Embark this morning with your personal guide and visit some of the lovely, stately Bangkok abodes which are often overlooked by the tourists.

Here are some suggested estates which are well-worth adventuring to: the enchanting Vimanmek Palace built by King Rama V entirely out of golden teak and located in a lovely garden compound with several other royal palace museums, including the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall which houses the Queen's treasury of handicraft masterpieces; Suan Pakkard, The Lettuce Farm Palace with its traditional wooden homes, gardens and collection of art, antiques and pre-historic Thai ceramics; The Siam Society which houses several Northern-style teakwood houses, a gorgeous new library, plus a collection of utensils from Thai daily life; Jim Thompson's House, the fabulous teakwood villa of the gay American entrepreneur who resurrected Thai silk weaving artistry; the National Museum (closed Tues) housed in several ancient palace buildings; Bang Khun Prom Palace, built by King Rama V on the banks of the Chao Praya, is a compound of five royal mansions, orchid houses, quarters for royal pages, and the Baroque/Rococco Tamnak Yai Monetary Museum on the grounds of the current Bank of Thailand; Woradit Palace (closed weekends and holidays), a Princely retreat turned into a museum, housing various eccentric collections including walking sticks and kris daggers, and Plainon Palace, a summer estate of traditional teakwood Thai buildings which display gilded black lacquerware, khon (Thai opera) masks, and embroidered prayer fans.

Day Tour price: US$59