This page is a “must see list”, put this page on your smartphone during your stay in Bangkok and you will know what to visit.
I recommend to stay in Bangkok at least 5 days.
See an example of What you can do if you have just 3 days in Bangkok
See Where to go at Night in Bangkok
Orientation Map, click to enlarge :
(More maps, in the Maps page).
- Famous Temples & Monuments
- River & Canal
- Bangkok Shopping Centers & Markets
- Special Neighbourhoods
- Panoramic Views – Sky bars
- Special Museums
- Parks
- Bangkok by Night
- One day trips outside of Bangkok
- Also, don’t forget to :
- How many days should I dedicate to Bangkok ?
- If you have only 3 days in Bangkok
- Bangkok Sightseeing Bus
- Guided Tours in Thailand
Famous Temples & Monuments
The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
What is it ?
Very impressive monuments and palaces that were once the home of the King and all his administrative government. This is the main tourist attraction of Bangkok and a very crowded one. It is open all days of week. See it in Video.
How to get there : see the place on Map
- By boat on the river Chao Phraya : It is beside the river Chao Phraya at pier number 9 (also pier 8 is OK).
- By Metro (MRT) Station : Sanam Chai
- By boat on the canal Saen Seap : Get down at the last station to the west (pier 4, Phanfa Leelard) then you have to walk 30 minutes !
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Wat Pho
What is it ?
The enormous reclining Buddha is there. The place is beside the Grand Palace complex and they are usually visited together by tourists. There is also a famous massage school.
How to get there :
The same way as the Grand palace. It is closer to pier 8 of the river boats, than to pier 9.
Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn
What is it ?
A very nice elevated monument, a buddhist temple. You have to climb steep stairs and then you get a great view over the river. It is not crowded as the Big Palace. See it in Video.
How to get there :
It is on the other side of the river, in front of Wat Pho. There are shuttle boats passing people from one side of the river to the other. The blue flag boats have a direct stop.
See how to get to Wat Pho.
Wat Saket – the Golden Mount
What is it ?
An elevated buddhist temple. It is nice to climb the stairs in the hill and look at the city. If you have to choose between Wat Arun and this one, choose Wat Arun. See it in Video.
How to get there : see the place on Map
- By boat on the canal Saen Seap : Get down at the last station to the west (pier 4, Phanfa Leelard), the temple is very close.
- The Skytrain and Metro don’t get there.
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Erawan shrine
What is it ?
A Hindu shrine in Bangkok. It’s a small and nice place, and there are traditional Thai dances by beautifully dressed women. See it in Video.
How to get there :
Very easy, it is near the Central World mall, so you can look at the shrine on your way of shopping (from the skywalk). See how to get to the Central World mall here on the Shopping page.
Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen
What is it ?
There is a giant Buddha here. If you are planning to visit the rest of Thailand, you will see more giant Buddhas, but for Bangkok, this is impressive. A Buddhist temple from 1610. Renovated recently.
The environment is nice : beside a water canal.
Beside is also the temple : Wat Khun Chan.
How to get there :
A little bit out of town, but easy to reach with the Metro.
See location on Google Maps.
With the Metro (MRT) : The blue line. Station : Bang Phai
River & Canal
The Chao Phraya River
What is it ?
The Chao Phraya river is one of the nicest places in Bangkok. You can cruise the river with a private long tail boat or have diner in a fancy boat but the easiest and cheapest way to see the river is with the regular transport boats. For instance you can travel between the Grand Palace (pier 9) till Central pier (pier 0) and then take the skytrain (at Saphan Taksin station, the only place where the skytrain reach the river). See it in Video.
How to get there :
See the river boat transport page.
The Khlong (Canal) Saen Saeb
What is it ?
There are many canals in Bangkok but in this one, there is also a public boat transport service. It is an interesting experience to take a boat in the canal, I recommend it. For instance you could take a boat from the center of Bangkok near Siam and MBK malls (pier 1) or from Pratunam (pier 0) and travel to the west, to the last station (pier 4), you will find there the Wat Saket temple . See it in Video.
How to get there :
See the canal boat transport page.
Bangkok Shopping Centers & Markets
Siam big malls
What is it ?
Shopping in Bangkok can fill you months of vacation. See the page about Bangkok shopping.
If you are limited in time, make a tour around the big malls of Siam.
How to get there :
See in the page about Bangkok shopping.
Chatuchak – The Weekend Market
What is it ?
