Guide · Itineraries
Thailand family itineraries: 7, 10 and 14 days, plus an Isan loop
With children, plan no more than one long drive every two or three days, and keep most legs under three hours. Thailand makes that easy: Ayutthaya, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi and Khao Yai are all 1.5 to 3 hours from Bangkok, and domestic flights cover the long distances to Chiang Mai and the Andaman coast.
Updated · Drive times from the transfer operators' published routes
How much driving can children handle in a day?
Plan on two to three hours as a comfortable drive for young children and four as a long day, with a stop every couple of hours. The routes below follow three rules:
- Two nights minimum in each base, three where the drive to get there is long.
- A rest day after every long drive: pool, beach or nothing at all.
- Sightseeing early: out by 8:00, back for lunch and a nap, out again after 16:00.
Drive times are those published by the transfer operators for a private car in normal traffic; holiday weekends are slower. Each transfer can carry a child seat on request, and the fee is shown when you book.
0+ Easy · First trip
7 days: Bangkok and Hua Hin (or Pattaya)
One city base and one beach base, with a single long-ish drive. It suits babies and toddlers and families on their first Thailand trip.
| Day | Base | What to do | Drive | Car-seat transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangkok | Arrive; pool and an early night | BKK to the city 45–60 min | Bangkok Taxi Services |
| 2 | Bangkok | Grand Palace at opening (under 120 cm free); aquarium in the afternoon heat | City only | — |
| 3 | Bangkok | Day trip: Ayutthaya by bike, or the Damnoen Saduak floating market (leave 06:00–07:00) | About 1.5 h each way; market 1.5–2 h | Bangkok to Ayutthaya or to the market |
| 4 | Hua Hin | Drive to the coast; beach in the late afternoon | About 200 km, 2.5–3 h | Hua Hin Taxi |
| 5 | Hua Hin | Rest day: beach and pool | — | — |
| 6 | Hua Hin | Beach morning, night market in the evening | — | — |
| 7 | Fly out | Back to Suvarnabhumi for the flight | About 220 km, 3–3.5 h | Same site, return leg |
Pattaya instead of Hua Hin? Swap days 4–7: Bangkok to Pattaya takes about 2–2.5 hours, and Khao Kheow Open Zoo is on the way. Spend a day at a water park, then drive back to Suvarnabhumi in 1.5–2 hours with Airport to Pattaya Taxi.
4+ Nature · Rivers · Wildlife
10 days: Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Sai Yok and Khao Yai
Waterfalls, a night on a raft house and wild elephants, without a single flight. It suits children of about 4 and up who can wear a life jacket and walk short trails.
| Day | Base | What to do | Drive | Car-seat transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Bangkok | Arrive, then an easy city day | BKK to the city 45–60 min | As in the 7-day plan |
| 3 | Kanchanaburi | Drive west; the Bridge over the River Kwai at sunset | About 2.5 h | Kanchanaburi Taxi |
| 4 | Kanchanaburi | Erawan Falls: swim in the lower pools in life jackets (300/150 baht) | About 1.5 h each way | Day hire, priced by message |
| 5 | Sai Yok raft house | Move to a raft house on the River Kwai Noi | About 1 h to km 60, 1 h 45 to the national park | Kanchanaburi to Sai Yok |
| 6 | Sai Yok | Rest day on the river; Sai Yok Noi waterfall or Hellfire Pass for older children | Short hops | Arranged locally |
| 7 | Ayutthaya | Back to Kanchanaburi town, then northeast to Ayutthaya without going through Bangkok | Resort to town about 1–1.75 h, then about 144 km, 2 h | Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya |
| 8 | Khao Yai | Cycle Ayutthaya's ruins in the early morning, then drive to Khao Yai | About 120–140 km, about 2 h | Ayutthaya Taxis (Ayutthaya to Khao Yai route) |
| 9 | Khao Yai | National park: viewpoints, Haew Suwat waterfall, elephants on the road (400/200 baht in practice) | Park roads | Day hire, priced by message |
| 10 | Fly out | Back to Suvarnabhumi | About 200 km, 2–2.5 h | Khao Yai Taxi |
Sai Yok resorts are spread from about km 55 to km 105 of Highway 323; resorts further out may cost extra, and the operator confirms the price before you book. Boats to river-only resorts are arranged by the resort.
4+ Classic · Two flights
14 days: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Krabi or Phuket
The classic first big trip: city, mountains and elephants, then a week on the beach. Plan it for November to April, when the Andaman coast is outside its May–October monsoon.
| Day | Base | What to do | Travel | Car-seat transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Bangkok | Arrive; Grand Palace; a day trip to Ayutthaya or an aquarium and pool day | BKK to the city 45–60 min | Bangkok airport transfers |
| 4 | Chiang Mai | Fly north; settle in, Old City temples at dusk | Domestic flight (road: about 700 km) | Airport to hotel priced by message |
| 5 | Chiang Mai | An observation-only elephant sanctuary | Varies by sanctuary | Chiang Mai Taxi (10-hour days) |
| 6 | Chiang Mai | Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain (300/150 baht); bring a warm layer | Full day with a driver | Same site |
| 7 | Chiang Mai | Rest day: pool, a night market | — | — |
| 8 | Ao Nang (Krabi) or Phuket | Fly south | Phuket Airport to Ao Nang about 2.5–3 h; to Patong 45–60 min | Krabi Taxis or Phuket Taxi Services |
| 9 | Beach | Rest day on the beach | — | — |
| 10 | Beach | Long-tail boat to Railay (no road access) | Boat from Ao Nang | — |
| 11–12 | Beach | A first snorkel in a calm bay; an island trip if the sea is flat | — | — |
| 13 | Beach | Nothing planned: pack slowly | — | — |
| 14 | Fly out | Transfer to the airport | As day 8 | Same site, return leg |
Traveling between May and October? Swap the Andaman week for Hua Hin or Koh Samui, and see the month-by-month guide.
