Bangkok Travel Guide: Where To Visit/Eat/Sleep/Drink

Best things to do in Bangkok

1. Eat Thai street food at Khao San Road – one of the most famous street food markets in the world.

Try popular dishes like moo ping (grilled pork skewers), som tam (papaya salad) and khao niao mamuang (mango sticky rice).

Another one of the best ways to experience authentic Thai cuisine is by doing a cooking class.

In this hands-on Thai Cooking Class & Market Tour, you’ll learn how to make four different Thai dishes, shop for fresh ingredients at a low market and try your hand at mango carving.

2. Wat Sam Phran is a mesmerising Buddhist temple featuring a towering dragon sculpture wrapped around its exterior.

It’s a 40-minute taxi ride from central Bangkok, but it is well worth the trip to witness one of the coolest temples you’ve ever seen.

You can actually walk to the top of the temple through the winding dragon’s body which ascends 17 floors and is 80 meters high because Buddha died at the age of 80 years.

There’s also a giant Buddha statue next door and other beautiful gardens to check out. No entry fee is required however a 50 Thai Baht (£1.40/$1.44) donation is appreciated. 

3. Explore Bangkok’s Chinatown – one of the most popular spots in Bangkok is the energetic & somewhat chaotic Yaowarat Road.

It’s best to come here in the evening to fully appreciate all the sights, lights & sounds and all of the delicious street food.

If you’re a big foodie, then you can sample over 15 different tastings in this 4-hour food tour in Chinatown, where you’ll visit the best street food venues including 2 that are Michelin-listed.

4. You can’t miss whizzing through Bangkok’s bustling streets aboard a traditional Tuk-Tuk. You’ll see these iconic 3-wheel cars everywhere in Bangkok, simply hail one and get ready for one of the most mental rides of your lifetime.

I recommend taking a Tuk-Tuk journey in the evening for the best experience: with neon lights flashing inside the vehicle, loud music pumping and zooming past the colourful sights of Bangkok’s busy nightlife.

Expect to pay anywhere between 50-150 Thai Baht (£1.20/$1.50 – £3.50/$4.40) for a journey. While you can negotiate this price with your driver before you set off, I honestly wouldn’t haggle too much as it’s a small price to pay for a memory that will last a lifetime.

Alternatively, consider this authentic local’s Midnight Tuk-Tuk Food Tour which includes a whirlwind tour via Tuk-Tuk as well as 10+ food tastings at various street food markets, a cold beer at a secret bar and a visit to the biggest flower market in the city.

5. Visit The Grand Palace – this former royal residence is a magnificent complex showcasing stunning architecture, intricate temples, and centuries of rich history.

It costs 500 Thai Baht (£11.70/$14.70) to enter and please note there is a very strict dress code to enter the palace, make sure your shoulders, midsection & knees are all covered.

6. Have brunch at a themed cafe – Bangkok is full of them! There’s After The Rain Cafe where tables & chairs are surrounded by water and fish ready to snap up your crumbs.

You can also row on little yellow boats for free when you order something to eat – I highly recommend the pancakes!

Then there’s Bubble in the Forest where you can eat in private pods (ours was next to a waterfall) – very reminiscent of the overwater bungalows in the Maldives and Bora Bora.

Both of these two cafes are within a 10-minute taxi ride from each other so I suggest visiting both and paying a visit to the nearby temple, Wat Sam Phran.

FO SHO BRO looks less like a cafe and more like a villa in Bali. They serve brunch here, but we just stopped for a drink and to chill for a bit in the air-conditioning.

This cafe was absolutely stunning but not as centrally located, so only come here during a longer visit to Bangkok, otherwise check out my full list of the best cafes in Bangkok.

7. Check out ICONSIAM – an insanely impressive shopping mall with an indoor floating market.

Now I wouldn’t normally recommend visiting a shopping mall while travelling because it’s (usually) boring HOWEVER, you have to go to ICONSIAM, which has over 7000 shops, 100 restaurants and a food market (SOOKSIAM).

It’s also just a feast for the eyes, you can easily spend the whole day here!

8. Grab a drink at one of Bangkok’s epic rooftop bars. If you only have time to visit one, then I strongly recommend you go to Tichuca.

This is easily one of the most famous Bangkok rooftop bars, but does it live up to its hype? My vote is yes! It’s otherworldly/Avatar-esque design is even more enchanting in person. The cocktails were banging and the city skyline views were unbeatable.

This bar doesn’t take reservations, only walk-ins. We arrived at 7.30 pm on a weeknight and only waited 15 minutes in the queue. When we left at 9 pm, the queue was much longer so I recommend arriving earlier for shorter wait times.

Note: entry is available to anyone aged 20+, and you’ll need to bring a passport with you.

There is no entrance fee however you are required to pre-purchase a drink token before you get the lift to the rooftop, which can be redeemed at the bar.

Cocktails at Tichuca cost around 500 Thai Baht (£11.70/$14.70) so definitely on the higher end of Bangkok prices for drinks.

Check out more of my recommendations on the best bars in Bangkok.