5 Best Tours from Bangkok

Updated: 30 October, 2024

1-day excursions from Bangkok to a jungle with wild elephants, unusual markets, dream waterfalls and historical parks.

Bangkok is a beautiful modern city on the one hand and very traditional on the other, with a frenetic life and a multitude of nightlife options.

If it is your first time in the city and in Southeast Asia it can be exhausting, so it is best to alternate your visit to Bangkok with 1-day trips to nearby places where there is a little bit of everything.

In this article I leave you a list of the best places to visit near Bangkok, with options of lush jungles where you can see wild elephants, waterfalls and cultural visits full of fascinating history.

1.- Khao Yai National Park

The impressive Kkao Yai National Park is the perfect place to enjoy the jungle, its waterfalls and wildlife, a short distance from Bangkok.

The park was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 for its unique ecosystem in Thailand with a great diversity of wild animals.

The most interesting are 2 species of gibbons (very difficult to see) and the elephants, one of the few places where you can see wild elephants in freedom in Thailand.

There you can do one of the 7 hiking routes of between 1.2 and 8 km, some pass through the waterfalls: the impressive Heow Narok with its 80 meter drop and the beautiful Haew Suwat.

To get to the park you can go by bus or train, it will take about 4 hours, from Bangkok with both options you will have to go through Pak Chong, which is the closest town and from there connect with the local bus.

Although the easiest way to visit this park is with a organized excursion like this link that includes everything: transportation from Bangkok, the guide, entrance to the park and lunch.

Furthermore, to do the route that passes through Haew Suwat it is mandatory to go with a guide, either from an excursion or one that you can hire there.

In summary:

• How to get: public, private transportation or excursion
• Entry Fee:: 400 baht
• Why visit it: natural paradise to do 7 hiking routes, see its waterfalls and wild animals in their natural environment

🐘 In this other article Khao Yai Tour: The Jungle Near Bangkok You can read in detail how to get there on your own, accommodation in the area and what you can see in the park.

2.- Kanchanaburi and the Erawan waterfalls

These spectacular waterfalls are in the Erawan National Park in the province of Kanchanaburi.

It is an excursion, it is ideal to disconnect from the madness of Bangkok and be in contact with the exuberant nature of the place.

The most interesting thing about the park are the waterfalls on 7 levels with pools of crystal-clear water of a magnificent turquoise color.

Other attractions of the park are its fauna, the main animals that live there are: elephants, macaques, gibbons and deer.

Although excluding the macaques, the other animals are much more difficult to see.

In addition, there are quite a few caves that you can visit, some of the most beautiful are Ta Duang Cave with cave paintings, Mee Cave with a series of interconnected galleries.

To get to the park you will have to go to Kanchanaburi, which is a quiet town, with some interesting places to visit.

The one that stands out the most is the Bridge over the River Kwai, which may sound familiar to you from a movie of the same name due to its sad past.

During World War II, the Japanese used war slaves for its construction and about 100,000 people died there, which is why it is known as the Death Train.

🚂 To get to Kanchanaburi you can go by bus or train, in this other article about the Erawan National Park, waterfalls and Kanchanaburi You can read all the details, as well as everything there is to visit and some good accommodation options.

Although, if you don't want to complicate things, the easiest way is with a tour like this one at the link to Erawan and Kanchanaburi 1 day, very cheap and includes tickets.

In summary:

• How to get: public, private transportation or excursion
• Park entrance fee: 300 baht
• Why visit it: hiking to its 7-level waterfall, visiting the caves, bridge over the River Kwai

3.- Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya is one of the most important archaeological sites in Thailand, with ruins dating from the 14th to the 18th century when it was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam.

The ruins, today belong to the declared Ayutthaya Historical Park UNESCO World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991.

Some of the most interesting temples are Wat Mahathat which is where the famous Buddha head is located among the roots.

Then he Wat Ratcha Burana which is one of the most important temples and the Wat Lakayasutha where the 42 meter long reclining Buddha is.

🔝 In this article you can see a list of the most relevant places to visit Ayutthaya Excursion: Thailand's Ancient Capital where I also explain in detail the different ways to get there.

How to get to and get around Ayutthaya?

To go to Ayutthaya on your own is quite simple, cheap and easy. If you are going to go by public transport you can do it by train, bus or boat on the Chao Phraya River.

Then, to get around Ayutthaya, The distance between temples is not too great, but At the end of the day it can be very hard with the heat. The ideal is to rent something: bike, motorcycle or tuk tuk.

With the bike you will also get hot and tuk tuk It's easy for them to try to be too clever and you end up paying a fortune.

So, it is best to rent a motorcycle, it is cheap and inside the archaeological park it is quiet to drive.

If you don't feel like driving a motorcycle, the ideal is to go on an excursion. Right there they usually go a little overboard with the price of the tours, they even asked me for 2,500 bahts (68 euros).

