An Epic One Day in Bangkok Itinerary with Kids
With living here in Bangkok for more than 16 years now, we have many friends and family who come to visit us from abroad. Some of them are just passing through Bangkok on a long layover or for a short visit. So we’ve figured out that Ancient City is the best one day in Bangkok itinerary with kids. Ancient City is even a great place to take a day trip in Thailand with little ones or elderly parents.
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Why Ancient City is the best for a one day in Bangkok itinerary
ANCIENT CITY, aka Muang Boran by the locals, is a huge 320 acre outdoor museum and park that is in the shape of Thailand and has life-size replicas of the most famous architectural and cultural landmarks from each region.
It has replicas of more than 100 iconic monuments and landmarks!
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:
- The Dusit Maha Prasat Palace (aka the Royal Hall from the Grand Palace) that you can walk inside and explore
- The Sanphet Prasat Palace from Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand, that you can also walk into without worry that the kids are being too loud or touching some real relic
- The Floating Market where you can try some homemade Thai treats, Pad Thai noodles, or get some souvenirs from the traditional Thai-style ‘boat vendors’
- Multiple Ancient Ruins — especially the Prasat Phra Wihan or the Phanom Rung Sanctuary where the kids can climb on the ruins and venture through all the short entrance doors and hallways or even play hide and seek
- An Old Market Town where you can buy fresh fruit smoothies, old timey Thai style toys and games, and other traditional souvenirs
- Khun Phaen House – this place is fun to explore the different rooms in a traditional Thai house on stilts and also learn how many Thai people still live up-country today
- ‘The Ghost Museum’ — aka Mondop Phra Chaturaprut — which is a 3 story depiction of the buddhist version of heaven and hell (please note: I don’t recommend taking young kids inside because of the scary ghost statues inside)
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 with kids 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!
Reasons to visit Ancient City
- You can bike or e-bike around the park
- You can rent Golf Carts to drive around
- You can ride elephants -- very rare near Bangkok
- Free Thai Cultural Dance Shows
- You can take pictures in traditional Thai costumes
Fun Ways to Get Around Ancient City
Another reason Ancient City offers the best one day in Bangkok itinerary with kids 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.
- Rent a 4 seater golf cart = 350 baht/first hour and 200 baht/hour after (about $10 + $6 USD)
- Rent a 6 seater golf cart = 500 baht/first hour and 300 baht/hour after (about $15 + $10 USD)
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, rent an e-bike to drive around the park.
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 4-5 hours
Bicycles:
If you have older children or like being active, you can rent a bicycle to ride around.
Bicycles: 150 baht/day (about $5 USD)
Time needed to explore Ancient City on a bicycle: About 4-6 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. From there, 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.
WHY BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE?
How to Get to Ancient City Muang Boran
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 Muang Boran:
This is a quick and efficient way to get around the city. It’s air-conditioned.-
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- 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.
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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‘.
Having this card has multiple benefits:
- Go straight to the BTS gate, tap your card, and it will automatically calculate how much the ride was based on where you exit.
- Save lots of time not needing to queue to buy individual BTS ride tickets
- You can pick up this Rabbit Card from Klook at the Suvarnabhumi Airport or at Central World (a mall in the center of the city). This makes it easy to quickly jump on the BTS Sky Train and make your way around the city with ease.
- This one from Klook is pre-loaded with 200 THB already (about $7 USD).
- If you buy yours from the BTS Station, you should pre-fill it with about 100-200 baht per day that you’ll be in Bangkok. You can top up more later, but it is quite difficult to get a refund on any amount left in the card.
- Get 1 Rabbit Card per person above 90cm (about 3 feet). Kids under 90 cm ride for free.
If you’ll be stopping at multiple BTS Sky Train stations all in one single day, it would save you money to have a BTS One Day Pass. With this card, you can go to an unlimited number of stations in one day, saving you time buying individual tickets at the long queues. This is most helpful if you’ll stop at 3+ stations in a single day. But this pass is only good for one single day and can not be ‘topped up’ like the above Rabbit Card.
Other helpful tips for one day in Bangkok at 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. A couple 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 made-to-order as well as fresh coconut juice and delish fruit smoothies.
- FREE AUDIO GUIDE is available at the ticket counter.
- IT’S HOT YEAR ROUND, so 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: 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.
BEST FAMILY HOTEL IN BANGKOK:
JASMINE GRAND RESIDENCE
With 1, 2, and 3 bedroom suites that have a living room, dining area, kitchenette, washing machine, etc. for only about $55-$110 USD!
The delicious buffet breakfast, the friendly reception who are ready to help you 24 hours a day in a foreign country, and the epic swimming pool with a slide, fountains, and kiddie area make this a great choice!
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, but 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.
- 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, and 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%!
Hey there, we're Brittany and Witt!
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?
Need Phone Service while in Bangkok?
It’s a no-brainer that you’ll need to stay connected while traveling in Thailand — whether it’s for using GPS, researching the best island hopping tour packages, or letting the kids have some downtime a little Bluey on YouTube.
Don’t do the T-Mobile or AT&T International Roaming plans for about $10 a day — it’s a total rip off!
You can get the same exact service for much cheaper and just as easy with our tips below:
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 to multiple countries 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 they send in an email to install and activate the eSIM.
The packages run from only $9.90 for 50 GB of data to $19.95 USD for Unlimited Data in Thailand.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING AROUND 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 or at any mall, which would have a TRUE shop, DTAC shop, and/or AIS shop. You would need your passport on hand. The physical SIM + a prepaid service card would cost about 350 baht (~$10 USD), but it usually only comes with 5GB of Data. So Airalo is a much better deal.
TIP: 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.
MOST LUXURIOUS FAMILY HOTEL:
SIAM KEMPINSKI HOTEL BANGKOK
If you're looking for a kid-friendly 5 star accommodation right in the heart of Bangkok, 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, you will be met with luxury at every turn.
Best Time to Visit Thailand
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: Klook is a trusted site that I use often in my travels around SouthEast Asia, and they usually have discounted prices for the most popular attractions.
Use this special 10% coupon code ‘APP10TW’ if it’s your first time to use the Klook mobile app.
Other helpful blog posts about traveling to Bangkok:
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.
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