What to do in Bangkok Old Town

Activities, attractions and tours

Wat Saket which includes a high rise building, a city and heritage architecture
Wat Saket which includes a high rise building, a city and heritage architecture
Grand Palace featuring a temple or place of worship as well as a small group of people
Temple of the Emerald Buddha which includes religious elements, a temple or place of worship and interior views
Temple of the Emerald Buddha featuring a temple or place of worship and religious elements

Places to Visit in Bangkok Old Town

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Let Expedia.co.nz help you find the most exciting and fun things to do in Bangkok Old Town, Bangkok while also allowing you to save a ton on travel arrangements. Regardless of whether you’re an urban explorer or an intrepid outdoor enthusiast, we can help you decide exactly what to do and see during your time in town.

Our thorough travel guides offer you an insider’s perspective on all of the best Bangkok Old Town attractions from NZ$6, making it easy for you to decide which places to visit and when. And by using Expedia.co.nz to set your sightseeing schedule, you can take in more of the enchanting attractions this area is famous for.

From group Bangkok Old Town tours and must-see landmarks to personal guides who take you off-the-beaten track, Expedia.co.nz offers you over 594 of the most popular events, activities, and attractions in this corner of the world. So whether you’re travelling alone, alongside a loved one, or with the whole family in tow, be sure to browse through our extensive travel guides prior to your plane touching down in this spectacular Bangkok Old Town. We even have a massive selection of flights, car hires, and accommodation for you to choose from. So what are you waiting for? Start your search today, and you’ll be having the time of your life before you know it.

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Top places to visit

1. Khaosan Road

To some it's Bangkok's 'party-on-a-dollar' street. To others, the original backpacker's ghetto. For a few, it's even a place to become invisible. The one thing that Khao San Road is to all, is intense. A short crowded street in northern Rattanakosin, its chaotic jumble of clothes stores, street stalls, pad thai carts and tuk-tuks is where Thailand’s budget backpacking scene was born. Now this buzzing community has gone all 'post-modern'. From being a base for cash-strapped travellers to becoming the actual attraction itself. Tourists now come here to watch other tourists. Oh, the irony.
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Khao San Road showing markets, a city and nightlife

2. Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is more than just the most famous landmark of Bangkok. In many ways it is Bangkok. The city we know today had its birth as the new capital city of King Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty. He built the first Royal Palaces here in 1782, forming a world-within-a-world on the newly-created island of Rattanakosin, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
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Grand Palace featuring heritage architecture and a temple or place of worship

3. Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadara is much more than just another gilded Buddhist temple. It is a sacred place that literally protects and holds together the Thai nation. At the heart of this temple complex sits an object of national reverence – the 0.6 metre high statue of the Emerald Buddha. For many Buddhists, this figure is a powerful talisman, bringing prosperity where-ever it is housed – and guaranteeing good fortune to its rulers. It is said that if the Emerald Buddha is ever removed from the Temple, the ruling Thai Chakri dynasty will fall.
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Temple of the Emerald Buddha showing a temple or place of worship and heritage architecture

4. Wat Pho

There's something about the Reclining Buddha that fascinates. The temple where the giant golden leisurely statue is housed – Wat Pho – isn't a pilgrimage site, but its gold-leafed lounging Buddha certainly draws in the crowds. Maybe it's the sheer size (at almost 49 metres in length, the largest Buddha in Thailand). Maybe it's the pose (most of the other 1,000 Buddha images at Wat Pho sit in standard cross-legged contemplation). But perhaps it's something else – that most enigmatic of smiles playing on the Buddha's lips. And there's a good reason why he might be smiling, while reclining here at length in Wat Pho.
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Detailed view of golden Buddha statues at Wat Pho in Bangkok highlighting Thai culture and spirituality

5. Bangkok National Museum

Thai's are proud of their history, and rightly so. The Kingdom of Siam has been around for 7 centuries, surviving invasion, civil war and the encroaching colonisation of the European powers. Unlike its neighbours, Thailand avoided becoming a colony of the French or British. But it's a long and tangled tale. One of the best places to follow it is the National Museum of Bangkok. Here thousands of magnificent artefacts and documents from Thailand’s long story are displayed in the beautiful surroundings of the 200-year old Wang Na Palace.
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National Museum Bangkok

Recommended things to do in Bangkok Old Town

Number of things to do
594
Cheapest thing to do on Expedia
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What to do in Bangkok Old Town

Discover the most popular places to visit in Bangkok Old Town

Khao San Road showing markets, a city and nightlife

Khaosan Road

4/5(207 reviews)

With cheap hotels, diverse food, and cut-price clothing to bring in the back-packers, this street also offers fun, noise and eclectic cultural mix.

Khaosan Road
Grand Palace which includes a garden and heritage architecture

Grand Palace

4/5(243 reviews)

A city-within-the-city, this palace is a fabulous concoction of temples, halls, pagodas and royal residences that took two centuries to build.

Grand Palace
Temple of the Emerald Buddha which includes a temple or place of worship as well as a large group of people

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

4/5(119 reviews)

A visit to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha will take you to one of the most beautiful, and deeply revered, sanctuaries of this deeply Buddhist natio

Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Wat Pho featuring religious aspects, interior views and a temple or place of worship

Wat Pho

4.5/5(156 reviews)

Wat Pho is the largest and oldest of Thailand's many temple complexes, with over 1,000 Buddha images – but it's just one that draws all the attention.

Wat Pho
A yellow building with Thailand flag on the roof at Thammasat university, Bangkok

Thammasat University

Explore the campus of Thammasat University during your visit to Bangkok. Stroll along the riverfront or visit the shops in this vibrant area.

Thammasat University
Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Grand Palace, and Sanam Luang field, Bangkok, Thailand

Sanamluang

Sanamluang is just one of the places to see in Bangkok, so why not enjoy the other things to explore during your travels? Amble within Chinatown or visit the notable monuments in this culturally rich area.

Sanamluang
National Museum Bangkok

Bangkok National Museum

4.5/5(28 reviews)

Untangle the history of Thailand with the help of the thousands of artefacts and artistic-pieces exhibited in one of Bangkok's grandest and biggest palaces.

Bangkok National Museum
Giant Swing ,Suthat Temple, Bangkok, Thailand

Giant Swing

Learn about the local history of Bangkok when you take a trip to Giant Swing. Visit the temples and top-notch restaurants in this culturally rich area.

Giant Swing
Democracy monument with blue sky in Bangkok, Thailand. The Democracy Monument is a historical of constitution monument

Democracy Monument

4/5(2 reviews)

You can find out about the history of Bangkok with a stop at Democracy Monument. Visit the notable monuments and temples in this culturally rich area.

Democracy Monument

 

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Day trip destinations from Bangkok Old Town

Sukhumvit featuring night scenes and city views

Bangkok

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