Thailand is one of my favorite countries and I fell in love with it even more on my second trip there. I got to explore the country for three weeks on the EF Ultimate Break Thailand Island Paradise tour.
The first week of the trip covered all things culture in Bangkok and Chiang Mai before two weeks on the islands and Krabi. It was the perfect combination of education, food, partying, and relaxing.
It’s no secret that I love this trip, but to help you decide if it’s worth taking, I’ve compiled everything you need to know in one place. This EF Ultimate Break review has everything you need to know about the Thailand Island Paradise trip, including where you’ll stay, what activities you’ll do, and the itinerary.
(EF Ultimate Break trips are for anyone between 18 and 35!)
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Published: June 11, 2026
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Quick Thoughts on Thailand Island Paradise
Out of the 10+ EF Ultimate Break trips I’ve been on, Thailand Island Paradise is easily in my top three. Thailand is incredible in every way, and this trip truly covers the whole country.
You’ll find all the specifics below (and in my Thailand YouTube videos), but if you are just looking for quick thoughts, BOOK IT!!
The only downsides to this trip is that you need three weeks of time off of work or school to make it happen.
And, like with most group trips, you can always do it for cheaper on your own. HOWEVER, there’s no beating 22 days in Thailand with a fun group of people! Having instant travel friends for these trips is one of the huge draws of EF Ultimate Break for someone like me who also does lots of solo travel, making the price well worth it.
My Trip to Thailand
Here are some quick facts about my Thailand Island Paradise trip, including when I went, my flight info, and how much I paid!
When: October 18 – November 8, 2025
Trip type: Plus, White Lotus Edition
Flights: ORD to TPE to BKK on Eva Air
Price: $3,499 trip fee + $1,485 flights from ORD + $335 optional activities + $199 travel protection
Savings: $300 REPEAT discount
Total price: $5,218
Group size: 18 people
Disclaimer: When you use my link to save $100 off a trip with EFUB, I also receive a discount on trips as part of the ambassador and referral programs. Discounts were used to book this trip, costing me less than the retail rate listed above. This review was not compensated, and I always give my honest opinion.
Thailand Island Paradise Itinerary
Here is the general itinerary my specific Thailand Island Paradise followed. Your tour will always vary slightly based on your tour director and other factors, but this will give you a good idea of what you’ll do every day!
*optional activities provided by EF Ultimate Break
**optional activities provided by my TD
Day 1: Fly to Asia!
- Take an overnight flight from North America to Thailand
If you book your own flights, make sure you land on the right day, as EF’s itineraries have the flight days included. For this tour, you want to arrive any time on Day 2.
Day 2: Arrive in Bangkok
- Land in Thailand!
- There are no scheduled activities today, so take the rest of the day to adjust to the time change.
- Try not to nap to beat the jetlag! And make sure to grab your first of many plates of Pad Thai.
Day 3: Tour Bangkok
- Boat ride
- Orchid garden
- Grand Palace
- Free time for lunch
- Wat Arun
- Welcome dinner – Jim Thompson House
Day 4: Floating Market
- Coconut shop
- Floating markets
- Free afternoon
- Optional street food tour**
Day 5: Fly to Chiang Mai
- Early flight to Chiang Mai
- Talk with a Monk
- Included khao soi lunch
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple
- Free time
- Included Kantoke dinner
Day 6: Elephants and home visit
- Elephant Sanctuary
- Chiang Mai Home Hosted Dinner*
Day 7: Mae Kampong
- Full day at Mae Kampong
- Guided hike
- Included lunch
- Banana leaf steam room
- Muay Thai fight**
Day 8: Fly to Phuket
- Flight to Phuket
- Free night
Day 9: Ao Phang Nga National Park
- Full day at Ao Phang Nga National Park
- Kayak
- Lunch and dinner on the boat
- Free time to swim
- Make and release Kratongs
Day 10: Free Day
- Free day
- Optional lady boy cabaret show**
Day 11: Travel to Krabi
- Bus to Krabi
- Optional sunset dinner**
Day 12: Phi Phi Islands Day Trip
- Optional Phi Phi Island Day Trip*
- Speed boat
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Lunch on the beach
Day 13: Free day and optional excursions
- Free day
- Optional Ban Nai Nang Community Visit*
- Optional Cooking Class in Krabi*
Day 14: Travel to Koh Samui
- Bus and ferry to Koh Samui
- Free afternoon
- Optional dinner at Ark Bar**
Day 15: Free Day or Optional Ang Thong Island
- Free Day
- Optional Ang Thong Island*
- Optional dinner at Four Seasons Koh Samui**
Day 16: Travel to Koh Tao
- Ferry to Koh Tao
- Free afternoon
- Optional pub crawl**
Day 17: Full Day Snorkeling Trip
- Full day snorkeling trip around Koh Tao
- Five stops
- Swimming, snorkeling, sea turtles, baby sharks
- Free evening
Day 18: Travel to Koh Phangan
- Free morning
- Ferry to Koh Phangan
- Free evening
Day 19: Full Moon Party
- Free day
- Full Moon Party**
Day 20: Free day
- Free day
- Farewell dinner (Thai buffet at hotel)
Day 21: Return to Bangkok
- Ferry to Koh Samui
- Flight to Bangkok
- Free night
Day 22: Leave Thailand
- Fly out from BKK and head home 🙁
EF Thailand Hotels
I liked the hotels on this trip and they were all in great locations.
