Write the overnight stops first
Nights 1–3 / Bangkok
Arrive on day 1. Days 2 and 3 are full city days; move on day 4.
Nights 4–8 / Chiang Mai
Arrive on day 4. Days 5–8 give four full days: city, food, a hill outing and one open day. Move on day 9.
Nights 9–12 / Phi Phi Don
Treat day 9 as travel, subject to workable connections. Days 10–12 give three full island days. Leave on day 13.
Night 13 / Mainland gateway
Sleep near the departure gateway after the boat leg. Day 14 is the onward departure, not another full island day.
Test the long move before booking anything
The Chiang Mai-to-island move is the weak point to solve first: flight, land transfer, departure pier, boat and hotel arrival all need to line up. If they do not, take a night from the island stay for the mainland connection. A neat night total does not guarantee a same-day transfer.
No specific excursion is promised by this example. In particular, Maya Bay is closed through 30 September 2026 under the checked park notice. Check future access rather than transferring those dates to another year.
Have less time? Remove a region.
| Available nights | An editorial split | What you gain |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Bangkok 3 + Chiang Mai 4 = 7 | One regional move and a proper northern stay. |
| 7 | Bangkok 3 + Phi Phi 3 + mainland exit 1 = 7 | An island stay with an exit buffer. |
| 10 | Bangkok 2 + Chiang Mai 4 + Phi Phi 3 + mainland exit 1 = 10 | Both directions, with less city time and more transfer work. |
Leave one thing undecided
Make the open day real: do not attach three optional bookings to it. It can hold a return to a street you liked, rain-delayed plans or a morning with nothing to solve. Check actual connections before treating any of these allocations as your itinerary.