Bangkok Along the Chao Phraya River

If you’re dreaming of stunning temples, unreal food, and killer rooftop bars, but have no idea how to fit it all into your Bangkok trip, I’ve just spent 48 hours exploring along the Bangkok River. Getting around by boat, ticking off iconic landmarks, uncovering hidden gems, and staying in a luxury skyscraper hotel with views that stretch for miles.

If you’ve only got 48 hours in Bangkok, don’t waste it stuck in traffic.

Bangkok River Boats and Riverside Temples

Day one starts on the Chao Phraya River, the easiest and best way to see the city. Most tourists get intimidated by the boat system and end up taking taxis everywhere and burn half a day sitting still. But, the Bangkok boat system is actually way easier and way more fun than most people realize.

First is the Saphan Pier, which is right next to the hotel I’m staying at. But, you can also just take the metro to BTS Saphan Taksin if you need to. This pier has English-speaking staff, and they’ll direct you where to go.

You should grab the hop-on-hop-off tourist boat. It’s about 150 Thai Baht, and it’s valid all day. Boats run regularly, usually within 30 minutes. Once you’re on, try to sit by the window for epic views as you whiz past the city skyline.

In hindsight, I wish I’d sat on the left side of the boat as there were a few more iconic sites on that side that I wasn’t able to catch. So, if possible, aim for that left side. Ride the boat five stops and get off at Tha Tien Pier for the first spot of the day. This stretch of the Chao Phraya River is a great way to start.

Visiting the Grand Palace Early

So, you wouldn’t visit Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower, right? And the same goes for the Bangkok riverside temples. But, which ones you visit, when you visit, and what order you visit in can affect your time in the temples just as much as anything else.

So, which one should you visit first? Well, I recommend doing the Grand Palace first. It’s actually the former palace of the king. He doesn’t really reside here anymore, though.

I would do this first because it’s the biggest and it’s going to take the longest to get around. It should take you around 2 and a bit hours to get around the whole thing. It also gets the busiest, so you want to beat the crowds.

Doors open here around 8:30 a.m., and this is by far the best time to visit. One, because you’re going to beat the crowds, but also because after walking around for 2 hours in the Bangkok heat, you’re going to end up pretty sweaty. And if you don’t want your temple photos ruined by massive sweat patches on your shirt, you want to get here early to do it.

There are a few things you need to be aware of when you’re here, though. This is one of the most notorious areas for scams in the whole city. As you approach, you’re going to see a lot of tuk-tuk drivers, and they’re going to tell you the palace is closed for the day. Don’t believe them. Just move on and walk towards the entrance. They’re trying to get you in their tuk-tuk to take you on a random tour, or take you to some part of town that you don’t want to go to.

Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha

Luckily, the next temple is just a short walk away, only about a 5 to 10 minute walk from the Grand Palace. This is Wat Pho, and it’s much more manageable than the Grand Palace. This should only take you about 30 to 40 minutes to walk around, and it’s famous for these stunning gardens with their beautiful stupas and is home to the Reclining Buddha.

I hadn’t been to Wat Pho in a few years, and I honestly forgot how jaw-dropping it is. Perhaps I should have taken a bit of my own advice, though, and gotten here a little bit earlier, especially when taking a look at the Reclining Buddha.

You can see here that this was the queue to get in, which was more like a herd of cows. Usually, you have to leave your shoes outside when visiting a temple, but with so many people, that would never work. So, at Wat Pho, you have to put your shoes in one of these bags here and then carry them with you.

There were so many people here to see the Buddha, which wasn’t quite ideal. But, luckily, most of the crowd was at the entrance as everyone tried to get photos of the head of the Buddha. But, what I actually realized was the best photo spots were a bit further down. Some people had realized there were little spaces where you could get a selfie with the full length of the Buddha.

Make sure to take some time to admire the feet of the Buddha as well, which are covered in intricate designs, as well as the beautifully painted murals covering the walls.

By this point, you’re going to be getting pretty hot and sweaty. But, what most people don’t realize is that the area around the temple is actually a really cool place to explore, too. These streets are lined with delicious Thai snacks, and my top recommendation is to try and have a coconut ice cream while you’re here. This dessert is served in a coconut shell and topped with peanuts. It’s absolutely delicious, and it’s the perfect way to cool down and chill for a minute.

