Complete Itinerary For a Perfect Thailand Honeymoon
Buddha statue at the Silver Temple, or Wat Sri Suphan in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
If you’re looking for the trip of a lifetime, you’ll love planning a Thailand honeymoon. Compared to the US, Thailand is a small country, but there’s so much to see and do, you’ll have trouble fitting it all into just two weeks.
You’ll find everything from glitzy nightlife in Bangkok to peaceful temples in Chiang Mai. Plus incredible beaches and lush jungles in Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi. You’ll find everything you could wish for, on the perfect honeymoon in Thailand.
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How Much Does a Thailand Honeymoon Cost?
You’ll need to pay for flights, accommodations, food and activities. The most expensive part of a trip to Southeast Asia is usually the airline tickets. Prices for flights will vary, depending on where you’re flying from, and the time of year.
Once you’ve figured out the flights, it’s easy to find inexpensive hotels in Thailand. You’ll find clean rooms in great locations for less than $50 a night. For food and drinks, Thailand offers everything from 5 star dinners to cheap and tasty street food. You’re guaranteed to find food that fits any budget.
This is an average budget for the 2 week itinerary listed in this article. If you’ve got less cash, there are a few ways you can save money on your honeymoon trip.
Average Budget For a Honeymoon in Thailand
$2,000 Flights ($1,000 x 2 people)
$700 Hotels ($50 x 14 nights)
$700 Transportation (Domestic flights, taxis and tuk-tuks)
$1,400 Food ($50 per day x 2)
$1,200 Activities and Excursions
Grand Total: $6,000
Saving Money On a Thailand Honeymoon
If you’ve got a smaller budget, there’s a few ways you can save money. You can book fewer guided tours and plan more excursions on your own. You can also save money on food by choosing hotels that include breakfast. Plan to eat more street food and less restaurant food.
Travel In The Off Season
The best time to travel in Thailand is the dry season, between November and March. It’s also the most expensive. April and June is hot, then June till October is rainy.
That doesn’t mean you can’t travel, though. Lots of time the rainy season will have a downpour or two. Then you can have fun for the rest of the day. And you’ll save a lot of money on everything from accommodations to tours.
If you decide to travel in the off season, check ahead of time to make sure the attractions are open. Double check the ferry schedules for any islands you’ll visit.
Check Your Credit Cards For Travel Benefits
Sometimes you can book free flights in exchange for points. Other cards might offer free flight upgrades, or access to an airport lounge. If you’re planning to rent cars or scooters, some credit cards will cover your insurance.
Choose Inexpensive Accommodations
Spend one or two nights in the honeymoon suite. Then book the rest of your trip in standard or budget rooms. For the cheapest accommodations, you could book hostels or home stays.
Stay Longer In Fewer Spots
Stay longer in each location. Taxis and flights between cities will add up and take a bite out of your budget. To save money, travel to fewer destinations and stay longer in each. Instead of island hopping, pick your favorite and stay there for more days, before heading back to the mainland.
Register for a Honeymoon Fund
Some couples decide to register for a honeymoon fund instead of wedding gifts. If you’ve already got everything you need at home, you can register for your dream honeymoon and plan the trip of a lifetime.
Golden Buddha statues at Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand.
How to Choose Your Hotel
The first question when you start booking your Thailand honeymoon will probably be: how do you choose a hotel? With so many to pick from, how do you know which one is the best?
Common advice says to choose a hotel that’s centrally located. But how do you know what’s centrally located, in a city you’ve never been to?
Choose Your Activities First
For me, the best location is the one that’s close to things I want to see. So I’ll choose my activities before I even look at hotels. To keep track of all the spots I’d like to visit, I’ll use Lists in Google Maps.
