The Ancient Capitals – 4 days 3 nights

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Si Satchanalai to visit the characteristic rural village Ban Na Ton Chan, surrounded by Chan trees and famous for the process of dyeing fabric fermented in mud and for ancient weaving techniques. A sightseeing tour of the village on board a local truck (vehicle used for agricultural purposes) with a stop on a bamboo bridge across a huge rice field. Depart for Phrae, one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded in the same period as Sukhothai and Chiang Mai, and part of the glorious Lanna empire. Its ancient name was Wiang Kosai, meaning silk cloth and the city is also nicknamed the “Best-Kept Secret of Northern Thailand“, with immense historical, cultural, and natural wealth. Before arriving in the city, a brief photo stop at the magnificent Wat Phra That Suthon Mongkhon Khiri, and after lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Baan Thung Hong district, famous for the production of Mo-Hom, blue-dyed cotton garments worn by villagers throughout northern Thailand. Continue towards Phayao province and stop at the first of the “unusual” temples in Chiang Rai province: Wat Huay Sai Kao, a functioning religious site created with the general concept of “Buddhism can be fun” and which wouldn’t be out of place in Disneyland. Arrival in Chiang Rai and before going to the hotel, visit Wat Rong Seua Ten, better known as the “Blue Temple” or “Dancing Tiger Temple“, whose walls, roof, and surrounding statues are all covered in this splendid shade of sapphire blue, symbolically associated with purity, wisdom, and the lack of materialism that Buddhists aspire to. Check-in at the hotel, dinner at leisure, and overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for the “Golden Triangle“, the famous place where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar on the legendary Mekong River, the longest in Southeast Asia at 4,350 Km. Stop at the panoramic viewpoint of the rivers’ meeting point, known as Phrathat Doi Pu Khao, and visit the Opium Museum, which offers a series of testimonies and objects related to the cultivation, trade, and consumption of this substance. Return to Chiang Rai and stop at Wat Rong Khun, better known as the “White Temple“, one of the most famous temples in Thailand. The white color indicates the purity of the Buddha, while the glass symbolizes the wisdom and Buddhist teachings of the Dhamma. After lunch at a local restaurant, depart for Chiang Mai, “The Rose of the North”, considered the northern capital of Thailand, surrounded by spectacular mountains, with a beautiful city center and its unique architecture that can be admired while strolling through the streets. Visit Wat Pha Lat, the “jungle temple,” a complex of temples on the slopes of Doi Suthep, the mountain that dominates Chiang Mai. This picturesque temple immersed in the jungle is composed of several buildings scattered in the forest along a quiet stream and built in perfect harmony with nature so that it is difficult to tell where the buildings end and the forest begins. Last visit to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, the most sacred Theravada temple in the city, in a panoramic position on top of the eponymous mountain with its 1,056 meters of height. Built at the beginning of the 19th Buddhist century, Doi Suthep‘s beauty is characterized by seven-headed serpent statues flanking the stairs where there is a golden pagoda in Chiang Saen style and all its exquisite Lanna architecture. Arrival at the hotel, dinner at leisure, and overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast – Lunch

After breakfast, transfer to Chiang Mai Airport in time for the scheduled flight departure.
Meals: Brunch