7 Amazing Days in Thailand with Go Ahead Tours
The views and opinions expressed in this Go Ahead Tours review are based on my own experience. I was not compensated by Go Ahead Tours or receive anything in exchange for writing this review.
I’ve wanted to visit Thailand for years. I wanted to explore the ornate temples, blow out my tastebuds with real spicy Thai food and immerse myself in a new culture. But thanks to a global pandemic, that dream was put on the back burner until 2022. That’s when I decided my 2023 mantra would be: “Do things that make my stomach want to fall out of my butt,” and solo travel was at the top of the list.
I was finally ready to see “The Land of Smiles,” but I wasn’t ready to travel completely solo. I needed some guardrails to feel safe and build up my confidence. That’s how I ended up as a traveler on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Thailand for Solo Travelers: a tour specifically designed for those who want to travel solo, but not alone. (Their words, not mine.)
If you’re thinking about solo group travel and wondering if this kind of solo travel, I’m breaking down everything you need to know (and what I wish I knew) about Go Ahead Tours’ Thailand for Solo Travelers tour.
Why I Chose Go Ahead Tours for My First Solo Travel Experience
When I searched “solo group travel,” Go Ahead Tours popped up near the top of the search results. I was surprised to see they offered solo tours to over 20 destinations across the globe, including Thailand.
After reading the reviews and comparing the Thailand for Solo Travelers tour with similar ones from other tour companies, like G Adventures, Flash Pack and Intrepid, Go Ahead Tours looked like they offered the best value. And you also didn’t have to share a room with a stranger.
It also helped that I traveled with EF Tours when I was in high school, so I was already familiar with them and knew they were a legit company.
How Much Does The Go Ahead Tours Thailand For Solo Travelers Cost?
Here’s a cost breakdown of my entire trip:
- Thailand for Solo Travelers Tour: $2,319
- Optional excursions: $145
- Airport transfers: $50
- Flights: $1,000
- Misc expenses (e.g. tips): $200
- Total: $3,714
When I purchased my Thailand for Solo Travelers tour in March 2023, it was priced at $2719; however Go Ahead Tours was running a Summer and Fall sale, so I saved $400. Go Ahead Tours is always running some kind of promotion, so there are plenty of opportunities to save.
Could I have planned a trip myself for less? Probably, but this was my first time traveling alone and I was paying for the convenience of someone else doing all the planning. I also get serious FOMO and analysis paralysis, so I knew I was going to see everything I needed to on my first trip to Thailand.
What’s Included
Wondering what $2,300 gets you? Here’s a breakdown of what’s included (and what’s not included) in the Go Ahead Tours Thailand for Solo Travelers vacation package:
- 7 nights in a private room at handpicked hotels
- 7 breakfasts
- 2 lunches
- 2 dinners with beer or wine
- 3 food tastings
- 7 sightseeing tours
- Expert Tour Director & local guides
- Private deluxe motor coach
- 2 on-tour flights
What’s Not Included
- Flights to and from Bangkok
- Optional excursions
- Additional meals and beverages
- Tipping (tour director, bus driver, local guides)
- Extension to Chiang Mai
- Airport transfers (if you book your own flights)
Flights
Go Ahead Tours truly is a one-stop shop for group and solo travel, and that includes making your airline reservations. Based on other Go Ahead travelers’ experiences, I strongly suggest you book your own flights. Here’s why:
Go Ahead Tours flights are more expensive
When I booked my trip in March 2023, I could “lock in” my flight from LAX to Bangkok for around $1,600. That meant even if prices went up, I wouldn’t have to pay the difference. While that was tempting, I did my research before booking my tour and knew that the price they quoted was insanely high. I booked my own flight for less than $1000. (A really good deal IMO.)
Go Ahead Tours flights typically involve multiple connections
Some of the travelers on my tour had 2-3 connections going and coming. My flight only had one connection in Seoul. They also book them really early, and many people were leaving for the airport at 2am and 4am.
Go Ahead Tours acts as a middleman
One of the benefits of booking your own flight is being in control when things go wrong. For example, if your flight is canceled or delayed you can immediately rebook it yourself from your phone. If you book your flights through Go Ahead Tours, you have to go through them. And based on what I’ve heard from others, their on-tour support isn’t great — and that’s putting it mildly.
Group Size
There were 28 people on this trip and the ages ranged from early 30s to late 70s. I would say the group was 90% women.
Activity Level
Go Ahead Tours rates the activity level of this tour as ‘high’ or three out of four bars.
There’s a lot of walking. I had an average of maybe 10,000 steps per day. And if you struggle with heat and humidity or don’t stay properly hydrated, it will make getting around a lot more challenging.
You also do a lot of maneuvering in and out of longtail boats (watch you head!), which can be hard if you have knee problems.
The only “rigorous” activity was walking around James Bond Island, which had some steps, but that was for a short amount of time.
The biggest hazard are all the small half steps in Thailand, which are super easy to trip over or miss if you aren’t paying attention. Stubbing my toe and pretending I didn’t actually trip over a step in public was a regular occurrence.