However, this link is very cheap, includes transportation from Bangkok, guide and lunch, you couldn't ask for more.

Although, if you are going to do it with them, I recommend you book in advance because places fill up quickly.

Another alternative is to make more than one visit, for example this excursion from the link takes you to Ayutthaya, the railway market and the floating market, which are the markets that I recommend in point 5.

In summary:

• How to get: public, private transportation or excursion.
• Entry Fee:: price per temple, some free and others between 50 and 100 baht.
• Why visit it: for its historic center full of temples, pagodas, stupas and sculptures from when Ayutthaya was the capital of the kingdom of Siam.

4.- Sukhothai

Sukhothai was the capital of the kingdom of the same name, considered the origin of present-day Thailand, during the 13th and 14th centuries, which was a golden age.

In that period culture flourished and it is even believed that the Thai alphabet emerged and Buddhism was established.

Later, they were invaded by the kingdom of Ayutthaya and finally absorbed towards the end of the 15th century.

Nowadays, more than 30 temples remain, some still in operation.

The Sukhothai Historical Park can be divided into the inner zone of walls, which is the main one, and the outer zone towards all cardinal points, with a total area of 70 km².

How to move?

Therefore, the ideal is to move by bike, motorcycle or negotiate a tuk tuk.

In addition, hiring a guide is a wise move to be able to understand what you are seeing and appreciate it to the fullest.

Plus, some include other visits, like this one bike tour with guide very enjoyable, which includes a visit to the most important places in the historical park, a visit to the rice fields and lunch.

The visit to Sukhothai is perfect if you are going to continue your journey to Chiang Mai or vice versa, because with just 1 day you will have enough for your visit.

However, transportation from Bangkok or Chiang Mai will take you a few hours (between 5 and 7 hours).

To get from Bangkok to Sukhothai (or from Chiang Mai) you can go by bus or train, which is the same line that goes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

One of the best alternatives is to take the night train, so you can save two nights in a hotel.

🙏 If you want to read more, in this other article I talk in depth about Visit to Sukhothai: What to See and How to Get There, with more details and lots of recommendations.

In summary:

• How to get: public, private transportation or excursion
• Entry Fee:: Prices vary, in the inner area it costs 100 baht and then there are some that are free.
• Why visit it: for its impressive temples, sculptures and all the history behind it.

5.- Market on the road and floating market

The Thai markets are some of the most interesting places, but the roadside market and the floating market are the most unusual you can visit.

For a reason, it is one of the best excursions from Bangkok that you cannot miss and you will only need 1 day because they are a short distance from Bangkok and quite close to each other.

Train Market Bangkok

This is the Mae Klong market which is located above the train tracks.

Every day, the train passes through this strange market 8 times and merchants must move their things to make way for him.

It turns out that this market is very old and when they created that train line the sellers refused to move you, they preferred to find this curious alternative.

A most surreal experience, worth seeing.

The train schedules (at least when I was there) are: 6:20 – 8:30 – 9:00 – 11:15 – 11:30 – 14:30 – 15:30 – 17:40

The most practical way to get there on your own is with the buses, which take 1 hour or so.

On the other hand, if you go by train you will need to make several transfers (taxi, train, boat, train) and it will take a little more than 3 hours to travel the 70 km that separate it from Bangkok.

If you go on your own, I recommend going to see the 11 o'clock trains, so you can see the train pass twice back and forth. 😉

Since watching the train won't take up much time, it's common to use the trip to make one more visit.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

This market, although very touristy, is the most interesting and visited in all of Thailand that will make you fall in love.

At the time when Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand, these types of floating markets began to become popular, because the transportation of products was easier through rivers and canals.

Since land transportation was developed Most of these fabulous markets have been lost.

This market is to be enjoyed on a boat ride, outside and across the bridges that will give you good points to take photos and taste their wonderful food.

It is an experience to enjoy with all the senses due to its color, aroma and good taste of the food.

The best way to get there by public transport is with the bus that drops you off 1 km away and then continue by taxi or on foot.

Later in the same market you will have to negotiate the rate with the boatman, the ideal is to pay between 200 and 300 bahts per person.

If you go in a group it will be easier for you to negotiate, if you can't Join other travelers to get a better rate.

I recommend you this website to look at all the public transport schedules and you can buy the tickets right there.

Although if you don't want to waste time on transportation, it is best to opt for an excursion. Also, if you are not good at negotiating with taxi drivers and boatmen, the excursion will be cheaper in the long run.

Here you can reserve the Train Track and Floating Market Tour most popular and cheapest.

🚂 In this article Visit to the Railway Market and Floating Market You can read in detail about both visits and how to get there.

In summary:

• How to get: public transport or excursion
• Admission: free
• Why visit it- Both are very unusual markets that are worth your time

Final Thoughts

These are the best excursions from Bangkok that you can do in 1 day to disconnect from that beautiful city that can be exhausting.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and if you found the article useful, share it with other fellow travelers. 😘

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