Best Thailand tours for 2020

1. Contiki

“No regrets” is the sentiment behind Contiki’s tours for 18-35 year olds. In Thailand it themes its itineraries around discovery, in-depth exploring, and sailing, cruise and beach trips.

• Best for: Backpackers and tight budgets
• Cost: Budget to mid-range
• Our favourite itinerary: See Thailand’s lesser-explored north with its jungles, night markets and historical sites on Contiki's Northern Thai Highlights trip.

2. G Adventures

G Adventures also offers Thailand itineraries for 18-35s, but in addition has options that are tailored to families and more mature travellers, as well as people who have a particular interest in nature.

• Best for: Backpackers, small group tours
• Cost: Mid-range
• Our favourite itinerary: Thailand on a Shoestring gives you 15 days worth of sightseeing for less than $1,500.

3. Gate1 Travel

Hop onto a wide range of classic, small group and luxury tours for as little as $109 a day. There’s also the option to package your tour with flights, so you can organise your whole trip in one go.

• Best for: Families and small groups
• Cost: Low to mid-range
• Our favourite itinerary: The 15-day Classic Tour with Phuket visits all the major hotspots, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

4. Wendy Wu Tours

Wendy Wu combines expertise with excellence to provide in-depth tours of specific sites, including the Bridge Over The River Kwai and Chiang Rai. It also has a highlights package for the time-poor wanting to tick all the boxes.

• Best for: Short, immersive tours
• Cost: High end
• Our favourite itinerary: The Chiang Rai with Hilltribe Stay is a unique glance into the life of the native H’mong people.

5. Enduro Tours Thailand

Here’s a different way to experience Thailand: Enduro Tours’ idea of seeing the sights is to hop on a dirt bike and scream down dirt bike tracks in rural areas. It’s the perfect option for the more extreme type of traveller.

• Best for: Active tours
• Cost: High-end. Includes bike hire, insurance, petrol, accommodation and guide.
• Our favourite itinerary: The Enduro 6 Day Tour is a classic trip open to riders of mixed skills and fitness levels. It starts and ends in Chiang Mai and zooms through areas such as Mae Chaem, Pai and Chiang Dao.

Top 3 Thailand tour companies for: Cycling

• Intrepid: Cycle tours organised by Intrepid include Cycle Southern Thailand, which includes nine days exploring by bike.
• G Adventures: Select from a range of bike-based itineraries such as Thailand Hike, Bike & Kayak.
• Spice Roads Cycling: Take your pick from trips like Cycling Coastal Thailand and Cycling Chiang Mai to Bangkok.

Top 3 Thailand tour companies for: Sailing

• G Adventures: Scour the marine itineraries for a choice of sailing trips that take you around the Thai islands.
• Intrepid: Live on the ocean with 8 cruising tour options, ranging from 7 to 15 days.
• Peregrine Adventures: Take your sailing trip up a notch with sailings that as well as exploring Thai islands, continue further afield to Malaysia.

Top 3 Thailand tour companies for: Ecotours

• G Adventures: G Adventures offers thousands of excursions worldwide designed to support and help local communities.
• Intrepid: With its commitment to working responsibly, Intrepid aims to make as small a footprint as possible on the destinations it visits.
• Starfish Volunteers: Spend anything from 8 to 29 days volunteering in local communities, teaching, providing medical assistance and caring for local wildlife.

Top 3 Thailand tour companies for: Over 50s

• Trafalgar: Five-star hotels, and feast-style meals with a good glass of wine are included in Trafalgar’s itineraries.
• Wendy Wu: Asia specialist Wendy Wu creates tours with comfort and good cuisine in mind.
• Gate1 Travel: Gate 1’s Signature Collection trips feature nights in plush hotels and include most meals.

Top 3 Thailand tour companies for: Solo travellers

• Geckos Adventures: Geckos’ itineraries are designed to allow you to go solo and find your own way.
• Wendy Wu: Wendy Wu Tours offers a “Willing To Share” option that can reduce your single supplement to zero.
• Tucan Travel: Sixty percent of Tucan’s customers are single travellers, so you’ll be in good company when you travel alone.