Planning your first trip to Bangkok? This 3-day Bangkok itinerary is one I wrote based on my experience living here, and it’s designed specifically for first-time visitors who want to see the best temples, markets, food spots, rooftops, and local experiences without wasting time.
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This Bangkok itinerary is perfect for first-time visitors who want a mix of culture, food, markets, temples, rooftops, and real Thai experiences, without wasting time on the usual tourist traps.
If you’ve been to Bangkok before and are looking for some inspiration, I’m sure you’ll find spots and tips here that you’ve never come across before. I’ll guide you through the best areas to stay, what to see each day, exactly how to move around the city, and which tours are actually worth it.
Let’s make your first Bangkok trip unforgettable!
Overview: 3 Day Itinerary Bangkok
(perfect for first-timers, couples, families, and solo travelers)
Day 1: Temples, Old City, River Views
Day 2: Markets, Chinatown, Rooftops
Day 3: Modern Bangkok, Shopping, Thai Massage, Sunset Cruise
Each day includes:
✔ Exact route
✔ Unique experience tips – tested by myself
✔ Local tips I wish someone had told me earlier
Best time to visit Bangkok
I’ve spent every month of a year in Bangkok, and I can tell you it’s perfect all year round! But here are a few points:
- Bangkok is cheapest in the off-season, which is from April till November.
- The best weather, meaning cooler, sunny, and dry, can be expected from December till March.
- The rainy season is approximately from June till October, but it doesn’t rain all day, mostly in the evenings or overnight. You’ll still get many sunny days.
- The hottest months are April and May, when temperatures reach up to 38°C.
- Air pollution is bad in the dry season, peaking in February. The PM2.5 levels are very high, and this year I had to wear a mask and didn’t really want to spend much time outside.
Best hotels in Bangkok for first timers
So you’ve booked your flights, and now you’re wondering where to stay in Bangkok for 3 days? Before you start planning your itinerary, book your stay first. This will help you figure out your routes and plan places for breakfast and coffee.
Although I am currently living in Bangkok, I traveled here multiple times before that and stayed in many, many cool places, so here are some of my recommendations:
✹ Best areas for first timers
- Riverside – very relaxed, scenic, and close to the Old Town and temples
- Sukhumvit (Asok, Phrom Phong, Thonglo) – convenient, with great malls, food courts, restaurants, parks, and easy access to the Skytrain and metro
- Siam – busy, walkable area, best for shopping, and very central
✹ Recommended hotels
Luxury:
- Aman Nai Lert Bangkok – a peaceful oasis and a design lover’s paradise
- Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok – in the heart of Siam, connected to Siam Paragon mall
Mid-range:
- Anantara Riverside Bangkok – fantastic value
- Grande Centre Point Hotel Terminal21 – best location in Sukhumvit
Budget:
- The Path Siam – modern, affordable, just a few steps from Siam
- Hotel Amber Sukhumvit 85 – just 5 minutes from the Skytrain, and it even has a rooftop pool
DAY 1: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun + River Experience
I believe there are hundreds of different ways to enjoy Bangkok. But if you want to immerse yourself in the history and the stunning Thai architecture, then you can’t miss these basics.
1. Grand Palace
The Grand Palace, also known as the Great Palace, is one of Bangkok’s most famous landmarks. It was built in 1782 and for a long time served as the residence of the Thai king and the government. The entry fee is 500 THB for foreigners.
Once you pay this fee, you also gain free access to the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, which is located on the grounds. Here you can admire the stunning dresses the Queen wore for various occasions. So if you’re into fashion, don’t miss this place.
My tips for visiting the Grand Palace:
- Wear appropriate clothing (shoulders and knees have to be covered).
- Ideally go at opening time if you want to avoid waiting in line.
- Ignore anyone outside telling you that the palace is closed, this is a classic scam, and they will try to take you somewhere else.
📌 Tip: Only 14 minutes from the Palace is K. Panich, an eatery known for serving some of the best mango sticky rice in Bangkok. They open every day at 7 AM but are closed on Sundays. I recommend going in the morning, as they usually sell out by the afternoon.
➞ Book Guided Grand Palace Tour
2. Wat Pho – Reclining Buddha
Just a 10-minute walk from the Grand Palace is another must-see landmark: Wat Pho, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It houses a gilded reclining Buddha statue that is 46 meters long. Wat Pho is considered the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, and you can actually get a massage on the grounds, just look for the Chetawan Health Centre.
The entry fee is 300 THB, and to save some money you can purchase a combined ticket for the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.
3. Lunch by the river
You might get hungry by this time, so head to the river for lunch or some Thai appetizers. One of the best-rated restaurants with a terrace right on the river is Rongros. Their menu features dishes like tamarind prawn soup, chicken massaman, and coconut curry with river snails.
