- Route: Airport BKK β Khao San Road β River loop β Chinatown β Grand Palace β Sky Beach
- Transport: Skytrain (Airport Rail Link), river boats, Tuk-Tuk, Grab
What would I do if I were visiting Bangkok for the first time? After landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), there are three main options for getting into the city: taxi, skytrain or bus. I have tried all three. The bus takes forever, even though it is usually air-conditioned and occasionally has working Wi-Fi. If you have a lot of heavy luggage, a taxi makes sense β but be prepared for extremely dense and slow traffic around the airport and in the city centre.
My personal recommendation is to take the skytrain (Airport Rail Link) to the last stop, Phaya Thai. You avoid the worst traffic jams, then open the Grab app and order a taxi or Tuk-Tuk directly to your destination.
In March 2025 it was not possible to buy an Airport Rail Link ticket by card. I exchanged 40β¬ at the airport exchange office.
The Grab App in Thailand
Grab is the Asian equivalent of Uber. You enter your destination, see a fixed price upfront and the driver cannot overcharge you. You can link a payment card so there is no haggling over change. Besides regular cars you can also order an authentic Tuk-Tuk or a fast moto-taxi.
I would choose accommodation close to the famous Khao San Road. Both hotels have a rooftop pool which you will definitely appreciate in Bangkok.
Day 1: Bangkok from the water and neon Chinatown
On the first morning I would head out around 9 for a boat trip. The river and canals are simply the best way to get around the city quickly and without traffic jams.
09:00 β Head to the pier: From Khao San Road it is a 10-minute walk to Phra Arthit Pier (N13). Buy a ticket for the regular boat. 09:30 β Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha): The boat from Phra Arthit takes you directly to Tha Tien Pier. Right at the pier you will find Wat Pho with its famous 46-metre gold-plated reclining Buddha. In the morning the heat is not yet unbearable.
11:00 β Wat Arun: From Tha Tien pier, a small cross-river ferry runs every few minutes for a handful of coins to the other bank and Wat Arun. This temple with its stunning white mosaic tower takes about an hour to explore.
Take the ferry back to Tha Tien pier. Around it you will find plenty of nice restaurants with river views. Before or after lunch, hop on a regular southbound river boat and get off at the private pier of the ICONSIAM megamall.
You will find luxury shops, a giant Apple Store and an outdoor terrace with a panoramic view of Bangkok. But that is not why I am sending you there. First of all it is pleasant β everything is air-conditioned β and there is a great restaurant on an upper floor. If you have already eaten somewhere along the way, at least get a beer tower. The view simply cannot be beaten. And the food is excellent too.
18:00 β Ratchawong (Chinatown): The last stop is Chinatown. Around 18 to 19 the place comes alive. Bangkok has a large Chinese community and it feels like stepping into a completely different world. I have been there several times in the evening and it was a great experience β the perfect end to a full day of exploring Bangkok.
After dinner and a walk through the quarter, flag down a Tuk-Tuk and let the wild night city take you back to the hotel. If you still have energy, Khao San Road at night never sleeps. Thai massage right on the street, Pad Thai at a street stall and a cold drink will finish you off.
Day 2: Royal history and a futuristic skyscraper
The second morning you need to tackle the biggest classic while you still have energy.
* 08:30 β Grand Palace: The impressive residence of the Thai kings and Wat Phra Kaew (the Emerald Buddha Temple) open early. Entry costs 500 THB and the dress code is strictly enforced β no shorts above the knee, no leggings, no bare shoulders, or you simply will not get in.
What to do for the rest of the day. I for one went to the barber because I had not got around to it in Prague. The women working there were pretty surprised when I turned up in a neighbourhood where you do not see many tourists. That is the great thing about Bangkok β much like Prague, with a few minor exceptions, you can go wherever you want and everywhere is safe.
If you do not want to wander completely aimlessly and want to use the afternoon efficiently, get yourself dropped at Wat Saket (The Golden Mount).
Wat Saket (The Golden Mount) While the Grand Palace is packed with crowds, Wat Saket is an oasis of calm. The whole temple stands on an artificial hill reached by about 300 steps. The climb is enjoyable though β lined with thick greenery, artificial waterfalls, mist sprayers (priceless in the Thai heat) and hundreds of prayer bells. From the top terrace you get a stunning 360-degree view of old Bangkok. You can clearly see the contrast between the low historic buildings and the modern skyscrapers rising in the distance β where you are headed in the evening.
Entry costs 100 THB. You can do the whole thing in about an hour and unlike the Grand Palace nobody enforces a crazy dress code here (a T-shirt and normal shorts are perfectly fine).
What I would definitely do in the evening is visit a proper rooftop bar. I have been to the famous Lebua bar (known from the film The Hangover Part II) and several others. I would not honestly recommend Lebua though β drinks cost a fortune (around 1,500 THB++) and you are packed in shoulder to shoulder with hordes of tourists at the railing. I was far more impressed by the futuristic King Power Mahanakhon skyscraper, at the top of which on the 78th floor you will find the Sky Beach bar.
Why choose Sky Beach over Lebua? Sky Beach (The Standard) is currently the highest rooftop bar in Bangkok. After 19:00 you do pay a fixed entry fee (around 1,080 THB), but unlike other venues this includes one premium drink from the menu. You sit almost 300 metres above the ground in a relaxed retro atmosphere with great music, and the view of night-time Bangkok is unmatched.
A few words on Thai transport and "tourism"
Tourist traps: Bear in mind that every other independent tuk-tuk driver around the sights will want to take you "cheaply" to places you never dreamed of visiting β usually dodgy tailoring shops, overpriced gem stores or dubious massage parlours. Getting around: Apart from the airport skytrain I always get around Bangkok exclusively by Tuk-Tuk or taxi. Be sure to agree on the price in advance, and when taking a taxi, always insist on using the meter.