Wat Arun from Across the River

But now, it’s time for my most controversial opinion about the Bangkok temples. Wat Arun is the most stunning temple of all the temples in Bangkok. But, I actually don’t think you need to go inside it.

The reason is actually quite simple. The best view of the temple comes from across the river, not from the temple complex itself. If you’ve already done the other two temples today, you’re going to start to be feeling a bit templed out.

I mean, temple fatigue is a real thing, and once you’ve seen one or two, they start to blur together a little bit. So, why not head to one of the rooftop bars, grab a cold beer and some food, and enjoy one of the best views in Bangkok without the crowds instead.

And if you really want to visit, you can hop to Tha Tien Pier, which is right next door and costs about 5 baht to cross the river.

ICONSIAM Food Court and Indoor Floating Market

Another one of the coolest spots along the river shows off Bangkok’s more modern side. Our next stop today is ICONSIAM Megamall.

If you’re in Bangkok in 48 hours, this place is an absolute cheat code. It’s air-conditioned, right on the Chao Phraya, and it’s one of the easiest ways to taste loads of Thailand in one stop.

Skip the luxury shops. The real reason you’re here is the food court, which is basically a curated lineup of dishes from all over the country. They’ve even built it with this indoor floating market vibe, and when we were here, they had traditional Thai dance and puppet shows happening, too.

It honestly doesn’t really feel like you’re in a mall at all, and more like a night market.

Tower Club at Lebua and Skyscraper Views

Okay, so now that we’ve finished eating, it’s time to go check out where we’re staying. Lying on the banks of the Chao Phraya River is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the whole of Bangkok. You might recognize this rooftop from the movie The Hangover Part II, which was filmed here. But, the real reason to come here is that it’s home to the most epic riverside views in the city.

This is the Tower Club at Lebua, and yesterday when we checked in, we were greeted with a room upgrade to one of the best rooms in the house. We got a room upgrade to a massive two-bedroom apartment. This is actually way bigger than I was expecting it to be. It’s got a huge living room area. The welcome was very nice, with coconuts and some chocolates as we arrived, which was pretty cool.

Absolutely the number one thing about this room has to be the balconies and the views. I mean, I’ve got the Chao Phraya River right behind me. We’re on the 53rd floor. I think it goes up to 67 floors here, and the views are just absolutely insane.

One of the things with getting the room upgrade to the bigger room is we actually have two balconies, one overlooking the Chao Phraya River, and then there’s the one just around the corner, which is a really huge balcony overlooking the city. Usually when I’m booking this for other people, we usually do the river view room. I’ve got the best of both worlds here, because I get this view and then I also get the city view facing out onto the whole of Bangkok as well.

So, I’m excited to see the rest of this hotel, but definitely this is one of the best hotel rooms you could possibly get in Bangkok. The welcome to this hotel was a 10 out of 10. They had a note ready and waiting for us when we arrived, along with some delicious sweets and, in fact, a full chocolate cake. The surprise standout for me was the lounge area. I’ve used hotel lounges before, and usually it’s just a bit like an airport lounge with soft drinks and a few snacks. But, this one was next level. From 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., they had free-flowing wine, beer, and cocktails, and it’s on the 60th floor. So, you’re sipping drinks with insane river views. And considering most rooftops in Bangkok cost a fortune, having that included adds a lot of value.

Asiatique Night Market

Afterwards, I headed off to one of the best night markets in the city. People sometimes ask me — Where are the best night markets in Bangkok? — and there’s a lot to choose from. But, what a lot of people don’t know is one of the best night markets actually lies upon the Chao Phraya River itself.

I jumped back on the tourist boat using the ticket I bought earlier. And at night, the Chao Phraya feels like a completely different city. The skyline’s lit up, the air’s cooler, and the whole ride feels like part of the experience. This time, we went the opposite way from the temple stops, so you get a totally different stretch of the river past luxury riverside hotels, dinner cruise boats, and then you pull up at Asiatique, one of Bangkok’s best night markets.

Asiatique has had a big revamp since the last time I was here. It feels cleaner, bigger, and way more of an all-in-one night out. There’s a mix of restaurants and street food that’s actually priced pretty reasonable for a riverside spot. I went for pineapple fried rice and a couple of beers, and it hit the spot after the boat ride.

After that, it’s one of the easiest places in Bangkok for souvenir shopping. Lots of stalls with local handicrafts, so you can get it done without bouncing around the city. And if you’re here with kids, or you’re just a big kid yourself, there’s even an amusement park area with a giant Ferris wheel that also has some killer views of Bangkok. They’ve also just added the Jurassic World experience, which looks like a theme park level setup. Honestly, this wouldn’t look out of place in Disneyland.

