Bangkok in 3 days: a first-timer's walking itinerary (2026)
This is the route we would hand a friend visiting Bangkok for the first time. Each day is eight stops in walking order, timed so the busy places come before the tour groups and the viewpoints land near sunset. Prices were checked in November 2026; where a price is older or not published, we say so.
Open the interactive 3D route →Day 1 · Temples & Chinatown: Grand Palace to Chinatown by night
The Grand Palace at opening time, the Reclining Buddha, the small ferry to Wat Arun, the flower market and the Giant Swing, sunset from the Golden Mount, then street food on Yaowarat and a quiet drink in Talat Noi.
Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
Be at the gate when it opens: the gold chedis and the Emerald Buddha temple are calmer and cooler before 10am.
Price: ฿500 foreigners · Hours: Daily · tickets sold 8:30am–3:30pm · can close for royal ceremonies
Tip: Cover shoulders and knees (no shorts, leggings or sleeveless tops). Enter from Na Phra Lan Road and ignore anyone outside saying it is closed.
Wat Pho
The 46m gold Reclining Buddha, then quiet courtyards full of chedis covered in coloured tiles.
Price: ฿300 · Hours: Daily 8am–7:30pm
Tip: Shoes off in the Buddha hall; there are bags for them. Drop a coin in each of the 108 bowls along the wall for luck.
Wat Arun
Climb the lower terraces of the porcelain-covered prang and look back across the river to the palace.
Price: ฿200 (cash) · Hours: Daily about 8am–6pm
Tip: The stairs are steep. Dress rules apply here too; a cover cloth is sometimes lent at the entrance.
Pak Khlong Talat
Mountains of marigolds and jasmine garlands made for temple offerings, sold by the bag.
Price: Free · Hours: Open 24 hours
Tip: Buy a small jasmine garland for a few baht; it smells great in the heat.
Wat Suthat & Giant Swing
The tall red Giant Swing in the square and, behind it, an 8m bronze Buddha in a hall of murals.
Price: ฿100 (2026 price · check on site) · Hours: About 9:30am–5pm
Tip: Photograph the swing from the City Hall side of the square, then walk in through the cloister.
Golden Mount at sunset
About 300 steps past bells and waterfalls to a golden chedi, with the sun setting (around 5:50pm in November) behind the old town.
Price: ฿100 (2026 price · check on site) · Hours: About 7am–7pm
Tip: Ring the bells on the way up. Around Loy Krathong (25 Nov 2026) there is a temple fair and longer hours.
Yaowarat street food
Under the neon signs: pepper-soup noodles, grilled seafood, toasted buns and mango sticky rice.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Stalls from about 6pm, many closed Mondays
Tip: Pick the stalls with the longest Thai queue. Keep small notes and watch your bag in the crowd.
Talat Noi by night
Old Chinese lanes by the river, with street art, small bars and a view of the lit river.
Price: Free · drinks extra · Hours: Lanes open all day · bars into the evening
Tip: People live here: keep your voice down. Hua Lamphong MRT is about 10 minutes' walk; Grab works well from Charoen Krung Road.
Day 2 · Siam, Lumphini & skyline: Teak houses to the city's highest sunset
Jim Thompson's teak houses on the canal, free art at BACC, lunch in the Siam malls and a quiet temple between them, the BTS to Lumphini's lake and lizards, sunset from the Mahanakhon glass tray, dinner on Banthat Thong and the Erawan Shrine lit up at night.
Jim Thompson House
Six old teak houses in a jungle garden on the canal, full of the art collected by the man who revived Thai silk.
Price: ฿250 · 10–21 yrs ฿150 · Hours: Daily 10am–5pm (last tour 5pm)
Tip: The house is by guided tour only, in English and other languages; no booking needed. Shoes off inside.
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Walk up the white spiral ramp past free exhibitions, small galleries and design shops.
Price: Free · Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–8pm · closed Mondays
Tip: Start on the top floor and walk down the spiral. On a Monday, swap it for MBK across the road.
Siam Paragon & Siam Square
Lunch in the air-conditioned food hall during the hottest hours, then the street-fashion shops of Siam Square.