For example, I’d open my map app, create a list called Bangkok, then type in The Grand Palace. Click Save to My List and it’ll drop a pin on the palace for me. This is what my list looks like for a trip to Bangkok: Best of Bangkok For a Thailand Honeymoon
Build in Time to Relax
When I first started traveling the biggest mistake I made was planning too much for each day. Now, I always choose a hotel with a garden or roof top pool. It’s great to have a relaxing spot for a bit of downtime. When you’re hot and exhausted from a day of sightseeing, it’s nice to hop in for a swim.
In the afternoon, you can have a drink and watch the sunset. Then get ready for dinner. (Or order room service, if you’re in the mood for a night in.)
Search Hotels on Agoda
You can definitely shop around on different websites, but I’ve always found the best prices for Thailand on Agoda.
I’ll start by typing in the city Bangkok.
Next I’ll add my filters. I always check off pool. Bonus points if it’s a rooftop pool.
Next, adjust the prices. Everyone’s on a budget, whether it’s big or small. You can save some time by adjusting the price slider to match your budget.
If you’re interested in hostels or home stays, leave the minimum slider at zero. If you’d rather stay in a hotel, adjust it to $20.
Then set your maximum slider to match your budget. $50 usually gives me a lot of choices I’d be happy with. If you want more luxury, set it higher.
Click search, and you’ll have a list of hotels in your price range. Once you see one with good reviews, you’ll want to check it’s location.
Check The Hotel Location
Here’s where the magic happens. Remember that list we made on Google Maps? Open the app again and enter the name of the hotel you’re interested in. You’ll see the hotel - plus all the pins on spots you want to visit. You can see at a glance if the hotel is centrally located for you.
The hotel might be walking distance to most of your sights. If the hotel isn’t within walking distance, check to see if public transportation is nearby.You can plan to take the Skytrain, a tuk-tuk, a taxi or even the Chao Phraya boat taxi.
Once you’re happy with the location, the prices and the reviews, you can be sure you’ve found the perfect hotel for your honeymoon.
Getting To Your Bangkok Hotel
Once you’ve found the perfect hotel, you’ll need a way to get there from the airport. There’s four easy ways to get from the airport to hotels in Bangkok.
Book a Private Transfer
The easiest way to get to your hotel is by booking a private transfer ahead of time. It’s also the most expensive, but if you’re tired and jet lagged, it could be worth it to splurge on a private driver.
Book a private transfer with Viator and your driver will meet you at the airport and take you directly to your hotel.
Or for the ultimate VIP experience, book a Fast Track Immigration Service. You’ll be met at the skywalk leaving your flight. A personal guide will accompany the two of you through customs and immigration. Bonus: you’ll skip the lineups by joining the premium immigration lane. Your guide will help you find your luggage and your driver.
Dedicated Limo Bus
For a less expensive option, there’s a dedicated Limo Bus that’s operated by the Bangkok Transit Authority. It runs every 30 to 60 minutes and goes straight from the airport to Khao San Road. It makes one stop at the Khao San Road Station. Once you reach the station, you can walk or take a tuk-tuk to your hotel. You can buy a ticket at the Limo Bus counter at Gate 8 on Level 1 when you arrive.
S1 Express Bus
If you’re sticking to a budget, an easy and cheap way to get to your hotel is by hopping on the S1 city bus. You can catch it just outside Door 7 on the first floor. There’s one every half hour and it costs less than $2 each. It goes straight to the Khao San Road area, then makes 10 or 11 stops. Find the one closest to your hotel by checking the route on Transit Bangkok website.
Airport Rail Link
Another option is the Airport Rail Link, but it doesn’t go all the way to Khao San Road. If your hotel is closer to the city center, check the Airport Rail Link Map to see if it’s on the route.
The Perfect Itinerary For a 2 Week Thailand Honeymoon
This sample itinerary includes the best of Bangkok, plus an ethical elephant encounter in Chiang Mai. With stops for the best temples, beaches and adventures in Phuket, Krabi and the islands.
