Bangkok in 3 days: 10 fun activities and must-do’s

Tip #1 King Power Mahanakhon during sunset

The view from the Mahanakhon skyscraper was our absolute highlight in Bangkok. Wow, how big and beautiful this city is.

As you might expect, the view is best around sunset. Needless to say, it is also the busiest then. But even though we were there during sunset in high season, the crowds were still quite manageable. It felt busier at Rockefeller in New York. That might be because of the chill music played by the DJ from 17:00 onwards. There is a nice atmosphere.

You can buy (expensive) hot dogs and drinks to make your visit even more enjoyable. Find a table and chairs by the glass and it looks like all the other people are not there 😉

The SkyWalk

Besides the stunning views, there is another attraction on the roof. This is the so-called ‘SkyWalk’. A piece of glass where you can walk across and find yourself above the city. Under the glass, you can see several skyscrapers that look tall from the ground, but are tiny from here. If you’re afraid of heights (like me), it’s a bit scary at first, but really quite a cool experience. Before entering the glass, you are given slippers that you have to put on over your shoes. You are also not allowed to bring loose objects, photos must be taken from the side.

The Mahanakhon observation deck is the tallest in Thailand at a whopping 314 metres. It is also one of the tallest skybars in Southeast Asia. The platform is located on the highest floor of the building: the 78th floor.

Virtual Reality Parachute

Before or after your visit to the rooftop, you can play a Virtual Reality game. Here, you can fly through the city with a parachute. A very fun experience if you like VR. Denis regularly dropped all the way down, but for me – someone with a fear of heights – just flying was exciting enough. The plane you’re in really moves with you. As a tech fan, this ‘SkyRide’ is a real must-do.

👉 Buy your tickets here

📍 King Power Mahanakhon, Bangkok

Tip #3 Cocktails overlooking Wat Arun during sunset

You can end the day nicely at the Eagle Nest bar. At this rooftop bar, you have a beautiful view of Wat Arun temple. When the sun sets, the temple seems to turn into gold.

The bar is a popular spot so be there in time. Is there a seat free at the back of the bar, but you’d rather sit at the front? No worries, just ask the waiter to put you on the waiting list. That way you can move further and further to the front. That’s why it pays to arrive early. Of course, if you’re at the back, you can regularly move to the front to take a picture without people.

As at any rooftop bar in Bangkok, prices are a lot higher than low to the ground. At the Eagle Nest Bar, you pay between 320 and 390 baht for a cocktail (€8.50 – €10.50). A bottle of beer costs 260 baht (€7). At this bar, the service charge and tax are already included and you can pay by credit card.

We can highly recommend the cocktails at Eagle Nest Bar. They are of high quality and made by good mixologists. We sampled several cocktails, but the ‘Sunset of Eagle Nest’ cocktail stood out with flying colours.

Is the Eagle Nest bar full? Then you might still be able to go to the bar next door, View ARUN Restaurant & Bar.

📍 Eagle Nest bar, Bangkok

This bar is in the same neighbourhood as the The Grand Palace and the reclining Buddha which you will read more about in the following tips. If you still have time between those activities and the sunset, it is great fun to stroll around the Pak Khlong Talat flower market.

Tip #4 Swim in an infinity pool

Skyscrapers and infinity pools, it’s a beautiful combination. Bangkok has many of them. So I had to and would sleep in a hotel with an infinity pool.

In most infinity pools, you are only allowed to swim if you are a hotel guest. These hotels are still quite affordable and it is always a good idea to start and/or end your trip in a bit of luxury 😉

We ourselves stayed at Amara Bangkok, the pictures you see here are the view from the rooftop. We list some hotels with inifinity pools for you below:

👉 Amara Bangkok Hotel

👉 Avani Plus Riverside Bangkok Hotel

👉 Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn

Prefer a different hotel? We made a list of 10 hotels with infinity pools costing between €82 and €157 per night. You can read it here.

Do you know of any infinity pools in Bangkok where you can swim without being a hotel guest? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll update this blog.

Tip #5 Shopping & eating at Iconsiam

There are many shopping malls in Bangkok, but this is surely the most beautiful and luxurious. The mall opened its doors in late 2018, so it is also relatively new. It reminded us a bit of the mall at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

The mall is open daily until 10pm and is especially beautiful at night because of the numerous lights. There is also a multimedia water fountain (which we unfortunately just missed), the show starts every day at 18:30 and 20:00.

Besides a beautiful indoor floating market/food court where you can taste the most delicious (affordable) dishes, there is also an iMax cinema, indoor waterfall, art, luxury shops, ‘normal’ shops, playgrounds, entertainment parks, restaurants with beautiful views over the city…. There is just too much to list.

How much time should you set aside for this? We were there for two hours and that was too little to eat extensively AND see the entire mall. Want to see everything and also shop, eat or do one of the other activities? Then take more time!

How to get there. There’s a free ferry from Si Phraya Ferry Pier where you can easily get there by bus or MRT.

