Luxury things to do in Bangkok
Wana Yook, Sorn, Potong, Raan Jay Fai, Sky Bar, and Gaysorn Village
Back-to-back tasting menus, a grand palace at your own pace, and the city's most talked-about chef's tables across three neighbourhoods. This is Bangkok without compromise, for the kind of traveller who books Sorn and Bo.lan in the same trip and means it.
Day 1: Siam and Ratchaprasong at full tilt
Gaysorn's flagships, royal Thai at Saneh Jaan, Lumphini Park, then INDDEE's Indian tasting menu and Above Eleven.
- 10:30 AM
Gaysorn Village
Gaysorn Village is Bangkok's most glamorous luxury mall, Hermès, Dior, Cartier all under one roof, steps from the hotel.
Map - 12:30 PM
Saneh Jaan
Royal-style central and southern Thai in the glasshouse at Sindhorn, a short ride from Gaysorn.
Map - 2:30 PM
Lumphini Park สวนลุมพินี
Big shady park with a lake, pedal boats and monitor lizards sunning on the banks; walk it after lunch.
Map - 7:30 PM
INDDEE
Modern Indian tasting menu that moves region by region across the subcontinent; take the full menu.
Map - 9:30 PM
Above Eleven Rooftop Bar & Restaurant
Rooftop Nikkei bar on Sukhumvit Soi 11; pisco sours and ceviche with a long view over the city.
Map
Day 2: Phrom Phong, Khlong Toei, Sorn
Emporium's luxury floors, Khlong Toey for the city's most honest food shopping, a long Indian lunch at Indus, and Sorn's southern Thai tasting menu at night.
- 10:15 AM
- 11:00 AM
Khlong Toey Market ตลาดคลองเตย
Khlong Toey Market, Bangkok's most famous wet market, a sensory deep-dive into the city's food soul before lunch.
Map - 12:30 PM
Indus
Refined Indian cooking in a converted house on Sukhumvit 26, a long lunch before Sorn tonight.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sorn
Southern Thai tasting menu built on produce from the south; reservations open far ahead, so book first.
Map - 9:30 PM
Day 3: Rattanakosin, the grand old city
The Grand Palace, the legendary crab omelette at Raan Jay Fai, Wat Arun across the river, and Potong's tasting menu to close: the day Bangkok earns every baht you spend.
- 9:30 AM
Rocket Coffeebar
Scandinavian-style cafe on Sathorn Soi 12; a flat white and an open sandwich before the palace.
Map - 10:15 AM
Grand Palace พระบรมมหาราชวัง
Thailand's royal complex and the Emerald Buddha; come early, with shoulders and knees covered.
Map - 12:30 PM
Raan Jay Fai
Jay Fai cooks over charcoal in ski goggles; order the crab omelette and book ahead or queue early.
Map - 2:30 PM
Wat Arun วัดอรุณ
Wat Arun's riverside spire is most spectacular in the afternoon light, cross the river for the full effect.
Map - 7:30 PM
Potong
Chef Pam's progressive Thai-Chinese tasting menu in her family's century-old Chinatown building.
Map - 9:30 PM
Sky Bar
Open-air bar 63 floors up at Lebua, looking straight down the river; smart dress required.
Map
Where to stay
Aman Nai Lert Bangkok
Aman Nai Lert sits in its own garden compound near Phloen Chit, steps from Gaysorn, Wana Yook and INDDEE: the quietest, most considered address at this price point.
Waldorf Astoria Bangkok
The Waldorf Astoria puts you at the heart of Ratchaprasong with the grandest lobby bar in the neighbourhood and direct access to every day-one stop.
Make Bangkok your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium: a few days ahead
- Thai Country Club: weeks ahead
- Alpine Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Nikanti Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Siam Country Club Bangkok: a few days ahead
- Hidden Bangkok Tours: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Anyone saying the Grand Palace is closed today and offering a cheap tuk-tuk tour is running the gem and tailor scam.
- Do not follow ping-pong show touts in Patpong or Nana upstairs, where padded bills and intimidation follow.
- Skip Damnoen Saduak as sold by hotel desks and use Bang Nam Phueng or Amphawa instead for a floating market.
- Avoid Asiatique, buffet dinner cruises and gem or tailor factories on tour itineraries.
The full Bangkok travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around