Day 1
Arrive Bangkok
Land at BKK, Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai, BTS to Sukhumvit. First-night Sukhumvit Soi 38 food stall crawl.
Stay:Park Hyatt Bangkok · Sukhumvit
- ◆Sukhumvit Soi 38 street food
Logistics: BKK → Sukhumvit: ARL+BTS 45 min ฿90
Three weeks in Southeast Asia is what most travellers wish they had done. The classical loop: 10 days in Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, one southern-coast beach), 7 days in Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An), 4 days in Cambodia (Siem Reap + Angkor Wat). Domestic flights between countries, established tourism infrastructure, and budget-friendly prices — $2,500-$4,000/person covers a comfortable version end-to-end. This is the trip that makes a generation of travellers fall for Asia.
Day by day
Each day is written to balance structure with breathing room. Named hotels, named meals, named activities; logistics noted where they matter.
Day 2
Bangkok · Temples + river
Grand Palace + Wat Pho morning (entrance 08:00 before heat). Chao Phraya river lunch. Wat Arun at sunset. Evening cocktails at Lebua Sky Bar.
- ◆Grand Palace + Wat Pho
- ◆Wat Arun sunset
Day 3
Bangkok · Chinatown + markets
Amphawa floating market (weekends) or Damnoen Saduak. Afternoon in Yaowarat (Chinatown) with T&K Seafood for dinner.
- ◆Floating market
- ◆Yaowarat evening
Day 4
Fly Bangkok → Chiang Mai
Morning flight to CNX (1h 15m). Old City walking tour — Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, the moat perimeter.
Stay:137 Pillars House · Old City Lanna luxury
- ◆Old City temples
- ◆Dinner at David's Kitchen
Day 5
Chiang Mai · Cooking + Doi Suthep
Morning cooking class (Thai Farm). Afternoon drive up Doi Suthep mountain temple. Evening at Nimmanhaemin coffee scene.
- ◆Cooking class
- ◆Doi Suthep
- ◆Ristr8to coffee
Day 6
Chiang Mai · Ethical elephants
Full day at Elephant Nature Park or similar sanctuary — rescued elephants, no riding. Back to Chiang Mai for Saturday Walking Street market if Saturday.
- ◆Elephant sanctuary
- ◆Walking Street market
Day 7
Fly Chiang Mai → Krabi
Morning flight CNX → KBV (via BKK, 2h 20m total). Transfer to Koh Lanta or Railay. Afternoon beach.
Stay:Pimalai Resort Koh Lanta or Rayavadee Railay · Andaman cliffside
- ◆Beach arrival
Logistics: CNX → KBV: 2h 20m + 1h transfer
Day 8
Krabi · Islands day
Longtail boat to Hong Islands, swim + snorkel + lunch. Sunset back at resort.
- ◆Hong Islands boat day
Day 9
Krabi · Beach rest
Slow day. Spa morning, pool afternoon, seafront seafood dinner.
- ◆Spa + pool + dinner
Day 10
Fly Krabi → Hanoi (via BKK)
Half-travel day. KBV → BKK → HAN (6h total with layover). Arrive Hanoi evening. Dinner at a bun cha stall in the Old Quarter.
Stay:Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi · Old Quarter colonial
- ◆Bun cha dinner
Logistics: KBV → BKK → HAN: 6h total
Day 11
Hanoi · Old Quarter + museums
Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, Museum of Ethnology (one of Southeast Asia's best museums). Evening water-puppet show.
- ◆Museum of Ethnology
- ◆Water-puppet show
Day 12
Hanoi → Halong Bay cruise
Morning van (3h via new expressway) to Halong. Board 2-night junk cruise. Afternoon kayaking through the karst caves.
Stay:Paradise Luxury junk (2 nights) · Overnight boat
- ◆Halong Bay kayak
Day 13
Halong Bay · Full day
Full cruise day — floating fishing village, beach swim, onboard cooking class.
- ◆Floating village
- ◆Cooking class onboard
Day 14
Halong → Hanoi → Hue → Hoi An
Long travel day. Morning disembark + drive to Hanoi (3h). Flight HAN → HUI (1h 15m). Overnight in Hue — dinner at Ancient Hue.
Stay:La Residence Hue · Colonial riverside
- ◆Hue Imperial Citadel evening
Logistics: HAN → HUI: 1h 15m
Day 15
Hue → Hoi An via Hai Van Pass
Private car over the Hai Van Pass (the scenic coastal drive Top Gear filmed). Arrive Hoi An by lunch. Afternoon walking the UNESCO Ancient Town.
Stay:Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai · Beachfront resort
- ◆Hai Van Pass drive
- ◆Ancient Town lantern evening
Logistics: Hue → Hoi An: 3h 30m private car
Day 16
Hoi An · Cooking + tailors
Morning Red Bridge cooking class. Afternoon at a Hoi An tailor (48h turnaround; Yaly or Bebe). Evening at An Bang Beach.
- ◆Red Bridge cooking class
- ◆Tailor fitting
Day 17
Fly Hoi An → Siem Reap
Morning flight DAD → REP via Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City (4-5h total). Afternoon arrival, hotel rest. Evening at Pub Street in Siem Reap.
Stay:Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor · Colonial-era Siem Reap
- ◆Pub Street dinner
Logistics: DAD → REP: 4-5h via BKK or SGN
Day 18
Angkor Wat + sunrise
Pre-dawn tuk-tuk to Angkor Wat for sunrise (05:00 departure). Full day at Angkor — Bayon (the 216 faces of Jayavarman VII), Ta Prohm (the strangler-fig temple). Hire a licensed guide ($25-40 full day).
- ◆Angkor Wat sunrise
- ◆Bayon
- ◆Ta Prohm
Day 19
Angkor · quieter temples + Tonle Sap
Morning at Banteay Srei (the pink-stone Women's Citadel, 30km from Siem Reap). Afternoon on Tonle Sap (the floating villages of Kompong Phluk at high water). Evening dinner at Cuisine Wat Damnak (the modern Khmer tasting menu).
- ◆Banteay Srei
- ◆Tonle Sap floating villages
- ◆Cuisine Wat Damnak
Day 20
Siem Reap · rest day
Slow last full day. Morning at the APOPO Mine Action Visitor Centre (a moving museum on landmine clearance). Afternoon spa + rest. Last dinner at Malis.
- ◆APOPO museum
- ◆Spa + Malis dinner
Day 21
Depart Siem Reap
Morning flight REP → international. Most connections via Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City to Europe/US.
- ◆REP → international
Logistics: REP → international via BKK / SGN
— FAQ
Southeast Asia · Multi-country itinerary: common questions
For three countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia), yes — it's the canonical loop. Adding Laos (Luang Prabang, 3 nights), Bali (4 nights), or Myanmar/Burma (currently restricted) requires 4+ weeks.
Book your Southeast Asia · Multi-country 3 weeks trip
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