Grand Palace
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|
A glittering complex of jaw-dropping magnificence dating back to 1782. This former seat of power of Siamese kings houses the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s palladium.
Adult price: £11
Best experiences:
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|A glittering complex of jaw-dropping magnificence dating back to 1782. This former seat of power of Siamese kings houses the Emerald Buddha – Thailand’s palladium.
Adult price: £11
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|The best of Bangkok’s glittering Buddhist temples. Temples form the centrepiece of everyday spiritual life.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|Thailand’s ancient capital flourished in the 14th-18th centuries. Today. it’s home to ruined palaces and crumbling Buddha statues, offering a fascinating glimpse of past glories.
Adult price: £3
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|The former home of silk magnate Jim Thompson – who mysteriously disappeared in the jungles of Malaysia – is a must-see for its well-preserved teak buildings and art.
Adult price: £4
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|As the epicentre of one of the world’s most beloved cuisines, Bangkok is a superb spot to hunt down little-known dishes from all corners of the country.
Best for ages 13+
Duration: -
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|From fancy river cruises to public transport boats, seeing Bangkok from its many waterways gives you a whole new perspective of the city and lives of the locals.
Adult price: £3
Best for ages 4+
Duration: 30+ minutes
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
A colossal gold reclining Buddha with auspicious symbols on the soles of his feet is the main attraction at Wat Pho. The temple complex is also home to Thailand’s largest collection of glittering gold Buddha images.
Adult price: £2
Best for ages 13+
Kanchanaburi, Central Thailand, Thailand
|Some two hours west of Bangkok, hard labour and human suffering turned this WWII-era railway bridge into a heart-gripping monument of war.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|With its gleaming mega-malls and ramshackle riverside markets, Bangkok makes it dangerously easy to part with a whole lot of baht.
Best for ages 13+
Duration: 1+ hours
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|Blood, sweat, and muscled men in tiny shorts – there are few better ways to see Thailand’s national sport than a Muay Thai match at Bangkok’s Rjadamnern Boxing Stadium.
Adult price: £11
Best for ages 16+
Duration: 3.5 hrs
When: Mon, Wed, Thur, Sun
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
One of Bangkok’s most photographed temples, Wat Arun is beautifully decorated with colourful porcelain pieces. Situated in a sublime location on the Chao Phraya river, it was renamed Wat Chaeng by King Taksin, who arrived here at dawn having escaped the Burmese during the Ayutthaya siege.
Adult price: £2
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Set within the Wat Saket temple complex, Phu Khao Thong (the Golden Mount) boasts a 58m gleaming golden chedi. Most visitors climb the 318 steps to savour the views over Bangkok, which are particularly spectacular at sunset.
Adult price: £1
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|Bicycle tours through the back-alleys of Chinatown and Bangkok’s rural suburbs offer a fascinating peek into the daily lives of the city’s residents.
Adult price: £20
Min age 3
Best for ages 13+
Duration: 3-5 hours
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
One of Bangkok’s most popular little museums. The charming, 70-year-old restored teak house offers a compelling glimpse of family life in Bangkok from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|The best way to see Bangkok from above, ranging from cosy riverside rooftops strung with fairy lights to ritzy rooftop hotel bars.
Min age 18
Best for ages 18+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
This eye-popping temple, decorated in shimmering mosaics and vivid murals, is the centrepiece of the Grand Palace. It’s also home to the famous Emerald Buddha statue that stands 66cm tall and was carved from a single jade stone in the 14th century.
Adult price: £12
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
|The world’s biggest weekend market is a treasure trove of antiques, handicrafts and quirky fashion by homegrown designers, and a walking buffet of Thai comfort food.
Best for ages 13+
Duration: Weekend
When: Friday pm -Sunday
Frequency: weekly
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Taking over a set of warehouses in the Prawet suburb some 30 minutes from downtown, this 2,000-stall night market is a magnet for Thai hipsters on the hunt for vintage film posters, second-hand sneakers and Japanese collectibles.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
A laid-back island escape in the Chao Phraya River, within day-trip distance from Bangkok’s city centre.
