Bangkok itinerary: 1 to 7 days
Plans for one to seven days in Bangkok, day by day: the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho and Wat Arun first, then the Golden Mount and the old-city temples, Jim Thompson House, Chinatown and the National Museum, and the parks, markets and theme parks as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Bangkok in 1 day
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Bangkok in 2 days
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Bangkok National Museum
Thailand's main museum of art and history, partly housed in the former Front Palace near Sanam Luang.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Day 2
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's largest green space, with a lake, joggers and roaming monitor lizards.
Erawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma at the Ratchaprasong intersection, where worshippers pay for dances as offerings.
Baiyoke Tower II
One of Thailand's tallest buildings, a hotel tower in Pratunam with a revolving observation deck.
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Bangkok in 3 days
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Wat Suthat
A royal temple beside the Giant Swing, with a large bronze Buddha and fine wall paintings.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Day 2
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's largest green space, with a lake, joggers and roaming monitor lizards.
Erawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma at the Ratchaprasong intersection, where worshippers pay for dances as offerings.
Baiyoke Tower II
One of Thailand's tallest buildings, a hotel tower in Pratunam with a revolving observation deck.
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Day 3
Democracy Monument
A 1939 monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue commemorating the 1932 change to a constitutional monarchy.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
A temple with the Loha Prasat, a tiered building of 37 metal spires, near the Democracy Monument.
Wat Saket
The Golden Mount, a temple on an artificial hill with a gilded chedi and views over the old city.
Wat Benchamabophit
The Marble Temple, built under King Chulalongkorn of Italian Carrara marble, with a gallery of Buddha images.
Royal Plaza
The square in Dusit with the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn and the domed Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
A royal temple in Banglamphu where several Thai kings spent time as monks.
Bangkok in 4 days
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Wat Suthat
A royal temple beside the Giant Swing, with a large bronze Buddha and fine wall paintings.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Day 2
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's largest green space, with a lake, joggers and roaming monitor lizards.
Erawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma at the Ratchaprasong intersection, where worshippers pay for dances as offerings.
Baiyoke Tower II
One of Thailand's tallest buildings, a hotel tower in Pratunam with a revolving observation deck.
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Day 3
Democracy Monument
A 1939 monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue commemorating the 1932 change to a constitutional monarchy.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
A temple with the Loha Prasat, a tiered building of 37 metal spires, near the Democracy Monument.
Wat Saket
The Golden Mount, a temple on an artificial hill with a gilded chedi and views over the old city.
Wat Benchamabophit
The Marble Temple, built under King Chulalongkorn of Italian Carrara marble, with a gallery of Buddha images.
Royal Plaza
The square in Dusit with the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn and the domed Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
A royal temple in Banglamphu where several Thai kings spent time as monks.
Day 4
Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok
Thailand's principal Catholic cathedral, a red-brick church from the 1910s near the river in Bang Rak.
Golden Buddha
A solid gold seated Buddha about three metres tall at Wat Traimit in Chinatown, found under plaster in 1955.
Jim Thompson House
The teak houses of the American silk entrepreneur who vanished in 1967, with his collection of Asian art.
Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World
A large aquarium beneath the Siam Paragon mall, with an underwater walk-through tunnel.
Victory Monument
An obelisk in a large traffic circle commemorating the Franco-Thai war of 1940-41, now a busy transport hub.
Bangkok in 5 days
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Wat Suthat
A royal temple beside the Giant Swing, with a large bronze Buddha and fine wall paintings.
Democracy Monument
A 1939 monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue commemorating the 1932 change to a constitutional monarchy.
Day 2
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's largest green space, with a lake, joggers and roaming monitor lizards.
Erawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma at the Ratchaprasong intersection, where worshippers pay for dances as offerings.
Jim Thompson House
The teak houses of the American silk entrepreneur who vanished in 1967, with his collection of Asian art.
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
A contemporary arts centre opposite MBK, with galleries on several floors, exhibitions, performances and small cafés and craft shops.
Siam Square
A grid of small streets and shopping malls near Siam station, popular for fashion, street food, cafés and Thai youth culture.
Day 3
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Bangkok National Museum
Thailand's main museum of art and history, partly housed in the former Front Palace near Sanam Luang.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
A temple with the Loha Prasat, a tiered building of 37 metal spires, near the Democracy Monument.
Wat Saket
The Golden Mount, a temple on an artificial hill with a gilded chedi and views over the old city.
Wat Benchamabophit
The Marble Temple, built under King Chulalongkorn of Italian Carrara marble, with a gallery of Buddha images.
Royal Plaza
The square in Dusit with the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn and the domed Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
Day 4
Pratunam Market
Thailand's largest clothing market, a maze of wholesale fashion stalls near Baiyoke Tower.
Baiyoke Tower II
One of Thailand's tallest buildings, a hotel tower in Pratunam with a revolving observation deck.
Suan Pakkad Palace
Traditional Thai teak houses in a garden, holding a museum of art and antiques and a lacquer pavilion.