We finished the night with a few cocktails and some live music, and that’s day one done.

Sathorn Street Food and Local Life

On day two, you can start your day with some more insane views at breakfast from the Lebua Hotel before heading out to the nearby streets of Sathorn. On day two we want to explore the area in a little bit more detail and get off the beaten path a little bit more, starting with the Sathon area.

After a short walk, it was time for a second breakfast. Because in Bangkok, if you see something that looks good, you eat it. We stopped at this no-frills roast duck noodles spot with plastic chairs, quick service, and no fancy menu, and the food was just unreal. Sathon doesn’t get talked about for food like Chinatown does, but it’s almost as good and way less touristy.

On the walk we passed loads of street stalls, and I grabbed an iced coffee from this little stand to keep us going. I think one of the things I like about this area is, compared to other parts of Bangkok at least, it’s a fairly walkable part of town. Some of the side streets are pretty interesting to walk down, and there’s plenty to do here without it being over the top touristy.

There are plenty of other places around Bangkok which are just built for tourists. This is less so. Thousands of people live here, but there’s still plenty of coffee shops, massage parlors, marketplaces, and really nice restaurants to eat at as well, which makes it definitely a really cool area to stay in.

Wat Yannawa Boat Temple

Next, we walked to one of the most unique temples in Bangkok, and you’ll know why when you see it. This is Wat Yannawa, aka the boat temple. It’s a brick replica of an old Chinese junk ship built back in the 1800s as a nod to how important Chinese trade was to Thailand.

What I love about this stop is that it’s different, and it doesn’t feel like the same temple loop that you got around the Grand Palace area yesterday. Give it 20 minutes, walk around the boat from a couple of angles, and get some really cool photos.

And right nearby you’ll spot these Chinese-style shrines with bright roofs, incense in the air, and it’s a totally different vibe from the big royal temples.

Bangkok’s Abandoned Building

This is one of the weirdest buildings in the whole of Bangkok. It’s quite famous. It’s known as the abandoned building.

Basically, it was designed to be like a mega mall shopping mall, maybe part hotel, but they ran out of money halfway through, so it’s been left abandoned mid-construction. Apparently, you can sneak in there yourself. I’m not going to try it because it’s probably pretty dangerous, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, it could be something to sneak away and do.

Jack’s Bar on the Chao Phraya River

After that, we headed back to the hotel for a quick reset because tonight we’re doing Bangkok nightlife properly. One of the best hidden gem bars in the whole of Bangkok is right on the Chao Phraya River with amazing views, and it’s also one of the cheapest bars in the whole city.

This is Jack’s Bar, and no, it’s in no way affiliated with me. The reason you come here is the vibe. Cheap beers, proper Thai food, and you’re sitting right on the Chao Phraya River watching the boats slide past.

What makes it special though is that it still feels local and no-frills, even though it’s surrounded by high-end hotels. It’s basically just a wooden shack on the river, and it looks like it could fall apart in a storm, but somehow it stays standing. It is popular with expats, so it can get busy. If you want the best seat, come 30 minutes before sunset and aim for a table right on the river.

Lebua Sky Bar at Night

You can’t stay at Lebua without doing the Sky Bar at least once. When you walk in the lobby, you’ll usually see a queue for the rooftop. But, if you’re staying in the hotel, you can skip that line and go straight up, which is a massive win.

Once you’re up there, staff will seat you, but you can move around the area and check out the different areas. I didn’t realize this before coming, but there are actually multiple bars up here, too, each with a slightly different angle over the city. One of my favorite views looks straight across to IconSiam and the river.

But, a quick warning though, this is easily one of the priciest places in Bangkok for a drink. A whiskey here is about 1,000 Thai Baht, but for the view, I think it’s worth doing at least once.

The most iconic area up here is around Sirocco. If you want a bucket-list dinner with a view, this is the place to do it. But, you don’t need to eat here to enjoy it. Head to the staircase, the classic Sky Bar photo with the dome, and my favorite spot up here is this colorful bar area with full 360 panoramic views of all Bangkok. One last drink up here is the perfect way to finish your 48 hours on the Chao Phraya River. But, Bangkok is a massive city, and there’s way more to it than just the riverside.