We spent two full months traveling around Southeast Asia. Are you looking to go on a similar adventure and are searching for some inspiration? Look no further. In this article, we’ll share our exact itinerary and our honest opinions about each place, and if it’s worth adding to the itinerary or if it’s better to skip it. We’ll also share useful tips about the places we visited.
Two-Month Southeast Asia Itinerary
Here’s a summary of our itinerary. You can continue reading for a more detailed description of each place.
- Day 1 -5: Bangkok, Thailand
- Day 6: Train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
- Day 7 – 8: Kanchanaburi, Thailand
- Day 9: Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai
- Day 10 – 14: Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Day 15 – 16: Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Day 17: Driving Back to Chiang Mai
- Day 18: Flying from Chiang Mai to Hanoi, Vietnam
- Day 19: Hanoi, Vietnam
- Day 19-21: Ninh Binh, Vietnam
- Day 22 – 23: Ha Long Bay
- Day 24: Hanoi
- Day 25: Da Nang
- Day 26 – 28: Hoi An
- Day 29 – 31: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Day 32 – 34: Bangkok, Thailand
- Day 35 – 38: Krabi, Thailand
- Day 39 – 41: Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
- Day 42 – 45: Koh Lanta, Thailand
- Day 46 – 51: Koh Lipe, Thailand
- Day 52: Speedboat from Koh Lipe to Langkawi, Malaysia
- Day 53 – 55: Langkawi, Malaysia
- Day 56 – 59: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Day 60: Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
- Day 61 – 63: Singapore
- Day 64: Flying Back Home
Day 1 -5: Bangkok, Thailand
Many people start their journey in Bangkok as it’s a major hub with plenty of international flights arriving at Suvarnabhumi Bangkok International Airport. It’s a fantastic entry point to Asia and a popular starting point for many travelers. Another major hub is the Changi Airport in Singapore.
We spent five full days in Bangkok and it was a good amount of time to have a good feel of the city. We visited some of the most popular temples, went to the famous railway market, explored a floating market, and we even did a day trip to the Ancient city of Ayutthaya. Everything you need to know to plan your time in Bangkok is described on the article below.
You may also like: Bangkok Ultimate Travel Guide for First-Timers.
There is so much to do and see in Bangkok that you can spend a whole month there and never get bored.
Take into account that if you’re traveling from another continent, like us, you’ll arrive quite tired. So, you’ll probably spend your first day resting at the hotel and adjusting to the new timezone.
Day 6: Train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
After Bangkok, we caught a train to Kanchanaburi. There is also the option to go by bus or minivan, but I always prefer the train.
The journey from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi is very scenic and if you don’t mind traveling on an old train without AC, it’s totally worth it. The journey takes around two and a half hours and it departs from Bangkok Thonburi Station.
Related article: How to Spend Two Days in Kanchanaburi: Itinerary and Tips
Day 7 – 8: Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Kanchanaburi is a popular place to visit thanks to its proximity to the Erawan National Park. The National Park is famous for its seven-tiered waterfall on a lush tropical forest. The waterfalls are easily accessible from Kanchanaburi by public bus (approximately one hour and a half). Everything is explained in this Kanchanaburi Travel Guide.
There are also other interesting landmarks and temples in Kanchanaburi worth visiting. I liked coming to this place because it’s much quieter, with more nature and fewer crowds. It’s usually out of the most popular itineraries.
It’s also possible to visit Kanchanaburi as a day trip from Bangkok, but I think that will be too rushed. I recommend staying at least one night and also exploring the night market.
Day 9: Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai
After Kanchanaburi, we took the train back to Bangkok and then we caught a flight to Chiang Mai. Another popular option is to take the night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
You may also opt to go from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, spend the day there exploring, and catch the night train to Chiang Mai afterward. If you want to do this journey, you need to book your ticket quite in advance because it gets sold out quickly.
Related article: Ayutthaya Travel Guide: Visit on Your Own from Bangkok
Day 10 – 14: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai is renowned for its numerous temples and huge night markets. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the temples inside the old town anything special. During our trip, we saw much better temples in other places. All the details about our stay in Chiang Mai are described in this Chiang Mai Travel Guide.
