Our Favorite One Day in Bangkok Itinerary
Our family has lived in Thailand for 16 years now, so we always have friends and family coming for a visit. Some of them are just passing through, getting to spend just one day in Bangkok. Over the years, we’ve learned that Ancient City is one of the most kid-friendly attractions Bangkok has to offer. And whether you’re traveling with kids or not, Ancient City is still one of the best things to do in Bangkok especially if you just have one day here!
Below is the Ultimate Travel Guide to everything you need to know about visiting Ancient City on a Day Trip from Bangkok!
Why Ancient City is the Best Place to Visit with just One Day in Bangkok?
ANCIENT CITY is a huge 320 acre outdoor museum in the shape of Thailand with replicas of some of the most famous architectural and cultural landmarks from each region. One of the best things to do in Bangkok is ride a golf cart or rent bikes to travel around these life-size replicas. Since these are just replicas, our 3 girls were able to freely run around the temples as well as be hands-on at each of these monuments. It was so nice to give our girls this freedom to explore on their own terms without constantly telling them to be quiet or don’t touch anything. This makes Ancient City one of the most kid-friendly attractions Bangkok has in our opinion.
Reasons to visit Ancient City
- You can bike or e-bike around the park
- You can rent Golf Carts to cruise around
- You can ride elephants -- very rare near Bangkok
- Free Thai Cultural Dance Shows
- You can take pictures in traditional Thai costumes
The Best Things to Do in Bangkok at Ancient City
With more than 100 sites to see at Ancient City, it’s nearly impossible to visit each one. So these are the seven sites at Ancient City worth visiting to have the best one day in Bangkok itinerary with kids in tow:
- Freely explore inside the Dusit Maha Prasat Palace (aka the Royal Hall from the Grand Palace) without fear of the kids being too loud or mischievous
- Dress up in Thai traditional clothes for a photo shoot inside the Sanphet Prasat Palace from Ayutthaya
- Ride elephants through the Floating Market where you can also try some Mango Sticky Rice or Pad Thai noodles from the traditional Thai-style ‘boat vendors’
- Climb through the small pathways of the Ancient Ruins of the Prasat Phra Wihan or the Phanom Rung Sanctuary
- Buy a fresh Coconut Fruit Smoothie or a handmade fan at the Old Market Town
- Have a pretend tea party at the Khun Phaen House – a traditional Thai house on stilts
- Be in awe at the ‘The Ghost Museum’ — aka Mondop Phra Chaturaprut — which is a 3 story depiction of the buddhist version of heaven and hell (Note: I don’t recommend taking young kids inside because of the scary ghost statues)
There are also replicas of the royal ships, famous waterfalls, the Giant Swing, the reclining Buddha, the royal gardens, pagodas, shrines, etc.
The reason this is the best one day in Bangkok itinerary is because you literally get to see a life-size version of the most famous monuments and tourist attractions from all over Thailand — all in this one place!
WHY BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE?
Where to Buy Discount Tickets to Ancient City
I’ve been to Ancient City at least 10 times, so I am always looking for the cheapest price available. In my research, Klook for sure has the best price, and it’s a trusted website like Get Your Guide or Viator. Yet Klook focuses on travel, activities and attractions within SouthEast Asian countries. I’ve used the Klook website many times, and we’ve had a great experience by booking tickets to Ancient City in advance here.
- Ancient City Official Website Price = 700 baht/adult age 15+ (about $20 USD)
- Klook Ancient City Tickets Here“] Price = 350 baht / adult (about $10 USD)
- Kids age 6-14 have a special pricing
- Kids age 5 and under are FREE (yayyy! just another great reason to take the family)
I recommend getting your Ancient City tickets in advance from Klook to save nearly 50%!
Ancient City is One of the Most Kid-friendly Attractions Bangkok has -- How you get around the park is one main reason!
Another reason Ancient City is one of the most kid-friendly attractions Bangkok has is because your family can choose how to explore this huge outdoor museum.
GOLF CARTS:
If you have little kids or grandparents, I highly recommend renting a golf cart.
- The last time we went, our family rented a 4 seater golf cart for only 350 baht/first hour and 200 baht/hour after (about $10 + $6 USD)
- We have also taken larger groups where we rented two 6 seater golf carts at 500 baht/first hour and 300 baht/hour after (about $15 + $10 USD)
- Who doesn’t love getting to weave in and out little lanes on a golf cart — all the while getting to see a glimpse into the beautiful Thai culture.
