Arrival. Check in at your resort, then go to the night time market within the night. Two days in Bangkok. Three days in Chiang Mai\u2026<\/em> Stop, wait a minute.<\/strong><\/p>\n Many Thailand itineraries seem like this and proceed to checklist locations as if teleportation have been as widespread as strolling. But what\u2019s in between? Is there something worthwhile on this nice expanse of land from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?<\/p>\n Yes, after all \u2013 lots to see and do, and in case you have the time \u2013 a really enriching expertise. A journey by way of the locations that formed the Siam of the eleventh century into the Thailand of the twenty first and a peek right into a aspect of it unperturbed by tourism.<\/p>\n So right here\u2019s find out how to journey between Bangkok and Chiang Mai and find out how to break the journey like a professional.<\/p>\n Bus, practice, or airplane? Being Thailand\u2019s two largest cities, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are well-connected, however which type of transport is the perfect?<\/p>\n Several transportation choices exist from Bangkok<\/a> to Chiang Mai<\/a> with out stopping wherever. If you\u2019re on a brief journey, pressed for time, or need the condensed Thailand model, maybe this is smart.<\/p>\n But in case you have the time, I extremely suggest taking an overland journey with a number of wonderful stops alongside the best way \u2014 which I\u2019ll clarify within the subsequent part.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Even with transport to and from the airports and safety screening, flying stays the quickest manner between the 2 cities.<\/p>\n Various airways, reminiscent of Nok Air, Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia, and Thai Lion Air, provide over 50 flights each day. Ticket costs are as little as 1000 THB \u2013 31 USD earlier than baggage charges.<\/p>\n Flights depart from each of Bangkok\u2019s airports \u2013 Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang \u2013 and take simply over an hour.<\/p>\n BOOK YOUR FLIGHT ON 12GO<\/a><\/p>\n Buses journey between Mo Chit Station in Bangkok<\/strong> (additionally referred to as the Northern Bus Terminal or simply Chatuchak<\/em>) and Arcade Bus Station in Chiang Mai<\/strong> (considerably confusingly additionally referred to as the Bangkok Bus Station<\/em>) nearly each hour.<\/p>\n You can purchase a ticket straight on the station, by way of your resort in both metropolis, or on-line at 12Go.asia<\/a>.<\/p>\n Prices vary between 500 and 900 THB (or 15\u201328 USD), relying on the bus firm, class, and the departure time. Travel time is round 10-12 hours.<\/p>\n Get Your Bus Tickets through 12GO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Sleeper trains in Thailand are pretty \u2013 snug, clear, inexpensive, and air-conditioned.<\/p>\n Getting a superb night time\u2019s sleep on the practice is far simpler than on the bus and it\u2019s no surprise trains are the popular type of transport for many vacationers.<\/p>\n But there’s a main draw back!<\/strong><\/p>\n The Special Express Trains (which have sleeper cabins and fewer stops) are ofte<\/mark>n totally booked. Seat reservations open 180 days earlier than the journey date. You might discover it onerous to imagine, however getting a berth inside three months of journey is near unattainable, particularly in excessive season (though seats are normally accessible<\/em> as much as the previous couple of days. But who desires to be seated the entire night time?<\/em>)<\/p>\n If you\u2019d wish to test or e book for your self, use State Railways of Thailand\u2019s official web site<\/a>, additionally referred to as dTicket<\/strong>. Prices for 1st class are 1446\/1646 THB (or 45\/51 USD) and 938\/1038 THB (or 29\/32 USD) for 2nd class (higher\/decrease berth).<\/p>\n You must decide to a sure date just a few months upfront to ensure a spot contained in the Special Express. Often, earlier than you even get to Thailand! Not many have this degree of foresight.<\/p>\n Travelling straight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai through the use of a sleeper practice could also be attainable however it might\u2019t be carried out spontaneously in any respect. For most vacationers it\u2019s too impractical to plan to this point forward, so that you\u2019ll have to search out one other manner.