This is a must visit. It is huge, probably the biggest in the world. It operates mainly during the week-ends (Saturday and Sunday). See details in the shopping page.
How to get there :
See in the page about Bangkok shopping.
Special Neighbourhoods
China Town
What is it ?
At day time, there is a market of food, clothes and many gadgets. There are also chinese temples. At night you can eat in one of the many restaurants. This is quite a large area and there are signs with recommended walking routes. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on map
- By metro (MRT) : station Hua Lamphong or Wat Mangkon or Wang Burapha (Sam Yot).
- By boat on the river Chao Phraya : pier number 5.
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
The Khao-San road
What is it ?
The famous backpackers area of Bangkok. See the page : Khaosan road Survival Guide If you want just to visit the Khaosan, do it at night. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on Map
See the page How to go from the Khaosan to places, and do the reverse way.
- The skytrain and metro don’t reach the Khaosan area
- By boat on the canal Saen Seap : Get down at the last station to the west (pier 4, Phanfa Leelard), and then walk 20 minutes to the Khaosan.
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Panoramic Views – Sky bars
Mahanakhon SkyWalk – Glass floor
What is it ?
A skyscraper, the tallest in Bangkok (314 meters), with a glass floor.
Note that there are 2 more famous skybars in Bangkok (Sirroco Lebua and Vertigo).
Mahanakhon website.
How to get there :
It is a walking distance from Pat-Pong. The Skytrain station is : Chong Nonsi
Special Museums
Jim Thompson’s house
What is it ?
It is a house built with traditional Thai architecture that contains nice furniture and art collections. Read who was Jim Thompson in Wikipedia
How to get there : see it on Map
It is very easy to reach this place, it is in the very center of town, close to the MBK mall. See the page Bangkok Shopping
- By skytrain : station National Stadium
- By boat on the canal Saen Seap : Pier number 1
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Vimanmek Mansion
What is it ?
A former royal palace built in 1900 by king Rama V.
Read more about Vimanmek Mansion in Wikipedia.
Note : Vimanmek may be closed for renovation. Please Check, before visiting.
How to get there : see it on Map
At this area there is no Skytrain, no Metro and no boats.
You should take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Snake farm
What is it ?
A museum about snakes. There are also live shows with snakes. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on Map
It is situated in Silom district (where Pat-Pong is)
- By skytrain station: Sala Daeng, or the MRT (metro) station: Silom (you need to walk 15 minutes, to reach the museum)
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Parks
Lumpini Park
What is it ?
A big park in the heart of Bangkok. There is nothing special about this park, but it is still a green space in the middle of a busy city.
The problem is that it is usually very hot in Bangkok during the day so it is better to visit the park in the morning or afternoon. Another problem is that the big malls of Siam are not far away and I always prefer to go to the malls.
How to get there : see it on Map
- By skytrain station: Sala Daeng, or the MRT (metro) station: Silom or Lumpini
- As always you can take a Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto-Taxi or bus
Bangkok by Night
Bangkok is very live at night. You will be surprised by the many markets and bars operating late at night, this is really a city that never sleeps.
See the page about Bangkok Nightlife.
One day trips outside of Bangkok
The easiest way to make one day trips outside of Bangkok is with an organized tour. They will take you from your hotel with a minivan, you will hear explanations from a guide, receive lunch, and they will even bring you back. It is not expensive (compare prices in several agencies). The other alternative is to go by yourself.
The floating markets
What is it ?
Narrow canals with boats selling goods. There are several floating markets. The most touristic one is Damnoen Saduak which is just at 80 Km from Bangkok. Another floating market is Amphawa which is more popular with Thais tourists. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on map
- With an organized one day tour.
- With a bus from the southern bus station Sai-Tai. See Sai-Tai on Google map.
Ayutthaya
What is it ?
One of the previous capitals of Thailand.
Very impressive antique monuments. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on map
- With an organized one day tour.
- With a bus from the northern bus terminal Mochit. See Mochit on Google map. See Mochit on skytrain map.
The bridge on the River Kwai – Kanchanaburi province
What is it ?
The place has history from World War 2, there is also a famous movie based on it. If you take an organized trip, they will take you see more attractions in the Kanchanaburi province. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on map
- With an organized one day tour.
- With a bus from the southern bus station Sai-Tai. See Sai-Tai on Google map.
The Market on the Railway – Maeklong market
What is it ?