If you fancy a cup of great coffee afterward, visit Song Wat Coffee Roasters: Tha Tian. You can expect high-quality beans, and they also have another café in Chinatown.
4. Wat Arun – Temple of Dawn
Head over to the Tha Tien ferry terminal to take a short boat ride across the Chao Phraya River and visit the most stunning temple Bangkok has to offer. Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is recognizable by its tall towers and colourful decorations made from Chinese ceramics. The entrance fee for tourists is 200 THB.
If you’re looking for the best shots of Bangkok, come to this spot for sunset. The sun setting behind the towers of the temple is simply stunning. The best viewpoints are from the Wat Pho Pier or the Eagle Nest rooftop bar.
5. Sunset/Evening Options
The evenings in Bangkok are magical, full of energy, noise, and incredible smells. Even if you’re tired, try to get out at least for a bit.
✹ Option A: Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruise
If you are looking for a relaxing experience that doesn’t involve walking (I bet you’ll have thousands of steps completed by the end of the day), then the Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruise is a great option. You’ll get to see Bangkok from a different perspective, and it will be a perfect ending to your first day.
➞ Book Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruise
✹ Option B: ICON Siam mall and Thai Street Food Market
This option is perfect if you are staying at Riverside, Chinatown, or Old Town. ICON Siam is one of the biggest malls in Thailand, with more than 7,000 shops. Part of the mall is also a Thai Street Food Market, where you can find plenty of Thai dishes in an authentic street-food-style setting, with the only difference being that it’s under a roof. It’s open until 10 PM.
DAY 2: Markets, Chinatown, Street Food, Tuk Tuk Night Ride
This day is all about local food, culture, and night adventures. Make sure you bring very comfortable shoes and a nice outfit for an evening drink on a very high floor.
1. Chatuchak Weekend Market
Please note that the full market is open only on weekends from 9 AM to 6 PM. During the week, you can buy only certain items like plants, and on Mondays it’s fully closed.
The market is also known as JJ Market and is located right at the BTS Mo Chit station. It’s one of the largest markets in the world, and I spent almost the whole day there. You’ll have more than 15,000 stalls at your disposal, offering clothing, decorations, antiques, plants, souvenirs, accessories, handmade crafts, and plenty of cheap food.
📌 Tip: If you fancy a walk in nature, head to Queen Sirikit Park, which is right next to the market. It’s huge and perfect for winding down from the busyness of the city. My favourite part there was the Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.
2. Chinatown – Yaowarat Road
Plan to spend the late afternoon in Chinatown, which is a must-see. Explore the main strip called Yaowarat Road, wander through the side alleys, visit gold shops, try some food at the street stalls, and visit temples.
My personal favourite is Wat Mangkon, and also worth visiting is Wat Traimit, as it has the biggest golden (yes, made from real gold) Buddha statue in the world. Apparently, it’s worth tens of millions of GBP.
Please note that Yaowarat Road comes to life from around 4 or 5 PM, and it’s perfect for tasting food and taking photos.
📌 Tip: If you don’t want to eat on the street, I recommend the Chinese eatery Lanzhou Noodles, or the slightly more fancy Chop Chop Cook Shop, which was featured in the Michelin Guide and hides a beautiful bar on the first floor.
For a real foodie experience (read: very pricey!), book a table at Potong, a restaurant owned by Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij, the best female chef in the world for 2025.
Chinatown Food Tour – I actually did it myself
If you want to taste as much as possible, learn about Chinatown from a local person, and meet new people, then sign up for a Chinatown food tour! I did this one with my husband and six other people, and oh boy, we ate 15 different dishes, including some Thai local whisky, soy bean ice cream, and the iconic street curry that was featured on Netflix, as well as pork satay that’s popular with the royal family!
The food tour starts around 4:30 PM, and it ended up being one of my favorite nights in Bangkok.
➞ Book Bangkok Chinatown Evening Food Tour
3. Drink at Rooftop Bar
Bangkok is all about views and sky bars, so it’s no surprise that it has some of the best rooftops in Asia. Please note that most of them have a dress code, and you’re expected to wear proper shoes (no flip-flops) and ideally a nice dress or a shirt for men.
Quick overview of the best sky bars in Bangkok:
- Le Du Kaan – Thai rooftop restaurant and bar led by Michelin-star chef Thitid Ton.
- Tichuca Rooftop Bar – very popular on social media, with colourful decorations resembling jellyfish, located in Thonglo. They require you to show your passport at the entry.
- Lebua at State Tower – this bar was featured in the famous movie The Hangover. Just be prepared that the drinks here are around 1,000 THB.
- Octave Rooftop – located in Thonglo, opposite Tichuca.
- Sanctuary – located on top of the InterContinental Hotel in Sukhumvit.
📌 Tip: If you’re not looking for anything fancy, go to TT Rooftop Bar right at BTS Thong Lo. It’s small, has a nice atmosphere, and you can watch the sky trains passing by.