<\/mark><\/p>\n So when you don\u2019t thoughts having common seating, and if ideally you may break up up the journey, then going by practice between Bangkok to Chiang Mai is definitely a really sensible (and amazingly scenic) choice.<\/mark><\/p>\n More importantly, many extra Ordinary and Commuter trains run segments of the Northern Railway Line. It is these frequent trains that you should utilize to hop between attention-grabbing cities alongside the road.<\/p>\n If you might be keen to take it sluggish, practice journey in Thailand is pleasing, low cost, and simple. Furthermore, you may cease just a few instances to see some wonderful sights in central Thailand.<\/p>\n Pro Tip<\/strong>: You received\u2019t discover Ordinary and Commuter trains on the official Thai Railways reserving platform, however when you click on on the Google Maps pin for a selected practice station, all stopping trains are listed there. <\/p>\n You can purchase tickets for these on the station in money. Or, you may pre-book your tickets on-line through 12GO<\/a>, which is particularly useful throughout peak journey instances or on in style routes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This itinerary will take you south-to-north principally by practice (and optionally one bus), taking in among the finest stops between Bangkok and Chiang Mai alongside the best way.<\/p>\n Depending on which stops you embrace, your journey can take wherever from 3 to 9 days.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get TRAIN TICKETS ON 12go<\/a><\/p>\n Ayutthaya is a well-liked day journey vacation spot from Bangkok. Many go for a guided tour<\/a>, which is sufficient to see the primary websites, mainly the traditional temples courting again to the 14th century, when the town was Siam\u2019s capital. Most of those are concentrated within the central Bueng Phra Ram Park<\/strong>, accessible to anybody without cost.<\/p>\n I might argue that you could keep a minimum of one night time (thus two days<\/em>) to completely immerse your self. For a handy base, take into account Momento House<\/a> or Ayothaya Riverside Hotel<\/a> \u2014 each inside strolling distance of the practice station and only a 10-minute drive from the temple ruins.<\/p>\n Even if ruinous temples aren\u2019t your factor, Ayutthaya has a captivating small-town vibe, particularly on the central island, which is surrounded by rivers on all sides.<\/p>\n Moreover, it\u2019s as flat as a pancake, and visitors is a fraction of that in Bangkok, so rent a bicycle (50 THB\/2 USD per day is the going fee) and transfer round with the breeze.<\/p>\n Stay longer and sail on a standard longboat<\/a> across the island, visiting many outlying temples like Wat Phutthaisawan and Wat Chaiwatthanaram.<\/p>\n Get Train tickets on 12go<\/a><\/p>\n Now right here\u2019s a spot that fewer speak about. Lop Buri is just a little like Ayutthaya however with monkeys. <\/p>\n The complete city is a playground for the mischievous macaques who roam scavenging for meals and playing around. You will discover an enormous colony of them at Phra Prang Sam Yot <\/strong>\u2013 a really majestic former Buddhist temple.<\/p>\n Before the Pandemic, it was normal apply to feed them, so that they caught across the metropolis. Today, that is discouraged and forbidden (aside from the annual Monkey Buffet Festival, <\/strong>which is precisely what it seems like and sure, very weird) however that\u2019s simpler mentioned than carried out, so the monkeys keep.<\/p>\n They could be both cute or scary and are dexterous, petty thieves, so thoughts your valuables.<\/p>\n Lop Buri was the Kingdom\u2019s capital for some time and Ayutthayan King Narai constructed himself a residence there \u2013 the King Narai\u2019s Palace<\/strong>, <\/strong>which you’ll be able to go to for a charge of 150 THB\/5 USD.<\/p>\n One extra place I favored in Lop Buri is the Talat Lang Community <\/strong>close to the river. A row of shophouses, some courting to the nineteenth century, will present you a glimpse of the \u201cReal Thailand\u201d.