Best Day Trips from Bangkok

While there are so many amazing things to do in Bangkok, there are also tons of day trips you can take from the city! Whether it’s a quick 5 minute boat ride to Bang Krachao that appears to transport you hours away, or a full day trip to see the ruins in Ayutthaya, there are many places you can visit on a free day in Bangkok!

While some of these can also be extended to longer weekend trips, they are just as great for a single day! Check out our other post (coming soon) for great weekend trips from Bangkok! Feel free to leave any other great day (or weekend) trips in the comments below!

1. Bang Krachao: minutes from the MRT/BTS

Bang Krachao is a manmade island in Bangkok that is known as the Green Lung. It’s an amazing escape from the city that was even called ‘the best urban oasis of Asia’ by Time magazine! Despite how tranquil it is, it is also extremely easy to get to from the center of Bangkok.

Bang Krachao is known as a great place to escape the city and explore by bicycle. You can be adventurous and bike along tiny paths above the water, or stick to the amazing park and botanical gardens. There are also markets and temples to discover on Bang Krachao.

Read our article here to find out all you need to know about Bang Krachao!

2. Koh Kret: 30 minute drive from center of Bangkok

Koh Kret is like Bang Krachao’s little sister. It’s another manmade island that seems miles away from the city! While Koh Kret is smaller than Bang Krachao and a little farther to get to, we actually enjoyed it more!

Koh Kret is also known for biking, although unlike Bang Krachao, there are no cars on Koh Kret! While Bang Krachao was big to cover on a bicycle, Koh Kret is the perfect size to explore using just a bike!

Koh Kret is also known for it’s pottery. You can see huge old kilns when you walk around the streets. There are also many pottery shops. Some even let you make your own pottery, which you can take home, for as little as 100 baht per person!

3. Samet Prakan: less than 1 hour BTS ride

Samet Prakan is technically the province next to Bangkok, however its attractions are often confused as part of Bangkok as you can reach them using the BTS. We highly recommend a trip to Samet Prakan as it has a lot to offer and is so easy to reach! Here are 3 of our favorite places there:

• Ancient City
  • The Ancient City Bangkok (aka Mueang Boran) is the largest open air museum in the world. It is a huge museum park that’s also one of the most Instagramable spots in Bangkok! Ancient City is made up of tons of different temples. Some of them are located all around Thailand, while some (like the famous Pavilion of the Enlightened) were created only for Ancient City. Either way, this is a great place to spend a day exploring the gorgeous temples and learning more about Thailand at the same time!
• Erawan Museum
  • The next must see place in Samet Prakan is the Erawan Museum! This museum is actually more like a temple with a small museum in the bottom floor. It’s famous as it is located inside a giant three headed elephant building! The grounds outside are beautiful, as well as the building itself. Once you enter there is so much detail everywhere! The staircases and ceiling are unbelievably gorgeous. We weren’t expecting much from the Erawan Museum, but we ended up loving our visit!
• Bang Pu
  • Bang Pu is a fun place to add to the end of your visit to Samet Prakan. Only a 15 minute drive past Ancient City, you’ll arrive at the Bang Pu Recreation Center. Follow the pier out into the ocean and you’ll be amazed by hundreds of seagulls flying all around you! While this is best to see in the winter months (November-January), it’s a great place for sunset. Don’t miss the famous seafood restaurant at the end of the pier (Sala Suk Chai).

4. Ayutthaya: 1 hour from Bangkok

Ayutthaya is one of the best day trips you can take from Bangkok! Not only is it an UNESCO World Heritage Site, it also was at one point the most developed city in the world! If you love history, or just want to see lots of ancient ruins, this is a must see! There are dozens of ruins all over and it’s easy to get around on a motorbike, tuktuk, or even a bicycle.

Ayutthaya is also very easy to get to from the center of Bangkok using public transportation! You can take the train, bus, minibus, or even a taxi. Click here for all the info you need about a trip to Ayutthaya!

