Temples & Street Food: A 4-Day Bangkok Itinerary | Travileer

Q: Where should I stay in Bangkok, Thailand?

Sala Rattanakosin in Tha Tien, old city. The old city has few good hotels and this one puts the two most important sights within a five-minute walk, before the crowds and the heat.

Four days of gold-leaf temples, river boats and a night market on every corner, for less than a hotel breakfast at home.

Bangkok is where a small budget goes furthest in a big city. A plate from a street cart is a dollar or two, the Skytrain is under two dollars a ride, and the river boats that connect the old city to the new one cost less than a coffee. The one expensive ticket in town is the Grand Palace, and it is worth it. This plan keeps the temples to the mornings before the heat, the markets to the evenings after it, and the river in between.

Trip details

Destination: Bangkok, Thailand
Duration: 4 days
Budget: budget ($350 - $700)
Best season: November - February
Best for: Backpackers, food-first travellers, first-time Southeast Asia
Interests: street food, temples, markets, river, nightlife, shopping

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1: The old city and the river

the Grand Palace, two great temples and a sunset across the water

08:30 — The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha · Grand Palace, Phra Nakhon
The royal compound of golden spires, murals and the small jade Buddha that is the most sacred image in the country. Entry is 500 baht for foreign visitors, the most expensive ticket in the city. Arrive at opening; by ten the courtyards are full.
Tip: Dress code is enforced: shoulders and knees covered, no ripped jeans. Sarongs are rented at the gate if you forget.
11:00 — Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha · Wat Pho, Phra Nakhon
A forty-six-metre gold Buddha lying on its side, feet inlaid with mother-of-pearl, in a temple that is also the birthplace of Thai massage. Entry is 300 baht. The massage school in the grounds takes walk-ins.
13:00 — Lunch in the Tha Tien lanes · Tha Tien pier, Phra Nakhon
The old shophouse lanes between Wat Pho and the river hold a dozen noodle and rice shops that feed the pier. Boat noodles or a pad kra pao and a fresh coconut come to a few dollars.
16:30 — Cross to Wat Arun for sunset · Wat Arun, Bangkok Yai
The Temple of Dawn is best at dusk, from the west bank. Take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien for a few baht, climb the steep central prang while the light is gold, then watch it from the riverside as the floodlights come on.
Tip: Entry is 200 baht. The prang steps are steep; hold the rail.
19:30 — Dinner on Yaowarat Road, Chinatown · Yaowarat, Samphanthawong
After dark the main road of Chinatown becomes one long open-air kitchen: grilled seafood, oyster omelettes, mango sticky rice and the queues that mark the famous stalls. Eat at three places rather than one.
Tip: MRT to Wat Mangkon station puts you in the middle of it. Bring cash in small notes.

Dining highlight: Yaowarat Road after dark — Thai-Chinese street food, $8-15. The best restaurant in Bangkok is a kilometre of pavement. Follow the longest queue.

Day 2: Markets and the modern city

the biggest market in Asia, a silk house and the malls of Siam

09:00 — Chatuchak Weekend Market · Chatuchak Weekend Market, Chatuchak
Fifteen thousand stalls across thirty-five acres, open Saturday and Sunday. Clothes, ceramics, plants, antiques and a food section that is a destination on its own. Go early; by noon the aisles are a slow shuffle.
Tip: Weekends only. On a weekday, go to Or Tor Kor Market next door instead, a covered fresh-food market that is open daily.
12:30 — Lunch at Or Tor Kor Market · Or Tor Kor Market, Chatuchak
The best produce market in the city and a food court to match: crab curry, grilled river prawns, durian in season. Cleaner and calmer than Chatuchak, a two-minute walk away.
15:00 — Jim Thompson House · Jim Thompson House, Pathum Wan
Six teak houses assembled by the American who revived the Thai silk industry and then vanished in the Malaysian jungle in 1967. The guided tour through the art collection and gardens runs every twenty minutes.
17:00 — Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and the Siam malls · Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Pathum Wan
A free contemporary art centre with a spiral atrium, opposite the Siam Square malls. Air conditioning, exhibitions and the best people-watching in the city as the offices let out.
19:30 — Dinner at Terminal 21 or on Sukhumvit · Terminal 21, Watthana
The food court on the top floor of this airport-themed mall is the cheapest good dinner in Sukhumvit, with dishes at 40 to 80 baht. The soi restaurants around Asok station are the sit-down alternative.

