Bangkok Day Trips: Worth It or Skip?
Bangkok has so many experiences to choose from, but not every one blew me away. These in particular gave me a really nice mix of food, culture and history, and although I'd happily do a few again, others I honestly wouldn't bother with.
Worth it
Ayutthaya Temples Guided Tour with Lunch
7 hours, €29
One that impressed me far more than I expected.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site was once a grand city of monumental significance and today you can wander around its beautiful ruins on an affordable day trip from Bangkok.
It's close enough that it won't take up your whole day either.
My verdict: One of my favourite day trips!
Grand Palace, Wat Pho & Wat Arun Guided Tour
5 hours, €20
From a lot of experience, when you plan to explore sites with such importance, it’s often much better to book a guide to really understand what you’re seeing.
The temples in Bangkok are absolutely stunning regardless, but to find out about the history, symbolism and stories behind them made me appreciate them so much more. The tour covers Bangkok's three most iconic temples: the Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, and includes a boat ride across the Chao Phraya River.
My verdict: If it's your first visit to Bangkok, absolutely. You can explore them independently, but as mentioned, I think having a guide makes the experience far more memorable.
Midnight Food Tour by Tuk
Tuk
5 hours, €60
If you only book one food experience in Bangkok, make it this one.
Over four hours, we zipped around Bangkok by tuk tuk, stopping at local restaurants and street food stalls that I never would have found on my own. Along the way, we sampled everything from rich boat noodles and Pad Thai to crispy snacks, desserts and plenty of dishes I'd never even heard of before. The evening also included a visit to Bangkok's famous flower market and ended with a drink overlooking the illuminated Wat Arun.
There was so much to try that I think by the fourth or fifth stop, I was already too full.
My verdict:Absolutely. It's fun, incredibly well organised and one of the best ways to experience Bangkok after dark and the food is to die for.
Tasting Thai-Chinatown Walking Food Tour
3 hours, €30
After somehow surviving the Midnight Tuk Tuk Food Tour without rolling back to my accommodation, I thought I'd try another one...
This walking food tour is a little shorter and we walked through local neighbourhoods, stopping at family-run stalls to try around ten different dishes along the way while learning a bit more about Thai cuisine.
I always find food tours are one of the easiest ways to discover places you'd never stumble across on your own, plus they save you from standing in front of a menu wondering, "What on earth is that?"
Would I recommend it?
Definitely! If you only have time for one, I'd still choose the Midnight Tuk Tuk Food Tour, but this one is a brilliant alternative as well.
50/50
Maeklong Railway Market & Floating Market Boat Tour
7 hours, from €20
My guide and I actually had a really fun time exploring and even doing impromptu karaoke. By midday though, it got very crowded and we didn't actually see many boats selling products anymore.
The food we had in the restaurants was really good and the scenery was lovely. Overall, if you've got the time, I'd still say go. It's definitely something a little different.
My verdict: Worth it if you have the time- it’s very different to the usual.
Skip It
Railway Market
I really think the railway market is a HUGE waste of time.
Not to be a Negative Nancy, but the train is soooo slow, you can't properly sit to enjoy it and it's overcrowded. Completely underwhelming, especially if you've seen the one in Hanoi.
My verdict: Personally, I wouldn’t bother with it.
Final Thoughts
Bangkok has no shortage of things to do so not every tour needs to make it onto your itinerary. Although some things are skippable, each I booked gave me a different perspective on the city and that's exactly what I look for when I travel.