The night markets are some of the best we’ve been to. There are many stalls selling food, clothes, and souvenirs. This is one of the best places if you want to buy some cheap clothes and souvenirs.
There are also many elephants sanctuaries in Chiang Mai. If you want to see the elephants, make sure you choose a real ethical place. This means little to no human interaction with the animals. We didn’t visit any sanctuary, so I can’t recommend a specific place.
What I liked most about Chiang Mai was hiking in Doi Suthep to the Wat Phra That temple and the Doi Inthanon National Park, which is where the highest point in Thailand is located.
I found Chiang Mai’s nearby places much more interesting than Chiang Mai City itself. We rented a car in Chiang Mai, which allowed us to explore a bit out of the usual itinerary and explore places like the Sticky Waterfalls and the Chiang Mai Hot Springs.
Related article: Chiang Mai Travel Guide for First-Timers
Day 15 – 16: Chiang Rai, Thailand
We rented a car in Chiang Mai and drove to Chiang Rai. There is also the option to go by bus or minivan for very reasonable prices.
Chiang Rai has some of the most amazing temples we saw during our trip, so it’s a place worth adding to your itinerary. If you are on a limited time, there are also organized day tours from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. This is an absolute must-go if you’re visiting Northern Thailand.
Related article: How to Spend one Day in Chiang Rai, Thailand: Things to Do and Tips
Day 17: Driving Back to Chiang Mai
After our time in Chiang Rai, we went back to Chiang Mai to return the car. We also went to the Chiang Mai hot springs along the way, but it’s just too hot to properly enjoy them. So, that’s not something that I would recommend. Consider going to the Chiang Mai Canyon instead.
Day 18: Flying from Chiang Mai to Hanoi, Vietnam
Some people continue their journey to Pai and then cross the border to Laos, stay a few days in Laos, and only then, do they go to Vietnam. Due to time constraints, we decided to skip Laos. But, we’ve heard very good feedback about the country. So, it sounds to be a good place to add to your itinerary.
Day 19: Hanoi, Vietnam
We spent one full day exploring Hanoi before going to Ninh Binh and another day after coming from Ha Long Bay. In my opinion, most tourist spots in Hanoi are nothing out of this world, but we really enjoyed the city.
Hanoi is quite unique, and it’s still very authentic. Everything is so different from what we have back home, and we can easily spend hours just people-watching. The traffic is so chaotic that spending some time watching it is oddly satisfying. I think two full days in Hanoi is a good amount of time
Related article: How to Spend Two Days in Hanoi (Itinerary and Travel Guide)
Day 19-21: Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Ninh Binh was my favorite place in Vietnam. Probably because I’m more a nature person than a city enthusiast. Ninh Binh is also called “Ha Long Bay on land”. You’ll see rice fields surrounded by limestone cliffs, amazing viewpoints, scenic boat rides, and great temples.
This is an awesome place to rent a motorbike in Vietnam because there is little traffic and the roads are in relatively good condition. It’s also a good place to explore by bike as the terrain is mainly flat.
Two to three full days in Ninh Binh is a good amount of time. Don’t skip Ninh Binh, it was one of the most beautiful places we’ve been to in Vietnam. Consider spending some time there, not just a day trip. The acommodation is very affordable and with great quality for the price you pay.
Day 22 – 23: Ha Long Bay
No Vietnam itinerary is complete without a cruise in Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is one of the new seven wonders of the natural world, and its landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The place is truly beautiful, but it is also one of the most popular tourist spots in Vietnam, so it’s usually very crowded. You’ll see dozens or even hundreds of cruises.
You can choose to spend a day, two, or three days in Ha Long Bay, and there are cruises available for all budgets. We opted for a “luxury cruise,” which was a great experience, but it also involved too much “mass tourism.” We did a bamboo boat ride and it was far from authentic. I liked the boat rides in Nih Binh much more.
Day 24: Hanoi
After our Ha Long Bay cruise, we got back to Hanoi and spent another full day seeing other landmarks we hadn’t seen on our first day. We also needed some time to get some work done.
