Bangkok in 2 Days: everything you need to know
Bangkok is a city full of fun activities and traditions. Although it may seem difficult, it is possible to enjoy most of these things in just two days!
Bangkok, thailand |©Chang Ju Wu
When you travel to Bangkok you may not know where to start your tour, especially if you only have two days to enjoy the Thai capital. Don't worry! By following a well-planned itinerary you'll be able to see and do the best things this city has to offer.
Temple visits and city tours are among the activities you can't miss out on. You can also experience the city from the heights of one of Thailand's tallest skyscrapers. You can also visit the Chao Phraya River and experience an unforgettable night. What are you waiting for to start this adventure?
Day 1: Bangkok temple tour
To enjoy Bangkok from day one, it is best to plan ahead for your arrival. I suggest booking a hotel room or an inn near Thanon Khao Road, which is itself a tourist attraction. I also recommend you book a transfer service from the airport so that you can get to your hotel as quickly as possible.
Early in the morning you can get ready for departure by leaving your luggage in a safe place and enjoying a good breakfast. Usually hotels include this service in the reservation. If not, don't worry, in Bangkok you will find food stalls and restaurants everywhere.
Visit Khao San Street
Whether or not you stay near Khao San Street, it's a great place to start getting to know the city. You can even leave your hotel early and have breakfast here. This street is very active and has a great variety of shops where you can have breakfast or buy curious objects. Take a souvenir and continue to explore the street!
To make this visit much more entertaining, I suggest you take a bicycle tour. In that case you will need to meet up with your guide and your group. This way you will receive a bike, a helmet and general directions to start the tour. Some guides include other destinations after this street for you to explore much more.
Interesting details
- Location: Khaosan Rd, Khwaeng Talat Yot, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand.
- Price: Free or paid tour depending on whether the tour is guided or unguided. In that case the average cost is €50.
- Hours: You can go during the day and even at night, as the nightlife is very active.
Visit the Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is one of the most prominent and visited tourist attractions in Bangkok. From Khao San Road you can walk there in 10 minutes. Note that the average entrance fee to this site is €15. By the time you get here, it will probably be 11am, so you'll have time to explore before lunch.
The Grand Palace is a vast complex of buildings including the enigmatic Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is one of the most important temples in Bangkok and is usually kept closed when the royal family uses it for private ceremonies. Compared to others, this temple is small, so don't be surprised when you see it.
On your tour you will also come across the Royal Thai Coin and Decoration Pavilion and the Chakri Mahat Prasat Palace. Take the time to explore all the facilities, take pictures and learn about this wonderful culture.
By the time you finish your tour, it will probably be almost two o'clock in the afternoon and you will probably be hungry. Get ready for a Thai-style lunch at the Pad Thai Kratong Tong restaurant to recharge your energy and continue exploring Bangkok!
Details of interest
- Location: Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Price: approximately €15
- Opening hours: Open daily from 8.30am to 2pm.
Continue exploring temples: visit Wat Pho and Wat Arun
Bangkok is full of impressive temples worth exploring. One of them is Wat Pho, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. You can walk there from the Grand Palace, as it is just a few metres away.
In order to enter Wat Pho, you must buy a ticket which costs an average of €3. When you finally enter the temple you will be surprised to see a large statue 45 metres long and 15 metres high. This figure symbolises the death of Buddha. I suggest you take a good look at the figure, including its feet, as it has details that are important to appreciate.
After this visit, you can continue with a visit to the Wat Arun temple. Please note that you must take a boat to visit the temple. The average cost of this trip is €1 or even less. The boat will drop you off right in front of this temple. To enter, you will have to pay around €2.
Inside the Wat Arun temple, also known as the Temple of Dawn, you can admire its impressive architecture. The highlight is its central prang or tower in Khmer style. You can also walk up steep steps leading to two 77-metre-high terraces.
Interesting details
- Location: Wat Pho is located at Phra Nakhon and Wat Arun in Bangkok Yai.
- Price: around €3 for entry to the temples.
- Opening hours: from 8am to approximately 6pm.
Dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River
By the time you finish your tour of Bangkok's temples, it will be 6pm. This is the ideal time to take one of the best dinner cruises in Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River. From the boat you will have a beautiful view of the city and see the temples and buildings lit up, a picture postcard view!
During the cruise you can enjoy a dinner which may vary depending on the type of cruise you take. It can be an international dinner or just Thai food, you can choose! You can also enjoy the drinks of your choice and toast with your fellow passengers.
Another entertaining activity on these cruises are the cultural shows. You may come across a traditional dance or a concert presented by local artists. The music will be the ideal accompaniment to this tranquil cruise along the Chao Phraya River. This way you will end your first day in Bangkok on a high note.
Day 2: Walk around Jim Thompson House, Golden Mount Temple, Chinatown and the Golden Buddha
On your second day in Bangkok I recommend you prepare yourself with a good breakfast at your hotel to save some time. This will be a busy day, as you will have to walk long distances, but don't worry, you will have a great time! For this day I suggest visiting the Temple of the Golden Mount, the Jim Thompson House, Chinatown and other attractions.
Please note that on the first day it was not necessary to take public transport, but on the second day you will need it. I suggest you take certain precautions in this regard, such as having cash on hand and a map to help you find your way around more easily. That way you'll be able to get to the stops more quickly and make the most of your time.
