What this trip is really like
Land, drive straight to the coast, and do the city second: a boat out to Koh Larn, seafood at the Naklua pier, then Bangkok's temples and a family day at Safari World before you fly home.
Two nights in Pattaya and two in Bangkok make up this five-day route, linked by one overland transfer. You start in Pattaya after arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport, easing into beach time and evening entertainment, before heading onward to the capital, where temple visits, a river cruise and shopping fill the days ahead of your flight home.
Extra days in each place leave room for the Alcazar Cabaret Show one evening, plus a half-day boat crossing out to Coral Island, followed by a full round of Bangkok's leading temples, all done without feeling rushed. Families travelling together also benefit from the wildlife day built into the schedule at Safari World and Marine Park.
Highlights
- An evening at the Alcazar Cabaret Show in Pattaya
- A half-day speedboat trip to Coral Island (Koh Larn), with lunch and optional watersports
- A Bangkok temple circuit calling first at the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) and then the Marble Temple (Wat Benchamabophit), with a Gems Gallery stop along the way
- A buffet dinner served aboard an evening Chao Phraya cruise, setting off from the pier at Icon Siam
- Sea lions and dolphins performing during a full day at Safari World and Marine Park
The trip, day by day
Day 1 — Land at Suvarnabhumi, drive to Pattaya
After touching down at Suvarnabhumi Airport, a transfer takes you straight to your Pattaya hotel to check in. The Alcazar Cabaret Show fills the evening slot — a fixture of Pattaya's stage entertainment since 1990, performed in a theatre seating 1,200 with an elaborate lighting and sound setup.
Comedy, costume changes and dance come together in a production designed to appeal broadly, and for many visiting Pattaya on a first trip, it remains a favourite evening out.
Day 2 — Koh Larn by boat, seafood at Naklua
About 7 km from Pattaya Beach sits Koh Larn, which many simply call Coral Island, home to six named beaches. Time to relax on the sand and an included lunch both feature on this half-day excursion.
As the main landing spot, Tawaen Beach sees the heaviest footfall of anywhere on the island, particularly at weekends when day-trippers arrive from Bangkok. Undersea walking, parasailing, banana boat rides and jet skiing are all available at extra cost.
Day 3 — Up to Bangkok, Golden Buddha and Marble Temple
Collection from your Pattaya hotel happens around 08:30, ahead of the road transfer on to Bangkok in either a private car or a shared coach. Bags stay at the Bangkok hotel's lobby while a city tour gets underway around midday.
The tour takes in the seated Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit and Dusit district's Marble Temple, Wat Benchamabophit, with a Gems Gallery stop for jewellery and souvenirs before hotel check-in.
Pickup around 18:00 delivers you to the evening cruise, boarding at the pier by Icon Siam, where a buffet dinner is served on deck while the boat cruises past landmarks lit up along the city's edge.
Day 4 — Safari World and Marine Park
At 08:00, a shared coach or private vehicle collects you from the hotel for the ride out to Safari World, an open-air zoo and marine park spanning 170 acres across two sections.
Vehicle tours take you through open enclosures on the Safari Park side, home to lions, tigers, bears, zebra and giraffe. Sea lion and dolphin shows are staged on the Marine Park side, and you're back at the hotel by roughly five in the afternoon.
Day 5 — To the airport
After breakfast and check-out, you’re transferred to Suvarnabhumi Airport for your departure flight, bringing the Pattaya and Bangkok trip to a close.
What's included
- Your rooms, twin or double with breakfast, in the hotel grade you pick with us — family-run guesthouses where they exist, small hotels elsewhere
- Every meal the day-by-day marks as included; we lean towards places locals eat rather than hotel restaurants
- A guide from the region who speaks English and grew up with the places on the route
- Your own air-conditioned car or minivan with driver for every transfer and touring day
- Entrance fees to every site named in the itinerary
- The boats, cruises and activities written into the plan
- Government taxes and service charges — the quote we send is the amount you pay
Not included
- Flights and trains, international or domestic — we quote these separately so you can see the real cost
- Visa fees and visa arrangements
- Travel insurance, which we ask every guest to carry
- Drinks, laundry, phone calls and anything else personal
- Early check-in, late check-out and room upgrades
- Tips for your guide and driver — customary here, at your discretion
- Extra sightseeing or vehicle use beyond the written plan
- Costs caused by weather, road closures or other events outside anyone's control, settled on the spot
- Bank transfer charges
Book this trip
- Days
- 5 days / 4 nights
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