Best Things to Do in Bangkok

If this is your first Bangkok trip, don't try to cover the whole city in a day. Bangkok's main sights cluster in a handful of areas, and the city punishes anyone who zigzags across it by road. Start with the Old Town, then use the river or the MRT to connect the next cluster. Everything below is grouped so you can plan that way.

Each experience says who it suits, roughly how long it takes and what it pairs well with. Where something is overrated for a particular kind of traveller, we say so.

Temples and history

1. See the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha at opening

The Grand Palace compound and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are the single most impressive sight in Bangkok — and the most crowded. Arrive for the 8:30am opening and you get an hour before the tour groups fill the courtyards and the heat builds.

The dress code is strictly enforced: shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. Wear long trousers or a long skirt rather than hoping to borrow something at the gate.

How long: 2–3 hours. Combine with: Wat Pho, ten minutes' walk south. Read our full Grand Palace guide.

2. Spend longer at Wat Pho than you planned to

Most visitors see the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, take a photo and leave. Stay. Wat Pho's outer courtyards are full of chedis, galleries of Buddha images and quiet corners, and it is far less crowded than the palace. It is also home to a traditional Thai massage school, and the temple's massage pavilions are a sensible way to end a morning of walking.

How long: 1–1.5 hours, plus a massage. Best for: everyone, including children. See Wat Pho.

3. Cross the river to Wat Arun, then watch it from the other side

Take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier, beside Wat Pho, to Wat Arun. Up close, the central prang is covered in fragments of Chinese porcelain arranged into flowers — detail you can't see from a distance. Then cross back and watch the temple at sunset from the Tha Tien side, which is where the famous view is.

How long: 45 minutes to an hour, plus sunset. See Wat Arun for where to watch it.

4. Climb the Golden Mount

Wat Saket's gilded chedi sits on an artificial hill reached by a spiral staircase of around 300 steps. The views over the Old Town's rooftops are the best you'll get without a bar bill, and it is a much calmer temple experience than the big three. Late afternoon is the best time.

5. Find the quieter temples: Wat Suthat and Loha Prasat

Wat Suthat, beside the red frame of the Giant Swing, has some of the finest murals in the city and a fraction of Wat Pho's visitors. Loha Prasat, opposite the Golden Mount, is a castle-like temple with 37 metal spires, unlike anything else in Bangkok. Both are worth it for anyone who has seen the headline temples and wants something with more room to breathe.

6. See the solid-gold Buddha at Wat Traimit

At the edge of Chinatown, Wat Traimit houses a seated Buddha made of around 5.5 tonnes of gold. It was hidden under plaster for centuries — possibly to protect it from invaders — and its true material was discovered by accident in the 1950s. It is a short, easy visit and a natural start to a Chinatown day.

For the full temple picture, including etiquette and the order to see them in, read our guide to the best temples in Bangkok.

The river

7. Use the Chao Phraya Express Boat as transport

The public express boats are the most underrated way to see Bangkok. They link the Old Town piers (Tha Chang, Tha Tien), Chinatown (Ratchawong) and the riverside hotels around Sathorn pier, which connects to BTS Saphan Taksin. You see the river, avoid the traffic and pay a fraction of a taxi fare. The boats fly coloured flags that tell you which piers they stop at — our Chao Phraya River guide explains the system.

8. Take a long-tail boat through the Thonburi canals

West of the river, Thonburi is threaded with khlongs (canals) lined with wooden houses, small temples and gardens. A long-tail boat trip of an hour or two shows a Bangkok that predates the skyscrapers. Hire one from Tha Chang pier — agree the price and duration before you get in — or book a canal tour.

9. Dinner cruise — or the public boat at sunset

A Chao Phraya dinner cruise is the classic romantic evening, with the temples and bridges lit up as you pass. The food is rarely the point. If eating well matters more than the experience, take the public boat at sunset for the same views and eat at a riverside restaurant afterwards. Our dinner cruise guide compares the options.

Food

10. Eat your way down Yaowarat Road after dark

Chinatown's main road is lined with gold shops and neon signs by day and taken over by food stalls from late afternoon. Walk its full length before choosing; the famous stalls have queues, and plenty of equally good ones don't. See our Chinatown guide and street food guide.

11. Eat lunch where office workers eat in Silom

Between roughly 11:30am and 1:30pm on weekdays, Silom's side streets and office food courts feed thousands of office workers. Pavement stalls are fewer than they were after city clearances, but it is still one of the easiest places to eat everyday Bangkok food at everyday prices.

12. Try boat noodles

Small bowls of intensely flavoured pork or beef noodle soup, historically sold from boats on the canals. They come in small portions, so order several. Victory Monument has long been known for a cluster of boat-noodle shops beside the canal; individual shops' hours vary, so go at lunchtime or early evening.

13. Visit a fresh market: Or Tor Kor

Or Tor Kor, opposite Chatuchak, is Bangkok's best-known premium fresh market: immaculate fruit, curry pastes and prepared dishes in a clean covered hall. It is the easiest fresh market for first-timers and a good place to try fruit you won't find at home.

14. Take a cooking class

A good Thai cooking class starts with a market visit and gives everyone their own cooking station. It is one of the few souvenirs that keeps paying off after you get home. See how to choose a cooking class.