<\/p>\n Get practice tickets on 12go<\/a><\/p>\n Phitsanulok is a quiet regional capital metropolis filled with historical past and lore. If you\u2019re used to the favored vacationer locations in Thailand, chances are you’ll discover it boring, although it\u2019s a stunning place to see how the locals stay with out an endless provide of vacationers.<\/p>\n One of the oldest buildings within the metropolis is the magnificent temple Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat<\/strong>, inbuilt 1357 in the course of the Sukhothai period. It has remained open regardless of a number of invasions, abandonments, and destructions of the town. It homes what some take into account essentially the most lovely Buddha statue in Thailand\u2014the gold-plated Phra Phuttha Chinnarat.<\/p>\n Cross the Nan River behind the temple and take a look at the Chan Royal Palace Historical Center <\/strong>\u2013 a duplicate of the palace that King Naresuan of Ayutthaya constructed within the fifteenth century. The museum has a ton of knowledge in English in regards to the occasions that led to the rise and fall of Phitsanulok. Entrance is free. It\u2019s open day-after-day besides Monday, from 9 AM to 4 PM.<\/p>\n Ancient ruins in various levels of decay encompass the museum. They are usually not as spectacular as what stays in Ayutthaya, however with a eager eye, the town\u2019s former glory isn’t onerous to think about.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While there, try the weird association of over 1000 statuettes of horses and roosters. Truly bizarre. Presumably, they’re the locals\u2019 approach to pay their respects to King Naresuan the Great, who was very a lot into cock preventing and horse driving.<\/p>\n While within the space, cease to eat Sukhothai-style noodles at Hoi Kha Rim Nan Noodle Restaurant<\/a>. Not solely is the meals excellent, however the setting is charming, and dangling your ft within the air as if sitting on a swing whereas slurping noodles is an expertise by itself.<\/p>\n Get your Bus tickets on 12go<\/a><\/p>\n Comparisons are sometimes made between Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, the 2 most outstanding historic cities of Siam. Sukhothai is about 100 years outdated and is taken into account the first capital of Thailand<\/strong>. But Ayutthaya was better and its kingdom was far more affluent. <\/p>\n As folks in Southeast Asia say, \u201d Same, similar, however totally different<\/em>.\u201d Which is best? <\/p>\n It\u2019s onerous to inform. <\/p>\n The numerous comparisons on the net are superficial at finest. For me, Ayutthaya edges the victory, however I notice it\u2019s all extremely private. Visit each and resolve for your self!<\/p>\n If you do head to Sukhothai, I\u2019d suggest staying close to the Historical Park moderately than in New Sukhothai city so you may get up early to see the temples bathed in gentle morning mild. Sriwilai Sukhothai Resort & Spa<\/a> is a wonderful luxurious keep, with views over rice fields and quick access to the traditional temples. Or try Sano House<\/a> when you\u2019re on a funds.<\/mark><\/p>\n Book your keep right here<\/a><\/p>\n Sukhothai isn’t on the Northern Railway Line, so a bus journey is required, and Phitsanulok is the closest massive metropolis, although you may take a direct switch from many different locations in Central and Northern Thailand. Note that the brand new metropolis of Sukhothai (with a lot of the motels) and the historic park are about 12 km aside.<\/p>\n The historic ruins space isn’t compact sufficient to stroll, which is why many go for a bicycle tour across the Sukhothai temples<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Lampang is one other a type of Thai cities that was once an essential hub of commerce and tradition, however over time was relegated to only a regional capital steeped in historical past.<\/p>\n This historical past is conspicuous within the conventional Lanna structure within the outdated components of city. Walk by way of Talad Gao Road <\/strong>to see the attractive picket 2-story shophouses and teahouses. The Chaosua Tea Room is an absolute marvel on the skin and serves fragrant oolong tea inside.