Price: Free · Hours: Malls about 10am–10pm
Tip: Use the covered skywalk from BACC. Tourists can show a passport at the info desk for discount cards in many malls.
Wat Pathum Wanaram
A lotus-pond temple tucked between Siam Paragon and CentralWorld, surprisingly silent.
Price: Free · Hours: Daily, daytime
Tip: Shoulders and knees covered; take shoes off at the hall door.
Lumphini Park
As the heat drops, joggers and aerobics classes come out, and monitor lizards swim across the lake.
Price: Free · Hours: Daily about 4:30am–9pm
Tip: Keep a few metres from the lizards and never feed them. Swan pedal boats are on the lake.
Mahanakhon SkyWalk at sunset
Stand on the glass tray about 310m up as the sun sets over the river (around 5:50pm in November) and the city lights come on.
Price: ฿1,200 from 3:30pm · ฿1,000 before 3:30pm · Hours: Daily 10am–midnight (last entry 11pm)
Tip: Book a 4:30–5pm slot online. Bags go in free lockers; the glass tray needs the shoe covers they give you.
Banthat Thong Road · dinner
A whole road of famous eateries near Chulalongkorn University: crab omelettes, toast, noodles and Thai desserts.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Most shops open into the late evening
Tip: Popular shops hand out queue numbers; take one and graze next door while you wait.
Erawan Shrine by night
Incense, marigolds and dancers in gold at the busiest crossroads in the city, glowing under the skytrain.
Price: Free · Hours: Open from early morning until late evening
Tip: Stand to the side; worshippers pay the dancers as thanks for answered prayers. Chit Lom BTS is next door.
Day 3 · Riverside & Asiatique: Golden Buddha to a sky bar over the river
The solid-gold Buddha, a walk down old Charoen Krung past warehouses and a cathedral, a shuttle boat to ICONSIAM for the indoor floating market, the ship-shaped Wat Yannawa, the free boat to Asiatique for sunset and the Ferris wheel, and a last drink 63 floors up.
Wat Traimit · Golden Buddha
A 3m, 5.5-tonne solid-gold Buddha on the top floor of a white marble hall, found under plaster only in 1955.
Price: ฿100 · exhibition floors ฿100 extra (2026 price · check on site) · Hours: Daily about 8am–5pm · museum floors closed Mondays
Tip: Shoulders and knees covered. The history floors below explain how the gold was discovered.
Warehouse 30 & Charoen Krung
WWII-era warehouses on Bangkok's first paved road, now galleries, vintage shops and good coffee.
Price: Free · Hours: Gate open from 7am · shops open through the day
Tip: Some shops open late morning; have a coffee first and browse after.
Assumption Cathedral
A red-brick cathedral from the 1910s with a blue-and-gold painted ceiling, hidden behind the Mandarin Oriental.
Price: Free · Hours: Usually open in the daytime outside Mass
Tip: Be quiet if a service is on. The old East Asiatic Company building is on the riverbank next door.
ICONSIAM & SookSiam · lunch
Lunch at SookSiam, an indoor floating market of dishes from every Thai region, then cool off in the mall during the hottest hours.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Mall about 10am–10pm
Tip: The riverside terrace outside has the best view back across to the old town.
Wat Yannawa
King Rama III built this hall in the shape of a Chinese junk so people would remember the ships of his time.
Price: Free · Hours: Grounds open in the daytime (check)
Tip: Two minutes from Sathorn Pier: the Asiatique boat leaves from the same pier.
Asiatique at sunset · dinner
Watch the sun set (around 5:50pm in November) from the riverside boardwalk, then eat among the old warehouse halls.
Price: Free · pay per dish · Hours: Daily from 4pm to midnight
Tip: The free shuttle boat from Sathorn Pier takes about 10–15 minutes. Prices are higher than in town; compare a few restaurants.
Asiatique Sky
A slow turn in an air-conditioned cabin, about 60m over the lit river and the bridges.
Price: ฿500 adult (2026 price · check on site) · Hours: Mon–Fri from 4pm, Sat–Sun from 3pm, until midnight
Tip: Queues are shortest right after dark on weekdays.