Best for ages 13+
Nakhom Pathom, Central Thailand, Thailand
Shaped like a giant dragon coiled around a concrete skyscraper, off-the-beaten-track Wat Samphran proves that not every temple is a riot of glitter and gold. A steep pathway through the dragon’s belly leads to the rooftop shrine with spectacular views over the countryside some 40km from Bangkok. It’s an extraordinary creation – and worth making the effort to go see it for yourself.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
This island in the horseshoe of the Chao Phraya River is only a 10-minute hop from the city centre, but feels like a world away. Rent a bicycle and follow stilted pathways through lush jungle and laid-back villages.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Flaming woks balancing on tiny canoes, mountains of fresh fruits – Bangkok’s floating markets are a kaleidoscope of Thai-tinged wonder. That said, their old-timey charm has long faded as souvenirs shops have replaced most noodle joints. It’s a fun day out, but no longer an authentic experience.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Heaving with jasmine, orchids and marigolds, Bangkok’s flower market is a mesmerising riot of colours, floral scents and boisterous vendors. Visit after midnight, when wholesalers drop off their wares and the market is at its liveliest.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Thailand
With galleries, concept stores and art markets amalgamating into a kaleidoscope of creativity, Bangkok’s de-facto design district offers an excellent primer on the city’s burgeoning creative scene.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Once a sombre festival to celebrate cleansing and starting afresh in the New Year, the yearly Songkran festivities have since grown into a rowdy mass water fight with little cultural value. Couples are better off escaping town, but it’s fun for solo travellers.
Best for ages 13+
Duration: 3 days
When: 13th-15th April
Frequency: annually
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
The Erawan Shrine is the most important religious symbol in Bangkok – despite it actually being a Hindu rather than Buddhist shrine. Each day, there’s a constant stream of locals offering flowers or carved wooden elephants in the hope of having wishes (mostly financial) granted.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
When you feel the need to escape Bangkok’s oppressive traffic fumes, Lumphini Park is a lush central oasis and a fantastic place for a stroll. Go early morning and late afternoon when locals come for sports and you’ll find elderly ladies practicing sword fighting and Tai-Chi.
Best for ages 4+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Tucked away in an unassuming street snaking off Ratanakosin, the little-visited Nang Loeng Market feels frozen in time. It’s a street food hotspot, especially in the early mornings – don’t miss the crispy roasted pork at Jib Ki and the traditional Thai desserts at Nanta.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Tucked behind Siam’s air-conditioned mega-malls, this labyrinth of alleys is a creative hub for artsy boutiques, trinket stores and beauty salons frequented by Bangkok’s hip young things.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Rising from the ground like a giant swirl of steel, this ultra-luxurious mall in Phloen Chit houses the typical Chanel, Hermes and Jimmy Choo, but is also an excellent spot to pick up smart (albeit pricy) souvenirs from homegrown luxury labels like Jim Thompson, Siwilai and S’uvimol.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Part furniture rental studio, part cabinet of curiosities, Papaya Studio in the little-visited Lad Phrao suburb is a kooky spot to browse everything from life-sized Spiderman figures, Rococo mirrors and vintage pinball machines. Four stories filled with a million pieces of furniture and decoration.
Best for ages 13+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
Bangkok’s highest sky bar on the 77th floor of the pixelated King Power Mahanakhon towers at least 14 floors above the competition. Views from this inside-outside rooftop bar and restaurant are second to none, and the multi-sensory elevator ride up is an experience on its own.
Min age 18
Best for ages 18+
Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand
This dazzling sky bar on top of the Banyan Tree hotel is one of Bangkok’s most popular rooftop spots for a reason: its spectacular 360-degree views reach well beyond the city’s suburbs and, while pricey, the drink list is top-notch.
Min age 18
Best for ages 18+