- TIME NEEDED to explore Ancient City on a golf cart: About 3-5 hours depending on if we eat lunch there and if we ride elephants
E-BIKES:
If you are feeling adventurous or have teenagers, renting an e-bike would be an epic way to explore Ancient City
- To Rent an E-bike = 250 baht/3 hours + 100 baht/hour after (about $7 + $3 USD)
- Time needed to explore Ancient City on an E-Bike: About 5-6 hours
BICYCLES:
If you have older children or like being active, you can rent a bicycle to ride around to all the landmarks and temples.
- Since the monuments are fairly close to each other and the terrain is pretty flat, we really enjoyed bringing my dad here to ride bicycles on a day trip from Bangkok one time.
- Bicycles: 150 baht/day (about $5 USD)
- Time needed to explore Ancient City on a bicycle: About 5-6 hours depending on how quick you peddle
FREE TRAM:
The tram service is free and is 1.5 hours long.
- You need to let the ticket counter know if you’d like to ride the tram when you receive your tickets.
- The tram ride currently runs at 10am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm.
- Time needed to explore Ancient City on the tram: About 2-3 hours because you can see all the highlights from the 1.5 hour tram ride, and then you could walk about 15 minutes into the large park to explore inside the Grand Palace, Ayutthaya Palace and Traditional Thai House as well as the Old Market Town.
- After riding the tram, you could grab lunch across the street at the food vendors if you were looking for lunch or dinner.
*These prices could change based on the current promotion or season.
Coming to Bangkok soon? Don’t forget to pin this to save for later!
COMMENT BELOW with which way of getting around Ancient City would be the most fun for your family: golf carts, biking, walking, e-bikes, or the tram?
Other Helpful Tips for Families taking a Day Trip from Bangkok to Ancient City
- ANCIENT CITY OPENING TIMES: Monday-Sunday 9am-7pm
- WHERE TO EAT? They have a restaurant with buffet, but it is overrun with tour groups and very loud. I recommend the food stalls and small mom-n-pop restaurants instead. They are located across the street from the Old Market Town. They also have a good restaurant next to the Ghost Museum. Both have wonderful Thai food that is made-to-order as well as fresh coconut juice and delish fruit smoothies.
- FREE AUDIO GUIDE is available at the ticket counter.
- WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT BANGKOK : November to February is the best weather with mostly sunny days, and temps in the mid-high 80s. However, Thailand is pretty hot and humid all year round, so be sure to wear sunblock, a hat, and sunglasses. If you are here between July to October, during rainy season, then I recommend taking an umbrella too!
- WHERE TO STAY IN BANGKOK FOR FAMILIES: I’ve put our top 3 choices below or you can check out my post for the best places to stay in Bangkok for families.
MOST LUXURIOUS FAMILY HOTEL:
SIAM KEMPINSKI HOTEL BANGKOK
If you're looking for a kid-friendly luxury hotel in Bangkok with 5 star accommodations, then Siam Kempinski is our top choice!
Between the massive swimming pool, the fun Kids Club room, the cute child-size robes and slippers, and the exquisite breakfast buffet, luxury is at every turn.
BEST FAMILY HOTEL ON THE RIVER:
SHANGRI-LA BANGKOK
- Forbes voted the Shangri-La Bangkok as the ‘Best Hotel in Bangkok for Families’
- Get the Family Fun Experience Package that includes airport transfer, a 2 hour sightseeing boat tour on the Chao Praya River, and a family suite.
- Enjoy the luxurious pool overlooking the Chao Praya River
- Expansive breakfast buffet
- Only 220 meters to Saphan Taksin BTS Sky Train Station
- Very easy to take the river taxis
BEST FAMILY HOTEL IN BANGKOK:
JASMINE GRAND RESIDENCE
- This is the hotel we choose for our own friends and family
- Stay in the 1, 2, or 3 bedroom suites with a living room, dining area, kitchenette, and even a washing machine
- Our favorite rooftop pool in the city!
- Delicious breakfast buffet
- Only a 10 minute walk to Ekkamai BTS Sky Train Station
- Grocery and restaurants withn a 5 minute walk
Check out this Bangkok Hotel Guide with the most kid-friendly places to stay for your upcoming family vacation to Thailand!
