Filled with longtail boats and passenger ferries, Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River (Mae Nam Chao Phraya) is the capital's beating heart. Lined with modern skyscrapers and shopping malls, ancient Buddhist temples, and traditional markets, it perfectly exemplifies Bangkok’s mesh of classical and contemporary architecture. For the best views, admire it when illuminated by night on a dinner cruise.

Bangkok has some of the best street food in Asia, so sampling local delights is one of the top things to do in Bangkok for beginners. Street food tours help you decipher signs in Thai and discover top dishes that you might otherwise miss, as well as favorites like pad thai (a delicious peanut noodle dish). If you prefer to explore by yourself, start in the city’s famous Chinatown neighborhood and make your way to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.

If you’re a history buff, no visit to Bangkok is complete without visiting Ayutthaya—even if you’re not, this sprawling UNESCO–listed site is sure to capture your imagination. The 715-acre (289-hectare) temple complex is home to the well-preserved remains of hundreds of temples, towers, palaces, statues, and monasteries. Explore it with a day trip from Bangkok, which saves you the hassle of taking public transport and puts the ruins into context.

Tuk-tuks (or auto rickshaws) are a staple of Bangkok’s busy streets. This cheap and convenient mode of transport is the ideal way to explore the capital—the open-air carriage helps you stay cool in the city’s notorious humidity. A tuk-tuk sightseeing tour is a popular way to whizz between must-see attractions in Bangkok and most food tuk-tuk tours stop by stalls near Wongwian Yai.

No matter where you are in Bangkok, you’re never far from a temple. So if you’re exploring Bangkok for the first time, you should head straight to some of the city’s best, which include the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), home to a giant gold-leaf-covered Buddha statue; Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun), with its artfully-decorated spires; and the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit), which boasts the biggest Buddha statue in the world. See them all and more on a Bangkok temple tour.

Khao San Road is hailed as Bangkok’s backpacker epicenter. While it’s not the most local-forward of the top attractions for first-time visitors in Bangkok, it’s still an iconic part of the city that’s worth stopping by—even if it's just to sample a scorpion on a stick and soak up the buzz that starts to build once the sun sets. Many evening tours of the Thai capital end at Khao San Road to let you explore its bars independently. Parties tend to continue until the early hours.

While for many, the bustle of Bangkok is part of its charm, it’s often nice to escape the crowds and see a more serene side of the capital. Canal tours by longtail boats allow you to do just that. Cruise along the tributaries and canals of the Chao Phraya River (Mae Nam Chao Phraya) and discover off-the-beaten-path treasures such as the Artist House at Khlong Bang Luang, an art gallery and creative studio that hosts traditional puppet shows.

You won’t find many Bangkok first-time visitor guides that don’t mention floating markets. The city and its surrounds are home to several, which take you back to Thailand from bygone days. The most popular Bangkok floating markets are Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, one of the country’s largest, and Amphawa Floating Market, where boats are stacked high with exotic fruit, street food, and handmade souvenirs.

Bangkok is great from the ground, but it looks even more impressive from up high. Get a fresh perspective on the Thai capital at Baiyoke Sky Tower, which is the third-highest building in the city and boasts a 360-degree revolving observation deck on the 84th floor. It’s also a hotel, so you can stay overnight or enjoy a dinner package that includes a meal at one of Bangkok’s highest buffet restaurants.

Grand, gold, and glittering, the Grand Palace is one of the most renowned architectural symbols of Bangkok. It’s also home to some of Thailand’s important art and architecture, a dazzling example of how extravagant Bangkok’s buildings can be. It’s best explored on a guided tour that hones in on the finer details and gives you context that’s crucial to understanding its importance. Lots of tours combine it with Bangkok’s top temples.