The best hotels in Bangkok: The Ultimate Guide (2026)
Bangkok Excursions & Sights: Top 12 (2026)
Golden temple roofs next to skyscrapers, tuk-tuks weaving through rush hour, street food on every corner: Bangkok is the city where old and new Thailand constantly collide. We lived here ourselves for 11 years, out of the 14 years we spent living in Thailand in total, and that local knowledge is baked into the tips below. For most travellers, Bangkok is the first stop of the trip, often the last one too, which makes choosing the right hotel and the right excursions especially important.
Where you sleep shapes your whole experience of Bangkok. Sukhumvit is the modern side of the city, with a BTS stop around the corner and no shortage of restaurants and bars, while Riverside is where you’ll find the best luxury hotels with views over the Chao Phraya River. In The Best Hotels in Bangkok: The Ultimate Guide (2026) we compare every neighbourhood and the best hotels for every budget, from simple guesthouses to five-star resorts on the water.
Bangkok’s list of excursions and sights is just as overwhelming. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are the best known sights, but a tuk-tuk tour through the old city, a dinner cruise on the river, or a day trip to the Amphawa floating market or the temples of Ayutthaya are all just as worthwhile. In Bangkok Excursions & Sights: Top 12 (2026) we rank the 12 best excursions, with prices, duration, and tips to help you decide what fits your trip.
Before you can enjoy any of this, you need to get to Bangkok. Thai Airways, EVA Air, and British Airways all fly non-stop from London, while airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines connect through their home hubs, often at a lower fare. When booking, also check which airport you land at: Suvarnabhumi (BKK) handles almost all intercontinental flights, while Don Mueang (DMK) is mainly used by low-cost and domestic carriers, and the two are up to two hours apart by road. In Cheap Air Tickets to Bangkok: The Ultimate Guide for 2026 you’ll find out when to book and how to find the best price.
Use these guides as your starting point: book your flight, pick the neighbourhood and hotel that fit your travel style, and then fill your days with the excursions that appeal to you most. That way you’ll arrive with a clear plan instead of an endless list of options.
Published on 16 April 2026.
Last updated on 17 August 2026.