The ULTIMATE Bangkok Itinerary for FIRST TIME Visitors

Planning a trip to Bangkok can be overwhelming. There’s so much to see and do in the city that it’s almost impossible to fit it all in one trip without exhausting yourself. I’ve lived in the city for over 5 years now and helped many people plan their trips to the city, and this 3-day itinerary covers the best the city has to offer. This itinerary will cover the most iconic Bangkok landmarks that you need to visit, how to get the most out of the city’s nightlife, and the best day trips to take from around the city.

Bangkok’s Grand Palace Wat Pho and Wat Arun

Day one is all about the most iconic Bangkok landmarks. Everyone wants to visit one of the famous Bangkok temples, right? But which ones are actually worth visiting? And what order should you visit them in? The first spot you should visit has been the official home of the Thai monarchy since the 1700s. It’s known for being one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. Although it’s not actually a temple, it is littered with Buddhist monuments including the famous golden chedi, and the most famous statue is at the center of the palace called the Emerald Buddha. It costs 500 baht to enter and takes around 2 hours to explore. To beat the crowds, I suggest getting there around 8:30 a.m. when it opens. I would visit the palace first because it’s the one that gets the busiest.

The next landmark though is right next door and home to the Reclining Buddha, one of the largest and most famous Buddhist statues in the world, as well as a stunning garden temple filled with ornate towers called stupas. It costs 300 baht to enter and takes a little less than an hour to explore and is called Wat Pho.

At this point, you’re probably going to be getting a bit tired after walking around in the Bangkok heat for a few hours. There are plenty of restaurants nearby, but don’t just jump into any of them. If you’ve come all this way, you’re going to want a meal with a view, one that overlooks the nearby Chao Phraya River.

But the best temple in Bangkok lies on the other side of the river. You only have to take a short boat ride across for about 5 baht, and it will take you to a monument that combines aspects of Hindu and Buddhist culture. And it’s defined by its towering prangs. If you’re keeping track, yes, this is called a chedi, this is a stupa, and this is a prang. What makes this temple stand out though is it lies peacefully on the side of the river. This temple is called Wat Arun, and it costs 100 baht to enter.

Muay Thai Khao San Road and Soi Rambutri

But you can’t leave Bangkok without watching a brutal Muay Thai fight. But where is the best place in the city to experience Muay Thai? Well, there’s one stadium that is by far the best in the city for tourists. This stadium is near the tourist spots, is the oldest Muay Thai stadium in the world, and has the best mix of international and Thai fighters. In fact, Bangkok is where all the best Muay Thai fighters come to train. So, I would recommend watching a fight here in Bangkok over anywhere else in the country. This stadium is called Rajadamnern Stadium, and it has fights on pretty much every night of the week. Tickets can be as low as 1,000 baht, but up to 2,500 for ringside seats.

But if you want to experience Bangkok at its wildest, there’s one street you need to check out. This street is world famous and was once the capital of the Southeast Asian backpacking scene. It’s the place in Bangkok to drink a bucket of rum and eat a fried scorpion. This is Khao San Road, and it’s one of the most popular places in the whole of Bangkok. It’s a bit loud, a bit too busy, and sometimes a bit too mental. For now, I’ve got a few insider tips that will make your experience here much more enjoyable.

Not too far from Khao San, there’s another road with far better restaurants. It’s still got plenty of bars, too, but it’s not a complete mosh pit like Khao San, and it’s just a bit more fun. It’s called Soi Rambutri, and it’s the best to have a few drinks here before heading into the wilderness of Khao San Road.

Bangkok’s Best Floating Markets and Ancient Ayutthaya

But to reach some of the most stunning sights in central Thailand, you have to venture a little outside the city. On day two, I’m going to cover the most iconic day trips that you can take from the city of Bangkok.

Everyone wants to experience the floating markets of Bangkok, right? But most tours take you to the tourist trap version. In fact, the traffic jams in these floating markets are almost as bad as in the city. My favorite floating market in the city is one of Thailand’s oldest, and it has retained its charm and traditional atmosphere over the centuries. It has the best selection of food in any market in the city. You can watch as the vendors serve up meals right here in front of you on the boats. And this market is famous for its seafood. There’s also a walkway for you to explore with plenty of restaurants and street food stands. This is the only floating market in the city that stays open through the evening, which means it’s the only one you can enjoy watching the sunset with a craft beer.

It’s called Amphawa Floating Market, and one of the best things about it is that it is right next door to another of the city’s most fascinating marketplaces, one that’s placed right in the middle of a train track. When you come here, you have to time your trip right. About four times a day, trains actually pass through the middle of the market, and vendors have to quickly pack up their wares to get out of the way. The market is incredibly narrow, with only a few feet of space between the train and the market stalls, so you have to be careful as the train passes through.

