15 Day Tour: November 8-22, 2027
Pricing for Thailand & Laos
- Base Pricing is always calculated for double occupancy.
- $1848 supplemental for Solo Travelers.
Tour Highlights
4 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
Amazing Architecture
2 Incredible National Parks
- Bangkok
- Khao Yai National Park
- Kaeng Krachan National Park
- Sun bear, gaur, elephant, sambar & hundreds of bird species
- Vientiane, Laos
- Vat Pho
- Luang Prabang
Tour Includes
- Round trip airfare from Chicago
- First Class Hotel Accommodations
- All Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners
- Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
- Admissions to all listed Attractions
- Round trip airport transfers in the Chicagoland area
- Guided by Bill Ball
- Baggage Handling
- All Gratuities
- LIMIT OF 15
Tour Itinerary
Day One & Two We fly to Bangkok, crossing the International Date Line enroute.
Day Three We arrive in Bangkok this morning. Upon arrival we tour the city. Highlights include the Grand Palace Complex —site of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace. We also see The Golden Mount—one of the great landmarks of Bangkok. Our tour will also take us to Wat Pho—the city’s oldest temple and Thailand’s largest.
Day Four Today we continue to explore Bangkok and its environs. We see Wat Suthat site of the ancient bronze Buddha. The Giant Swing and Vimanmek Palace (the world’s largest teak building) and the Jim Thompson House (built by an American who revived the silk industry). Our takes us through the city by bus and boat. The waterways of Bangkok are beautiful and full of interesting buildings and floating markets. And, yes, Bill will give you some time in the markets.
Day Five We are off to Ang Thong with its UNESCO historic temples like Wat Muang and the Great Buddha of Thailand. This is a wonder of mankind like no other. Seated it is 300 feet tall with a lap width of 250 feet. The buildings and temple complex surrounding it only make the experience more incredible. The Ayutthaya Royal Palace, another UNESCO site is the former Siam ruling palace and is one of those jaw-dropping experiences you should not miss.
Day Six We travel to Khao Yai National Park today, the most visited park in Thailand. This mountainous and heavily forested park is home to 20 species of large animals including elephants, gaur, sambar deer, barking deer, Asian black bear, sun bears, leopard cat, binturongs, gibbons, macaques and over 300 species of birds. We explore the tropical rainforest keeping a sharp eye out for all of these incredible creatures.
Day Seven Our exploration of Khao Yai continues today as we explore more of the 1000 square mile park. We explore the other ecosystems of the park including the evergreen forest, the dry deciduous forest and the savannah.
Day Eight We head out of Khao Yai National Park today to visit another wonderous park—Kaeng Krachan National Park. This is the big game park of Thailand with wild Asian Elephants, sun bear, gaur, leopards and much more. This is Thailand’s largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For birders, this is will be a paradise with nearly 500 species.
Day Nine Another day in the park! We will be looking for sambar and mouse deer (largest and smallest deer in Thailand), white-handed gibbons, giant squirrels, stump-tailed macaques, martens and the dhole (a wild dog). Our species count will rise with each hour in the park.
Day Ten We fly now to the capital of Laos (our second country) Vientiane. This city has one of the oddest Buddhist parks with over 200 Buddha and Hindu statues in it. Many of them are different looking than any other in the world. One of the most impressive sights in the world is the Pha That Luang gold covered Buddhist stupa. This city is like no other in the world with its incredible monuments and peaceful nature.
Day Eleven The big monument today is the legendary Wat Si Saket. This historic temple houses over 9000 Buddha images in a large temple built in the Siamese style. We will also see the modern side of the incredible city including where the government is housed.
Day Twelve We venture on to Luang Prabang—the ancient capital of Laos. This UNESCO city is known for its traditional Lao and French colonial architecture. It sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Nan Khar rivers, making it a historic center for trade in Southeast Asia. The capital until 1975, it is famous for its iconic Royal Palace that housed the King until overthrown by the communist movement.
Day Thirteen We will start the day at an alms-giving ceremony where the local monks march along the streets collecting food for the day. This is a ceremony you will long remember. We will also visit the night market famous for its crafts and local fruits and vegetables you won’t find at Trader Joe’s. We will travel on the world-renown Mekong River, seeing the lush jungle surrounding the city.
Day Fourteen We will have some more time in Luang Prabang to see the Angkor Wat of Laos—Vat Phou. This Final UNESCO site is the largest archeological site in Laos. A Khmer temple dating to 5th century it will remind you of the great ancient temples of the world and then exceed them in beauty. We fly back to Vientiane and a special final night dinner that will put an exclamation point on this incredible adventure.
Day Fifteen We fly home today with giant Buddhas, gold covered stupas, hundreds of bird species, wildlife to spare and the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. This is guaranteed to be one of the greatest trips of a lifetime.