Hey there, we're Brittany and Witt!
How to Get to Ancient City Muang Boran
Riding the BTS Sky Train to Kheha and then grabbing a taxi is how our family beats the traffic when going to Ancient City
By Taxi to Ancient City (booked from an app):
If you are traveling with little kids, then I recommend booking a taxi on the GRAB app or the BOLT app for the best experience of your one day in Bangkok itinerary with kids.
- The benefits of booking in an app is that you will see an estimate price (if booking a Grab Taxi) or the actual price (if booking the options of the Grab Car, Just GRAB, or BOLT car).
- If you have a big family, you can book a GrabSUV or GrabVan.
- You can also pre-book a taxi or van in advance in the app. This is really helpful if you already know the exact day and time you want to go.
- Also, the driver will automatically have the location of Ancient City in their GPS, so there is no need to tell the driver any directions.
By Taxi hailed from the street:
- You can hail a taxi from the side of the street (look for a taxi with the ‘light’ on, which means it’s ‘available’).
- Be wary of drivers who try to charge you a flat rate. Ask for the ‘meter,’ which starts at 35 baht (about $1 USD) and goes up in increments of 2 baht.
- If you are in the city center, a taxi will probably cost about 350 baht (about $10 USD) to get to Ancient City.
- Tell the driver you want to go to ‘Muang Boran in Samut Prakarn’ and maybe already have a map on GPS already pulled up and zoomed out to show the driver a birds-eye view of where you want to go.
By BTS Sky Train to Ancient City at the Kheha Station:
This is a quick and efficient way to get around the city. It’s air-conditioned.
- For Ancient City, you will buy tickets for KHEHA STATION E23 and then you’ll still want to grab a quick taxi ride to ‘Muang Boran’ of about 5 minutes and less than 100 baht (about $3 USD). Walking there would take about 45 minutes, but it’s mostly flat and a straight shot.
- You can buy the BTS Sky Train tickets at the counter or at the machine.
- After buying your ticket, have it ready to TAP to go through to the platforms. The platforms will be one or two levels up depending on which station you are at. Follow the signs to ‘KHEHA,’ which is the last station in that direction.
- Adult BTS Fare = 15-59 baht (about $.50-$2) depending on where you are coming from
- Just FYI : Kids over 90cm tall (about 3′) have to pay adult price.
- Kids under 90cm (about 3 feet) are FREE.
TIP: If you’re planning to travel by BTS Sky Train often, I recommend getting this BTS Sky Train Pre-filled Rabbit Card to be able to save time not having to queue at each BTS Station to buy tickets.
How to Travel by Bus to Ancient City:
If you’re on a tight budget, you can be like a local and ride the bus. They have a/c buses, but with very limited routes. These buses charge per distance. The non-air-conditioned buses charge a flat rate and offer nearly every route imaginable. However, the bad part of riding the bus is that they are hard to navigate if you are not fluent in Thai. The signs are in Thai, the bus attendants mostly speak only Thai, and most bus stops do not have any signage to let you know where you are or when you need to get off. So unless you are feeling very adventurous and have plenty of time to spare, I do NOT recommend taking the bus in Thailand.
***Google Maps is actually VERY helpful when navigating around Bangkok even for being able to use the MRT Subway or BTS Sky Train as well as if you want to try the bus routes.
By Private Tour to Ancient City (recommended):
Truthfully, if you only have a one day in Bangkok itinerary, I highly recommend having a local who can speak English and take you to multiple sites and the best restaurants all in just one day. This Private Tour with a tour guide who speaks English takes you to Ancient City, the Erawan 3-headed Elephant Monument, and the Wat Paknam Temple with the Largest Buddha Statue. They also take you to have lunch at our favorite restaurant in that area called Sailom Bangpu, which is on the ocean and has incredible Thai dishes. Then you get to end the night at the famous Jodds Fair, a foodie haven! For about $200, this Private Tour to Ancient City includes transportation and a guide who speaks English. It does not include the entrance fees though.
TRANSPORTATION TIP FOR BANGKOK:
Get a BTS Sky Train Pass called a ‘Rabbit Card‘.
This card has multiple benefits:
- It’s pre-loaded with 200 Thai Baht (about $7 USD)
- Saves time
- No queueing for individual tickets
- Automatically deducts the trip fare from the card
- Can easily top up
- Use for long-term or multi-day trips around Bangkok
*Recommended: Buy 1 Rabbit Card per person above 90cm tall (3 feet). Kids under 90 cm ride for free.