Go Ahead Tours Thailand for Solo Travelers Itinerary
Day 1: Travel Day
While Go Ahead Tours markets this tour as 9 days (or 13 with the extension), the travel days are part of that total. My journey to Bangkok included a 12 hour flight from LAX to Seoul, a four hour layover, and a 6 hour flight from Seoul to Bangkok.
Both flights were operated by Korean Air. I had never flown with them before and I was very impressed. They were great at accommodating my vegan dietary requests and their flights are incredibly organized.
Day 2: Arrive in Bangkok
I arrived in Bangkok in the afternoon on Day 2. (A lot of people on the tour actually arrived early and did their own thing for a day or two.) Wanting to maximize my time and combat jet lag, I booked a 6 hour Bangkok sightseeing tour.
Day 3: Sightseeing Tour of Bangkok
The actual first day of the tour started bright and early for me. I was up and ready to go at 5:30 a.m. Luckily the breakfast buffet opened at 6:00 a.m.
The first day was absolutely packed with activities, with stops at:
- Grand Palace
- Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
- Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
- Amulet Market
- Canal ride and orchid nursery visit
- Welcome drinks at Baiyoke Sky Hotel
A lot of people were not prepared for the heat and humidity in Bangkok, so make sure you’re well hydrated and bring water with you.
Another tip: bring snacks. Our lunch was pretty late in the afternoon, and after sweating and walking around, I was borderline hangry by that point.
Day 4: Maeklong Railway Market and Floating Market
Our second day was another jam-packed day. Highlights included:
- Maeklong Railway Market
- Coconut farm visit
- Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
- An organic farm visit
There was also an optional food tour. I didn’t go because it wasn’t vegan-friendly.
Day 5: Flight to Phuket
This day was mostly a travel day. Even though the flight to Phuket was around an hour, we still got a full meal. (Thai Airlines doesn’t mess around with their in-flight service! US airlines take note!)
When we landed we had lunch at a local Thai restaurant before driving to Old Town Phuket to wander Dibuk Road. The itinerary also mentioned we would visit a Sino-Portuguese-style Chinpracha House, but we didn’t do that. (I can’t remember why, but there was a reason.)
We ended the day at our new hotel and spent some time at the pool before having dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Day 6: Phi Phi Island Cruise
Of all the included excursions, this one was the biggest let down due to lack of transparency. This was not a cruise. It was the most violent ferry ride of my life. The Andaman Sea is not as tranquil as it looks and I don’t think they did a good job warning those who may get sea sick. (There was lots of vomiting going on.)
We had first class tickets, which meant we could sit in a reserved, air conditioned room in the front of the ferry. Our tour guide warned us they blast this indoor room with cold air and to dress accordingly. Heed that warning because it was absolutely freezing, especially coming back. The alternative is sitting outside in the hot sun; there was no inbetween.
Once we got into the bay, the “cruising” was a lot better and we got to take in the turquoise and cerulean hues of the water. We also passed by the infamous beach from “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Two and half hours and two boat transfers later, we arrived at the private beach where we got to swim and have lunch. (It was a buffet that we shared with another group and it was absolute chaos. I think I got food poisoning from this meal.)
You also have the option to go snorkeling. While the snorkeling was fun and I saw a lot of beautiful fish, again, the water was extremely choppy and the current was super strong. If you’re not a strong swimmer, I suggest skipping this.
By the time we got back to the beach, it was almost time to leave. To recap: We spent 2 hours in a van (to get to the hotel to the ferry and back) and 5 hours on a ferry only to spend less than 3 hours on the beach. That’s really hard on anyone.
Day 7: Phang Nga Bay Cruise & James Bond Island
This was the optional excursion I was most excited for. Unfortunately, I got violently ill on the way to the cruise boat, which was an actual cruise boat this time.
By some miracle I was able to hold it together and enjoy the cruise (or enjoyed it as much as I could for feeling like death). Our first stop was taking a longtail boat to Khao Phing Kan or James Bond Island. It was featured in the 1974 movie, “The Man With the Golden Gun.”
This is a huge tourist attraction, so it’s not a place you stop for a very long time. We were there for maybe 20 minutes. I was paired up with another traveler and one of the crew members from the boat and they walked around to take pictures of us. (They were great photographers!)
Our next stop was Ko Panyi, a small fisherman village. Minnie, our tour director, was my savior here. She not only found me something to eat when I was having an emotional breakdown on the floating soccer field (purple rice and banana wrapped in a banana leaf FTW!), but she also took me to a pharmacy on the way back to the hotel. She was able to tell the pharmacist my symptoms while I threw up in a bag on the floor.
There really is nothing worse than getting sick in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, so this is another perk of solo group travel. I was able to get medicine for less than $5 USD and was feeling better the next day.
This excursion also included canoeing and exploring sea caves, but I sat that one out for obvious reasons. Those who did it had an awesome experience.