Dining highlight: Or Tor Kor Market — Thai market food, $5-12. Where Bangkok's chefs shop and where the fruit is the best in the country. Eat the crab.

Day 3: Backstreets, a park and the riverside at night

old Bangkok on foot, then the river lit up

09:00 — Khao San Road by daylight · Khao San Road, Phra Nakhon
The backpacker street is a better morning walk than a night out: quiet cafes, the lanes behind it toward the river, and the old district of Banglamphu around it. Breakfast here is cheap and multilingual.
12:00 — Lunch at Jay Fai · Jay Fai, Phra Nakhon
The street stall with a Michelin star, run by a woman in ski goggles over two charcoal burners. The crab omelette is the famous dish and the most expensive street food in the city at around 1,000 baht. Queue early or reserve; it is not a quick stop.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. If the queue is impossible, any of the pad thai shops on the same road are excellent for a tenth of the price.
15:30 — Lumphini Park · Lumphini Park, Pathum Wan
Bangkok's central park: a lake with pedal boats, joggers, outdoor gyms and monitor lizards the size of dogs that ignore everyone. Free, and the shade is worth the trip in the afternoon.
17:30 — Erawan Shrine · Erawan Shrine, Pathum Wan
A four-faced Brahma statue at the busiest intersection in the city, surrounded by traffic, malls and a constant crowd of worshippers with marigolds. Free to enter; the dancers perform for people whose wishes came true.
19:00 — Asiatique riverfront · Asiatique The Riverfront, Bang Kho Laem
A night market in converted riverside warehouses with a Ferris wheel, reached by a free shuttle boat from Sathorn pier. Touristy, but the boat ride down the river after dark is the point.

Dining highlight: Jay Fai — Michelin-starred street food, $25-40. A charcoal wok, a pair of goggles and the most famous crab omelette in Asia.

Day 4: The river and the new riverside

an express boat, a mall on the water and a last market

09:30 — Chao Phraya Express Boat · Chao Phraya River, Phra Nakhon
The orange-flag boats are the city's water bus: a few baht to ride the whole river past temples, palaces and stilt houses. Board at Tha Tien and ride north to Phra Arthit, or south toward Sathorn, and simply watch.
11:00 — ICONSIAM · ICONSIAM, Khlong San
The riverside mega-mall with an indoor floating market on the ground floor, SookSiam, where regional Thai dishes are sold from boats and stalls. A free shuttle boat runs from Sathorn pier.
15:00 — Thai massage · Wat Pho, Phra Nakhon
Back at the temple where the tradition was codified, the Wat Pho massage school offers a proper hour-long Thai massage for a few hundred baht. The best possible way to end four days on your feet.
18:30 — Farewell dinner in Chinatown · Yaowarat, Samphanthawong
Back to the stalls for the dishes you missed on night one, and a last mango sticky rice from the corner cart on Yaowarat Road.

Dining highlight: SookSiam at ICONSIAM — Regional Thai, $5-10. Every region of Thailand under one air-conditioned roof, sold from boats. Cheating, and delicious.

Where to stay

Sala Rattanakosin — Boutique riverside, $140-220 per night, Tha Tien, old city.

The old city has few good hotels and this one puts the two most important sights within a five-minute walk, before the crowds and the heat.

Rooms facing Wat Arun across the river
Two minutes from Wat Pho and the Grand Palace
Rooftop bar with the best sunset view in the old city

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Bangkok, Thailand?

We recommend 4 days to experience the best of Bangkok, Thailand.

When is the best time to visit Bangkok, Thailand?

The best season to visit Bangkok, Thailand is November - February.

What budget should I plan for Bangkok, Thailand?

This itinerary is designed for a budget budget of approximately $350 - $700.

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