €3,800 in comfort and €5,000 or more in premium, flight from Paris included, per person.
Do you need a visa for a month-long stay? +
Since July 2024, EU nationals stay visa-free up to 60 days, so a month is covered. Passport valid 6 months after return.
What is the best season for this grand tour? +
November to March: dry everywhere. In October, the Andaman South is just leaving the monsoon, and the Gulf (Samui) takes over for beaches.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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