Looking for quick tips to plan your next trip in Bangkok? Check out the top things you cannot miss and some practical info!
Here is a list of things that you cannot miss in Bangkok if you have at least 3-4 days:
1. Visit the famous temples: The Royal Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew); Wat Arun; Wat Pho (giant laying Buddha). Important to know that for both women and men: legs and shoulders must be covered to visit temples.
2. Enjoy a cruise on the Chao Phraya river for an uncommon view of the modern city, the temples and the traditional stilt houses from the river
3. Wait for the sunset and a stunning view from the Golden Mountain
4. Taste the traditional Thai cuisine in the street food stalls (for instance in Asiatique Riverfront, Chinatown..) and in the typical restaurants that you can find everywhere in the city
5. Get lost in Chinatown (visit Wat Traimit to see the Golden Buddha and Talat Mai Market) and in Little India (Phahurat)
6. Shop in the several traditional Markets: Damnoen Saduak floating market; Maeklong Railway Market (train at 8.30 and 9am); Flowers market; the famous weekend market of Chatuchak
7. Enjoy an aerial view of the city from one of the many rooftop bars… The skyline, especially in the night, is truly spectacular!
Royal Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)
A huge complex of majestic religious and royal buildings, including Wat Phra Kaew which houses the famous Emerald Buddha… unmissable!
Some curiosities about the Emerald Buddha:
Emerald refers to the color: in fact the Buddha is not actually carved in an emerald but in green jade;
it is just 66cm tall
the legend say that the statue would bring prosperity to the country that hosted it and for this reason it is considered sacred and is deeply revered by the Thai people
the clothes worn by the Buddha change every season: summer, rainy season, winter
Opening hours 8.30-15.30 (daily); Ticket 500 bath for foreigners
For both women and men: legs and shoulders must be covered to visit the temple
Wat Pho
This complex is not only awesome and colorful, but has several records:
the biggest laying buddha in the city (46 m long and 15 m high), almost too big for the temple that houses it
the largest collection of Buddha statues in all of Thailand
the first school of Thai massage and traditional medicine was instituted here and it is still today the most renowned in all of Thailand
Opening hours 8.30-18.30 (daily); Ticket 200 bath for foreigners
For both women and men: legs and shoulders must be covered to visit the temple
Wat Arun
Also called the "Temple of Dawn" it is a Buddhist temple decorated with elaborate mosaics made from thousands of pieces of multicolored Chinese porcelain.
Opening hours 8.30-18 (daily); Ticket 100 bath for foreigners
For both women and men: legs and shoulders must be covered to visit the temple
Chinatown
The Chinese district of Bangkok ... getting lost in the street food stalls, the colored neon signs, the car and tuktuk horns ... go there in the evening to see it light up!
Golden Mountain Temple
For a spectacular view of Bangkok, climb the stairway (344 easy steps) up to the Golden Mountain.
Along the way, there are various bells and gongs that you can ring as a wish for luck and joy
At the top, apart from the panorama, there is a temple with a golden dome
If you can get there in the late pm to listen the monks chants and to see the sun set behind the Bangkok skyline!
Opening hours 7.30-19 (daily); Ticket 100 baht for foreigners
Bankok Markets
Thailand is famous for its markets (floatings or not, on railway and so on)… the best places to get lost in the local culture!
In Bangkok and its surroundings there are many markets (some of them every day, others only on weekends)
Here is our top 5 selection:
DamnoenSaduak floating market
Maeklong Railway Market (train at 8.30 and 9am)
Chinatown
flowers market in Bangkok
the famous Chatuchak weekend market
Rooftop bar in Bangkok
In Bangkok, modern and ancient are perfectly mixed … next to the temples stand the skyscrapers of a great megalopolis!
The skyline, especially in the night, is truly spectacular!
Here a list of the best rooftop bars for a great view of the city from the above:
Sky Bar
Moon Bar
Park Society
bat at 35floor in Skyview Hotel
Attention: not too sporty clothing is required (in particular, no shorts or slippers are admitted)
PRACTICAL INFO
How to get around in Bangkok
Boats from the various piers on the Chao Phraya river (northern terminus is Tha Nonthaburi; Southern terminus is ThaSathon/Central pier): cheap, frequent, they allow you to avoid traffic and in the meantime, moving around, you can enjoy the panorama of the city from the river
BTS Skytrain (elevated train) and MRT Metro (subway): from 6 to midnight, efficient, frequent and cheap. Very comfortable and ideal to move quickly from one place to another. They are managed from different companies so the tickets are separated
Taxis: there are plenty of them and the fares are on average low ( tax meter fare tend to be lower of the fixed fee usually offered ). The only downside: the traffic. Apps useful for booking them and knowing the cost of the ride in advance: Uber and Grab apps
TukTuk: certainly more characteristic but the cost is more or less like that of a taxi and you don't have to be afraid of adrenaline-pumping traffic!
Bus: very cheap, but quite slow due to traffic. Furthermore, it is not always easy to understand which is the right line to take
A useful app for transports from Bangkok to other cities in Thailand, archaeological sites etc by bus, minibus or train etc: https://12go.asia/en
How to get from Bangkok airport to the city:
By Train (Airport Rail link): from 6 to midnight it connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport with downtown (terminus is PhayaThai station and from there you can take the BTS Skytrain or from Makkasan intermediate station you can take the Petchaburi MRT subway)
By Bus or minibus: cheap, but slow and not easy to understand which line to take
Taxi: outside the airport or by booking it with apps like Uber or Grab (pay attention to the traffic)
By private transfer, perhaps by booking it with the hotel: a little more expensive, but certainly very comfortable
To discover more about these places read also our article "Bangkok and Northern Thailand: 10 days itinerary" and have a look to our posts and stories dedicated to Thailand dated January/February 2023 on our Instagram page @2intour
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