Day 1 - Arrive in Bangkok
Once you’ve arrived at your hotel, you’ll need to decide what to do first. The first day is always a challenge to get over your jet lag. Nap if you have to, but try to limit it to an hour or less.
To help reset your body clock, try to get out of the hotel room. Slather yourselves in sunscreen, grab your water bottles and catch a taxi to the Temple of the Golden Mount.
If you’re simply too tired to start sightseeing right away, take advantage of that rooftop pool you booked. Have a relaxing swim and enjoy a drink. Once you’re feeling re-energized, walk over to Khao San Road after the sun sets.
Wat Saket: The Temple of the Golden Mount
The Temple of the Golden Mount is built on top of a hill, so you can see it’s gleaming gold chedi long before you reach the site.
Wat Saket is a pilgrimage site. And pilgrimages aren’t supposed to be too easy. So you’ll need to climb about 300 stairs to get to the top. But don’t worry, there’s lots of stops along the way.
You’ll find statues, bells and lookout points where you can take a rest. And once you get to the top, you’ll be treated to an incredible view of Bangkok and a close up of the magnificent golden chedi.
Angel statue with the Chedi on top of the Temple of the Golden Mount.
Khao San Road
Khao San Road is the famous hub for backpackers. It’s where Leonardo DiCaprio started before heading to The Beach. You might not find a secret map, but you will find lots of street stalls, tasty food and lots to drink. It’s pretty touristy, but it’s a fun place to get a meal or a few drinks.
My Favorite Bangkok Hotel
There’s lots of great hotels in Bangkok. Since I like walking everywhere, I always choose one that’s close to the things I want to see. For this itinerary I’d stay at one of my favorite hotels. It’s called Casa Vimaya and it’s a few blocks north of Khao San Road.
The location is perfect for walking over to Khao San Road for some quick food or shopping. It’s also close to public transportation. There’s a bus stop from the airport and the ferry stop is just down the street.
And my favorite part: the rooftop pool! There’s also a restaurant where you can get a nice breakfast before you set out for the day. The rooms are spotlessly clean and nicely decorated. And it fits the budget perfectly.
Day 2 - In Bangkok
Start as early as you can, and make the Grand Palace your first stop. This is a popular sight and it gets more crowded later in the day.
If you’re staying at The Casa Vimaya, you can walk to the Grand Palace in about half an hour. Or you can save your energy for sightseeing, and take the ferry instead. Walk 5 minutes to the Phra Athit ferry terminal. The public boat taxi will take you right to the palace, if you hop off at the Tha Chang stop.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha at The Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is a huge complex that began in 1782 with the palace of King Rama I. Today you’ll find royal halls, temples, stupas and countless figures and statues. You could easily spend the entire morning here. You can see from the map how big the complex is: Architecture of The Grand Palace.
Don’t miss Phra Ubosot, or The Chapel of The Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha is the most important Buddha statue in Thailand. When you visit, The Emerald Buddha will be wearing one of three costumes. There’s a costume for each time of the year - summer, rainy season and winter.
If you’re planning to go into the chapel, make sure you dress for it. Visitors must cover their knees and shoulders. Tight or see through clothes is not allowed in the temple.
Once you finish touring the site, and leave the complex, you’ll find lots of restaurants where you can get some lunch.
Wat Pho: Temple of The Reclining Buddha
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is across the street from the Grand Palace. Once you finish lunch, it’s close enough to walk over.
Inside the temple you’ll find an incredible golden statue of the Buddha. The statue is 140 feet long and nearly 50 feet high. As you walk around the Buddha, you’ll see the soles of his feet are decorated with mother of pearl. The decorations show the 108 illustrious characteristics of the Buddha.
When you arrive, you can buy a bowl of 108 coins. Inside the temple you’ll see row of 108 bowls, where you can drop one coin in each. Some people make a wish with each coin, others give thanks or make merit as they move along the row.
