Our guide to the best activities and attractions in Bangkok
Entertaining is nothing new to Bangkok, a place that welcomes over 20 million visitors a year. Its attractions are as diverse as they are plentiful. Take a look at our suggested ideas of what to do while in Bangkok, or find out more about excursions you can book locally or through your Personal Travel Expert.
Dawn breaks and a sea of monks swathed in orange and saffron robes make the journey to the bottom of Mount Suthep to collect their alms. Scooters whizz past gilded wats (temples), the smell of fresh laundry and burning incense wafts from back street houses and stall holders start stacking up dried spices, fresh green peppercorns and oversized melons. Outside the city, Chiang Mai holidays take you where the air is mountain fresh and the climate joyfully cooler, tracing a route of waterfalls, jungle, hill tribe villages and temples. We’ve travelled to northern Thailand and can tell you the most amazing spots for a refreshing dip under a secluded waterfall, the finest holy temples to visit for a one-on-one chat with Buddhist monks and the quirkiest cafes if you’ve ever fancied jumping in a ball pit while sipping on a candy cotton coffee. Holidays to Chiang Mai are a captivating blend of Lanna and Burmese influences, of digital nomads building a burgeoning creative scene and of spiritual harmony in an ancient riverside city that prizes meditation, massage and complementary medicine. There’s the much revered Thai cookery schools where you can whip up pad thai and coconut soup like a professional, legendary night markets selling handcrafted gifts and those lychee and lemongrass cocktails under a roof of white lanterns and chromatic paper parasols. You’ll find terraced rice fields in the tiny hamlets of mountains, a colourful spectacle of handmade umbrellas in the artisan village of Bor Sang and extraordinary settlements of Tibetan and Chinese hill tribes who welcome you into villages to learn about their culture.
5 Hotels, 1 Tour, 1 Experiences
On Thailand’s beautiful Gulf of Siam and just a few hours by road from Bangkok, Hua Hin is home to a Royal Palace and enjoys long attractive beaches, excellent golf courses, a fine choice of hotels and a superb night market with handicrafts galore. Renowned as the summer residence of Thailand’s Royal Family, Hua Hin is the epitome of elegance and sophistication. Sequestered by three miles of pristine white sands and tall swaying palms, the city’s beachfront is where holiday makers spend their days. Creating a dramatic backdrop, the string of luxury hotels create the perfect haven of barefoot luxury for its guests, providing sublime vistas of the glistening ocean.
5 Hotels
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful experiences of Thailand is to escape to one of the smaller islands that offer some of the best and most unspoilt beaches, as well as clear waters and a laid back pace of life. Despite being a little more off the beaten track, in Koh Yao Yai, standards are in no way compromised, offering stunning views and a relaxed and peaceful environment.
2 Hotels
With endless white sand beaches, world-class diving and a friendly, laid-back culture, the islands of Koh Lanta are ideal if you're looking to enjoy a beach holiday away from the crowds.
2 Hotels
Escaping the southern shore where the famed monthly Full Moon Party is held, Koh Phangan’s northern shore offers an idyllic break with picturesque bays, secluded beaches and thick jungle that winds its way inland.
1 Hotel
Devour a delicious curry in a family-run restaurant, chase waterfalls in a national park or nest on soft sands where there’s hardly anyone else around. Khao Lak has everything you need for a low-key holiday; it’s essentially a handful of small town centres and a 15-mile stretch of beaches along one main road. There’s an effortless balance of quiet and convenience, the kind of place visitors slowly fall in love with and return to year after year. If you love the outdoors, Khao Lak is the perfect gateway to both tropical jungles and stunning underwater worlds. Just two hours’ drive or boat ride means you could be snorkelling or diving in the Surin and Similan Islands – the best place for marine life in the Andaman Sea – or trekking through the rainforest of Khao Sok National Park. At Elephant Hills, you can go glamping in the jungle, sleep on a lake to the sound of calling monkeys and get up close with elephants in one of earth’s oldest rainforests. Talk to us and we can help you find the best beach spot or jungle adventure for a bespoke holiday in Khao Lak.
6 Hotels, 1 Tour
Koh Samui is a name-drop-worthy island of palm trees, emerald-tinged waters and sultry weather that elicits a languid, lazing-by-the-pool kind of pace. There’s sunshine and tropical warmth almost all year round because it avoids the main monsoon season. This means you can pack light: swimwear, SPF and plenty of room for souvenirs. Koh Samui is a microcosm of Thailand’s beaches. Travellers love it for the white-gold sands, tourist-friendly towns and variety of hotels complete with infinity pools and world-class restaurants. Waterfalls and walking trails inland give you a taste of Thailand’s tropical and rugged mainland, and offshore, you can go kayaking and snorkelling around the karsts in Ang Thong National Marine Park. Even if you’ve opted for a resort tucked away on a quieter part of the island, the night markets and live music bars of Chaweng and Lamai are just a taxi ride away. Talk to us and we’ll help craft a personalised itinerary for your Koh Samui holiday.
13 Hotels, 2 Cruises
The province of Krabi is just a one-hour flight to the south of Bangkok, set on the shores of the glorious Andaman Sea. Relatively low-key compared to the likes of Phuket, Krabi’s main resort town is bustling Ao Nang, but the region also plays host to the beautiful isthmus of Railay and peaceful offshore islands.
6 Hotels
Peering out of the plane window, a surprising sight awaits. You might be just an hour from Bangkok, but suddenly the high-rise buildings have disappeared and in its place – an idyll of jade-coloured sea and islands topped with forest green. This is Phuket, Thailand’s biggest island and most popular destination for nightlife and golden beaches. The word ‘busy’ sums up Phuket nicely. Travellers arrive as though en masse; you only need to step foot in Patong, the original party beach resort, before noticing everyone else. Most first-timers visiting Thailand feel drawn to Phuket and for many, its raucousness is part of its attraction. If you’re curious, you can stroll down one of the main nightclub stretches and watch the spectacle of neon lights, beer bars and dancing, but on an island this big it’s also easy enough to keep away from the hedonism. Stroll around a night market, sampling delicious Thai food and bartering for souvenirs; or spend a day getting into Phuket Town’s growing arts-and-crafts scene. And if you want a dazzling beach with the option of venturing into populated spots when you feel like it, you only need to head 20 minutes north or south down the coast before you find gorgeous, infinitely quieter beaches. However you want to experience Phuket, talk to us and we’ll help plan your ideal Phuket holiday.
11 Hotels, 1 Tour, 3 Cruises
The stunning Phi Phi archipelago boasts marine-rich clear waters, rugged jungle-clad islands, dazzling white-sand beaches and stunning Phi Phi Leh – an uninhabited island so beautiful that it was chosen to portray the secret paradise in the film, ‘The Beach’.
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Thailand’s northern beaches offer a mix of intriguing culture and superb beach hideaways. If you’re looking for the ultimate romantic escape, Koh Samet offers an idyllic island break away from it all and is great if you don't want to hop back aboard a plane after a visit to Bangkok.
2 Hotels
Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai
Hua Hin
Koh Yao Yai & Koh Yao Noi
Koh Lanta
Koh Phangan
Khao Lak holidays
Koh Samui
Krabi holidays
Phuket
Koh Phi Phi
Koh Samet
