Bangkok itinerary — 3 days
Day 1 — Bangkok
6 stops · ≈ 6 h 43 minThe National Museum Bangkok is Thailand's oldest and largest museum, founded in 1874 by King Chulalongkorn on the grounds of Wang Na, the vice-king's palace. Galleries trace Thai art from Neolithic Ban Chiang through Dvaravati and Khmer sculpture to Sukhothai bronzes, with a gallery of Buddha images, Ramakien murals and a pavilion of gilded royal funeral chariots. It opens Wednesday to Sunday, with an English audio guide.
The most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand, located inside the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok. Within the lavishly adorned ubosot sits the venerated 66-cm Emerald Buddha, carved from a single block of flawless green jadeite in the 15th century. Surrounding courtyards feature glistening golden chedis, towering mythological yaksha demon sentinels, and perimeter galleries painted with scenes from the Ramakien.
Bangkok's iconic Temple of Dawn rising majestically on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Its soaring Khmer-style central prang, standing over 70 metres tall, is encrusted with thousands of delicate fragments of colourful Chinese porcelain and seashells once used as ship ballast. Steep stone stairs lead to viewing terraces looking directly across the river toward the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.
Museum Siam is an interactive museum on Thai identity, housed in a neoclassical former Ministry of Commerce building near the Grand Palace. Seventeen rooms under the title 'Decoding Thainess' lead from the legendary Suvarnabhumi through Ayutthaya to today's Bangkok: video projections, play rooms and unusual installations. A pleasant break between temples, especially for families with children.
Founded in 1871 in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is the city's foremost Chinese Buddhist temple. Built in classic southern Chinese style with sweeping tile roofs and dragon carvings, the complex houses Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian shrines. Thick with incense smoke, it is a bustling spiritual sanctuary and the lively focal point for Chinese New Year festivities.
One of the largest and oldest Chinatowns on Earth, founded in 1782 when King Rama I relocated Siam's capital to Bangkok. By day, a labyrinth of narrow alleys like Sampeng Lane bustles with wholesale fabric markets, traditional herbal apothecaries, and prominent gold merchants. After sunset, Yaowarat Road ignites beneath towering neon signs, becoming an internationally acclaimed street food haven for wok-tossed seafood and dim sum.
Reserve
10If you have time left — worth it too.
Thailand's largest open zoo and leisure park, established in 1988 in northeastern Bangkok across 200 hectares. The complex features two main zones: an eight-kilometre open Safari Park traversed by car or tour bus amid roaming lions, zebras, and rhinos, and Marine Park with dolphin and bird shows. A visitor highlight is the massive elevated feeding terrace, where guests can feed bananas directly to a herd of over two hundred giraffes.
Operating since 1980 in eastern Bangkok, Siam Amazing Park is Thailand's largest amusement and water theme park. Its legendary Water Park holds a Guinness World Record for the planet's largest artificial wave pool, surrounded by sandy beaches and multi-story speed slides. The dry Adventure Park thrills visitors with the suspended looping roller coaster Vortex, the 109-meter Si-Am rotating viewing tower, and dinosaur boat expeditions.
Located in Samut Prakan on the southern outskirts of Bangkok, the Erawan Museum is crowned by a colossal 250-ton bronze sculpture of the three-headed elephant Airavata. Conceived by eccentric patron Lek Viriyaphan, the museum is arranged across three symbolic levels representing the underworld, earth, and heaven. The interior dazzles with ornate hand-beaten copper pillars, a German stained-glass zodiac ceiling, and tropical gardens.
Riverside Bangkok district known for its 18th-century church, Beaux-Arts bank & Chinese mansion.
Museum covering 5 separate medical areas: parasitology, pathology, anatomy, forensics & history.
You can't always fly to Thailand when you're craving your favorite Thai dishes, so the best option, especially if you enjoy being in the kitchen and cooking your own food or preparing dishes for others, is to take a cooking class while in Bangkok. Many cooking schools offer various packages, most of which include a visit to a local market and buying your own ingredients under the guidance of your instructor. Here are some of the cooking courses offered in Bangkok. Thai food is famous worldwide for its hot and bold spices, savory flavors like coconut, and supposed medicinal properties. Some of the best places to enjoy full-course or drop-in Thai cooking classes include Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy, House of Taste Thai Cooking School, and Silom Thai Cookery School.
A branch of the famous wax museum inside Bangkok's Siam Discovery mall, opened in 2010. Around a hundred figures of film, music and sports stars share the halls with Thai historical and political personalities. Part of the display is interactive: step onto a virtual stage, sit at a statesman's desk or pose beside figures from every continent. It pairs well with a walk around the Siam shopping district.
A museum of contemporary art in the Chatuchak district, opened in 2012 on the initiative of media magnate Boonchai Bencharongkul. Five floors are devoted to Thai art of the 20th and 21st centuries, from Chalermchai Kositpipat's Buddhist themes to Thawan Duchanee's dark canvases and the country's modernists. It is Bangkok's largest venue dedicated entirely to local art. A visit pairs easily with the nearby Chatuchak market.
And when it comes to affordable eats, Bangkok will never let you down. The city is full of a wide variety of street food – skewers, noodle soup, rice dishes, local sweets, local snacks, coconut ice cream, milk tea, fruit juices, and even exotic delicacies. Public and night markets, streets, and even some shopping malls, such as MBK Center and Platinum, provide vending spots for street vendors. Speaking of doing things differently, street food is at the heart of cuisine in Bangkok. To try the city’s best eats, you’ll have to ditch the restaurants and get outside. Hundreds of food carts and stalls transform Bangkok into an open-air buffet.
Large landmark temple offering serene grounds with a giant reclining Buddha, historic art & statues.
- Always negotiate tuk-tuk fares before starting your ride.
- Carry cash for small purchases as many places do not accept cards.
- Stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes due to the heat and walking.