📍 Iconsiam, Bangkok

Tip #6 Walk through Lumphini Park

It’s not only from the skyscrapers that you have a great view of Bangkok’s skyline. In the beautiful Lumphini Park, you can unwind and still enjoy the city.

Lumphini Park is a place where Thai people run, walk, canoe in the pond, or relax on one of the benches or on the grass. It is also where you can spot water monitor lizards that live here. The park is especially beautiful during golden hour/sunset.

The park hosts many activities such as concerts and aerobics. There is always something to do.

Hear the national anthem echoing through the speakers? Then you will see everyone standing still. Respect this Thai tradition and stand still even as a tourist yourself – it only takes 30 seconds. The national anthem is played here – just like on TV & radio – every day at 8:00 and 18:00.

📍 Lumphini Park, Bangkok

Tip #7 Grand Palace & folk dancing

Your first time in Bangkok? Then you must have seen the royal palace. Officially called ‘Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang’, the Royal Palace has been in use as a residence for the king and his family since 1782. The current king does not live here, but the Grand Palace is still an important place for the Thai.

The palace is a large building complex that is still used for special occasions. Besides the royal buildings, you can also find the temple of the Emerald Buddha and several museums. Enough for a few hours of entertainment.

Dress code

There are strict dress codes at The Grand Palace that you must adhere to. These include no sleeveless shirts, no crop tops, no see-through jumpers, no short, ripped or tight trousers and no miniskirts. So make sure you wear a long skirt/dress or trousers with at least a T-shirt. Don’t have one? Then you can buy a sarong or the typical elephant trousers nearby. Also, a mouth mask is mandatory when entering and in the indoor areas (February 2023). You can buy a mouth mask on the spot for 6 baht.

Want to complete the experience? Then take a tuktuk ride to the Royal Palace. The building complex opens at 8:30am and closes at 3:30pm. Try to go as early as possible. That way you’ll avoid the big crowds, as well as the hottest hours of the day.

Scam alert

Does someone say the palace is closed? Then you’re dealing with a known scam, so don’t fall for it. And there is no Lucky Buddha Day either, hook off when someone starts talking about this, that too is a scam.

Khon – Classical Thai Masked Dance

Your ticket includes entrance to The Grand Palace as well as access to Khon, a Thai masked dance performance. This theatrical performance will introduce you to different folk dances from different regions.

Tip #8 Wat Pho, the reclining Buddha

Wat Pho is an extraordinary temple. Measuring a whopping 46 metres long and 15 metres high, the reclining Buddha is a real attraction. At least, it is to us. For Buddhists, this Buddha brings happiness and peace.

Wat Pho is also Bangkok’s largest and oldest temple. If you think this statue is all you can find there, you are wrong. We even had to ask where the statue is because we had already stepped into so many buildings and were pretty tired. Like The Grand Palace, this complex seems endless. Beautiful, though.

Besides the reclining Buddha, there are over a thousand Buddha statues in the temple complex.

This is the last temple we visit in our must-do in three days, because although there are still plenty of beautiful temples in Bangkok, we are a bit temple tired after these two big temples.

What we still think is worth seeing the temple Wat Arun from the outside, during sunset. You read about that in tip 3.

📍 Wat Pho, Bangkok

Tip #9 Behold a Muay Thai fight

Thaibox is a big part of Thai culture and also great fun to watch.

There are several places in the capital where you can watch a bout. For instance, you can go to Bangkok’s biggest boxing stadium, Lumpinee. Or you can go to Ratchadoemnoen, which is the oldest boxing stadium.

You can see a free Muay Thai fight at the Pink Panther in Patong district. Yep, the name tells you, this is a go-go bar. Every night at 23:00, a Muay Thai fight starts there. The dance poles are then briefly exchanged for a boxing ring. If you get there 15 minutes in advance, you’ll have the best seats. The bar charges normal prices and is not a scam, we can say from personal experience. We did leave immediately after the fight, if you don’t want to be scammed, we advise against buying drinks for the ladies 😉 You can find the bar here.

👉 You can buy VIP tickets for the Ratchadamnoen stage here.

👉 Zelf leren Thaiboksen? Want to learn Thai boxing yourself? You can do that here in Bangkok.

Tip #10 Get in a tuktuk, but don’t pay too much

After almost 3 weeks in Thailand, we had already discovered many unusual means of transport, such as a motorbike taxi with sidecar and a songthaew. But we hadn’t yet ridden in a tuktuk.

Our intention was mainly to use Grab and Bolt in Bangkok, which are kind of like Ubers and offer cheap taxi rides. But with both apps, you often have to wait around 10-20 minutes for your transport. Meanwhile, tuktuk drivers constantly ask if you are looking for a ride.

So instead of taking a Bolt or Grab, we often used these apps to negotiate. We first looked for the price within Bolt or Grab and then started haggling with the tuktuk driver. This usually worked, sometimes for just a euro more expensive than the taxi.

So a tuktuk is often faster because you don’t have to wait for your taxi and it’s also a fun experience to tear through the streets of Bangkok like this.

But beware, make sure you ALWAYS agree on a price in advance, otherwise you could end up paying top dollar or even getting ripped off.