Maeklong Railway Market is one of the most unique markets in the world, and it’s only about a 20-minute drive from Amphawa Floating Market, so they can be done together.

But did you know that Bangkok hasn’t always been the capital of Thailand? Outside the city lies the ancient ruins of the former kingdom of Siam. It’s designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s the perfect place to learn about Thailand’s past. These temples have stood for over 500 years, and were once the residency of the Thai monarchy until the city was invaded by the neighboring Burmese in the 1700s.

The city is best explored by bicycle, and it’ll take a few hours to explore these ancient ruins. Traveling around the city, you can see the former Grand Palace where the royal family used to live, and you can learn about what life was like in Thailand in the early 1500s. One of the highlights is the Buddha head that has become entwined in the banyan tree. The head of the statue was chopped off by invaders, and as the city was abandoned, the tree grew around the head. The ancient city is known as Ayutthaya. It’s free to visit, but you do have to pay entry at each temple, but they cost around 50 baht each.

Sky Bars and Bangkok’s Hidden Corners

But on the evening of day two, it’s time to experience the swankier side of Bangkok.

What I love most about Bangkok’s nightlife is that it has a cheap and hectic side, but also a much more upscale side, too.

What they do better in Bangkok than any other city in the world is sky bars. Bangkok has one of the highest skylines in the world, and to fully take advantage of this, you need to grab a drink on top of one of the city’s many skyscrapers. There are hundreds of sky bars in Bangkok to choose from. The majority of them are throughout the Sukhumvit Road area. These are the best places in the city to watch the sun go down.

Tuk Tuk Tours and Bangkok’s Canals

One of the most exciting parts of visiting Bangkok is exploring its hidden corners. There’s so much to see and every street feels like it hides a secret. On day three, you’re going to try and cover as much of the city as possible and there are two unique ways to really explore the city that will let you cover a lot of ground and give you a completely different perspective.

Probably the most iconic image of the city is the tuk-tuk. But these three-wheeled demons are notorious for psychotic drivers trying to rip off passengers. So, how can you take one without getting ripped off? Well, personally, I think the best way to do it is a way that will allow you to see more of the city. Have a set price beforehand so you know you’re not going to get ripped off and they won’t be trying to do wheelies through busy Bangkok traffic. By taking a prearranged tour, you can guarantee that you won’t get ripped off. These companies have an online presence so you can check reviews beforehand. But they’ll also spend a set amount of time, usually a few hours, driving you around the city to see some of the best sights including hidden temples, winding backstreets, and colorful markets.

But there’s another side of the city that most tourists never see. Here, you’ll see a more authentic way of life far away from the city’s skyscrapers.

Bangkok was once called the Venice of the East. Its extensive network of canals, known locally as klongs, spread out across the city.

Today, many of the canals still exist and traveling on a klong boat offers a unique view of the city where you can witness traditional Thai houses on stilts, bustling floating markets, and serene temples. You can hop on public boats for as little as 50 baht. I recommend doing a klong tour that will take you to some of the hidden corners of the canals including Wat Pak Nam, which is probably the best hidden gem temple in Bangkok. It has a golden Buddha which overlooks the canal. And yeah, you guessed it, yet another chedi stupa prang thing. Just don’t, you know, fall in the canal. It’s full of fish, monitor lizards, and who knows whatever the hell else is lurking in there.

Yaowarat Road and Soi Nana Street Food

But do you want to know where to get the best street food in Bangkok? In the evening of day three, you can experience the single greatest street in Bangkok.

In fact, this street has consistently been voted one of the coolest streets in the world. That’s because of its neon lights and delicious street food.

This street is Bangkok at its most intense. The hanging street signs alert you across the road. There’s honking horns and busy traffic as well as huge crowds of people making their way through the winding streets.

This area has the highest concentration of Michelin recommended street food stands in the country and possibly even the world. This is Yaowarat Road, and it lies at the heart of Chinatown. This area is where the idea of street food carts was created as the Chinese immigrants used to sell to each other at lunchtime.

I suggest taking a walk from one end of the street to the other and just grabbing a bit of what jumps out at you. Some places are going to be absolutely packed with people, so that will probably determine where you can actually eat. And try to eat only small portions because you’re going to stack up as many different things as possible.

And right next to Yaowarat Road is one of the best bar streets in Bangkok, Soi Nana. Now, this is not to be mistaken for Nana Plaza, which is one of the seediest areas of Bangkok. Soi Nana is home to some of the best cocktail bars in the whole of Thailand. On this street, there are four or five different bars that have their own unique style. The bars here try to make custom-made creations that focus on using Thai and Chinese flavors. But, all of this planning could be for nothing though if you end up staying in the wrong part of town.