Once you’ve seen the Reclining Buddha, you can explore the rest of the grounds. The complex has lots of chapels, stupas, statues and murals to see. There’s even a traditional Thai massage school, where you can get a quick massage.
Etiquette For Visiting Temples in Thailand
Men and women should cover their shoulders and knees before visiting a temple.
Take off your shoes before entering.
Take off your sunglasses and hats.
Don’t step on the door sill or threshold.
Don’t take photos of yourselves with the Buddha statues. It’s considered disrespectful to turn your back to the Buddha.
Don’t point at the Buddha, either.
Check before taking pictures. Most temples will have a sign outside to show if photos are allowed.
Dinner In Bangkok
Once you’ve finished sightseeing for the day, head back to your hotel for a nap or a swim. Then get ready for dinner.
Bangkok has so many options for dinner. For casual, fun street food you can head over to Khao San Road. Or you can look for a night market, with shopping, food and drinks.
For a romantic dinner, look for an upscale restaurant. Preferably one with a sky bar where you can have a drink and enjoy an amazing view of the city. Or book an evening dinner cruise on the river.
Day 3 - Fly to Chiang Mai
You can find buses or trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, but it’s a long drive and it’ll take 10 to 12 hours. Domestic flights are inexpensive and easy to find. Some domestic flights will depart from Don Muang Airport instead of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Double check your ticket before you head to the airport.
Wat Phra Doi Suthep: Mountaintop Temple
Once you arrive and check in to your hotel, you can take a taxi to Doi Suthep. This temple is 12 km outside of the city. Once you’re there, you can hike through a forest trail, then up some stairs to a picturesque, mountaintop temple.
Shopping on Nimmanhaemin Road
Or you could head to Nimmanhaemin Road for some shopping therapy. This is a hip street, close the the university. Ask your taxi driver to take you to the One Nimman Shopping Center. Once you’re done in the shopping center, you can walk down Nimmanahaemin Road and visit all the trendy shops, cafes and restaurants.
My Favorite Hotel in Chiang Mai
The Rich Lanna House is my favorite place to stay in Chiang Mai. It’s in the Old City, so it’s close to everything. It’s easy to walk or take a taxi to all the sights. If you’ve booked tours, it’s within the perimeter for free pickups.
The rooms are modern and clean. There’s an on-site cafe, and a small restaurant for breakfast. And of course, my favorite - a gorgeous little pool in the garden.
Day 4 - In Chiang Mai
Sign up for a half day food tour, and meet at 9:00 am for a traditional Thai breakfast. After you’ve eaten, you’ll tour some of the nearby museums and temples. Then visit the Warorot Market, with lots of stops for more tasting, snacks and desserts. See the full itinerary: Food Tour with Local Foodies from Viator.
Once your bellies are full of delicious Thai food, you can spend the afternoon walking it off. There’s lots of temples in Chiang Mai and it’s easy to walk or take a tuk-tuk between them.
I started making a list of the best temples to visit, but there’s just too many to write out! If you want to see them all, along with photos and directions, check out my Google Maps List: Best of Chiang Mai For a Thailand Honeymoon
Day 5 - In Chiang Mai
When you’re traveling in Thailand, you’ll probably see lots of offers to visit elephants. As a rule, I don’t participate in animal tourism. It’s too awful to think that I might have caused an animal to suffer.
The only exception is when it’s an animal hospital or sanctuary. In places like these, the animals have been rescued and can’t live in the wild anymore. At a sanctuary, I know my money is going to help care for them. I love animals, so when I find a place that I can be sure of, I can’t wait to visit.
Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary
The Elephant Nature Park gives sanctuary to elephants rescued from the tourism and logging industries. And they don’t stop at elephants. The Nature Park also takes in dogs, cats, buffalos and other animals that need rescue and care.
There’s lots of options for visiting the park or their rescue projects. To observe elephants, you can visit the Elephant Nature Park for a single day or an overnight visit. There’s also different volunteer opportunities listed on their website: Visit & Volunteer Elephant Nature Park.