Bangkok’s Chinatown is full of amazing food and the island resorts are almost all within walking distance to the beach (except Krabi).
The only issue was Sairee hut, which had some small bug issues (like ants) but it’s right on the beach, which made dealing with a few bugs worth it to me.
Hotels on my specific trip
- Asai Bangkok Chinatown (Nights 2-4)
- Cross Vibe Chiang Mai Decem (Nights 5-7)
- Best Western Patong Beach (Nights 8-10)
- Centara Life Phu Pano Resort Krabi (Nights 11-13)
- Centara Life Lamai Resort Samui (Nights 14-15)
- Sairee Hut (Nights 16-17)
- Koh Ma Beach Resort (Nights 18-20)
- Asai Bangkok Chinatown (Night 21)
*Night 1 was an overnight flight to Thailand
Food in Thailand
I loveeee Thai food and I don’t think I will ever get tired of it, but there are a few things you should know about it if you haven’t been to Thailand before.
- Food in Thailand is SPICY. They do not play when it comes to spice levels, so make sure you say no spice if you can’t handle the heat.
- Street food in Thailand is popular, but keep your wits about what you’re eating. If the food isn’t being cooked right in front of you, I wouldn’t eat it. Go to the stands where there are long lines and they are making the food fresh.
Vegetarians + vegans: You won’t have any issues with eating vegetarian in Thailand thanks to all the veggies and tofu. Vegans might have to be more specific when ordering to ensure there are no foods like eggs in their food, but you shouldn’t have an issue either.
If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, make sure your tour director is aware and they will help you avoid the right foods.
Optional Add-ons
There are some optional activities that you can add on at checkout or before you depart at an additional cost:
- Chiang Mai Home Hosted Dinner
- Ban Nai Nang Community Visit
- Cooking Class in Krabi
- Phi Phi Island Day Trip
- Ang Thong Island
These activities cost extra and you can book them when you book the trip, or add them on in your account after you book.
The Ban Nai Nang Community Visit is the only one I didn’t do, but the few people that went enjoyed it.
I loved them all except Ang Thong Island. However, I found out after the trip that we didn’t get the usual tour for this since Ang Thong National Marine Park was closed during our tour. Our replacement tour was pretty bad, but I’ve heard great things about the actual tour, so I would recommend it!
Thailand Island Paradise Trip Types
Here are the options EF Ultimate offers for the Thailand Island Paradise trip (descriptions from efultimatebreak.com):
- EF Ultimate Plus: Stay in hotel-style accommodations, room with just one other person, and enjoy more included meals. Designed for friends, couples, or anyone that just values their me time, Plus combines an immersive itinerary with more space to unwind.
I took the Plus trip, where I had one roommate each night.
EF Ultimate Break Thailand Overall Rating: 5/5
I loved this trip so so so much and it’s in my top three EF Ultimate Break trips. It really has everything and I think the itinerary is nearly perfect. We even got to visit the Full Moon party in Koh Phangan, which was a bucket list experience for me.