Sky Bar at lebua
A last drink at the round bar under the golden dome, with the river curving away below.
Price: No entry fee · cocktails from ฿1,150++ (2023 price · check on site) · Hours: Evenings (check)
Tip: Smart casual: men need long trousers and closed shoes; no sportswear or flip-flops. Say you want the Sky Bar if staff steer you to the restaurant.
Top 10 places for a first visit
| # | Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew The royal palace since 1782 and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha inside its walls, the most important sight in Thailand. | Rattanakosin | ฿500 foreigners |
| 2 | Wat Pho The 46m golden Reclining Buddha, hundreds of chedis and the school that made Thai massage famous. | Rattanakosin | ฿300 |
| 3 | Wat Arun The Temple of Dawn: a tall prang covered in Chinese porcelain on the west bank of the river. | Thonburi | ฿200 |
| 4 | Chao Phraya Tourist Boat (blue flag) A hop-on, hop-off river boat linking Phra Arthit, Tha Chang, Wat Arun, ICONSIAM, Sathorn and Asiatique. | Riverside | ฿40 single · ฿150 day pass |
| 5 | Yaowarat (Chinatown) street food Neon signs, gold shops and a road lined with street-food stalls after dark. | Chinatown | Free · pay per dish |
| 6 | Chatuchak Weekend Market One of the world's biggest markets: thousands of stalls of clothes, crafts, plants and food. | Chatuchak | Free |
| 7 | King Power Mahanakhon SkyWalk An open-air rooftop and glass tray about 310m up on Bangkok's pixelated tower. | Silom | ฿1,000 before 3:30pm · ฿1,200 from 3:30pm |
| 8 | ICONSIAM A huge riverside mall with SookSiam, an indoor floating-market food hall on the ground floor. | Riverside | Free |
| 9 | Golden Mount (Wat Saket) About 300 steps spiral up an artificial hill to a golden chedi with a 360° view of the old town. | Rattanakosin | ฿100 (2026 price · check on site) |
| 10 | Jim Thompson House Six teak houses on a canal, home of the American who revived Thai silk before vanishing in 1967. | Pathumwan | ฿250 · 10–21 yrs ฿150 |
Before you go
Entry
- Visa exemption changed on 15 Sep 2026: The old 60-day visa-free stay has ended. Tourists from 60 listed countries, including Singapore, now get 30 days visa-free. Check your own passport on an official Thai government site before you book.
- Korean passports: Korea has a separate 1981 visa-exemption agreement with Thailand allowing stays of up to 90 days; the Korean Embassy says it takes precedence over the general scheme. Confirm with the embassy before a long stay.
- TDAC (required, free): Every foreign visitor fills in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 3 days before arrival, at tdac.immigration.go.th only. It is free: look-alike sites that charge a fee are scams.
- At the border: Have your passport valid for at least 6 months, an onward ticket and your hotel address ready; officers can ask for proof of funds.
SIM & eSIM
- At the airport: Thai operators sell tourist SIMs in the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang arrival halls; bring your passport for registration.
- eSIM before you fly: A data eSIM installed at home works on landing for maps and Grab. Compare days and data, not just price.
- Why data matters here: Google Maps works well in Bangkok, and you need data to book Grab or Bolt and to pay by QR code at some stalls.
Getting around
- BTS Skytrain & MRT: Fast, air-conditioned and cheap. MRT gates take contactless Visa and Mastercard; on the BTS buy single-journey tickets at the machines or get a Rabbit card. The 20-baht flat fare is for registered Thai citizens only.
- River boats: The blue-flag tourist boat costs ฿40 a ride or ฿150 for a day pass; the orange-flag express boat is cheaper; small cross-river ferries cost a few baht. Boats stop by about 7pm.
- Grab & Bolt: Ride-hailing apps show the price up front, which avoids meter arguments. For street taxis, insist on the meter.
- Airport to city: From Suvarnabhumi the Airport Rail Link runs about 5:30am–midnight to Phaya Thai (฿45), connecting to the BTS. Use the official taxi queue on level 1, never touts in the arrival hall.
