1 Month Thailand Itinerary – Ultimate Backpacking Route

Last Updated on 2nd October 2023

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Planning to spend one month in Thailand but not sure where to start when it comes to creating the perfect itinerary and route? This 1 month Thailand itinerary is for you!

Thailand is often cited as one of the best places for backpackers in the world and after spending 1 month in Thailand, it’s fair to say that I experienced my fair sharing of backpacking experiences while we were there.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect 10-day Thailand itinerary, 3 weeks in Thailand itinerary or you’re planning to spend a full month in Thailand, my ultimate Thailand travel itinerary and guide below will help you plan the perfect trip!

1 month Thailand itinerary summary

• Phuket/Patong – 7 days
• Koh Lanta – 4 days
• Bangkok – 7 days
• Chiang Mai – 5 days
• Kanchanaburi – 3 days

Day 1 – 8 – Phuket/Patong – 1 month Thailand itinerary

We spent 1 week in Phuket which you definitely don’t need to do. However, as we both work online, we need to schedule time into our weeks to be able to work.

We usually aim for around 2-3 days of work every week, which still gives us plenty of time to explore and enjoy a place, it just means that we might travel a little slower than most other people.

I would recommend allotting 3-4 days of your Thailand itinerary to Phuket which will give you plenty of time to experience this crazy place!

Read more: Phuket Day Tour Itinerary – Big Buddha, Old Town, Wat Chalong & More

How to get to Phuket

Getting to Phuket is easy enough. We actually flew to Phuket Airport from George Town, Penang, but you can get the bus all the way from Krabi and even Bangkok.

You can also fly, hop on a bus or take a boat ride to Phuket from numerous other Thai Islands so it’s relatively easy and affordable to get to.

Check for flights to Phuket here!

Where to stay in Phuket

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb while we were in Patong. The hostess, Ida, was so lovely and friendly and she spoke perfect English. The bed was arguably the hardest bed I’ve ever slept on, but apart from that, we had no complaints!

The Airbnb apartment is next door to a 7-11 and just a 15-minute walk from Patong Beach and Bangla Road so it’s easily accessible for a great night out in Phuket!

What to do in Phuket – 1 month Thailand itinerary

Read more: Phuket Island Hopping Day Trip To Phi Phi Islands

Best things to do in Phuket:

• Island hopping tour to the Phi Phi Island
• Big Buddha Statue
• Phuket Old Town
• Bangla Road (epic night out)
• Watch a Ladyboy or Ping Pong show
• Wat Chalong Temple
• Promthemp cape viewpoint
• Karon viewpoint

Book a Phi Phi Islands day tour from Phuket here!

Day 8 – 12 – Koh Lanta – one month Thailand itinerary

While Koh Lanta is one of the most popular Thai Islands, it’s still relatively quiet compared to the likes of Phi Phi and Phuket, which is exactly why we chose to visit.

We spent 4 days in Koh Lanta and I definitely think that was long enough. We also did very little apart from lounging on the beach, watching the sunset, drinking sundowners and getting massages.

And it was absolutely perfect!

How to get to Koh Lanta

Getting to Koh Lanta isn’t too difficult if you’re already in Thailand for one months. It’s part of the South Thai Islands and it’s not too far from Phuket so we just got the boat straight there.

It took around 2 and a half hours and it was actually one of the smoothest boat journeys we’ve experienced since travelling!

Book your boat to Koh Lanta here!

You can also get to Koh Lanta straight from Krabi (and even Bangkok, with a change in Krabi), so if you’re staying on the mainland, it’s still pretty easy to get to!

We actually did the reverse trip and got a minivan from Lanta to Krabi (see below) and it takes you on the vehicle ferry across the small strait between Koh Lanta and the mainland and it takes no more than 2 and a half hours!

Where to stay in Koh Lanta

We stayed at Sunanta Bungalow in Koh Lanta and it was absolutely beautiful; it was just a couple of hundred metres from the beach, we had our own private bungalow and it was located close to numerous different restaurants and many beach bars just a stone’s throw away.

The main thing I didn’t like about it was that there were so many geckos inside the bungalow which is always to be expected in Southeast Asia but I still hate the little buggers!

The Wi-Fi was also pretty shocking and didn’t work very well at all but there are plenty of bars nearby with free Wi-Fi so it wasn’t too much of a struggle.

What to do in Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta isn’t exactly the most lively Thai Island but that’s largely why we loved it. It’s very quiet and is home to many beach bars and great places to watch the sunset; there’s not a whole lot to do apart from lounging on the many beaches!

• Watch the sunset on the beach with a sundowner
• Snorkelling tour to nearby islands
• Ko Lanta Yai beach
• Ko Lanta Noi beach
• Old Town
• Kayaking tour
• Koh Lanta National Park
• Scuba Diving (friends of ours did this and said it was incredible)

Book a snorkelling tour from Koh Lanta here!

Day 12 – 13 – overnight bus to Bangkok – 1 month Thailand itinerary

The next stage of our 1-month backpacking Thailand itinerary marked our first-ever overnight bus from Krabi to Bangkok.