Victory Monument
An obelisk in a large traffic circle commemorating the Franco-Thai war of 1940-41, now a busy transport hub.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
A huge weekend market of thousands of stalls selling clothes, plants, antiques, ceramics and street food, with sections for almost everything.
Day 5
Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok
Thailand's principal Catholic cathedral, a red-brick church from the 1910s near the river in Bang Rak.
Golden Buddha
A solid gold seated Buddha about three metres tall at Wat Traimit in Chinatown, found under plaster in 1955.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
The largest Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, in the heart of Chinatown's Yaowarat area.
Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
A royal temple in Banglamphu where several Thai kings spent time as monks.
Bangkok in 6 days
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Wat Suthat
A royal temple beside the Giant Swing, with a large bronze Buddha and fine wall paintings.
Democracy Monument
A 1939 monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue commemorating the 1932 change to a constitutional monarchy.
Day 2
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's largest green space, with a lake, joggers and roaming monitor lizards.
Erawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma at the Ratchaprasong intersection, where worshippers pay for dances as offerings.
Jim Thompson House
The teak houses of the American silk entrepreneur who vanished in 1967, with his collection of Asian art.
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
A contemporary arts centre opposite MBK, with galleries on several floors, exhibitions, performances and small cafés and craft shops.
Siam Square
A grid of small streets and shopping malls near Siam station, popular for fashion, street food, cafés and Thai youth culture.
Day 3
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Bangkok National Museum
Thailand's main museum of art and history, partly housed in the former Front Palace near Sanam Luang.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
A temple with the Loha Prasat, a tiered building of 37 metal spires, near the Democracy Monument.
Wat Saket
The Golden Mount, a temple on an artificial hill with a gilded chedi and views over the old city.
Wat Benchamabophit
The Marble Temple, built under King Chulalongkorn of Italian Carrara marble, with a gallery of Buddha images.
Royal Plaza
The square in Dusit with the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn and the domed Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
Day 4
Pratunam Market
Thailand's largest clothing market, a maze of wholesale fashion stalls near Baiyoke Tower.
Baiyoke Tower II
One of Thailand's tallest buildings, a hotel tower in Pratunam with a revolving observation deck.
Suan Pakkad Palace
Traditional Thai teak houses in a garden, holding a museum of art and antiques and a lacquer pavilion.
Victory Monument
An obelisk in a large traffic circle commemorating the Franco-Thai war of 1940-41, now a busy transport hub.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
A huge weekend market of thousands of stalls selling clothes, plants, antiques, ceramics and street food, with sections for almost everything.
Day 5
Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok
Thailand's principal Catholic cathedral, a red-brick church from the 1910s near the river in Bang Rak.
Golden Buddha
A solid gold seated Buddha about three metres tall at Wat Traimit in Chinatown, found under plaster in 1955.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
The largest Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, in the heart of Chinatown's Yaowarat area.
Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
A royal temple in Banglamphu where several Thai kings spent time as monks.
Day 6
Chatuchak Park
A large public park in north Bangkok, next to the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World
A large aquarium beneath the Siam Paragon mall, with an underwater walk-through tunnel.
King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk
A pixelated skyscraper with indoor and rooftop viewing decks, including a glass floor, giving long views over Bangkok.
Asiatique
A riverfront night market in old warehouses with shops, restaurants, a Ferris wheel and shows, reached by free boat from Sathorn pier.
Bangkok in 7 days
Day 1
Wat Arun
The Temple of Dawn on the Thonburi bank, its central prang covered in pieces of porcelain.
Wat Pho
The temple of the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, also a traditional school of Thai massage.
Grand Palace
The former royal residence, a walled complex of gilded halls that also holds the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Wat Suthat
A royal temple beside the Giant Swing, with a large bronze Buddha and fine wall paintings.
Khaosan Road
Bangkok's backpacker street of cheap guesthouses, bars and street food, liveliest at night.
Day 2
Lumphini Park
Central Bangkok's largest green space, with a lake, joggers and roaming monitor lizards.
Erawan Shrine
A busy Hindu shrine to Brahma at the Ratchaprasong intersection, where worshippers pay for dances as offerings.
Jim Thompson House
The teak houses of the American silk entrepreneur who vanished in 1967, with his collection of Asian art.
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
A contemporary arts centre opposite MBK, with galleries on several floors, exhibitions, performances and small cafés and craft shops.
Siam Square
A grid of small streets and shopping malls near Siam station, popular for fashion, street food, cafés and Thai youth culture.
Day 3
Giant Swing
A tall red teak frame once used for a Brahmin swinging ceremony, in front of Wat Suthat.
Bangkok National Museum
Thailand's main museum of art and history, partly housed in the former Front Palace near Sanam Luang.
Democracy Monument
A 1939 monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue commemorating the 1932 change to a constitutional monarchy.
Wat Ratchanatdaram
A temple with the Loha Prasat, a tiered building of 37 metal spires, near the Democracy Monument.
Wat Saket
The Golden Mount, a temple on an artificial hill with a gilded chedi and views over the old city.
