Bangkok is one of the most exciting and happening cities in the world. You may be a nature lover, a cultural traveller, or a backpacker in search of historical places to visit. Be assured that Bangkok will cater to all these needs and offer experiences in abundance to any kind of traveller.
There are many incredible things to do in Bangkok that you won’t want to miss when you visit the city.
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The Best Things to do in Bangkok
If you are looking to experience Thailand like a local, Bangkok is the place to visit. Although there are tourist attractions, this city has plenty of Thai cultures to absorb on your trip.
Table of Contents
Planning Your Trip
We use the below booking platforms to plan our trips. We hope you find them useful too!
Where to Stay in Bangkok
Luxury – Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok is the ultimate 5-star hotel located in the downtown region of Bangkok. With a swimming pool and a gym, this modern-looking hotel is perfect and reasonably priced for your stay in Bangkok.
Book your stay at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok here.
Mid-range – Evergreen Place Siam by UHG is a great place to stay in Bangkok. The air-conditioned rooms each come with a dining area, an electric kettle and private balcony offering city views. There is also an outdoor pool and free wifi.
Book your stay at Evergreen Place Siam by UHG here.
Budget – Laksameenarai Guesthouse is the perfect place to stay on a budget trip to Bangkok. A great location and excellent value for an air-conditioned room with free wifi.
Wat Arun
Visiting the Bangkok Temples is one of the best things to do in Bangkok. One of the best ones to visit is the Wat Arun Temple. This is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok that is locally also known as the “Temple of Dawn”, Wat Arun is located 260 ft above the River Chao Phraya and is considered to be the most photographed temple in Bangkok.
Wat Arun Temple is easy to reach from the shuttle ferry that runs across the river in Bangkok and is also easy to reach by a GRAB taxi making it one of the most popular temples to visit in Bangkok.
One of the best times to visit Wat Arun is just before it closes as there are some incredible views from the temple as the sun begins to set. If you want to avoid crowds, it is also best to avoid visiting Wat Arun at the weekends.
It is worth noting when you leave Wat Arun, there are many different boats arriving at the pier, some will be tourist boats which will charge you more than the public boat.
Ticket price – 100 baht which includes a bottle of water.
Opening hours – 08.00-16.00
Chao Phraya River Cruise
Chao Phraya River is a scenic, major river that runs through 10 provinces in Thailand. The river also serves as the transportation route where both tourist boat cruises and public ferries are operated on a daily basis to transport the general public. The best thing about cruising a boat down the Chao Praya River is that you can enjoy the sights of the skyline in Bangkok as you go.
This can also be seen as a sightseeing tour through Bangkok as you will pass many great sights and stunning buildings along the river. There are many cafes and restaurants located along the Chao Phraya River that you can enjoy too.
Visit the Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions visited in Bangkok and dates back to when it was built in 1782. The palace is surrounded by a walled complex and it comprises different architectures. For a fact, this palace traces its history from the 18th century and was once the home of the Kings of Siam.
Being one of the highly religious sites in Bangkok, the palace remains dotted with a considerable amount of visitors from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. However, in order to visit the palace, you have to be in the appropriate attire.
In order to visit the Grand Palace, you should dress modestly, shoulders and knees should be covered. Whilst exploring the palace, you will get to see spiked pagodas with styled roofs and exquisite decor that is certainly a treat to the eyes for all the architecture admirers.
Wander around Wat Phra Kaew
Each of Bangkok’s temples has something unique and so does the Wat Phra Kaew. It’s the stunning architecture of the temple that attracts a huge footfall of tourists every day. Hence, Wat Phra Kaew temple has to be on your Bangkok itinerary. The remarkable architecture of the temple beautifully depicts the country’s heritage. The temple is located within the complex of the Grand Palace. Also, do you know that it is one of the highly sacred Buddhist temples in Bangkok?
This sacred site also houses an image of Emerald Buddha which is exquisitely created from a single jade block. Considering the popularity of the temple, no vacation to Bangkok is completed without Wat Phra Kaew.
Wonder at Wat Pho
Just a short walking distance away from the Grand Palace, is another sacred site, known as Wat Pho. This is another attraction that is amongst those top tourist places to visit whilst you are in Bangkok. Wat Pho is famous for housing a towering statue of Lord Buddha which is 15 meters high and 45 metres long. Because of the statue, the place is also referred to as the temple of the reclining Buddha.
Along with that, it is also famous for its massage school. This means you can get a massage to rejuvenate yourself from one of the traditional medical schools in Bangkok which is located in the Wat Pho complex.
Party at Soi Cowboy
Soi Cowboy is probably one of the vibrant nightlife districts in the city of Bangkok and is one of the most-visited attractions in the city. Though it is a short street, it offers an abundance of glitz and glamour. We wouldn’t advise visiting this area of Bangkok if you are with young children.
The street is dotted with a number of bars and clubs where you can enjoy the ultimate nightout at a very affordable price. This is one of the best places to visit in Bangkok for young adults.
Visit the Floating Market of Bangkok
You just cannot afford to miss the Floating Market during your trip to Bangkok. There is a varied selection of fruit and vegetables and other food vendors at the floating market.