We got a minivan from Koh Lanta to Krabi, waited in Krabi for a few hours and then hopped on the overnight bus to Bangkok.

It was certainly an experience and actually one that we would repeat several more times while backpacking around Thailand.

Day 13 – 19 – Bangkok – best Thailand routes for backpacking

After a very long journey all the way from Koh Lanta to Bangkok (it was over 18 hours from our accommodation in Lanta to our hostel in Bangkok 😱), we finally made it to the Thai capital and we were so excited to explore this infamous city.

We spent the first five hours in bed catching up on some well-needed sleep and we also spent a couple of days getting some work done too.

However, we also took full advantage of the world-famous Bangkok nightlife down Khao San Road and Nana Plaza which resulted in two very hungover travellers!

Bangkok wasn’t my favourite place in Thailand as it felt very polluted and a bit dirty but I’m still glad we visited.

You definitely don’t need to spend as long as we did there, but as I said; we like to spend longer in a place so that we can get some work done too.

Read more: Three Days In Bangkok – What To Do, See & Eat

How to get to Bangkok

As Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, it’s arguably the easiest place in the whole country to travel to.

You can fly into Bangkok direct from most major UK airports for a relatively affordable price (depending on the time of year you go, of course).

We didn’t actually fly into Bangkok as we went to Phuket first straight from Malaysia but I know from other friends who have made the journey that it’s a pleasant enough experience.

Check for flights to Bangkok here!

Where to stay in Bangkok

We actually went to Bangkok on two separate occasions; the first time we were there for 6 days and we stayed at Inn Trog and Inn Soi which was a lovely little hostel with both dorms and private rooms.

We stayed in a private room with a private bathroom and we really loved staying there. The manager can barely speak a word of English but we actually found that to be very common pretty much everywhere we went in Thailand.

Considering it’s supposed to be the “backpacker’s capital of the world”, we didn’t think it was overly accommodating for backpackers and we’ve actually been to many more places better suited to the travel budget lifestyle.

However, our stay at Inn Trog and Inn Soi was very enjoyable; it was a little out of the main city but that just meant it was a bit quieter and there was also a tram station just 15-minutes away and Grab taxis in Bangkok are very cheap so we used those to get around most of the time.

We also stayed at BBHouse Phra Athit for one night just before heading to Siem Reap (see below) and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend staying here for a long time (the room and bathroom were tiny and it smelled a bit damp), it was fine for less than 24 hours when we were barely in the room!

What to do in Bangkok

Some of my favourite things we experienced were Khao San Road (it’s certainly an eye-opener!), visiting Wat Arun which is a truly beautiful temple and enjoying a cocktail on the rooftop bar of the Marriott Hotel The Surawongse.

• Chatuchak Weekend Market
• Lumphini Park
• Khao San Road (great for nightlife)
• Wat Ratchanadaram
• Wat Pho
• Wat Arun (my personal favourite)
• The Grand Palace
• Wat Phi
• Marriott Hotel The Surawongse (amazing rooftop bar)

Book a city highlights and temple walking tour in Bangkok here!

Day 19 – 20 – overnight bus to Chiang Mai – 1 month Thailand itinerary

Our second overnight bus during our 1 month backpacking Thailand itinerary was from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, with a brief stop in Ayutthaya first.

We only spent around 4 hours in Ayutthaya as I had to make the journey as part of my freelancing job for one of my clients so I could write about the experience, but then we were soon on our way again to Chiang Mai!

I was actually pretty unwell on the overnight bus and it was probably one of the worst journeys I’ve experienced since travelling so far!

The bus itself was fine but because I felt so poorly, it seemed like it would never end and I arrived in Chiang Mai feeling worse for wear!

Book the overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here!

Day 20 – 25 – Chiang Mai – Thailand itinerary 1 month

Chiang Mai resides at the very northern tip of Thailand and it’s quite a distance from Bangkok (around 10-12 hours on an overnight bus) and we deliberated whether it was worth going or not.

I definitely think it was worth it as we did one of the best and most surreal experiences we’ve done since travelling; hanging out with elephants at an ethical sanctuary!

Chiang Mai was also one of my favourite places we visited as part of our 1 month in Thailand itinerary so I’d definitely recommend visiting while you’re in Thailand if you can fit it into your schedule!

How to get to Chiang Mai

As I mentioned above, you can get the overnight bus to Chiang Mai from Bangkok and Ayutthaya and while it’s a long journey, it will save you money on a night of accommodation.

Chiang Mai does also have an airport which you can fly into from various places in Thailand such as Bangkok and Phuket which will probably be more convenient than taking the bus, but perhaps not quite as cheap.

Where to stay in Chiang Mai

We stayed at Zzhouse in Chiang Mai which was a hostel just east of the Ping River so it’s around a 15-minute walk into the main town but it was actually a pretty pleasant walk.

We often find that we stay outside of the “main” areas of the towns and cities we visit when travelling because it’s usually a bit cheaper and quieter and even though we might have to walk into town or get a Grab, we actually much prefer doing this!