- Heat: Plan indoor stops (malls, museums) for 12–3pm and carry water; the routes here do that already.
Temples & royal sites
- Dress code: Cover shoulders and knees: no sleeveless tops, shorts, short skirts, see-through or very tight clothes. Bring a light scarf and trousers or a long skirt.
- Inside: Take your shoes off before entering halls, don't point your feet at a Buddha image, and women should not touch monks.
- Royal respect: Criticising the monarchy is a serious crime in Thailand. Stand when the royal anthem plays in cinemas.
- Cash: Temple ticket desks often take cash only; keep small notes.
Scams to avoid
- 'Closed today': A friendly stranger near the Grand Palace says it is closed for a ceremony and offers a cheap tuk-tuk tour. It ends at gem or tailor shops. Walk on to the real gate.
- Gem scam: No real 'government sale' of gems exists. Never buy jewels to 'resell at home'.
- Fixed-price tuk-tuks: Agree the price before you get in, or use Grab. Very cheap rides usually include shop stops.
- Fake TDAC sites: The arrival card is free on the official site only.
Money
- Cash and cards: Cards work in malls and hotels; markets, street food, temples and ferries want cash. Thai ATMs charge foreign cards a fee per withdrawal, so take out larger amounts less often.
- Money changers: Licensed exchange booths in town usually beat airport rates.
- VAT refund: Look for 'VAT Refund for Tourists' shops. Spend at least ฿2,000 in one store on one day, ask for the P.P.10 form with your passport, and take the goods out of Thailand within 60 days. Claim at the airport refund counter before check-in.
November weather
- Start of the cool season: Usually dry and sunny, around 30°C by day and humid; a late shower is still possible early in the month.
- Sunset: Around 5:50pm in November, so viewpoints are timed for 4:30–6pm.
- Loy Krathong: On 25 November 2026 people float krathong on the river; riverside spots and boats are very busy that evening.
Sources
- The Grand Palace — official practical information (฿500, tickets 8:30am–3:30pm, dress code)
- Wat Pho — official visitor plan (฿300, 8am–7:30pm)
- Wat Arun guide — ฿200 cash, 8am–6pm (updated Oct 2026)
- Bangkok entry-fee list 2026 (Wat Suthat, Loha Prasat, museums)
- Golden Mount climb guide — fee and hours (checked 2026)
- Chao Phraya Tourist Boat (blue flag) — fares & timetable from 26 Dec 2025
- Chao Phraya Express Boat — fares from 5 Oct 2026
- Jim Thompson House — official site (฿250, daily 10am–5pm tours)
- Bangkok Art and Culture Centre — plan your visit (Tue–Sun 10am–8pm)
- Lumphini Park — hours and 2026 works
- King Power Mahanakhon — official site
- King Power Mahanakhon — official SkyWalk page (adult ฿1,000 before 3:30pm, ฿1,200 from 3:30pm; checked Nov 2026)
- ICONSIAM — official site
- Boats to ICONSIAM — Sathorn ฿12, Si Phraya ฿8 (updated May 2026)
- Asiatique The Riverfront — official site
- Asiatique Sky — price and hours (updated Oct 2026)
- Wat Traimit — admission ฿100 for foreigners (verified Mar 2026)
- Warehouse 30 — visitor FAQ
- lebua Sky Bar — official drinks menu (Apr 2023; cocktails ฿1,150–1,300++)
- Chatuchak Market 2026 — hours and getting there
- Jodd Fairs Ratchada — 2026 guide (Rama 9 site closed)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand — official site
- TAT News — new 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 Sep 2026
- Korean Embassy statement on the 1981 Korea–Thailand 90-day agreement (FN News, Sep 2026)
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card — official portal (free)
- Revenue Department — VAT Refund for Tourists conditions
- Airport Rail Link fares and hours (updated Oct 2026)
- BTS Skytrain — official site
- Illustrated draft map by 3DAYS · real-data 3D map in preparation
Prices are for adults and can change; always check the official site on the day. Some ticket, hotel and eSIM links on 3DAYS are affiliate links: your price is the same and we may earn a commission. Rankings and routes are not paid placements.