Best Tourist Attractions for 1-Day in Bangkok, Thailand | a perfect layover

​If you have a long layover in Bangkok, you might want to consider a day trip into the city. Or if you have a few days in the country, and would like to spend one day visiting main attractions in Bangkok, this is for you as well. As a local, let me guide you to some of the places worth visiting so you get as much out of your one-day trip as possible!

How to get into the city center:
Once you manage to get out of immigration, the fastest and cheapest way is by taking the Airport Link . There is only one line and I’d recommend you get off at the very last station: Phayathai station. The station is connected to the BTS (Skytrain) which will branch out and you can go to many touristy places.

Bangkok traffic can be very unpredictable, so if you’d like to be able to budget your time, taking the Airport Link is a great option. It should take you less than an hour to get there. If you’d like to take a taxi, it should take around 40 minutes and up to 3 hours of travel time (not joking!) when the traffic is very heavy and it’s raining.

If you’re pressed for time, at least on your way back to the airport, please do consider taking the Airport Link.

Places to visit
Most of the cultural places are, unfortunately, not along the BTS lines. So, the best way to get there from the Phayathai station is to take a taxi. You can use Grab taxi, Line taxi, or hail a taxi from the street. I have found the metered taxi hailed from the street to be quite cheaper than getting one from an app, BUT you need to make sure they turn on the meter, or they could charge a ridiculous amount for travelers!

To be safe and preventing the language barrier, using an app could be a great option.  If you’re more into shopping, I have written about shopping malls in Bangkok along the BTS lines.
 
Taking a tour is also another great option! When I travel solo, I often buy tours to save myself the headache of organizing everything myself. I often meet interesting people and hear their stories in many of these tours as well.
 

​The Grand Palace 
A must for all travelers visiting Bangkok! The palace is rich with history, and is Bangkok’s number one attraction. In the past, the palace used to be home to the King. But nowadays, it was mainly used for royal ceremonies. Because of its sacred status, visitors are not allowed to wear shorts or tight jeans. If you happen to wear shorts, they have long pants for rent, but the line can be long and you don’t want to waste your precious visit time. You can check out their website for dress codes in detail.
 
Also, the palace is located near the Chaopraya River, with the gorgeous view of Wat Arun. There are along the river area for you to enjoy the delicious food and the nice views. It’s a perfect place for evening chill-out both for locals and travelers alike!
 
Address: Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand
Admission: 500 Baht
Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am-3:30pm
Website : https://www.royalgrandpalace.th/en/home

Wat Phra Kaeo / the Emerald Buddha Temple 
It’s literally a 2 minute walk from the Grand Palace, so it’s super easy to visit.  The Buddha is made of jade, dates back to the 1400’s and is housed in the main prayer hall. You can watch and worship from the distance. It can be crowded so it’s not quite an ideal place if you look for quiet meditation as there will be tourists walking in and out. 
 
Address: Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand
Admission: 400 Baht
Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am-3:30pm

Wat Pho 
Also in a very close proximity to Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Pho is a very short trip away with less than 10 minutes’ walk. Wat Pho is also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.  The reclining Buddha is a 46 meter long gold plated figure and is 15 meters high. The statute represents the Buddha passing into Nirvana. This place is also known for its massage school!
 
Address: Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra
Nakhon, Bangkok 10200
Admission: 100 Baht
Opening Hours: 8am-5pm
 

Wat Arun 
Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is located on the other side of the river from the Grand Palace. So, you need to take a ferry to cross. The pier is a short trip of around 5-minutes’ walk from the Grand Palace. If you do have the time into the night, I totally recommend having dinner on the other side of the river to enjoy the full view of the temple at night; it’s absolutely breathtaking, so it’s a spot you definitely should not miss in your short travel in Bangkok!
Address: Bangkok Yai, Bangkok
Admission: 50 Baht
Opening Hours: 8.30 am-5.30 pm
 
This should keep you busy for your one-day trip with lots of photo taking opportunities. Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you think. Enjoy Bangkok!
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