Day 25: Da Nang
From Hanoi, we flew to Da Nang to explore Central Vietnam. We visited in November which is the worst time to visit central Vietnam, so we skipped a lot in this area.
Da Nang is a coastal city with several resorts next to the beach. Many people hate Da Nang, but I don’t see why. It has a relatively good beach and a great Saturday Night market. It is also home to the famous dragon bridge that spits fire. However, the city itself doesn’t have much charm because it’s made out of big hotels and skyscrapers.
Nonetheless, it’s a good base to explore attractions like the Lady Buddha, the Hai Van Pass, and the Marble Mountains. It’s also relatively close to Hue, the Imperial City.
Due to the weather conditions at the time, we didn’t visit other interesting locations in central Vietnam like Hue, Phong Nha, or Da Lat — make sure you take a look at those places because they definitely seem worth exploring.
Day 26 – 28: Hoi An
Hoi An, also known as the city of lanterns is one of the most beautiful villages in Vietnam and it is a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s just 45 minutes away by car from Da Nang. For this reason, many people opt to stay exclusively in Hoi An and skip Da Nang.
In Hoi An, the whole place around the river is very charming and picturesque. It is even more spectacular at night when the river fills with little boats with lit lanterns. It’s so beautiful!
This is also one of the best places to get custom-made clothes or shoes. They have them ready in 24 hours. I bought two pairs of leather sandals. Don’t forget you always need to bargain the prices.
Hoi An is also a short distance from the popular coconut boat rides. Unfortunately, we got very bad weather on the day we planned to do this activity.
Another very popular place that is relatively close to Hoi An is the Instagram-famous Golden Hands Bridge. We opted to skip this place because the weather was bad and the entrance tickets and the ride to get there were a bit excessive,
Day 29 – 31: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
From Da Nang, we caught a flight to the south, Ho Chi Minh City, also called Saigon. There are also bus and train routes from Central Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City is a more “modern” city, much less authentic than the other places in Vietnam. It has a lot of European influence, so if you’ve never been to Europe before, there is some architecture that you’ll like. Otherwise, it’s not much special.
If you like shopping and French-inspired Instagramable coffee shops, you’ll probably like it. That’s not much of my travel style, but I have to admit that the egg coffee and coconut coffee were quite good, and the French pastries were delicious for a fraction of the price you would find in France.
We spent three full days in Ho Chi Minh, which for me was too much. I didn’t like the feel of the city and the tourist attractions were not much interesting.
Ho Chi Minh City is a great starting point to explore the Mekong Delta. We went on an organized day tour of the Mekong Delta, but it was too mass tourism to be enjoyable. If you want to visit Mekong Delta, I recommend doing a little more research and trying to explore it on your own.
If it was today, I would have skipped Ho Chi Minh City and spent these days elsewhere.
Day 32 – 34: Bangkok, Thailand
After Ho Chi Minh City, we flew to Bangkok, a strategic place to stop for a few days before heading to our next destination: Krabi.
During a long trip, sometimes you feel you need to rest for a bit and spend a few days taking it more slowly.
During these days, we worked, tried new foods and restaurants, and planned the rest of the trip. I have to admit that I didn’t like Bangkok at first sight, but on this second visit, I don’t know what changed, but I loved the city and I can’t wait to get back. So, whenever you don’t like a place, give it a second chance.
Day 35 – 38: Krabi, Thailand
Krabi was a disappointment in terms of “beach vacation”, but it surprised me with other things I wasn’t expecting. When in Krabi, you’ll want to stay near the Ao Nang beach and not in Krabi town.
Unfortunately, Ao Nang beach was very disappointing. The water had a grey color and didn’t seem clean. There was sewage coming into the water in several places. It’s not a place that I would choose for a beach vacation. This was our first impression of Thailand’s beaches. That was definitely not what we were expecting.
Related article: Ao Nang Travel Guide for First Timers (Krabi, Thailand)
Even though Ao Nang had some downsides, there are good reasons to include it in your plans, especially if you’re heading to an island afterwards—you can read everything about it in our Krabi Travel Guide. The scenery with limestone rocks is stunning, and you might even spot Dusky Leaf Monkeys (an endangered species) on the Monkey trail at the Ao Nang beach. There is a great fire show at the beach every day right after sunset. It was one of the best I’ve seen, I was quite surprised.