My tour director was Mickey, and his energy was just amazing! He made the trip so special and was truly always smiling.
And, while this seems to be a one time offer, this was the special White Lotus edition of the trip, and being able to visit some of the filming locations was so cool. We even got dinner reservations at the Four Seasons Koh Samui (where season 3 was filmed) thanks to our tour director.
Packing Essentials for Thailand
In addition to your standard travel items (clothes, bathroom essentials, good shoes), here are some things I wouldn’t go back to Thailand without:
- Portable fan (Thailand gets HOT)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- A hat
- A dry bag (lots of boat days on this trip)
- Shoes that are easy to take off, like sandals (for temples, boats, beaches)
- Clothes that cover your knees and shoulders or a shawl or sarong (for women at temples)
- At least three swimsuits (for the islands)
- Tissues (for eating street food)
- Toilet paper (for public bathrooms)
- Hand sanitizer
- Cash (Thai Baht)
Check out my full Thailand packing list for everything you need to bring.
And for more of my travel must-haves, check out my Amazon page!
EF Ultimate Break Discount
For first-time EF Ultimate travelers, you can save $100 off any trip by booking here!
(or any of the links in this article. Code & discount are automatically applied when you create an account. Reach out with questions or issues!)
If you’ve traveled with EF Ultimate before, use code REPEAT for up to $300 off your next trip.
EF also frequently runs sales throughout the year, with their biggest being in November for Black Friday.
Send me a DM on Instagram (or any other social media!) if you want details on their next sale!
YouTube EF Ultimate Break Thailand Review
If you want to see how amazing this trip is but aren’t ready to book it, check out all my YouTube videos, where I vlogged all 22 days and gave a more detailed review at the end.
Here’s my first video from Bangkok… check it out!
Trips Similar to Thailand Island Paradise
If this trip sounds fun, check out some similar options that EF Ultimate Break offers!
Here are the many other Thailand trips they offer:
- Thailand Getaway
- Ultimate Southeast Asia
- Bangkok: Songkran Festival
- South Thailand: Phuket & Krabi
- New Year’s in Thailand: Thailand Island Paradise
- Bangkok Pride: City Experience
- New Year’s in Singapore: Singapore to Bangkok
- Highlights of Southeast Asia
- Singapore to Bangkok
- Thai Lantern Festival: Yi Peng & Loy Krathong
- Full Moon Party in Thailand
- North Thailand: Bangkok to Chiang Rai
- New Year’s in Thailand: Thailand Getaway
- South Thailand: Samui, Phangan & Krabi
- Bangkok: City Experience
- Highlights of Thailand
- Highlights of Thailand: Songkran Festival
And here are the other Asia trips with EF Ultimate Break:
- Highlights of Japan (check out my review!)
- South Korea Spotlight (check out my review!)
- Japan: Tokyo & Beyond
- Tokyo: City Experience
- Spring Break: Japan
- Japan & South Korea Getaway
EF Ultimate Break Thailand Verdict
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I LOVED THIS TRIP SO MUCH AND I LOVE THAILAND. Honestly if you’re still reading, thank you, but it’s time to get outta here and book your EF Ultimate Break trip to Thailand.
If you can make it work, Thailand Island Paradise is the way to go. Otherwise check out one of their many other shorter Thailand trips.
And remember, you can save $100 off your first EF trip by booking here… and it can be any trip, not just Thailand! Oh, and that discount stacks on top of any sale EF is running.
If you have any questions about traveling with EF, check out my FAQs which also includes EF Ultimate Break discounts, or send me a DM on Instagram 🙂
Still undecided? Check out all my EF Ultimate Break trip reviews here:
- Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids to Petra – LOVED
- Thailand Island Paradise – LOVED
- Highlights of Japan – LOVED
- Costa Rica Adventure (New Year’s in Costa Rica) – LOVED
- Oktoberfest – LOVED
- Iceland: The Golden Circle & Ring Road
- Belize: Rainforests, Reefs, & Ruins
- Sicily & Malta Getaway
- South Korea Spotlight
- Grand Tour of Turkey – Not good
- Peru & Machu Picchu Adventure – coming SOON
- New Year’s Trips with EF Ultimate Break
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