The best photo ever taken of me: walking with the elephants from the Elephant Nature Park.
Elephant Nature Park: Elephant Highlands Project
The program I signed up for is called Elephant Highlands - Single Day. We got to spend a full day with a small herd of elephants, in the mountains north of Chiang Mai.
As soon as we arrived, we got to meet the elephants. First we chopped up melons and squash so we could give them a snack. Once we were all friends we headed out for a walk in the jungle.
My favorite part is how they warn you ahead of time: if the elephants don’t want to walk in the jungle, they won’t be forced. Before you head out, they give you a shoulder bag to carry as you walk into the jungle.
The elephants know that the bag is full of bananas! They all decided to go for a walk with us. When we ran out of bananas the elephants were happy to eat the grass and leaves beside the path.
As well as the jungle walk, we also got to make rice treats, and feed the herd. Plus, we got to bathe the elephants. They don’t actually need help bathing, but it was fun for us.
The elephants like playing in the water, so we all got in and splashed around. The elephants are free to come and go as they please.
When they got bored, they just wandered off. I loved that they weren’t being forced to perform. These elephants are living their best lives and I’m happy we got a chance to watch.
If you decide to go, you’ll get pretty mucky, but there’s a shower in the change rooms. Bring a bar of soap and some fresh clothes for afterwards. The tour includes transportation to and from your hotel, all the activities and a delicious lunch.
Day 6 - Fly to Phuket
With beautiful beaches, jungles and sunsets, Phuket is the perfect island for relaxation and romance. You can find interesting excursions and day tours. Or you can choose a resort and spend your time chilling at the beach.
Best Thailand Honeymoon Resort
If you’re looking for a splurge, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket is a luxurious resort, perfect for some honeymoon romance. They’ve got beautiful rooms with private balconies and jacuzzi tubs.
With lush gardens, a lagoon pool and beautiful white sand beach, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy some time together. There’s a full service spa for a couples massage. And for an extra touch of romance, you can book a private dinner for two on the beach.
Day 7 - In Phuket
For an unforgettable adventure, sign up to go sea kayaking on the John Gray’s Hong By Starlight Tour. This tour begins with a powerboat trip to the emerald colored Phang Nga Bay. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll hop into a kayak with a guide and paddle through caves and lagoons. Spotting sea creatures and wildlife along the way.
Before dinner, you’ll spend time on the big boat, creating your own krathong, from flowers, leaves and candles. Once the sun begins to set you’ll kayak out once more to light the candles and float your krathong in the ocean.
The tour includes transportations to and from your hotel, all equipment and activities, lunch and dinner. See all the details: John Gray's Hong by Starlight with Sea Cave Kayaking and Loy Krathong Floating
Creating our flower krathong, to float in the ocean after sunset.
Day 8 - Take the Ferry to One of the Islands
Once you leave Phuket, there’s tons of small islands in southern Thailand. Each one has it’s own personality. Choose an island that suits your style and take the ferry from Phuket. Spend the next two nights enjoying the island.
Koh Phi Phi
Phi Phi Island is known for being close to Maya Bay, made famous by the movie The Beach. There’s lot’s of island tours that include a stop at Maya Bay. Plus catamaran tours with scuba diving and snorkeling. There’s also a popular viewpoint that you can hike up to for a fabulous photo op.
Koh Phanang
Koh Phanang is best known for it’s wild full moon party. If you’re ready to let loose with music, dancing and buckets of alcohol, Koh Phanang is the perfect place to visit next.
Koh Samui
Koh Samui is popular for beach resorts. You can find beachfront hotels in every price range. During the day you can visit temples or go on island tours. In the evening you’ll find lively night markets, bars and entertainment.
Koh Lanta
If you like diving or snorkeling, Koh Lanta is close to some of Thailand’s finest dive sites. With coral reefs and underground caves, you’ll find lots of day trips perfect for exploring the underwater.
