My Bangkok Top 20 – Things to Do in the City of Angels

The City of Angels has many things to offer – for any budget, interest, travel style. It is a challenge to narrow it down to a list of only 20. But here they are, my top things to do in Bangkok.
1. Temple hopping – Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Benchamabophit – the Marble Temple – and Wat Traimit – the Golden Buddha Temple
2. High tea at the Authors’ Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

3. Visit the local markets – e.g. Chatuchak weekend market or the Tuesday/Thursday market in Sukhumvit Soi 23
4. Take a river cruise
5. Dine by the river, maybe even with a view of Wat Arun
6. Explore Bangkok as it used to be before the real estate boom – off the skyscrapers in the area around Charoen Krung

7. Visit the Jim Thompson House
8. Eat mango with sticky rice
9. Explore the coffee scene in Thonglor and Ekkamai
10. Look for the monitor lizards in Lumpini Park

11. Explore Bangkok’s street art
12. Relax, relax, relax and go for a massage
13. Take a tuk-tuk
14. Learn how to make chocolate pralines at Chocolab

15. Eat Pad Thai, Khao Soi, minced chicken with Thai basil (Gai Pad Krapow) and chicken with cashew nuts (Gai Pad Med Ma Muang)
16. Have a drink at one of the rooftop bars and enjoy the sunset view
17. Fusion Thai food at Issaya Siamese Club set in a beautiful heritage house

18. Go on a day trip to the old capital Ayutthaya
19. Visit the Grand Palace (Yes, obvious recommendation. But I still think it is worth a visit.)
20. Discover the different kinds of spirit houses and the hidden gardens

More about Bangkok
Top 20 Things to Do in Bangkok
Bangkok Off the Beaten Paths – Lizard-Spotting in Lumphini Park
Itinerary for Bangkok in 2 Days
Best Coffee Places in Thong Lo and Ekkamai
Chocolate Making Class at Chocolab
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport Guide
More about Thailand
Phuket Guide – All You Need to Know for Your Perfect Beach Holiday
All information as of the date of publishing/updating. We cannot accept responsibility for the correctness or completeness of the data, or for ensuring that it is up to date. All recommendations are based on the personal experience of Elisabeth Steiger, no fees were received by the recommended places above.
Thailand is definitely on my list and I would love to visit Bangkok one day. It will be interesting to see the old heritage buildings as well as the the shiny modern architecture.
Thank you, Ameeta for your comment! As you say, the juxtaposition of old and new is really interesting and in general, it is a city with plenty of options to explore. I hope you can make it soon!