Need Cell Phone Service while in Thailand? Do this!
You’ll need to stay connected while traveling in Thailand — for GPS Maps, researching the best island hopping tour packages, or letting the kids have some downtime watching Bluey on YouTube.
Don’t do the T-Mobile or AT&T International Roaming plans for about $10 per day — save that money for a nice restaurant or fun activity!
E-SIM: I highly recommend getting an eSIM from Airalo to have great internet service all over Thailand. They are actually using the same local providers that AT&T, T-mobile and Verizon will use.
I have personally used Airalo many times traveling all over the world, and it works great and is SUPER easy to install.
To use your Airalo eSIM, you simply buy a package then scan the QR code from your email to install and activate the eSIM.
The packages run from only $4.50 for 1 GB of data to $35 USD for Unlimited Data in Thailand.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING THAILAND WITH KIDS: If you let your kids watch YouTube, Netflix, etc, then I recommend getting the Unlimited Data. But if you’re not video streaming, then 50 GB of data is enough to browse the internet, use Google Maps, and stay in touch with friends back home.
PHYSICAL SIM CARD: You could also pick up a physical SIM card at the airport upon arrival, at any mall, which would have a TRUE shop, DTAC shop, and/or AIS shop, or even some 7-Elevens have them. Just ask! You would need your passport on hand. The physical SIM + a prepaid service card would cost about 999 baht (~$30 USD), but it usually comes with 30GB of Data. So Airalo is a much better deal.
TIP #2: If you plan to use a physical SIM card, then be sure to contact your local phone provider (such as AT&T or Verizon) before traveling overseas to check that your phone is already unlocked. They can usually do this for you over the phone.
WHY BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE?
Thailand has a tropical climate, which means it is mostly hot and humid year round. The temps range from about 75’F (22’C) to 100’F (40’C), but mostly stay in the high 80s (low 30’Cs).
Thailand generally has two seasons: wet and dry.
The Wet Season
- heavily influenced by the monsoon winds
- typically lands between June to September
- During the wet season, there will be moments of heavy rainfall.
- It might rain cats and dogs for 30 minutes, and then be clear for the next 6 hours.
- Or it could rain heavily for 3 hours straight.
- But in our experience of living here for the past 16+ years, the heavy rain usually passes within an hour.
TIP FOR TRAVELING TO THAILAND DURING RAINY SEASON: Pack shoes that can get wet, quick drying clothes, and a poncho or umbrella.
The Dry Season
- generally is between November to April
- Has mostly clear, sunny days
*Do note that May and October are shoulder months. The days could be either dry or wet. It just depends if the monsoon season comes early that year or late.
That being said, the very best time to visit Thailand is between December to February.
If you visit Thailand during this time, the days will mostly be sunny but not too hot. March and April will have mostly clear and sunny days too, but they are the hottest months of the year. Temps in Thailand during April stay in the high 90s (about 38’C-42’C).
DISCOUNT TIP:
I recommend getting your Ancient City tickets in advance from Klook to save nearly 50%!
Other Helpful Tips for Families Traveling to Thailand
If you’d like to visit the most famous landmarks in person, this is an epic One Day in Bangkok Itinerary with kids on the Hop on Hop off River Taxi.
The Best Things to Do in Bangkok with Kids with recommendations to the best cultural activities, museums, kid-friendly restaurants, indoor playgrounds, and what to do on a rainy day in Bangkok.
The Best Family-friendly Temples in Bangkok with helpful info like how to get there, opening hours, entrance fees, and how to keep the kids entertained while visiting.
Don’t forget to read up on the recently updated Tourist Visa measures.
Best Family Hotels in Bangkok by BTS Skytrain: Luxury Stays to Budget-friendly Hotels for Families
Discover the best family hotels in Bangkok near the BTS Skytrain, from luxury family resorts to budget-friendly stays. Explore convenient, kid-friendly hotels with easy access to Bangkok attractions, shopping, and dining.
Best Tips Before Booking a Hotel in Bangkok and Traveling to Thailand with Kids
Discover the best tips before booking a hotel and traveling to Thailand with kids. Learn family travel tips, kid-friendly hotels, safety advice, and how to plan the perfect Thailand family vacation.