Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai: Northern Thailand, 6 Nights

Chiang Mai's airport is almost in town, so arrival is easy. The city was founded in 1296 as capital of the Lanna kingdom, and the square moat and sections of brick wall still frame the old centre. After check-in, walk to Tha Phae Gate as the heat fades and find dinner nearby. Northern food is milder than central Thai; try khao soi, a curried noodle soup, which is also easy to order vegetarian.

A morning among the old city's temples with a private guide. Wat Chiang Man is the oldest, its chedi carried on the backs of brick elephants. Wat Chedi Luang has a colossal chedi left half-ruined by an earthquake centuries ago. Wat Lok Moli, just outside the moat, has a dark brick chedi, and Wat Suan Dok, to the west, is a field of white shrines holding the ashes of Chiang Mai's royal family. In the evening, the Night Bazaar on Chang Klan Road is a short ride away.

The path starts at the foot of the mountain near the university and climbs through forest for about an hour to Wat Pha Lat, a small temple of mossy stone and waterfalls that most visitors never see. From there the vehicle takes you higher to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most revered temple in the north, reached up a staircase of around three hundred steps flanked by serpents, or by a funicular. On a clear day the whole city spreads out below. Good shoes and water are essential.

A drive of about an hour and a half into the hills to an elephant sanctuary, where the animals are fed, watched and walked alongside rather than ridden. The keepers, many from Karen hill communities, explain the elephants' histories, often rescued from logging or street work. Programmes vary between camps, and we favour those that keep contact gentle and limited; we will confirm which one you are booked with before you travel. Back in Chiang Mai by late afternoon.

A mountain road north-east, about three and a half hours of driving. A roadside hot spring at Mae Kachan makes a short stop along the way. Just before Chiang Rai comes Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple, the lifelong project of the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, covered in white plaster and mirrored glass. Its interior murals mix Buddhist themes with modern pop culture. In the afternoon, Wat Rong Suea Ten, the Blue Temple, is a contrast in deep blue and gold. The evening is free for the night bazaar.

Baan Dam, the Black House, is the darker counterpart to the White Temple: dozens of black teak buildings filled with horns, hides and carving by the national artist Thawan Duchanee. Then north through the tea terraces of Choui Fong. The afternoon reaches Sop Ruak, where the Ruak river joins the Mekong and three countries face each other. A longtail boat runs along the river, and the Hall of Opium museum nearby explains the region's history. Back to Chiang Rai for the evening.

Breakfast, then the short transfer to Chiang Rai's airport, which is a few kilometres outside town. There are domestic connections to Bangkok for onward flights to India, and we time these with room for a comfortable transfer at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang. If your flight is later in the day, the clock tower in the town centre and the market around it make an easy last walk.