15. Eat at a mall food hall (seriously)

Bangkok's mall food halls — Siam Paragon's is the best known, and ICONSIAM's SookSiam is styled as a market of regional Thai food — are a low-pressure way to try many dishes in air-conditioning. Useful on day one, when you're jet-lagged and the heat is overwhelming.

16. Join a food tour if ordering feels daunting

A food tour makes sense if you have limited time or you'd struggle to order without English menus. Small groups and a clear list of dishes are what to look for. If you're happy to point and smile, you can do Yaowarat yourself. Read are Bangkok food tours worth it?

Markets

17. Chatuchak Weekend Market — at opening

With thousands of stalls, Chatuchak is one of the largest weekend markets in the world: homeware, vintage clothes, ceramics, plants and crafts. Arrive at opening on a Saturday or Sunday. By early afternoon, the covered lanes are hot and packed. Our Chatuchak guide has a plan for the day.

18. Spend an evening at a night market

Jodd Fairs at Ratchada is the easiest busy, food-heavy night market to reach (MRT Thailand Cultural Centre). Note that the original Jodd Fairs at Rama 9 closed in early 2025 — older guides still send people there. See Jodd Fairs.

19. See the flower market at night

Pak Khlong Talat, near Wat Pho, is Bangkok's wholesale flower market and runs around the clock. Late at night or very early in the morning, when deliveries arrive, it is a mass of marigolds, orchids and garland makers. It costs nothing to wander.

Our markets guide has opening days, what to buy and how to get to each.

Neighbourhoods to wander

20. Walk Talat Noi

This riverside corner of Chinatown is a maze of old shophouses, mechanics' workshops, street art and the So Heng Tai mansion. It is the most atmospheric part of Chinatown to explore on foot during the day.

21. Slow down in Ari

Ari is a leafy residential neighbourhood with independent cafés and local food. There is nothing to "see" — which is exactly why it's worth an afternoon if you've done the sights, especially paired with Chatuchak, two BTS stops away. Read our Ari guide.

22. Explore old Charoen Krung

Bangkok's first paved road runs through the old riverside trading quarter, past colonial-era buildings, galleries and shophouse restaurants. Pair it with the express boat. See our Riverside guide.

Views and rooftops

23. Have a drink at a rooftop bar

Bangkok's rooftop bars, mostly in Silom, Sathorn and Sukhumvit, are part of the city's identity. Expect dress codes (no flip-flops or sportswear at the smarter ones) and international drink prices. Go just before sunset. See the best rooftop bars in Bangkok.

24. Or skip the bar and use an observation deck

The King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk, near BTS Chong Nonsi, offers a 360-degree view and a glass floor section. It suits families and anyone who doesn't drink.

Culture, museums and the arts

25. Jim Thompson House

Six traditional teak houses assembled by the American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, who disappeared in the Malaysian jungle in 1967. The main house is visited by guided tour, and the garden is a green pocket a few minutes from the Siam malls. See Jim Thompson House.

26. Museum Siam

An interactive, modern museum about what "Thai" means, in a colonial-era building beside Wat Pho. A useful air-conditioned break between temples. For real depth on Thai art and history, the Bangkok National Museum by Sanam Luang is the serious alternative.

27. Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)

Free contemporary art exhibitions in a spiralling building opposite MBK. It is closed on Mondays. See the BACC.

28. Watch Muay Thai

Thailand's national sport is best seen at one of Bangkok's two historic stadiums, Rajadamnern and Lumpinee. Ringside seats cost far more than the stands; the stands are often more atmospheric. See watching Muay Thai in Bangkok.

Wellness and slow time

29. Get a proper Thai massage

Thai massage is stretching and pressure rather than oil and relaxation, and it is a genuine cultural tradition — Wat Pho's school is among the best known. Expect to be pulled into positions you didn't know you could manage. See Thai massage in Bangkok.

30. Start a day in Lumphini Park

Go early, before 8am, to see Bangkok exercising: tai chi groups, joggers, open-air aerobics and the park's resident monitor lizards. The park empties into the heat by mid-morning. See Lumphini Park.

31. Walk the skywalks at Benjakitti Forest Park

A newer park built over wetlands, with elevated walkways through the trees. It's one of the most interesting public spaces Bangkok has built in recent years.

Beyond the city

32. Take a day trip to Ayutthaya

The ruins of the former royal capital are about an hour north by train. If you only take one day trip from Bangkok, this is the one. See Ayutthaya from Bangkok. Our day trips guide compares it with the other options.

33. See the Maeklong Railway Market

A working market laid across a railway track, where vendors pull back their awnings as the train rolls through. Usually combined with the Damnoen Saduak floating market on a full-day trip. See Maeklong Railway Market for train times.

Planning around the heat and the weekend

Two things shape almost every Bangkok plan:

• Heat. Do outdoor sights in the morning, retreat to museums, malls or your hotel pool in the early afternoon, and go out again from about 4pm.
• Weekends. Chatuchak's full market only runs on Saturday and Sunday. Many other markets run nightly. Plan the rest of your week around your weekend.

For family-specific advice, see Bangkok with kids; for couples, Bangkok for couples. For where to base yourself, read where to stay in Bangkok.