72 Hours In Bangkok: Must See, Eat & Do In The Land Of Smiles

Must eat!

1. Start your culinary journey with a food walking tour (from 39 USD)

Known for possessing some of most flavourful dishes in South East Asia, Thailand has earned the gold medal as the best place to eat your heart out and not feel totally guilty about it.

Start your culinary journey at Yao Wa Rat Street, known as the heaven of street food. While you will most likely desperately want to eat everything, a great way to fully enjoy this experience is to slowly make your way through the small stalls, eating less-than-normal-sized portions or sharing with friends.

Locals are often welcoming and friendly, so do ask someone along the way to help you pick out some Thai food that is highly recommended and experience culinary feats and heritage all in one evening!

Street Food Trail in Bangkok

Price: from 39 USD

Duration: around 3 hours required

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2. Learn the basics of cooking delicious Thai food (from 72 USD)

While experimenting with cooking dishes is always a good way to learn, speed up your learning curve by taking a Thai cuisine cooking class with an experienced teacher.

Be confident with the wok technique, try out new flavours in a safe kitchen, and build your knowledge from a solid foundation. What better way to learn about cooking great Thai cuisine than directly from a Thai chef?

With fresh, local produce, you can be sure that a cooking course in Thailand will maximise your potential to cook such amazing dishes for your loved ones. The ideal way to combine a holiday with learning something new every day, take a course on how to cook your way into someone’s heart.

Baipai Thai Cooking School

Price: from 72 USD

Duration: around 4 hours required

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3. Find the freshest ingredients at the nearby floating market (from 30 USD)

Floating markets are a Thai local’s best bet for getting fresh produce at a reasonable price.

So, you’ve walked the streets of Bangkok and eaten your heart out, and taken a cool cooking class to get the basics all set up. All that is left is to find the freshest ingredients and shop for produce like a local.

While you most likely will not be able to bring the produce back to your home country, you can get the first-hand experi​ence at bargaining for it and even getting some food into that belly from the local market.

One of the nearest attractive floating markets to Bangkok city is Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Although it is not the biggest floating market around, there is still plenty to buy along the waterside and in the traditional marketplace.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market & Maeklong Train Market Tour

Price: from 30 USD

Duration: around 6 hours required

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Must see!

4. Fun for the children: traditional Thai puppet show

Editor’s Note: This show is currently unavailable.

A perfect source of entertainment for kids in the evening, the traditional Thai puppet show in Bangkok is sure to wow the children and intrigue the adults.

Held every night at a local theatre, you can enjoy a traditional Thai dinner while watching the puppeteers work together to perform the harmonious pieces and rock the audience’s hearts. Acting out stories that demonstrate the history of Thailand, heartfelt love stories, and funny comic scenes, it is one of the most interesting ways to spend an evening with the family in Bangkok.

5. Marvel at performed art: Bangkok Siam Niramit Show (from 45 USD)

If you just have 72 hours in Bangkok, this is one of those evening activities you and your children must not miss.

An experience like no other, Siam Niramit is a performance that showcases the arts and culture of Thailand. With more than 100 performers on one stage, this show fuses the culture and arts scene in Thailand with a state of the art technology. A show that continues to amaze spectators, this award-winning performance is not only interesting to watch, it is also entertaining for little kids with its bright colours and catchy storyline.

Bangkok Siam Niramit Show

Price: from 45 USD

Duration: around 4 hours required

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6. Temple hunting: the three best temples to see in Bangkok (from 47 USD)

Discover the heritage of religion in Bangkok with a visit to 3 of the famous temples and sites in the city: Wat Po, Wat Tramit and Wat Benchamabophit. Wat in Thai means temple in English. On this tour, you’ll learn about Thai Buddhism and culture as you visit the temples. Hotel pick up service is available for this tour

Bangkok Temples Tour, Including Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

Price: from 47 USD

Duration: around 3 hours required

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7. See the River Kwai (from 58 USD)

A day trip away, Kanchanaburi is a mountainous city rich in natural resources. A must-see for first time visitors to Bangkok is the River Kwai.

The historical black iron bridge that lords over the river was the target of allied bombing during 1945. Nearby, visit the Death Railway and learn about the heritage of the site and how many Thai people were sacrificed to build the technologically-advanced railway for the Japanese.

Offering heritage and views, the River Kwai and the Death Railway are great historical sights that visitors must see at least once in their life.

Day Trip to River Kwai from Bangkok

Price: from 58 USD

Duration: around 10 hours required

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8. Enjoy a traditional Thai dinner and dance (from 44 USD)

Savour genuine Thai dishes at a local restaurant while classical and folk dancers prance around the stage with their bold, artistic moves.

Get ready to be entertained by the 6-act show of classical dance, which integrates traditional Thai dance moves and short plays that are bound to capture the attention of adults and children alike.

With their shimmery costumes, radiant make-up, and barefooted agility, appreciate the grace and beauty of the dancers with their swan-like moves that perform stories from classical Thai literature and traditions.

Don’t forget to get out the camera to keep these memories saved in film!

Thai Dinner & Dance

Price: from 44 USD

Duration: around 2 hours required

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Must do!