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Ban Pong Nak Museum <\/strong>is one other historic constructing you can’t miss \u2013 a residence constructed for King Rama VII with over 450 home windows. Now that\u2019s a sight to behold. And whereas we\u2019re speaking about historical past and museums, Museum Lampang <\/strong>is free to enter, has many interactive components, and can train you numerous in regards to the historical past of the Lanna Kingdom.<\/p>\n You can use your two ft or taxis to journey between all these locations, however Lampang additionally affords a novel transportation choice: horse-drawn<\/strong> carriages.<\/strong> Once widespread all through the nation, solely Lampang Province retains them right now\u2014sure, principally as a vacationer attraction, but it surely\u2019s cultural immersion anyway.<\/p>\n If you may select when to go to Lampang, do it on the weekend. The Kad Kongta Night Market<\/a><\/strong>, positioned on Talad Gao, is a way more nice different to the overcrowded Chiang Mai Sunday and Saturday night time markets.<\/p>\n You have arrived within the Northern Capital, the Rose of the North, the Golden City \u2013 Chiang Mai<\/strong>. Now what? Check out this detailed information to Chiang Mai<\/a> for an in-depth tackle what to see, find out how to do it, and the place to not waste your time.<\/p>\n Want to analysis Chiang Mai extra deeply? Then try our 21 really useful issues to do<\/a> in addition to our information to Chiang Mai for expats and distant employees (publishing quickly). Need concepts for the place to proceed past Chiang Mai? Then try our guides to the mountain cities of Pai<\/a> and Chiang Dao<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [ad_2]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [ad_1] Arrival. Check in at your resort, then go to the night time market within the night. Two days in Bangkok. Three days in Chiang Mai\u2026 Stop, wait a minute. Many Thailand itineraries seem like this and proceed to checklist locations as if teleportation have been as widespread as strolling. But what\u2019s in between? Is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[3457,6391,12829,4243,1383],"class_list":{"0":"post-148036","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-solo-travel","8":"tag-direct","9":"tag-highlights","10":"tag-route","11":"tag-slow","12":"tag-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/bangkok-to-chiang-mai-itinerary-travel-route.png\" "\\"bangkok-to-chiang-mai-itinerary-travel-route\\"")
Bangkok to Chiang Mai \u2013 Travelling Directly<\/h2>\n
Flights<\/h3>\n
Buses<\/h3>\n
Sleeper<\/mark> Trains<\/h3>\n
![\"Onboard](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Onboard-the-Bangkok-to-Chiang-Mai-overnight-sleeper-train-768x510.jpg\")
Bangkok to Chiang Mai \u2013 Splitting the Journey<\/h2>\n
Bangkok to Chiang Mai Itinerary \u2013 By Train<\/h2>\n
Ayutthaya<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-view-of-the-Wat-Yai-Chai-Mongkon-in-the-City-Ayutthaya-513x768.jpg\")
![\"Bicycle](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Old-Temple-wat-Chaiwatthanaram-of-Ayutthaya-Province-768x512.jpg\")
Lop Buri<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Tourists](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Thailand-Monkey-Party-768x511.jpg\")
Phitsanulok<\/h3>\n
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Detour to Sukhothai<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Wat-Mahathat-Sukhothai-768x510.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sukhothai-512x768.jpg\")
Lampang<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-horse-carriage-in-Lampang-768x512.jpg\")
Arrival in Chiang Mai<\/h3>\n
![\"Green](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Downtown-of-Bangkok-Thailand-768x576.jpg)
![\"Wat](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/The-Wat-Na-Phra-Men-in-the-City-Ayutthaya-768x513.jpg)
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Gold-plated-Phra-Phuttha-Chinnarat-in-Thailand-511x768.jpg)
![\"Chedi](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Chedi-of-Wat-Phra-Si-Rattana-Mahathat-in-the-city-of-Phitsanulok-in-Thailand-768x513.jpg)
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.indietraveller.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sukhothai-Historical-Park-Countryside-Cycling-Tour-1-768x432.jpg)