Bangkok Spotlight
Bangkok discovery
*This tour extension was previously called: Bangkok Explorer Pre-Trip Extension
Enjoy an extra 2-nights and days exploring Bangkok, before you set out on a two wheeled adventure of rural Thailand and Southeast Asia. Take a true peek behind the highlights and touristic side of Bangkok to find a fascinating, complex city, just brimming with creativity and popular culture, but with a firm grasp on its heritage.
Bangkok, more so than any other city in the world, is a diverse, often baffling mix of the super wealthy, the wealthy, the middle classes and those who are eeking out a living in the only way they know how. All of these people intermingle in the tangle of modern buildings and world class urban transport, which provides an intriguing contrast to the backdrop of heritage architecture, temples and maddening traffic. For many, two days will not be enough, but for most of us, this two day introduction to Bangkok gives you a taste of the city that you would need to live here for years to find for yourself.
Whether it leaves you wanting more is hard to say, but we can say that you’ll have a great couple of days.
Activities
Ride / Walk / Boat
Difficulty
Easy
Duration
3 Days / 2 Nights
Price From
US$590
Day to Day itinerary
Day 1
Meals: D
Bangkok by night
Upon your landing at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, you’ll meet our representative who will be waiting to welcome you to the capital city of Thailand.
At mid-afternoon your host for the evening and any fellow travelers will convene in the hotel lobby. From there it is a short metro ride to the riverboat to visit Wat Arun and Wat Pho. These are two of the most important and well-recognized temples in the city and are a must visit for all. Your guide will take you on a brief walk through the grounds of each to provide an overview of the temple’s purpose and its history, followed by some time to wander and enjoy the late afternoon ambiance.
Bangkok’s Chinatown, Talat Noi, is a hidden gem and ideal for exploring on foot. No congested roads here, only small alleyways where charming houses, old Chinese temples, and coffee shops decorated with repurposed materials add to the peculiar atmosphere. If you are lucky, you may even encounter the artists behind the delightful and photogenic street art!
We will farewell the daylight with sunset drinks at a casual riverside bar. Then once the city lights up, we’ll enjoy the vibrant evening life of Chinatown, tasting some of the local street food to build your appetite! We will then move via local transport to the swankier end of town, where we have a table at one of Bangkok’s most authentic, yet refined restaurants. Here we’ll enjoy very traditional cuisine, presented beautifully. The food here includes some Isaan influenced dishes that borrow from Laotian cuisine. This means lots of light, tangy flavors, combined with complex spices and refreshing herbs and greenery.
For those who wish to continue on, your host can suggest different places to go to, depending on the ambiance you are looking for, be it rooftop, jazz bar, cocktails, or more. Your guide will part ways with you here, or return you back to the hotel if you would prefer to turn in for the night.
Day 2
Meals: BL
Distance: 14km riding
Canal Bike Tour
Bangkok originally functioned around water transport, the Chao Phraya River was the arterial with dozens of main canals leading off it, connecting to a radiating network of circular canals. As the city grew many were filled, but there is still plenty intact, and a journey down these offers an insight into old Bangkok and how those living along the canals existed since the city’s founding in 1768.
We combine bikes and boats today, starting on two wheels, riding the canal paths and weaving through small communities where cottage industries that can trace their history to the beginning of the city are still intact. Then we’ll switch to what is known locally as a “longtail boat”, this will have us humming through the canals, out to where the greenery is more prolific and there is a community organization centered around the arts. If we are lucky, there may be a performance happening, although this is not a daily event. It’s back on the boat form some more canal cruising before returning to the city and your hotel. You can expect to be back by 1pm following lunch along the way.
Once you have rested, we can point you in the direction of an excellent day spa where a relaxing massage might help you prepare for the next step (or pedal) of your adventure.
Day 3
Meal: B
Start your tour
Breakfast is included today so you can start your bike tour sufficiently fueled up for a great adventure. Our Tour Coordinator will confirm the hotel pickup time for your tour.
Tour inclusions
What’s Included
- Airport transfer, boat transport
- Entry fees to temples and where applicable
- Bike, helmet & water bottle
- Comfortable Accommodation
- All meals stated in Itinerary
- Shared snacks & nibbles
- First drink at each bar
- Host & Guide
What’s not
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Items of personal nature
- Tips
- Extra meals & drinks
- Spa treatment
- Early hotel check-in or late check-out
Package options
The tour comes with a 4-star hotel and a great selection of activities. The tour package is US$590 p.p. for two people, and for single travelers is US$888 p.p.
4-Star Package – US$590
For Solo Traveler – US$888
Mode Sathorn Hotel
How to book an extension?
This package is available as an extra when booking one of our applicable tours in Thailand. When completing your booking details please select “Add more details” to see all the available options: 4-star package or 5-star package.
Please note: If you are traveling solo, you must also select the “Single Supplement” applicable to your chosen package.
Other trip extensions
saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) spotlight
Phuket spotlight