DAY 3 – Modern Bangkok, Shopping and Thai Massage
Day three of your exploration deserves some rest and a bit of shopping. Trust me, the malls in Bangkok are on another level. Apart from buying a Chanel handbag in most of them, you can also check out the latest Porsche or Tesla model. Yes, they really do sell cars in the malls here!
1. Explore Sukhumvit
Sukhumvit Road is the longest and busiest road in Thailand. It actually runs all the way to the Cambodian border, stretching over 400 km! In Bangkok, it’s the modern part of the city, with malls like Terminal 21, Emsphere, EmQuartier, Emporium, and Central Embassy, as well as many cafés, international restaurants, the Erawan Shrine, spas, and my favourite Benjakitti Forest Park.
Take a little stroll through the malls, or go for a walk in the park, where you’ll probably spot a giant monitor lizard and loads of cute squirrels.
📌 Tip: Terminal 21 has a few floors where they sell lovely Thai products that are perfect for gifts and souvenirs. You can expect clothes, handbags, jewelry, shoes, home accessories, and much more.
If you are after edible souvenirs, head to Gourmet Market, located on the lowest floors of these malls. You can buy nicely wrapped curry pastes, dried fruits, Tiger Balm, and other Thai products that make perfect gifts.
Where to eat or have a coffee in Sukhumvit:
- Bartels – perfect for all kinds of sandwiches and coffee
- Sorellina – really great pizza
- Barney’s Burger – very tasty
- Eat Thai – great food court at Ploen Chit BTS
- Rolling Roasters – café with unique design
- KIF – great café if you need to get some work done
2. Jim Thompson’s House Museum
Jim Thompson was an American businessman who revived the Thai silk industry in the 1950s. His house now serves as a museum showcasing his art collection, including colourful ceramics and statues that are more than 1,200 years old! If you like the aesthetic of the series White Lotus, you’ll fall in love with this place, the house is absolutely stunning!
Buy your tickets on-site; one entrance ticket costs 250 THB and includes a guided tour with a very knowledgeable guide. It takes about an hour.
After the tour, head to Baan Saen Saep, a café with vintage furniture. A great stop for a coffee!
📌 Interesting fact: Did you know that Jim Thompson mysteriously disappeared in 1967 during a vacation in Malaysia? His disappearance remains unsolved to this day.
3. Traditional Thai Massage
You can literally get a Thai massage on every corner in Bangkok. You can go to a cheaper massage place where prices are around 300–400 THB per hour, or treat yourself, pay five times more, and go to a more upscale spa. Honestly, the 400 THB massages are totally fine, I get my foot massage a few times a month.
Good places for Thai massage:
- Health Land
- Let’s Relax
- Once Upon A Thai Spa
- Loft Thai Spa & Wellness
- NAPAR Thai Massage
Practical tips for first-time visitors
- Skip taxis and use BTS/MRT to avoid traffic.
- Avoid scams — if you meet a Thai man dressed well, speaking very good English, and approaching you on the street, he’s likely a scammer.
- Stay near public transport for easier and faster travel.
- Drink lots of water! Bangkok is HOT.
- Book airport transfers ahead of time. I usually prebook through the Grab app so they arrive on time.
- Cover your shoulders and knees when visiting temples, and take off your shoes.
- Some places, like markets, 7-Elevens, small eateries, street food stalls, and some cafés, don’t accept credit cards, so you’ll need cash. You can easily withdraw money from ATMs; the Thai bank fee for withdrawal is 250 THB, even if you use Revolut.
What to do in Bangkok in 4 days
If you have a spare day or finished everything above a bit quicker, here are a few more tips:
Cooking class
If you love cooking, you’ll really enjoy a cooking class, which usually includes a market visit as well. I did one this year and it was great fun! At the market we purchased most of the ingredients and then headed to the school by tuk tuk, where we started cooking and learning about Thai ingredients.
We cooked pad thai, tom yam soup, papaya salad, and mango sticky rice. It was absolutely delicious!
➞ Book Cooking Class in Bangkok
Khlong canal boat tour
This tour is perfect for those seeking to see a more authentic side of Bangkok. You will explore the traditional part of the city with a khlong canal boat tour, which is one of the most underrated experiences.
These narrow canals (called khlongs) offer a peaceful escape from the busy streets and show you how locals have lived for centuries. You’ll see wooden stilt houses, tiny temples, floating kitchens, and neighborhoods you’d never see on foot. It’s a great way to understand the “real” Bangkok beyond the skyscrapers.
How to get around Bangkok easily
Bangkok has almost 6 million inhabitants, and getting from point A to point B can easily take more than two hours. Compared to Vietnamese cities, Bangkok fortunately has an excellent system of metro and skytrain that you can rely on.