Wat Benchamabophit
The Marble Temple, built under King Chulalongkorn of Italian Carrara marble, with a gallery of Buddha images.
Royal Plaza
The square in Dusit with the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn and the domed Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.
Day 4
Pratunam Market
Thailand's largest clothing market, a maze of wholesale fashion stalls near Baiyoke Tower.
Baiyoke Tower II
One of Thailand's tallest buildings, a hotel tower in Pratunam with a revolving observation deck.
Suan Pakkad Palace
Traditional Thai teak houses in a garden, holding a museum of art and antiques and a lacquer pavilion.
Victory Monument
An obelisk in a large traffic circle commemorating the Franco-Thai war of 1940-41, now a busy transport hub.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
A huge weekend market of thousands of stalls selling clothes, plants, antiques, ceramics and street food, with sections for almost everything.
Day 5
Wat Bowonniwet Vihara
A royal temple in Banglamphu where several Thai kings spent time as monks.
Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok
Thailand's principal Catholic cathedral, a red-brick church from the 1910s near the river in Bang Rak.
Golden Buddha
A solid gold seated Buddha about three metres tall at Wat Traimit in Chinatown, found under plaster in 1955.
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat
The largest Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, in the heart of Chinatown's Yaowarat area.
Talat Noi
An old Chinese riverside quarter of narrow lanes, shrines, street art, car-repair yards and the colourful So Heng Tai mansion.
Yaowarat Road
Chinatown's main street: neon signs and street-food stalls from late afternoon, with seafood, dim sum and desserts.
Day 6
Chatuchak Park
A large public park in north Bangkok, next to the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World
A large aquarium beneath the Siam Paragon mall, with an underwater walk-through tunnel.
King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk
A pixelated skyscraper with indoor and rooftop viewing decks, including a glass floor, giving long views over Bangkok.
Asiatique
A riverfront night market in old warehouses with shops, restaurants, a Ferris wheel and shows, reached by free boat from Sathorn pier.
Day 7
Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya
The ruined Ayutthaya temple famed for a Buddha head entwined in the roots of a banyan tree, in the old royal capital.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet
The ruined royal temple of Ayutthaya, whose three bell-shaped stupas rise from a green lawn, a symbol of the old Siamese capital.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram
A riverside Khmer-style temple of tall prangs in Ayutthaya, a short trip from Bangkok; lovely in late afternoon light.
Watch: Bangkok in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Bangkok
November to February is the cool, dry season and the most comfortable time, though also the busiest and most expensive. March to May is very hot, often near 35 °C, and the rainy season from about June to October brings heavy afternoon downpours. Songkran, the Thai New Year water festival in mid-April, fills the streets with water fights.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Bangkok on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Bangkok on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Bangkok on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Bangkok with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Thailand from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Bangkok with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Bangkok
- The Grand Palace has a strict dress code: covered shoulders, long trousers or skirts, nothing see-through; temples expect the same.
- Use the Chao Phraya river boats to reach Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace and skip the road traffic.
- The BTS Skytrain and MRT are the fastest way around the modern centre.
- Visit the temples early in the morning, before the heat and the tour groups.
- The Bangkok National Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; plan the old-city day around it.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Asiatique: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author and may send me a message. (สามารถใช้ภาพได้อิสระ แต่กรุณาใส่เครดิตผู้ถ่ายและอาจส่งข้อความบอกกล่าวด้วย) Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY 4.0
- Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Baiyoke Tower II: Andrew James Jones – PhotoExpozure, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bangkok Art and Culture Centre: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author and may send me a message. (สามารถใช้ภาพได้อิสระ แต่กรุณาใส่เครดิตผู้ถ่ายและอาจส่งข้อความบอกกล่าวด้วย) Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY 4.0
- Bangkok National Museum: Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chatuchak Park: Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chatuchak Weekend Market: Azreey, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Democracy Monument: Nawit science, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Erawan Shrine: Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Giant Swing: IPhi044, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Golden Buddha: Kushal Das, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grand Palace: McKay Savage from London, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Jim Thompson House: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Khaosan Road: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0
- King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk: KingPowerMahanakhon, Public domain
- Lumphini Park: Terence Ong, CC BY 2.5
- Pratunam Market: burrito estupendo, CC BY 2.0
- Royal Plaza: ScorpianPK, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World: Wpcpey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Siam Square: Paolobon140, CC0
- Suan Pakkad Palace: Heinrich Damm ( User:Hdamm , Hdamm at de.wikipedia.org ), CC BY 2.0
- Talat Noi: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Victory Monument: Holiday Point from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0
- Wat Arun: KOSIN SUKHUM, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Benchamabophit: BerryJ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Bowonniwet Vihara: Mastertongapollo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Chaiwatthanaram: Average trinmo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya: Chainwit., CC BY 4.0
- Wat Mangkon Kamalawat: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Pho: Phillip Maiwald ( Nikopol ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wat Phra Si Sanphet: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Ratchanatdaram: BerryJ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wat Saket: กสิณธร ราชโอรส, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wat Suthat: BerryJ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yaowarat Road: กสิณธร ราชโอรส, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