Just to let you know, the Saduak Floating Market is located in the periphery of Bangkok in Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi Province. Therefore, you have to devote at least a half-day to this place.
The best time to explore this market is morning time and it opens from 7am meaning you can get there early before the crowds arrive. If you would rather go later, the floating markets are open until 9pm.
Soak up the Culture on Khao San Road
Khao San Road is known as the shopping and party hub for those visiting Bangkok.
You can expect to find a wide sort of products ranging from shorts, souvenirs, clothes, and bags along a long strip.
As night falls in Bangkok, Khao San Road really comes alive with a lot of loud music and drink deals being offered down the street. If you enjoy a party, this is the place to go.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the most popular tourist landmarks in the city of Bangkok and was one of our favourite things to do in Bangkok. However, it is only open on Saturday and Sunday.
The market sprawls over 27 acres of area and is known to have more than 15000 booths. At the Chatuchak Market, you can find all sorts of goods ranging from clothes to artwork to kitchenware to souvenirs and a lot of good food!
Relax in Lumphini Park
Enjoy some downtime in Lumphini Park to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of the city. Located amidst towering skyscrapers, this green oasis is indeed a hideout for all nature lovers.
The park sprawls over a vast area of half a million square meters. Here, you can expect to see rich flora and fauna including the water monitor lizard. Besides, you can also enjoy some recreational activities such as paddle boating and rowing. Along with that, there is also a fun outdoor gym located within the park complex.
Before You Leave for Bangkok
Before you set off on your trip of a lifetime to Thailand, there are a few things you will need to get sorted out for a stress-free and enjoyable trip. These include what to pack, what visa to get, what insurance is best and where to stay. These are all discussed below.
How to Get to Bangkok
It is worth noting that there are two airports outside of the city in Bangkok so make sure you know which one you are flying into in relation to your accommodation. There are many bus and train services that also travel through Bangkok and are a very cheap way to travel around Thailand.
Where to Stay in Bangkok
Luxury – Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok is the ultimate 5-star hotel located in the downtown region of Bangkok. With a swimming pool and a gym, this modern-looking hotel is perfect and reasonably priced for your stay in Bangkok.
Book your stay at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok here.
Mid-range – Evergreen Place Siam by UHG is a great place to stay in Bangkok. The air-conditioned rooms each come with a dining area, an electric kettle and private balcony offering city views. There is also an outdoor pool and free wifi.
Book your stay at Evergreen Place Siam by UHG here.
Budget – Laksameenarai Guesthouse is the perfect place to stay on a budget trip to Bangkok. A great location and excellent value for an air-conditioned room with free wifi.
What to Pack for Bangkok?
Bangkok is blessed with tropical, scorching weather year-round. This means there are three seasons: a hot season (March-June), the wet season (July-October) and cool season (November-February). The temperature during these seasons remains above 26oC and humidity averages around 78%. Due to this, we would recommend that you pack light clothing and a light waterproof. Lucky for you, this makes packing a lot easier and your luggage a lot lighter.
Check out our Summer Packing List for Women and Summer Packing List for Men for some clothing inspiration for your trip to paradise.
When it comes to sun protection in Thailand, it is a lot more expensive to buy it when you arrive. We, therefore, recommend packing as much sunscreen as you can before you leave for Bangkok.
You definitely don’t want to forget your camera when you are travelling to Bangkok. No matter where we go in the world, we always ensure our camera bag is fully topped up.
If you would like to know more about what is in our camera bag, click right here.
For our full list of items that we pack no matter where we go in the world, check out our full packing guides over here.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Sony Mic ECM-B1M
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 11 and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 3
Camera Bag – Wandrd PRVKE 41L and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Sturdy Phone Tripod & Selfie Stick – ATUMTEK 61″ Selfie Stick Tripod, Sturdy Phone Tripod Stand with Wireless Remote
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socke
What is the Best Travel Insurance for Bangkok
I know travel insurance is the least enjoyable thing to purchase and look at when you’re planning a trip, however, you wouldn’t want to be without it in the event that something happened. Accidents can happen anywhere and the extortionate medical bills will ruin your trip if you are not covered.
To ensure you have a stress-free trip with no worries about potential medical bills, make sure you cover yourself when you travel. We can recommend using SafetyWing, a backpacker-friendly and cheap insurance company that provides good coverage and support. It is also nomad-friendly, unlike most other insurance companies, meaning you do not need to worry about being out of your home country for too long.
Get a quote for your travel insurance right here and get covered!
So there you have it, a guide to the best things to do in Bangkok. If you are visiting this incredible city and have any other questions on what to expect, leave us a comment down below. We love to chat about this stuff! If you have already been, let us know how it was!
Also, remember to share this with your friends and family that you are going to share this amazing experience with. Sharing is caring and we want to ensure that everyone is fully prepared to maximise their experience visiting this incredible city.
If you are planning a Thailand trip soon then check out our other Thailand content right here. Come and find us on social media to see where we are currently exploring. Tag us in your photos from your stay and we will share them with the rest of our community of explorers and backpackers.
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