9. Sail along the river with your significant other (from 96 USD)

If a romantic dinner is what you are after, it cannot get any better than this.

A romantic river cruise with the bright city lights shining on the banks, passing by famed temples and iconic Bangkok skyscrapers, is bound to please your loved one. Enjoy a Thai or seafood dinner, while listening to classical Thai music and watching the city pass by.

Bangkok: Wan Fah Dinner Cruise

Price: from 96 USD

Duration: around 4 hours required

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10. Scream away at Dreamworld, Bangkok's most popular theme park (from 33 USD)

If the kids are screaming for rides and fun things to do, this is the best place to get the adrenaline rush and entertain the children during the day.

Dreamworld is a giant fantasy land and the biggest theme park in Thailand. With more than 15 funny games and interesting playing machines, as well as the rides, shows, and fascinating statues, it is not only a great place for kids but for the entire family.

The Hanging Coaster, Space Mountain, Viking Ship, and Bumper Cars are sure to impress the older children. For a fun day out with the family, impress the kids with a trip to Dreamworld, Bangkok!

Full Day At Dream World Amusement Park from Bangkok

Price: from 33 USD

Duration: around 8 hours required

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11. Live the Tarzan dream: rainforest canopy zipline experience (from 118 USD)

Live like Tarzan for a day!

Enjoy a combination of ziplining through the rainforest just an hour away from Bangkok city. Immerse yourself in the lush greenery that surrounds the area. Not only will you be ziplining Thailand’s highest course, you will also get to learn about the animals in the rainforest too.

Don’t only enjoy the traditional side of Thailand but include a thrilling adrenaline rush with the zipline. If you’re lucky, you might even come into contact with rare wildlife just making their way through the forest.

Bordered by the protected Chompoo Wildlife Sanctuary, it is almost a guarantee that you will get to see some animals getting their gym fix as well!

Rain Forest Canopy Zipline Adventure from Bangkok

Price: from 118 USD

Duration: around 8 hours required

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12. Take a tuk tuk through the bustling city at night (59.55 USD)

Beautiful in the evening, Bangkok is best explored when the sun has set and the temperature has cooled. For those who love Bangkok but are always fazed by the heat, exploring the city in the evening is your best bet.

Travel by tuk tuk (a small motorised vehicle with open sides) to some of the sites that are open in the evening. Small and fast but safe, the tuk tuk is perfect for exploring sites that are down narrow alleys or just to weave through the headache of Bangkok traffic. Some tuk tuk drivers even decorate their vehicle with neon running lights to attract enthusiastic tourists. Seeing these sites lit up in the darkness brings out the magic and beauty of the city.

Bangkok Tuk Tuk Night Tour Including Dinner

Price: 59.55 USD

Duration: 4 hours

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13. Swim with the fish at Safari World

The kids will absolutely love this attraction and any mention of coming back to Bangkok will definitely include visiting Safari World for them.

Safari World is a drive-through zoological park that is divided into the Safari Park (open zoo) and the Marine Park, where there are a variety of marine animals and water shows.

Feed animals such as the lanky giraffe or give fearsome tiger cubs bottle of milk. Get driven around in a safari-equipped vehicle where you will come face-to-face with animals of the wild, including tigers, lions, and deer!

Watch the marine life shows at Marine Park and be amazed at what dolphins can do with good training from professionals. In fact, you may even find that one day at the park might not be enough to enjoy everything, so be prepared to come back!

Safari World

Address: 99 Panyaintra Road, Samwatawantok, Klongsamwa, Bangkok ,10510, Thailand

Safari World

14. See the city from a bird's eye view at Baiyok Sky Rooftop (from 19 USD)

Enjoy a bird’s eye view of downtown Bangkok from the Baiyok Sky RoofTop, one of Thailand’s tallest buildings.

With a rooftop bar sitting at the peak of the Baiyok Sky, it is a perfect relaxed outing for those who spent their who day on their feet, walking through the small narrow alleys of market places or even those who walked around shopping malls for the entire day.

Sitting 88 stories above ground level, it offers amazing panoramic views of the City of Angels, Bangkok. Grab a drink and relax on one of the large sofa chairs in the bar, recharge, and get ready for your next outing in style!

Baiyoke Sky Tower Admission Ticket (Observation Deck)

Price: from 19 USD

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15. Be a fisherman (woman) for the day (97 USD)

Something completely different to do in Bangkok, spend the day walking in the shoes of a fisherman.

Fish for your dinner and get to know the fishing community of Bangkok as you roam the fisheries like a local for a day. Thai people, being the friendly, welcoming bunch they are, are always hospitable with tourists, willing to show you the best way to catch some fish and make a mean dinner.

Learn how to make crafts and get down and dirty with the locals as you help them pick cockles, and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Full-Day Life as a Fisherman Experience from Bangkok

Price: 97 USD

Duration: 9 hours

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Welcome to the Land of Smiles!

Its diverse activities, varied food choices, and exhilarating city life make Bangkok a must-visit destination for many! With their friendly demeanours and welcoming smiles, the Thais are some of the nicest people to enjoy a great holiday with.

Spend your 72 hours in style, with relaxation and exhilaration at the same time. Go forth, travellers, and enjoy Bangkok, capital of the Land of Smiles!