Krabi is also a good base for day tours to nearby beautiful islands. The most famous tours are the Hong Islands tour and the 4 Islands Tour. The nearby Railey beach, only accessible by boat, is also worth visiting for its beautiful scenery.
Related article: The 7-Island Tour in Ao Nang, Krabi – What to Expect
At this point in our trip, we had seen many temples so far, but one of the highlights was going to the Tiger Cave Temple and climbing the 1260 steps to the top.
Day 39 – 41: Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
The Phi Phi Islands are a group of six islands. The only inhabited island is Phi Phi Don. I was very unsure whether to spend some time in Phi Phi Don or just do a day tour from Krabi. We ended up staying three days in Phi Phi Don, and it was a great decision. I recommend staying there for at least a couple of days. You can read our Phi Phi Islands Travel Guide here.
The island is super small and there are no cars. The island is one hundred percent catered to tourists. There’s not much local culture here, the hotel prices are more expensive than in other places in Thailand and you’ll find many Western restaurants. Nonetheless, the island has a very good vibe, the landscape and beaches are beautiful, and the day trips to the nearby islands are truly worth it.
Related article: Phi Phi Islands Tour – What to Expect
We did a full-day tour to the most beautiful places of the Phi Phi islands, including the famous Maya Bay, and it was one of the highlights of our whole trip. Maya Bay, despite being one of the most touristy places in Thailand, is absolutely worth visiting. It is truly what paradise on earth should look like.
Related article: Koh Phi Phi: Things to Do and Tips for First-Timers
Day 42 – 45: Koh Lanta, Thailand
Koh Lanta is more of a local island, but still with good infrastructure for tourists without losing much of its authenticity. While it doesn’t have the most beautiful beaches, the island has many other things to offer and it has such a great laidback vibe that we loved our time there. You can read our Koh Lanta Travel Guide here.
One of the best things to do in Koh Lanta is to explore the island by motorbike from north to south. The roads are in good condition and there’s not much traffic.
There are also great snorkeling and day trips from Koh Lanta. We did a snorkeling trip to Koh Rok and Koh Ha and it was amazing (read about our snorkeling trip to Koh Ha and Koh Rok here). This snorkeling tour was one of the highlights of our entire trip. We saw a lot of healthy coral reefs and lots of marine life including Nemo, the clownfish.
You may also like: Koh Lanta Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary and 10 Best Things to Do.
I loved Koh Lanta, but if you’re expecting to enjoy the island’s beaches, you might be a bit disappointed. But, there are plenty of tours to nearby small islands with crystal clear blue water and white sand beaches.
Day 46 – 51: Koh Lipe, Thailand
Koh Lipe was our favorite place on the whole trip around Southeast Asia. The Island is super small, but the beaches, the color of the water, and the whole vibe are so good that you won’t want to leave. Our initial idea was to spend only two days in Koh Lipe, but we ended up spending almost one week.
Related article: Koh Lipe: Best Things to Do and Tips for First-Timers
There is a beautiful beach in the North of the island that simply looks like paradise. Additionally, there are great snorkeling opportunities swimming right from the beach. We ended up seeing Nemo almost every day during our time in Koh Lipe.
Additionally, there are so many good restaurants selling local food for a very reasonable price. The fish here is just delicious. We ate fresh fish almost every night during our time in Koh Lipe.
Day 52: Speedboat from Koh Lipe to Langkawi, Malaysia
From Koh Lipe, we got the speedboat to Langkawi, an island in Malaysia. The trip is relatively short taking around two hours.
When we arrived in Langkawi, it was still early afternoon, but it started raining a lot, so we couldn’t explore much on our first day. We stayed near the Pantai Cenang beach, it’s close to the pier and to the airport.
Pantai Cenang is one of the most famous beaches in Langkawi, and it’s a popular place for water sports. If you would like to drive a jet ski, do parasailing, or other watersports, this is probably one of the cheapest places for that. However, if you’re looking for paradisiac beaches, this is not the place you’re looking for.
