Have a day that you need to fill up with activities and sightseeing in Bangkok? While Bangkok is a huge and very diverse city, with a little planning you can get a well-rounded view and see a lot in a full day.
You can use this itinerary if you are a tourist yourself, or if you have your own house or condo in Bangkok and need to spend a day entertaining visitors.
Note: To go through this itinerary without interruption, you may want to consider packing a bag with something nice to wear at the final stop. Otherwise, you’ll need comfy shoes for a full day of walking as well as something to cover your shoulders and knees for temple-touring.
1) Begin at the River
Start your day by making your way to Saphan Taksin, which is on the Silom line of the BTS. When you arrive, walk down the stairs under Exit 1 and you will be facing the great Chao Phraya River. This river is the largest in Bangkok and flows all the way to the Gulf of Thailand. There will be a small boat port in front of you, but you want to walk to the left, to the farther port.
You should see a map of the river labeled with all the different stops and someone selling tickets. You do not need to buy a ticket here. Just get in line and wait for the right boat. You can take two different boats: one is the local river taxi which stops at each and every dock and costs you 15 baht for a one way trip. Alternatively, you can take the tourist express boat for 40baht with the blue flag. Both of these stop at N8, which is where you will get off.
The boats only stop for a few seconds before taking off again so position yourself to hop off quickly when you get close!
When you get off at N8, walk straight back through the gift shops until you get to the road. Here you can pick up some fresh fruit, grilled bananas, fried sweet potatoes and more for breakfast. Walk straight to the road with traffic, then turn right. Just a few metres down you can look across the road and see the entrance to Wat Po.
2) River Taxi to Wat Po
Wat Po is consistently rated one of the most impressive tourist attractions in Thailand and even the most cynical tourists generally find it very worthwhile to visit, despite the fact that it’s always packed with people. It will cost you 100Baht to get in.
Wat Po is a massive complex of ancient Buddhist temples and statues. It’s impressive enough to just go poke around and view the amazingly intricate and beautiful architecture or if you want to spend a little extra you can take a guided tour (1-2 hours) through the complex. The guides all speak very good English and are very informative and interesting, so this is recommended if you are interested in learning a bit about Buddhism and ancient Thai culture.
3) Lunch with a River View
Once you’ve seen the beauty of Wat Po, head back to the river taxi and grab lunch at one of the many river-side restaurants or for a more local/authentic experience, enjoy some fresh cooked food from one of the street vendors. Never ordered street food before? Read this blog on how to order street food in Thailand.
4) Hike up Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn)
Wat Arun is just right across the river from Wat Po, so you have to take a different boat across the river. It costs only 3 baht and takes just a minute to get there.
Wat Arun is another beautiful temple, but one that is quite different from what you’ve just seen at Wat Po. This complex has one major Chedi 
decorated in broken glass and ceramics. It’s very beautiful, but the best part about visiting Wat Arun is the exciting and slightly nerve-wreaking hike up the extremely narrow and steep steps to the top. There’s a beautiful and very peaceful view of the river and Bangkok skyline to reward you after the hike.
After you get back down, take the boat back across the river for another 3 baht. Then, wait for the regular river taxi to come by again and get on either the orange flat boat or the blue flag boat. Both will take you to the next stop on the itinerary.
5) People Watch on Khao San Road
No visit to Thailand is complete without a trip to Khao San Road, and it’s conveniently also located along the river at stop N13.
Located in the midst of Thailand’s most historical area, little Khao San used to be a rice market but over the past 20 years has developed into a world famous “backpacker ghetto”. It’s essentially the Times Square of Thailand, with thousands of people from all over the world using the street to find ultra-cheap accommodation, wild nightlife, vast street markets, and delicious street-card Pad Thai and coach busses to all other tourist destinations in the region.
Yes, it’s extremely touristic and after sunset becomes a wild party-street, and if that’s what you’re into then you may wind up just ending your day here. If nothing more, it’s worth a walk-through just to see it. We do recommend grabbing a beer and sitting at one of the tables on the street to simple soak up your surroundings and people watch for a bit.
6) Dinner At AsiaTique
When you’re done with Khao San, it’s time to get back on the river taxi and take it all the way in the opposite direction until you reach AsiaTique, Bangkok’s most modern major night market. There are loads of restaurants with Thai and international food, dessert vendors and lots of niche market shops. It’s a nice place to stroll around and beat the heat with the river-breeze.
7) Lebua Sky Bar at State Tower
Otherwise known as “The Hangover Bar” named after the blockbuster movie that filmed a scene there, this rooftop bar requires smart attire (no flip flops or sandals, no shorts, etc.) and charges quite a hefty 
fee for their specialty cocktails, but the view is one of the best in the city, especially at sunset. It’s a very classy and relaxing cocktail party experience, and we promise that (so long as you don’t overdo it) you won’t miss the $15 you spend on a single cocktail once you get back home.
** Extra Excursions:
If you have extra time or don’t like anything on this list, here are some replacement items:
Siam Center: If you are looking for some air conditioned fun, Siam Center is filled with high-end shopping malls, which are not just for shopping. In Siam Paragon you can gawk at the ultra-luxurious and enormous floral displays. In Siam Discovery you can find a large aquarium. There’s also an ice skating rink, Imax movie theatre and more.
Chatuchak Market: Only open on the weekends, Chatuchak is the largest market in Thailand. It’s an impressively enormous labyrinth of vendors all clustered together into a hectic and exhausting shopping experience. It’s great to check out if you’re looking for anything specific to buy at all, because chances are that you can find it there for less than nearly anywhere else in the city. Read more about the best markets in Bangkok here.
Get a Thai Massage: You can literally find a massage parlor in every neighborhood so this can be a fun activity any time of day, no matter where you are. But depending on what kind of traveler you are you may want to read this blog to find out what kind of Thai massage is for you.