The attraction in this town, is a regular train that passes through the market several times a day. When the train passes, the vendors fold their stands and only open them back when the train has gone. See it in Video.
How to get there : see it on map
- With an organized one day tour.
- With a bus from the southern bus station Sai-Tai. See Sai-Tai on Google map.
Also, don’t forget to :
Take a ride on a Tuk-Tuk
At least once for the experience, after that I recommend taking regular taxis, for the comfort.
Eat street food and drink fruit shakes
See the interesting street food that you can encounter in Bangkok.
Get a Massage
See an explanation about the main massage types available in Bangkok
Watch Thai Boxing – Muay Thai
You can take a class in one of the many small clubs in the different neighborhoods of Bangkok. More professional fights are at Lumphini stadium and Rachadamnoen stadium. See a Video.
How many days should I dedicate to Bangkok ?
In 3 days, you will see the main tourist attractions.
In 5 days, you will have time for an excursion outside of Bangkok, to visit a floating market or Ayutthaya.
I would stay in Bangkok one week, because I like big cities and Bangkok is one of the great (and fun) cities in the world.
If you have only 3 days in Bangkok, you could do this:
Day 1:
Morning: Go to visit the Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha (Wat Pho).
If you have time, cross the river and visit also Wat Arun.
Afternoon: From Wat Pho, take the public river boat at pier 8 and travel till pier 0, the central pier (the sail is part of the sightseeing experience). You arrive to the skytrain station Saphan Taksin. Ride with the skytrain for 5 stations till the Siam station and visit the Big malls of Bangkok, look at Erawan shrine near the Central World mall.
Evening : If you are still alive, go to visit Pat pong
Day 2:
Morning: Assuming it’s a week-end, go to visit Chatuchak market.
Afternoon: you are probably still in the market, it’s huge, but If you can get out of the market, travel with the skytrain to the south, till the station Ratchathewi, and take a boat in the Khlong Saen Saeb Canal at pier 1 (it’s part of experiencing Bangkok). Travel with the boat to the west for about 15 minutes till the last station, pier number 4. There you have Wat Saket to visit and if you walk 20 minutes, the Khaosan road.
Evening : If you are still alive, go to visit Nana area
Day 3:
Morning : Take an organized one day trip to visit Ayuttaya or the floating market.
Afternoon: You are still in the trip
Evening : Go to see Bangkok from above at Lebua skybar.
Remark : I can’t see how in 3 days you will find time to have several massages and do serious shopping, you need more time in Bangkok…
Bangkok Sightseeing Bus
Yes, there is a touristic bus in Bangkok. An Hop-on Hop-off bus. It is the same company that operates in Barcelona and other European cities. The principal stop is at the Siam Paragon mall and you can buy there a ticket. See location on Google Maps.
The bus will take you near major attractions of the city like the big palace, Wat Arun, the Khaosan road and more. You can see their website for details. There is also a sightseeing bus in Pattaya city.
Guided Tours in Thailand
If you want to discover Thailand with a guided tour :
- See guided tours in Bangkok with Viator.
- See guided tours in Chiang Mai with Viator.
- See guided tours in Thailand with Viator.
More on Bangkok and Thailand :
- Where to Stay in Bangkok – Potential Zones for the Hotel
- How to book Trains, Buses, Flights, Hotels for Thailand
- What to Visit in Bangkok ? – The Tourist Attractions
- Bangkok Transport – Airport, Metro, Buses, Boats…
- To the Islands – Which Island to visit + Stay + Arrive
- To Chiang-Mai – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- To Pattaya city – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- The Cost to Visit Bangkok – Common Prices
- The Nightlife of Bangkok – The animated zones
- Visa for Thailand- Basic rules and how to extend
- Internet in Thailand – Buying a local SIM
- Useful Products for the Trip to Thailand
- Maps of Bangkok – With places of interest and Transport
- Bangkok FAQ – Weather, Distances etc…
- Bangkok Shopping – The big Malls and the Markets
- The Khaosan Road Survival Guide – The famous Backpackers
- A Tour of Bangkok – An overview
- Taxi Scams in Bangkok – Common Scams of Taxi and Tuk-Tuks
- Go-Go Bar Scams in Bangkok – What to expect
- Vegetarian in Bangkok
Other Stuff :
- Info about 2 more cool cities: Barcelona and Tel-Aviv
- What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
- Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
- Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
- Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
- Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew
If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.