Day 8: Flight Back to Bangkok and Farewell Dinner
This day was mostly a travel day. Once we got back to Bangkok we had free time. I spent most of the afternoon trying to find crackers (apparently a real challenge in Bangkok) and playing real life Frogger crossing the busy streets of Bangkok.
Our Farewell Dinner was at the hotel restaurant and was a multiple course dinner, including traditional Thai curry. Our Tour Director, Minnie, also bought a cake for one of the travelers who was celebrating their birthday.
Day 9: Return to the US
This tour had an optional extension to Chiang Mai for an additional $1,100. (I don’t remember the exact cost, but this is what the website shows for 2025 dates.) I decided not to do it, but after seeing photos from others who went, I wish I did. That just means I’ll have to go back.
Hotels
We stayed at two hotels during this tour.
Centara Watergate Pavilion Hotel Bangkok
The Centara Watergate Pavilion Hotel is located in the heart of Bangkok and has a four-star rating. I didn’t find the hotel to be in a tourist-friendly location, but the rooms were clean and nice, at least by my standards.
The breakfast buffet and restaurant at the hotel was fantastic and had a variety of vegan-friendly options. I usually made a big salad in the morning.
I also appreciated how responsive the hotel was when I emailed to ask about their power outlets.
Side note: There was a shopping center on the ground level of the hotel and it always smelled like a dank sewer aka poop.
Crest Resort & Pool Villas
The Crest Resort & Pool Villas located in Phuket was another four-star hotel. The rooms were very large and really nice, but the location was quite literally on the top of a mountain and far away from Patong. (The views were great though!) It was also really loud and echoey.
The included dinner (a buffet) and breakfast (also a buffet) weren’t great and the vegan options were minimal. (I’m talking only fruit for breakfast, which is OK, but not ideal.)
Optional Excursions
There were two optional excursions on the Thailand for Solo Travelers Tour. (I’m not including the ones on the Chiang Mai excursion since I didn’t go.)
Food of Bangkok Walking Tour – $115
Phang Nga Bay Cruise and James Bond Island – $145
As I mentioned above, I did not do the Food of Bangkok Walking Tour, so I can’t comment on it other than it’s not vegan-friendly. Even though I was sick and couldn’t participate in all the activities, the Phang Nga Bay Cruise and James Bond Island excursion was worth the additional cost. It was a full day excursion, so if you didn’t go, you had an entire day in Phuket. I really wasn’t impressed with Phuket. It gave spring break in Cabo vibes, which isn’t my scene. I would have had a tough time trying to figure out how to make use of my day.
Transportation
The primary mode of transportation in Bangkok was a tour bus or sprinter-like vans in Phuket.
At the time of my tour, Go Ahead Tours had the option to book airport transfers for both my arriving and departing flight for $50. This was a no-brainer for me. Unfortunately, their policy has changed.
When I tried to book an airport transfer for my Jewels of the Alpine tour in 2024, the Go Ahead Tours representative told me I had to request it ONE MONTH in advance. Someone else on my tour got a completely different answer, so I would ask at the time of booking what their policy du jour is. (I will say getting to and from the airport is pretty low on my things to worry about since there are plenty of options, even if that means I have to do it myself.)
Tour Director
Our tour director, Minnie, was an absolute gem of a human being and an excellent tour guide. She was funny, personable, communicative, very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was having a good time.
Who you get as a tour director can make all the difference in your experience. Since this trip, I’ve been on another Go Ahead Tours vacation and our tour guide was not good. (Unfortunately, you can’t request your tour director, so it really comes down to luck.)
What I Liked
- We saw A LOT and, for the most part, the time was well spent at each stop or attraction
- Our tour guide was a 12/10
- The breakfast buffet at our Bangkok hotel was amazing and had a lot of vegan or vegan-friendly options
- I never felt unsafe
- There was a nice balance of group time and alone time (super important for someone whose social battery is easily drained)
- The Go Ahead Tours app made it really easy to connect with your group and tour director before, during and after the tour
- The other travelers. They were all very nice and I enjoyed being around them.
- They accommodated my vegan diet, so I was never starving. (I did pack snacks though.)
What I Didn’t Like
- I wish we visited more temples in Bangkok, like Wat Arun, but I also understand that they can feel repetitive
- I think Go Ahead Tours needs to re-evaluate the Phi Phi Island day. It was a lot of travel for such little time at a popular destination.
- The hotel locations. All of them seemed very far from local attractions or required some sort of transportation to get anywhere that may be of interest. This kind of limits what you can do during free time if you’re not comfortable getting around on your own.
Would I Book Another Solo Tour with Go Ahead Tours?
Absolutely. Another perk of traveling with Go Ahead Tours is their rewards program. Once you book your tour, Go Ahead Tours adds $100 to your “travel bank” for a future trip.
You also receive a “Welcome Home” bonus of $100 when you return from your tour. So basically $200 off your next tour.
The first credit doesn’t expire, but the “Welcome Home” bonus expires in 3 months.
Do you have questions about Go Ahead Tours’ Thailand for Solo Travelers? Leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer!