What to do in Chiang Mai

There’s not an awful lot to do in the main city of Chiang Mai so you probably only need a day or two to see it.

However, there are multiple day trips to take advantage of such as a visit to an ethical elephant sanctuary (I’ll have a whole blog post about this very soon!), or simply just wandering around and seeing the many temples.

Read more: Blue Daily Elephant Care Sanctuary Chiang Mai

• Visit an ethical elephant sanctuary
• Eat at a night market (the Pavilion Night Bazaar was my favourite)
• Watch the sunset across the river
• Day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park
• Walk around the Old City walls
• Tha Phae Gate
• Night Safari
• Wat Chedi Luang
• Wat Chiang Man
• Old City Temples

Check out the best ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai here!

Day 25-26 – overnight bus to Kanchanaburi

The last major place we visited in Thailand was Kanchanaburi and that’s mainly because we wanted to see the Death Railway and the River Kwai Bridge.

We took yet another overnight bus from Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi and this journey was much more enjoyable as I didn’t feel like death warmed up!

We arrived very early in Kanchanaburi (around 6 am) so we had to wait around for two hours before we could check into our accommodation and as there’s not an awful lot to do there, we just sat in 7-11 and ate cheesy toasties!

Day 26 – 29 – Kanchanaburi – 1 month backpacking Thailand itinerary

Once we’d checked into our accommodation in Kanchanaburi, we took full advantage of having a comfy bed to sleep in so we had a lovely long nap!

We spent most of our time in Kanchanaburi relaxing and working; as I said, there’s not much to do in the actual centre of the town.

However, Kanchanaburi is home to the Death Railway and the River Kwai Bridge so we had a full-day trip exploring these and riding the train along the Death Railway.

We also visited the Sai Yok Noi waterfall during our trip on the train, which I’ll include more information about in my Death Railway blog post!

How to get to Kanchanaburi

Getting to Kanchanaburi is pretty easy as it’s only a 3-hour drive from Bangkok or an overnight bus journey from Chiang Mai.

It’s located west of Bangkok and there are up to 12 buses a day (just from one company!) running from the capital city to Kanchanaburi so you certainly won’t struggle to find transportation to get there.

If you don’t want to spend a long time in Kanchanaburi, you can also take advantage of a one-day trip from Bangkok which will leave around 6 am and return back to the capital in the evening. It’ll be a pretty long day but it means that you can experience the Death Railway and Bridge over River Kwai without having to stay in Kanchanaburi!

Where to stay in Kanchanaburi

We stayed at U Dee Room and Coffee which was a lovely little accommodation complex above a coffee shop.

The room here was very lovely and the beds were the comfiest we experienced in the whole of Thailand!

The Wi-Fi worked pretty well and we were just a short walk from the street of shops, bars and restaurants.

What to do in Kanchanaburi

As I mentioned above, as far as a 1-month Thailand itinerary goes, Kanchanaburi isn’t exactly teeming with lots of things to do, but it is a pretty good place to base yourself if you’re wanting to enjoy some day trips.

The River Kwai Bridge and the Death Railway are naturally the best and most popular things to do in Kanchanaburi but you can also enjoy numerous day trips to several different waterfalls too.

• Death Railway – take a train ride (we absolutely loved this!)
• River Kwai Bridge
• Erawan National Park
• Erawan Falls
• JEATH War Museum
• Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
• Sai Yok Noi waterfall (this is quite far out of Kanchanaburi but you can visit it if you go on the Death Railway Train)

Read more: Death Railway and River Kwai Bridge, Kanchanaburi – Ultimate Guide

Day 29 – Kanchanaburi – Bangkok – backpacking Thailand itinerary 1 month

As our time in Thailand was coming to an end, it was time to head back to Bangkok for one last night before we made our way to Cambodia.

We spent our last day/night in Thailand travelling from Kanchanaburi to Bangkok which only took around 3 hours so it was an easy enough journey.

We also met up with some of Matt’s friends from school who we hadn’t seen since we left the UK to start travelling over 9 months ago!

Read more: How To Spend 2 Weeks In Cambodia – Backpacking Itinerary

Day 30 – Bangkok to Siem Reap – 1 month in Thailand itinerary

Our last day in Thailand (remember you only get 30 days, including the day you arrived in the country!) saw us getting up nice and early to head to our bus for Siem Reap.

Our time in Thailand was incredible and we did so much while we were there.

I hope you’ve found this one-month Thailand itinerary post useful and I hope it’s given you some inspiration when planning your own Thailand backpacking trip!

Related posts:

• Phuket Island Hopping Day Trip To Phi Phi Islands
• Phuket Day Tour Itinerary
• Three Days In Bangkok – What To Do, See & Eat
• Blue Daily Elephant Care Sanctuary Chiang Mai
• Death Railway & River Kwai Bridge, Kanchanaburi
• How To Spend 3 Weeks In Vietnam – The Perfect Itinerary
• The Ultimate 1 Month Philippines Itinerary

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Does this 1 month Thailand itinerary & backpacking route and guide sound good to you? Where else would you like to go backpacking in Thailand? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.