In this video, we highlight 10 of the best things to do in and around Bangkok for your first or second visit: 10.
### Exploring Bangkok: Your Ultimate Travel Guide
What’s up, everyone! We’re here in Bangkok, Thailand. This city is chaotic, but it offers delicious food and amazing temples. In this video, we’ll show you the best things to do here. Hope you enjoy it!
Introduction
Bangkok, located in central Thailand, is a major transportation hub and is usually the first stop on your journey through the country. While Bangkok can be loud, crowded, and overwhelming, it’s also exciting and fascinating.
Here, you’ll find a wealth of vibrant food markets, historic temples and palaces, and an excellent nightlife. In this video, we highlight 10 of the best activities in and around Bangkok for your first or second visit.
Make sure to watch until the end because we’ll also share three travel tips for the city and some exciting day trips from Bangkok if you have more time. Let’s dive in!
We are Zac and Ine. We create helpful travel videos from destinations around the world to help you plan your own adventures with ease.
Street Food
One of the first things you should do in Bangkok is try the diverse street food. Throughout the city center, you’ll find food stalls offering local cuisine that is both affordable and delicious.
A dish typically costs between $1 and $3 and ranges from small snacks like grilled chicken and steamed buns to famous main courses and sweet desserts. Some of the most diverse street foods can be found in Chinatown, Banglamphu, and around Khao San Road.
We have included more markets and restaurants in our blog post, and you can find a link to it in the description.
Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is Bangkok’s most impressive and popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1782, this complex was the royal residence for generations and is still used for important ceremonies.
The Royal Compound is vast, covering over 200,000 square meters or 2 million square feet. The highlight is undoubtedly the colorful Temple of the Emerald Buddha. We recommend arriving a few hours before closing to avoid the crowds.
Wat Pho
Wat Pho is located just a few blocks from the Grand Palace and is a beautiful Buddhist temple that can easily be combined with your palace visit. Known as one of Bangkok’s oldest temples, it has a rich history and houses an impressive 46-meter-long reclining Buddha.
We visited later in the day and were greeted with Chinese New Year celebrations and Buddhist ceremonies.
Floating Markets
For a more unique market experience, visit one of the floating markets near Bangkok. These lively markets are set along a series of canals and sell fresh and delicious food as well as handmade souvenirs.
The most popular floating market is Damnoen Saduak, about an hour and a half drive from Bangkok’s city center. This visit is often combined with the Maeklong Railway Market, where trains pass through several times a day.
We really enjoyed this tour, and we’ve left a link to the tour we took in the description below. If you prefer to stay closer to the city, you can visit floating markets like Taling Chan and Wat Sai, which are easier to reach by public transport. Just check the opening hours before you go.
Lumpini Park
Escape Bangkok’s hustle and bustle with a stroll in Lumpini Park. This large green oasis offers several lawns, paved walking paths, trees, playgrounds, and a man-made lake where you can rent boats.
Located in modern Bangkok, skyscrapers rise up all around the park. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon outdoors. Keep an eye out for the large monitor lizards that live in the park.
Rooftop Views
Another great thing to do in modern Bangkok is to get an elevated view of the city. There are many rooftop bars and restaurants to choose from.
We visited the Mahanakhon Building, home to Bangkok’s highest observation deck, which offers spectacular views of the city and the river.
There’s also a glass floor where you can look down at the buildings below, as well as a bar and seating area. The best time to visit is early evening when the sun sets over Bangkok, though it can also be the busiest time.
Temples
With roots in centuries-old history and Buddhist culture, Bangkok has hundreds of temples. Besides the most popular ones, it’s worth visiting the lesser-known temples. We visited some in the Banglamphu area of downtown Bangkok with a local guide.
Embracing the local culture with its unique traditions and beliefs, we saw Bangkok from a different perspective and gained a true insight into Thailand’s history. We highly recommend hiring a local guide at least once during your visit, and you can find a link to the tour we took in the description.
Khao San Road
You can’t leave Bangkok without visiting the infamous backpacker district. The Khao San Road is a vibrant street full of hostels, food stalls, clothing stands, bars, restaurants, and travelers from all over the world.
It’s colorful, loud, and exciting. If you’re adventurous, try some fried insects like maggots or scorpions. After a few Chang beers at the bar, the insects might seem more tempting.
Chatuchak Market
Known as Thailand’s largest market, Chatuchak comes alive every weekend. From 9 am to 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, thousands of shops open their doors to sell food, clothing, souvenirs, and household items.
It’s a great place to mingle with locals and buy souvenirs at a cheaper price than in Bangkok’s tourist areas. You can easily reach the market by subway, as it is located next to the MRT station.
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya River, flowing through Bangkok, is the city’s lifeline. During the day, many locals use ferries and boats to commute to work, and in the early evening, the city lights up in beautiful colors.
From one of the rooftop bars along the river, you can watch the sunset over Wat Arun. It’s a great way to end the day. For more excitement, you can also take a boat ride on the river.
Day Trips
While Bangkok will easily keep you busy for a few days, it’s also worth exploring some amazing nearby places. One of the best day trips is to Ayutthaya, the country’s former capital, located an hour and a half north of Bangkok.
Here you’ll find remarkable temple ruins from the 14th to 18th centuries. Another great day adventure is to the historic Kanchanaburi and the stunning Erawan National Park, home to one of Thailand’s most beautiful waterfalls.
The movie “Bridge Over the River Kwai” made this place famous, but Kanchanaburi is much more than that. We recommend staying a few days if you can. We have a full video on the best things to do in Kanchanaburi, so check it out if you’re considering going there.
#### Travel Tips
As promised, here are three things we learned in Bangkok that will help your own trip.
1. **Transportation**: For longer distances in the city, take the MRT Metro or the BTS SkyTrain. Bangkok traffic is terrible, so these are the cheapest and fastest ways to get around, especially during rush hour.
You can also download the Grab app to book a ride.
2. **Accommodation**: The best places to stay for first-time visitors are the old town or the Sukhumvit area. We’ve added a link to where we stayed in the description below.
3. **Temple Etiquette**: When visiting Buddhist temples, dress appropriately to respect the culture. This means covering your shoulders and anything above your knees.
There are a few more activities in Bangkok that we didn’t mention, and we’ve listed them on the screen. When planning your Thailand trip, we recommend organizing things with our interactive travel planner.
Find a discount code below. We’ve also included essential links for your Bangkok trip in the description, such as a complete travel guide with accommodations, restaurants, and an interactive map to reach every place we mentioned.
We’ll see you on the next adventure!