5. Floating Markets: 2 hours from Bangkok

If you’re looking up things to do in Bangkok, you’re going to hear a lot about floating markets! Floating markets are exactly what they sound like: a market that is floating. Merchants sell things from their boats as opposed to having stores on the land. While many floating markets are now just tourist locations, they used to be very important in both Bangkok as well as many areas around Thailand.

While you should not have to pay a cover to enter a floating market and walk around, it is fun to pay for a boat tour. The boat tour will take you into the chaos first hand. You’ll usually go on a ride through the merchants and then explore some of the nearby canals.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Amphawa Floating Market are two of the most popular floating markets. They’re actually only 15 minutes apart so you could visit both at the same time. They’re also in the perfect location to combine with a visit to our next recommended day trip: the famous Mae Klong Train Market!

6. Train Market: 2 hours from Bangkok

You’ve probably seen pictures of the Mae Klong Train Market. It’s a very unique market which can also appear dangerous as the train goes right between market stalls barely leaving room for people to watch! This market is now very touristy, however it’s still a fun once in a lifetime place to visit!

It’s easy to reach Mae Klong by taking a minibus from Bangkok. However, for a more fun experience you can actually ride the train to Mae Klong as it squeezes between the market stalls! Another option is to take a tour from Bangkok which will often combine both the train market and a floating market. Taking a tour will also guarantee you see the train market in action as the train isn’t running as frequently after Thailand reopened. If you do go on your own, make sure to double check the train times so you see the stalls opening and closing for the train!

7. Dragon Temple: 1 hour from Bangkok

This is another extremely unique temple that’s instagram famous, yet only found here in Bangkok! The official name is Wat Samphran and it’s in Bangkok’s neighboring province of Nakhon Pathom. This is an amazing temple to visit, especially if you take the time to walk up the inside of the dragon to reach the top.

Unfortunately it isn’t easy to reach Wat Samphran using public transportation. If you don’t have your own vehicle, you can using Grab to call a taxi. To make the taxi less expensive, you can take the MRT to the last station, Lak Song, then call a taxi from there.

There are also so many cute cafes in the Nakhon Pathom area such as In Garden Hut Cafe, Bubble in the Forest Cafe, and After the Rain Coffee. These are a great place to stop off after a visit to the Dragon Temple!

8. Khao Yai National Park: 3 hours from Bangkok

Khao Yai National Park is Thailand’s first national park and also the most visited national park in Thailand! It’s one of the best national parks to see wildlife (including wild elephants!) in all of SouthEast Asia! Khao Yai also has many amazing viewpoints and waterfalls to check out.

The negative to Khao Yai is that you cannot use public transportation to explore the national park. We also think it’s better to stay overnight in the park. However if you want to do a day trip, check out some of these tours that can take you from Bangkok. Don’t forget to read our article which tells you everything you need to know about a visit to Khao Yai National Park!

9. Pattaya: 2 hours from Bangkok

If you’ve spent time in Bangkok, you’ve probably heard of Pattaya. While it’s famous for its nightlife, it’s also one of the closest beach towns to Bangkok and easily accessible using public transportation.

Despite its reputation, there are many interesting and unique places to visit in Pattaya! Pattaya is home to the famous Sanctuary of Truth Museum, the mountain with the giant Buddha carving (Khao Chi Chan), and the family friendly Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. There are all great places to visit on a day trip to Pattaya!

10. Erawan Falls/Kanchanaburi: 3.5 hours from Bangkok

The last place we recommend for a day trip from Bangkok is the Erawan Falls and/or Kanchanaburi. While this is the farthest location on our list, it is easy to visit using public transportation or there are many tours you can take from Bangkok.

Erawan National Park is home to the Erawan Falls – 7 tiers of waterfalls you can hike up. If you go during the right season they are the most gorgeous turquoise color we’ve ever seen! We were blown away the first time we visited this national park!

Don’t forget to read our complete Erawan Falls guide for all the info you need!

If you end up staying longer than one day (or if you just love history), make sure to also visit Kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi is home to the Death Railway and full of so much history.

We have YouTube videos from almost all of these places! Check them out below.