Traditional Thai longboats parked on the beach at Koh Phi Phi.
Day 9 - Spend the Day Enjoying The Island
Decide how you want to spend your island day. You can book some tours or spend the day lazing at the beach.
Day 10 - Take the Ferry to Krabi
You can take a ferry from any of the islands to Krabi. Once you arrive, Ao Nang is the main beach with most of the hotels and resorts. You’ll find lots of restaurants and shops to explore. For interesting things to do, you can sign up for cooking classes, rock climbing or rappelling.
Or you can join a tour for a sunset kayak trip through a mangrove forest, exploring caves and canyons. This tour includes a guide, all equipment and a BBQ dinner: Krabi Kayak at Ao Thalane.
Day 11 - In Krabi
Spend the morning at the beach in Ao Nang, before meeting for an afternoon island tour. The afternoon tours are great because they include night snorkeling, with glow in the dark plankton.
Join this tour to visit Railay Beach, snorkel at Koh Sia, then enjoy a night swim in the bioluminescent bay. The tour includes transportation, lunch and dinner: Railay and 4-Island Sunset Cruise with Night Snorkel.
Day 12 - Romantic Side Trip From Krabi: Hot Springs
Now that you’ve seen the best of Thailand, you can spend your last few days in total relaxation. In the hot springs. Just north of Krabi, hot springs bubble up from volcanic chambers underground. For the ultimate in romance, pay a visit to the Wareerak Hot Springs.
The hotel has a spa built around natural thermal springs. You can spend your days doing hydrotherapy, spa treatments or just lounging in the different temperature springs. Don’t miss the couples massage. You’ll love relaxing in the spa treatment areas in their jungle garden.
You can book a room in a villa, a villa suite or a bamboo cottage. There’s a restaurant onsite, so there’s nothing to do but relax and enjoy the last nights of your honeymoon.
Getting there will take about an hour, but you can book a ride directly with the hotel. Wareerak will send a private minivan to pick you up and bring you to the hotel, for an extra fee. If you book a private driver you’ll need to warn them that the last 2 km is unpaved.
Jungle paths lead to the thermal pools at Wareerak Hot Springs.
Day 13 - Hot Springs
Spend the full day doing spa treatments. If you’d like, you can book packages that include half day or full day pre-set programs. Or pick and choose the treatments you’d like. You can enjoy a couples massage, hot stone massage, facials and more.
One quick detail, if you’re a plus size couple. Just like most spas, you’ll be given a robe to wear for the treatments. As a Westerner, I was surprised that you needed to wear a swimming costume, as well.
To go into the springs you’ll need to put on the outfit that they give you. I was worried at first, because I’m a size 16-18 in the US. But it fit me fine. If you’re a bigger size, you might want to email ahead of time to ask about sizing.
The swim costume is actually pretty cute. It’s a sundress with a Thai pattern, that goes just below the knees. There’s an elastic at the top and at the waist, plus a string to tie around your neck. The top elastic was snug enough to stay up, and the rest was loose and comfortable.
The men wear pants that look like board shorts. The waist is a sash with a Thai pattern, that can be wrapped around and adjusted for size.
Day 14 - Last Night in Bangkok
After a last morning dip in the hot springs, you can fly back to Bangkok and get ready to head home. Since you’ll need to return to the airport in the morning, it’s easiest if you choose a hotel on the Airport Rail Link Route.
After you check into your hotel you can do some quick shopping for any last minute souvenirs. Have a nice dinner and some drinks at a sky bar. Enjoy your last night in Bangkok, before heading back to the airport in the morning.
It’s always sad to end a trip, but after two weeks in Thailand, you’ll be ready to start your happily ever after. At the end of this perfect honeymoon, you’ll have memories to last a lifetime. And who knows - maybe you’ll come back for your anniversary!
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Golden Buddha statue at the Silver Temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