5+ Off the beaten track
9 days: the Isan loop for curious kids
Wild elephants, an open zoo, a Khmer temple, dinosaur fossils and a lake of pink water lilies, with few other tourists. Time it for late November to February to catch the Red Lotus Sea in bloom.
| Day | Base | What to do | Drive | Car-seat transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Yai | Straight from Suvarnabhumi to the hills | About 200 km, 2–2.5 h | Suvarnabhumi to Khao Yai |
| 2 | Khao Yai | National park day: viewpoints, waterfalls, wildlife | Park roads | Day hire, priced by message |
| 3 | Korat | Drive to Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima); Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo in the afternoon | 1.5–2 h | Khao Yai to Korat |
| 4 | Korat | Phimai Historical Park, the great Khmer sandstone temple | About 60 km, 1 h each way | Korat to Phimai |
| 5 | Khon Kaen | Drive north on Highway 2; lakeside evening | About 190 km, 2.5–3 h | Korat to Khon Kaen |
| 6 | Khon Kaen | Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum (check opening days first) | About 80–90 km each way | Day hire, priced by message |
| 7 | Udon Thani | Short drive; rest afternoon | About 115–120 km, under 2 h | Khon Kaen to Udon Thani |
| 8 | Udon Thani | Red Lotus Sea by boat at dawn (late Nov–Feb); optional Nong Khai and the Mekong | About 40 km; Nong Khai about 55 km | Udon Thani Taxis |
| 9 | Fly out | Udon Thani Airport (UTH), about 10 minutes from the city | About 5 km | Same site |
Prefer to start by car from Bangkok? Bangkok to Korat is about 250 km, 3–3.5 hours; skip Khao Yai or visit it from Korat (about 90 km to Pak Chong).
Booking the drives with child seats
Every leg with a link above is a fixed-price transfer per vehicle, one way, with expressway tolls included; the child seat is requested when you book and costs 100 THB per seat on the regional booking sites. Nothing is charged when you book: pay the driver in baht at the end, or ask for a PayPal card link (+5%). Round trips and "driver waits while you visit" days are priced by message. For every site by region, see taxis with car seats.
Transparency: Smile Taxi Service and the regional transfer sites linked in these itineraries are affiliated with Thailand 4 Kids. Everything we say about them comes from the operator's published terms.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Thailand with kids?
Seven days covers Bangkok and one beach without rushing. Ten days adds Kanchanaburi and Khao Yai by road, and two weeks lets you fly to Chiang Mai and the Andaman coast with rest days built in.
Should we drive or fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with children?
Fly. Chiang Mai is about 700 km from Bangkok, 8–9 hours by road, which is too long for most children in one go. If you want a road trip north, break it at Sukhothai: Bangkok to Sukhothai is 5.5–6 hours and Sukhothai to Chiang Mai 4–5 hours.
Is the Isan loop suitable for young children?
Yes, from about age 5, and younger with extra rest days. The longest drive is Korat to Khon Kaen at 2.5–3 hours, and each stop has something children enjoy: wild elephants, a big zoo, dinosaur fossils and a boat trip on the lotus lake.
Can we visit Kanchanaburi and Khao Yai in one trip without going back to Bangkok?
Yes. From Kanchanaburi, drive about 144 km (about 2 hours) to Ayutthaya via Suphan Buri, then about 2 hours on to Khao Yai. Sleeping a night in Ayutthaya breaks the journey and adds the ruins.
Do we need to book transfers before we arrive?
For the airport pickup and any leg with a child who needs a seat, yes: book ahead so the seat can be confirmed in writing. Cancellation on the Smile network is free up to 24 hours before pickup.
Which itinerary suits a baby?
The 7-day Bangkok and Hua Hin plan: one city base, one beach base and a single 2.5–3 hour drive. Read Thailand with a baby for formula, heat and mosquito advice.
Before you go: check family health and safety and browse the destinations by age.
Sources
- National park entrance fees by tier — Department of National Parks (Thai), checked 27 Sep 2026
- Khao Yai National Park fees — Department of National Parks, checked 27 Sep 2026
- Grand Palace FAQ — The Grand Palace, checked 27 Sep 2026
- Red Lotus Lake — Thailand NOW, checked 27 Sep 2026
- Fossil Research Center and Dinosaur Museum, Khon Kaen — Department of Mineral Resources, checked 27 Sep 2026
- Seasons of Thailand — Thai Meteorological Department (Thai), checked 27 Sep 2026
- Drive times and distances: the published route pages of the Smile Taxi Service network sites linked above, checked 27 Sep 2026