Thailand’s capital is a lot to take in at first, but the best approach is to take a deep breath and dive straight in. Start with a street food tour that’ll have you exploring hidden alleys and residential neighbourhoods, and sampling mung bean crêpes and spinach-stuffed dumplings in between intriguing stops at Buddha-makers’ workshops and Chinese tiger-god shrines. Then, it’s time for some true Bangkok must-sees: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. The former has been the seat of Thai royalty for two centuries, while the latter is one of the city’s oldest temples. Welcome to one of the most exciting, overwhelming and contradictory cities in Asia.

As you head north, prepare to travel back in time to Ayutthaya: the capital of a sprawling Thai kingdom that flourished from the 14th-18th centuries. Though its ruins are now surrounded by a thriving modern city, you’ll get a sense of its former glory on a tuk-tuk tour of the temples — whitewashed spires and red-brick monasteries crumbling beside glassy lakes. Later, you’ll get an insight into a different period of history at Bang Pa-In, a royal summer residence where a Chinese-style palace stands alongside European-style statues and a Gothic temple with stained glass windows.

Further north — and further back in time — your next stop is considered by most to be the first truly Thai kingdom: Sukhothai. Founded in 1238, Sukhothai brought together disparate influences to form the beginnings of Thai culture as we know it today, introducing the Thai alphabet, Theravada Buddhism, and nearly 200 temples to attest to its cultural importance. Arriving in the early afternoon, you’ll get straight to exploring, stopping in at the lotus-bud stupa of Wat Mahathat, the giant seated Buddha of Wat Si Chum, and the beautiful lake temple of Wat Sa Si, among others. Then, visit the Ramkamhaeng Museum to get an even deeper understanding of Sukhothai’s place in history.

Before you journey back to the present day, there’s one more World Heritage stop: the ruins of Si Satchanalai. If Sukhothai was the political heart of its kingdom, Si Satchanalai was its spiritual centre. Visit its finest temples and the Celadon Kiln Site before continuing north to Chiang Mai, where history collides with modernity in one of our favourite Southeast Asian cities. Here, you’ll balance the historical — including temple visits and a bike tour of the “lost city” of Wiang Kum Kam — with the rural, taking a songtaew out to the countryside and admire the incredible views from the top of Wat Doi Suthep.

With great food, superb hotels, and no end of cultural curiosities to discover, Chiang Rai is the perfect place to round off your Thailand trip. Get the lie of the land with a samlor ride through the city’s streets, stopping to browse at the local market and admire the brass-and-copper Buddha of Wat Phra Kaew, then conclude at the riotously kitsch White Temple, with its wedding cake-esque mish-mash of pop culture and Buddhist references. Work of art or assault on good taste? We’ll let you decide. After seeing the sights in town, conclude with a visit to the Golden Triangle, where remnants of the Lanna Kingdom lie scattered in the hills, amongst sleepy villages and market towns.