Bangkok is great for travellers who want to experience tropical, cultural Southeast Asia. The Thai capital is relatively easy to navigate, and has excellent public transport and inexpensive taxis.

You can expect incredibly tasty cuisine, ancient Buddhist culture, and high-quality hotels that offer relaxing spa treatments. Here are six things you should experience in Bangkok during your holiday either as a solo traveler or in a group:

Hop on a riverboat

Do as the locals do and take a boat ride on the Chao Phraya River. The Chao Phraya River is the major waterway of Bangkok, which is lined with an impressive system of dams and levees. It’s the centre of transportation in the city. The Chao Phraya Tourist Boat is the original hop-on-hop-off boat service and is a great way to experience all the incredible cultural and historic sights along the riverbank.

Taste local Thai cuisine

Thai cuisine is one of the world’s most popular and flavoursome culinary styles. In Bangkok, the city’s famed street food is a unique combination of delicate flavours and spices, sure to excite and captivate your palate. In the soi, or small alleys that run between the larger roads and avenues, you’ll find small restaurants with unique local flavours. 

You can either take a self-guided food tour of the city or book a guided food tour of Bangkok to experience some of the city’s best restaurants and markets. Whatever you do, we would recommend you try some local delicacies like pad kee mao (chilli basil drunken noodles, khanom khrok (coconut pancakes), and som tum (papaya salad). 

Enjoy Thai massage

You can find plenty of relaxing and affordable health and wellness treatments all over Bangkok. In fact, it’s one of the best Asian cities for a truly unwinding city break. 

Enjoy a massage in the traditional Thai style, which includes an invigorating, balancing treatment wherein practitioners use hands, thumbs, elbows, forearms, and feet to take away the tension in your muscles and joints. It’s unlike any other massage you’ve had in the path, as it does not typically use oil and it will have you bent into a variety of energising shapes. But don’t worry, you can always mention any mobility issues that might need to be taken into consideration.

Indulge in some retail therapy

Keen shopaholics will love Bangkok’s colourful markets, including Chatuchak Weekend Market. If you like to shop from street vendors, head to Ratchaprasong District. For branded items try the department stores, including EmQuartier. For cheaper goods, try the underground shopping malls, such as Platinum Shopping Mall.

Experience some of Bangkok’s world-class museums 

The city is home to several museums offering different subjects. National Museum Bangkok traces the history of Thailand, from prehistoric times to the present day, while the Suan Pakkad Palace Museum exhibits the royal belongings and personal treasures of former Thai royals.

For something a little more modern, the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre hosts contemporary art exhibitions and is located in the historic Renakon Hotel. 

Visit the temples of Bangkok 

There are many colourful Buddhist temples in Bangkok, including Wat That Thong, a beautiful Thai Buddhist temple located just outside Ekkamai station. But the grandest of them all has got to be Wat Arun (or Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan).

The temple can be found on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It's considered to be one of the most iconic temples in Thailand with its incredibly tall, intricately decorated spire standing tall over the riverbank.