Visit the Temple of the Golden Mount and the Jim Thompson House
The Golden Mount Temple is located at the top of a hill which gives you a beautiful and wide view of the whole of Bangkok. The average entrance fee to the temple is €2. To get there, you have to walk a long way - don't forget to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water!
Note that there are about 300 steps that wind their way around the hill. You should be able to climb in about 15 minutes or less. On your way up, you can play the gongs along the way to bring good luck. You will also see beautiful waterfalls and beautifully manicured vegetation - take pictures!
After spending most of the morning on the Golden Mount, you can head to the Jim Thompson House at around 11am. To get there, in case you want to take public transport, you will have to walk to the Democracy Monument stop (Opposite Suksapan). From there you can take bus 15 AC: The Mall Thapra - Banglamphu.
This trip will take about 40 minutes. Get off at the Bangkok Art And Culture Centre stop and then walk five minutes or more to the Jim Thompson House. Note that the entrance fee to this site is approximately €5. If you're an art aficionado, you'll love seeing this large collection of art collected by American Jim Thompson.
Interesting details
- Location: The Temple of the Golden Mount is located at Pom Prap Sattru Phai. The Jim Thompson House is located in Pathum Wan.
- Price: Between the two tourist attractions the cost is €7.
- Opening hours: The Temple of the Golden Mount is open from 9am to 5pm. Jim Thompson House is open from 10am to 6pm.
Bangkok Chinatown
When you travel to Bangkok, you can enjoy not only Thai culture, but also other Asian cultures. One of them is Chinese culture, and the best place to experience it is in Bangkok's Chinatown. To get there from the Jim Thompson House you will have to walk to the Opposite Mbk stop.
When the 21 REG: Wat Khu Sang - Chulalongkorn University bus arrives, you will have to get on the bus and travel 10 minutes to the Soi Makham stop. From there it's only a five minute walk to the Chinatown entrance, at which point you'll probably be very hungry! Don't worry, the Tang Jai Yoo restaurant will be waiting for you to order one of their best dishes.
After lunch you can continue with a tour of Bangkok's Chinatown. You will find a variety of curious shops and if you travel during Chinese New Year, you will see red and gold lantern decorations, it's beautiful!
Visit the Golden Buddha
When it's about four in the afternoon, you can head to the Temple of the Golden Buddha. This site is located just a few minutes from Chinatown, so you'll be there in no time. To enter, you will need to buy an entrance fee of about €2. You will be able to admire the most famous and important solid gold statue in the world.
When you enter the temple where this statue is located, you will be able to appreciate its three-metre height. The history of this sculpture is very particular, as during the Burmese invasion it was covered with stucco. In this way it went unnoticed, thus avoiding its theft or destruction. It took many years before its nature was discovered.
Interesting details
- Location: Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand.
- Price: around €2.
- Opening hours: from 8am to 5pm.
Visit a skyscraper and admire the Bangkok night from above
After your visit to the Golden Buddha, night will have fallen, but the fun continues! The last stop will be at one of Bangkok's best skyscrapers, the famous King Power MahaNakhon. To get there, go to Kwong Siew Hospital, Chalerm Buri and take the bus to Neilson Hays Library. From there you will have to walk about 15 minutes to the building.
You will be able to identify this building by its great height. Measuring around 314 metres and 79 floors, it is the tallest building in Thailand! It is also square in shape and has an iconic spiral of cubic surfaces which is impressive. During your visit, the first destination will be the 74th floor, where you will find an observation deck where you can have a 360° view.
The next stop could be on the 78th floor where you will find a glass walkway 310 metres above the ground, do you dare to walk on it? It will certainly be a challenge if you are afraid of heights. You can enjoy all this if you buy a €20 ticket. If you are travelling to Bangkok with children, the average ticket price for them is €10.
This skyscraper is not only a great place to enjoy its incredible observation deck, but also its other shops. The Bangkok Edition Boutique Hotel is located on this site. You can choose to stay there or just enjoy the other attractions such as its luxury bar and restaurant.
Interesting details
- Price: around 20 € for adult tickets and 10 € for children's tickets.
- Opening hours: 10am to midnight.
- Location: Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road, Bang Rak, Bangkok, Thailand.
How to get around Bangkok?
In Bangkok you can use public transport to get around more easily. The company that provides this service is the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority. This system offers 65 lines distributed throughout the city.
Keep in mind that the approximate cost of a trip is €1. If the bus offers more amenities, the price may increase. Some journeys may cost approximately €5. You can pay for your journey each time you board the bus.
If you want to travel long distances or are travelling to the outskirts of Bangkok, it is best to take a taxi or tuk tuk. Another great option is to travel in a private car driven by a professional local guide. This way you can quickly get to the places you want to go without worrying about finding the right address.
Tips during a visit to Bangkok
Before travelling to the capital of Thailand, I recommend you to check what activities you want to do. If these depend a lot on the weather or the month, I suggest you to choose according to the best weather to travel to Bangkok according to your preferences. In addition to the temperature, you can be guided by seasonal festivals and celebrations.
On the other hand, I suggest you always dress modestly when visiting a temple. You are not allowed to wear shorts or sleeveless shirts. Also, I recommend that you always wear sunscreen during your tours.