Essential Bangkok

Tour Creator

Simon is a Bangkok-based travel writer, who has been writing about Southeast Asia for more than five years. He has cycled across the region numerous times and written for numerous…Read More Bio »

Bangkok

GPS-directed

Remote Tour Included

2.5hrs

2.5km

The riverside of Bangkok’s old city is packed with different flavors and eras of development. From the looming skyscrapers and progressive mega malls and offices to the ancient local communities, our tour will take a meander through life as it is lived today and how the city developed. The government quarter brings your grand opulence and expansive buildings, with all the symbology of the Chakri dynasty of kings. Then you will walk through the local communities, living their lives as they have done for several hundred years, and ending up in the modern surrounds of a towering Bangkok, resplendent in modern design parallel to any cutting-edge city on earth.

Avoid the Crowds

Allows you to explore without having to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a large tour group

Created by an exceptional travel writer

Written by a Bangkok-based writer

GPS Directions

Easy-to-follow GPS directions to get you from one point to the next on your tour

Highlights include:

The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Chakrabongse Palace

Remote Tour Included

As with all our tours, a remote tour is included that can be enjoyed from home

Itinerary

Essential Bangkok – Extended

  1. Thammasat University Main Dome Building - This university has been the center of Thailand’s political and social struggles since 1934 when it was founded. We will look at the history of the university and how it ties to Thailand’s political landscape at large.
  2. Thammasat University Memorial Sculpture Garden - Commemorating Thailand’s political and social struggles, the memorial garden offers a glimpse of the bloodshed and violence that has chequered Thailand’s political history.
  3. Amulet Market - The epicenter of Bangkok’s thriving amulet trade, offering all kinds of Buddhist symbols for sale, blessed by favorite and famous monks.
  4. Tha Maharaj - Serves as a dual point of shopping in its glitzy new shopping mall and access to the river at Maharaj Pier. The pier is one of the main boarding points for the tourist boats chugging up and down the Chao Phraya River.
  5. The Grand Palace - This palace should be on the top of every tourist’s list of places to visit when coming to Bangkok, it has a remarkable array of sights and displays a spectacular range of historical development of the Thai nation.
  6. Thewaphirom Gate - With direct access to the main ceremonial part of the Grand Palace, Thewaphirom Gate is the entrance to the grandness of the Thai monarchy and all the pomp and ceremony which go with it.
  7. Tha Tian Market - A community-based market selling dried seafood. It’s long history along the river narrates the city life over decades of Bangkok.
  8. Wat Pho Main Temple - The world-famous Wat Pho temple is a royal temple with one of the largest reclining Buddha images in Bangkok. The temple has strong historic links to the monarchy.
  9. The Museum of Siam - This museum, albeit in an old building, is a wonderfully modern take on Thai and Southeast Asian culture. Different rooms take you on different journeys through culture and heritage, all in an interactive environment.
  10. Chakrabongse Palace - Old-world Bangkok riverside elegance and historical significance combine to offer a beautiful setting.
  11. Rajini School - A traditional school on the banks of the river, this school is fantastic when lit at night. The school has been educating the upper-echelons of Thai society for over 100 years.
  12. The Bangkok Flower Market - The Flower Market is a bulwark of the tourist trail in Bangkok and a mainstay of the traditional flower selling in Bangkok. The market offers a bewildering range of flowers for the local community.
  13. Statue of King Rama I - The statue offers a glimpse of the high regard for the Chakri dynasty in Thailand. The statue is of King Rama I, the founder of the dynasty and the capital, Bangkok.
  14. Praisaniyakan Post Office Building - The original post office building in Bangkok and the centre of the coup which ended the absolute monarchy in 1932, the building is still in use as a postal office building.
  15. Wat Bophit Phimuk - A pleasant example of a working temple in the Theravada Thai Buddhist tradition.
  16. Wat Chakrawatrachawat Woramahawihan - Complete with crocodiles and a mythical past, this ancient temple has strong royal links.
  17. Peiing Public School - A school started by the ‘new’ Chinese community in the early part of the 20th Century, this school still symbolises how immigrant communities are often adopted into Thai culture.
  18. Old Market - A community-based market, traditional in every sense. Still very much a community market, the bustling life on show offers a true mirror of Thai society
  19. The Golden Buddha Temple - The mystery surrounding the entomology and history of the image at the temple offer the best in intrigue and fascination with Thai culture.
  20. Wat Maha Pruettharam - As a royal temple, this offers a great idea of a working temple in modern Bangkok away from the tourist trail.
  21. Holy Rosary Church - One of the first churches in Thailand, and definitely the best known, the church has its roots in the Portuguese traders who started doing commerce and business in ancient Siam (Thailand).
  22. River City Bangkok - Packed full of art and collectables, the River City Mall offers people historical artefacts and auctions.
  23. Old Customs House - Neo-classical style and old-world charm are on offer with the Customs House.

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