Only have 2 weeks to spend in Thailand? You’re not alone! Though many people you’ll meet in Southeast Asia will boast their seemingly never-ending travel plans, you can certainly get a good taste of the country in a short amount of time.

If you have less than 2 weeks though, we would strongly recommend choosing either the north of the country or the south Thailand beaches. Visiting both can be done in a time crunch, but it’ll feel rushed and will include some long travel days.

We’ve had numerous readers and friends reach out asking where to go in Thailand and where are the best islands in Thailand. Most of them had a few things in common:

1. They had 2 weeks or less
2. They wanted to spend time in the Thai islands
3. They wanted to see elephants

So we gave the people what they asked for! Below, you will find a sample itinerary that includes some of the more sought-after destinations and experiences around Bangkok and in the southern region Thailand  – seeing the famous beach at Maya Bay, rock climbing over the ocean, partying ’til dawn at Full Moon, and yes, playing with elephants. It’s a perfect guide for anyone’s first trip to the “land of smiles”.