Day 53 – 55: Langkawi, Malaysia
Langkawi is a popular holiday spot for locals, but it’s not yet on the radar of most international tourists. Despite the island’s beauty and stunning landscapes, there aren’t a ton of activities. Still, we spent three days there, finding something different to do each day.
A major highlight in Langkawi is the Sky Bridge, providing breathtaking views of the lush green forest and the entire archipelago. The Mangrove tour and island hopping are other popular and incredibly affordable activities that we found well worth the experience. Langkawi is rich in biodiversity, featuring various bird species, otters, dusky leaf monkeys, eagles, bats, monitor lizards, and more.
Despite its beauty, Langkawi might not fit the typical “beach destination” criteria we’re accustomed to in Europe. The beaches lack the familiar beach vibe. However, if you seek beautiful nature, affordable tours, and a less crowded atmosphere with fewer international tourists, Langkawi is an excellent choice.
Langkawi has its own airport, making it easy to move on to your next destination. Originally, we planned to start in Langkawi and explore Malaysia from north to south. However, realizing it would be rushed at this stage of the trip, we decided to catch a plane straight to Kuala Lumpur.
Day 56 – 59: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
We spend two and a half days in Kuala Lumpur, which I think is a good amount of time to get a good feel of the city. Here, you can stay in a luxury suite for more or less 50$. How cool is that? We stayed in a luxury suite with a rooftop infinite pool overlooking the KL Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers, which were once the world’s tallest twin towers.
Kuala Lumpur is also home to other interesting and tall buildings like the KL Menara Tower, the TRX Tower, and the Merdeka 118 Tower.
Malaysia is a mix of cultures, allowing you to experience various cultural influences in one place. Mosques, Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Chinese temples, and more contribute to this rich diversity. One of the most famous places is the Batu Caves, a Hindu temple, only twenty minutes away from the city center.
Day 60: Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
From Kuala Lumpur, we took a bus to Singapore. The bus should have taken four and a half hours, but it ended up taking more than six hours. This trip was quite exhausting and took almost all afternoon. You can also fly from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but the flight was much more expensive than the bus because we were booking last minute.
Day 61 – 63: Singapore
We spent three full days in Singapore and it was the right amount of time. This is one of the most expensive places in Southeast Asia, so if you’re on a budget, you won’t want to stay here for too long.
Singapore, like Malaysia, is a mix of several different cultures. You’ll find a church, a temple, and a mosque on the same road, it’s quite interesting.
In Singapore, the most famous area is Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay. The entire vicinity surrounding Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands is incredibly modern and beautiful. The supertrees and the cloud forest resemble scenes from the movie Avatar. This is also a fantastic place if you enjoy luxury shopping (not our case, but it’s always interesting to explore the different stores).
Day 64: Flying Back Home
Singapore serves as a hub for numerous international destinations, making it likely that you’ll pass through here at least once during your Southeast Asia itinerary. In our case, this is where we caught our flight back home.
The airport itself is also a tourist attraction, particularly due to its mesmerizing vortex waterfall. There are a ton of things to keep you entertained at the airport (some free and some paid activities). We were quite tired, so we just went to see the most famous waterfall.
Wrapping Up
There are a million different ways to put together an itinerary to travel Southeast Asia. That will greatly depend on your budget, style of travel, and your overall interests. We took two full months to travel around this part of the world. Even though that’s a considerable amount of time, it’s still quite limited taking into account that there is so much to do and see and so many different amazing countries to explore.
Our initial idea was to explore the following countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore. We ended up skipping Cambodia because we felt it would be too rushed and the flights to go from Vietnam to Cambodia were very expensive at the time. We also didn’t explore Malaysia as in-depth as we wanted.
Other popular countries to add to your itinerary are Indonesia and the Philippines. If we had more time we would have included those countries.
We had an itinerary laid out before starting our trip and we followed it more or less as expected until the middle of the trip. Then, we completely changed our plans thereafter. It’s good to have an itinerary in mind, but it’s also good to have some flexibility to change your plans along the way. Our itinerary was quite diverse, including big cities, small villages, nature places, beaches, and mountains.
We hope this article has helped you plan your itinerary for your Southeast Asia adventure.
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