BTS Skytrain
Fast, clean, air-conditioned skytrain cars will comfortably take you to all the main parts of the city, helping you avoid all the traffic jams. Tickets range from 16–59 THB and can be purchased at every station either at a ticket window or a machine. You will need cash for that.
MRT Metro
The metro is modern, clean, and easy to navigate. It will take you to Chinatown, the main train station, and at Sukhumvit/Asok station it connects with the skytrain. You can buy tickets at the window, the machine, or simply tap your payment card at the turnstile.
Grab / Bolt
They work like Uber — you see the price in advance and the payment is deducted from your card. Sometimes it can take a while for the car to arrive; I usually wait 20–45 minutes. If you want to order Grab, for example to the airport, request it several hours in advance to be sure it arrives on time.
Grab Bikes
Through the Grab app, you can also order motorbike transport. It’s fast and cheap, and by law you must wear a helmet — but drivers do not always have one available. I tried it once, and it was an adrenaline rush. Drivers weave between cars, drive against traffic, on sidewalks… Personally, I think most of them would not pass driving tests in European driving schools. For me it’s dangerous, especially when it rains or after rain.
Taxi
I hardly ever use classic taxis because I don’t want to argue with the driver about turning on the meter. If they refuse, simply thank them and get out. Sometimes taxis are worth it when going from the airport, where Grab wait times can be incredibly long. Keep in mind that tollway fees are added to the fare.
Tuk-tuk
This mode of transport is more about the experience, but I almost never use it as my main way of getting around. You must agree on the price beforehand, and expect to pay more than for a taxi. You can also use the MuvMi app, which works like Grab, but wait times tend to be quite long.
Airport Link
This train runs from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the Phraya Thai skytrain station. The ride takes about half an hour and costs just under 50 THB. At Phraya Thai you can transfer to the skytrain and continue your journey.
Buses
The classic red buses with wooden floors and leather seats are a Bangkok icon. The fare costs only 8 THB, but you will spend a lot of time stuck in traffic.
Boats
Several canals run through Bangkok, with smaller boats operating on them. The fare is 14 THB, and it’s the best way to get, for example, from the Chidlom area to the Old Town or Khao San Road. The final stop is Panfa Leelard Pier. There are also many boat services (tourist boats) on the Chao Phraya River. These will take you not only from one side of the river to the other, but also from the Old Town to Chinatown.
FAQ – Bangkok Itinerary for First Timers
Is 3 days enough for Bangkok?
If you’re happy with seeing just the main sites (mentioned in this article), then I’d say yes. But honestly, you can spend a month here and you won’t get bored. There is an incredible amount of galleries and museums to visit, areas to explore, and cafés to check out.
If you’re going to Chatuchak Market, it will take up at least half of your day, so plan wisely. Also, if you want to do a day trip to the famous train market or Ayutthaya, then I recommend staying more than 3 days.
What is the best area to stay?
Make sure you stay close to the Skytrain or metro. Really, don’t rely on taxis, the traffic here is crazy, and you don’t want to spend hours in traffic jams or walk 30 minutes to your nearest Skytrain stop. I recommend staying around Asok, Phrom Phong, Thonglo, or Ekkamai.
Should I book a guided tour for the temples?
It’s not a must, but if you’re actually interested in the history and want to learn more, then it’s a great idea.
Is Bangkok safe for solo travelers?
100%! Nowhere else in the world would I go for a walk in the park after the sun sets. It’s also pretty normal to leave your laptop with your handbag in a café and go for lunch. I once left my charger in one of the common areas of our condo, and 24 hours later it was still there.
How do I avoid scams?
Use your common sense and ignore anyone telling you “Temple closed” or anything similar. Tuk tuks for 50 THB are not real, they will take you to places where you’ll be pressured to buy things.
I’ve also met this man a couple of times. He is well dressed, speaks good English, and will try to have a friendly conversation with you. He even told us he was from the police (and showed a fake ID) before recommending places to visit. Honestly, I didn’t have the patience or time for this, so we cut it off before losing even more time with him.
Is the Chinatown food tour worth it?
Yes! I did it myself and absolutely loved it. It’s a great way to try as many Thai dishes as possible within a few hours. Your guide will also share valuable details about Thai culture and their relationship with food.
➞ Book Bangkok Chinatown Evening Food Tour
People either love or hate Bangkok — it really depends on your preferences. It’s busy, overwhelming, and chaotic, but at the same time it has an energy you won’t find anywhere else. Add the hot weather and the kindness of the people, and you get a combination that’s easy to fall in love with.
If you’re coming to Bangkok for the first time, having a plan is definitely a must. With a good itinerary, the city becomes exciting instead of stressful. I hope this 3-day Bangkok itinerary helps you experience the temples, rooftops, canals, food, and culture that make people fall in love with Thailand’s capital.
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