Places to visit
Best Places to Visit in Bangkok
Not every famous sight is worth the queue. These are the places we would send a friend to, with an honest note on each about when it disappoints.
Updated
10 min read
How we research
In this guide ↓
This is a list of places, not activities. For each one we explain why it's worth your time, when it disappoints, how long to allow and what to pair it with. If you want a broader list including food, nightlife and experiences, start with things to do in Bangkok.
How to group Bangkok's sights
Bangkok's major sights fall into a few clusters. Visiting one cluster per half-day is the single most useful planning decision you can make.
| Cluster | Places | Connect by |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town | Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Museum Siam, Golden Mount | MRT Sanam Chai, river boat |
| Chinatown | Wat Traimit, Yaowarat Road, Talat Noi | MRT Wat Mangkon, Hua Lamphong |
| Siam | Jim Thompson House, BACC, Siam malls | BTS Siam, National Stadium |
| Silom and Lumphini | Lumphini Park, Mahanakhon SkyWalk | BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom |
| North | Chatuchak, Or Tor Kor | MRT Kamphaeng Phet, BTS Mo Chit |
The Old Town
The historic core on Rattanakosin Island holds the city's three most important temples. See our full Old Town guide.
The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
The former royal residence and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's most sacred temple.
2–3 hours · Best time: at opening (8:30am) · Sanam Chai (MRT Blue Line)
Why it's on this list: it's the place that explains Bangkok's royal and religious identity better than any other, and the craftsmanship — gilded chedis, mosaic-covered pavilions, the murals of the Ramakien around the cloisters — is extraordinary even if temples aren't usually your thing.
Wat Pho
Home of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha and the traditional school of Thai massage.
1–1.5 hours · Best time: late afternoon · Sanam Chai (MRT Blue Line)
Why it's on this list: the Reclining Buddha alone would justify the visit, but Wat Pho is also the best place to understand a working Thai temple complex, and it's open into the early evening, so it fits around almost any plan.
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn: a tall, porcelain-studded prang on the Thonburi riverbank.
45 minutes–1 hour · Best time: visit in the afternoon · Tha Tien pier to Wat Arun pier (Cross-river ferry)
Why it's on this list: no other building in Bangkok is as recognisable. Visit it up close in the afternoon, then see it from across the river at sunset — they are two different experiences.
Wat Saket (The Golden Mount)
A gilded chedi on an artificial hill, reached by a spiral staircase of around 300 steps.
45 minutes · Best time: late afternoon for the light · Sam Yot (MRT Blue Line)
Why it's on this list: it gives you a view of the Old Town and a quieter temple in one stop, and it's the easiest way to add something memorable to a second Old Town day.
Museum Siam
A quick, modern primer on what 'Thai' means, and air-conditioned relief between temples.
- Allow
- 1.5–2 hours
- Go
- Midday, when it is too hot for temple courtyards
- Pair with
- Wat Pho, The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
- Getting there
- Sanam Chai · MRT Blue LineThe station exit is beside the museum
Chinatown
Read our Chinatown guide for food and walking routes.
Wat Traimit (The Golden Buddha)
Houses a solid-gold seated Buddha of around 5.5 tonnes, at the edge of Chinatown.
30–45 minutes · Best time: morning · Hua Lamphong (MRT Blue Line)
Why it's on this list: it's a 30-minute visit with one of the best stories in the city, and it sits exactly where a Chinatown walk should begin.
- Allow
- 2 hours (evening)
- Go
- From around 6pm
- Pair with
- Wat Traimit (The Golden Buddha), Talat Noi
- Getting there
- Wat Mangkon · MRT Blue Line
Talat Noi
The most atmospheric part of Chinatown to explore on foot during the day.
- Allow
- 1–2 hours
- Go
- Morning or late afternoon
- Pair with
- Wat Traimit (The Golden Buddha), Yaowarat Road
- Getting there
- Marine Department (N4) · Chao Phraya Express Boat
- Hua Lamphong · MRT Blue LineAbout 10 minutes on foot
Siam and central Bangkok
Jim Thompson House
Six traditional teak houses assembled by the American silk entrepreneur who disappeared in Malaysia in 1967.
1–1.5 hours · Best time: morning · National Stadium (BTS Silom Line)
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)
A free contemporary art centre with rotating exhibitions, opposite MBK.
1 hour · Best time: afternoon · National Stadium (BTS Silom Line)
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's main green space, with a lake, outdoor gyms and resident monitor lizards.
45 minutes–1.5 hours · Best time: early morning (from around 6am) or early evening · Lumphini / Silom (MRT Blue Line)
King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk
The easiest way to get a 360-degree view over the city without a bar bill.
- Allow
- 1 hour
- Go
- Just before sunset
- Pair with
- Lumphini Park
- Getting there
- Chong Nonsi · BTS Silom LineLinked directly
On the river
The Chao Phraya River isn't a single sight, but it connects many of them. Using the river as transport is one of the best things you can do in Bangkok — see the Chao Phraya River guide.
ICONSIAM
SookSiam, the ground-floor food hall styled on regional Thai markets, is a convenient way to try dishes from around the country.
- Allow
- 2–3 hours
- Go
- Late afternoon into evening; the riverside promenade has city views
- Pair with
- Talat Noi
- Getting there
- Charoen Nakhon · BTS Gold Line
- ICONSIAM pier · Chao Phraya Express BoatFree shuttle boats from Sathorn pier
North Bangkok
Chatuchak Weekend Market
One of the world's largest weekend markets, with thousands of stalls across 27 sections.
3–4 hours · Best time: saturday or sunday at opening · Kamphaeng Phet / Chatuchak Park (MRT Blue Line)
What we left out, and why
- Khao San Road. Fun for a drink if you're staying nearby, but not worth crossing the city for. It's covered in our Old Town guide.
- Safari World and other theme parks. Can work for families, but they're a long way out and a day each. See Bangkok with kids.
- Floating markets. The famous ones are well outside the city and heavily geared towards tourists. If you want one, read our floating markets comparison first; two small weekend markets are inside Bangkok.
Putting it together
The places above fill three to four days comfortably. Our 3-day itinerary orders them by area and time of day, with travel times between every stop.
where to next?
- Best Things to Do in BangkokThirty-plus experiences, grouped the way you will actually plan them: by what they are and where they are. Each one says who it suits, how long it takes and what to pair it with.
- Best Temples in BangkokYou don't need to see ten temples. You need to see the right three, in the right order, and maybe one quiet one where you can actually sit down.
- Bangkok Old Town (Rattanakosin)The historic royal heart of the city, and where most first trips begin. It is also more pleasant to stay in than most visitors assume.
- Bangkok Chinatown (Yaowarat)Chinatown is two places: a hectic wholesale district by day and one of the world's great street-food streets by night. Plan for both.
- Bangkok 3-Day ItineraryThree days is enough for Bangkok's essentials if you group sights by area and use the river and the MRT rather than taxis. Here is the plan, slot by slot.