The Itinerary 
Bangkok in 3 days: the river, the old city and Ayutthaya
Bangkok's traffic is the tax on a short visit, so this plans along the Chao Phraya and the BTS. The palace at opening, Chinatown after seven, and the day trip that beats the floating markets.
- Southeast Asia
- 3 days
- ≈ AED 750 / person
- Three days that use the river instead of the traffic
Before you go
Bangkok’s traffic is the single thing that ruins short visits. A three-kilometre taxi ride can take forty minutes, and a day that crosses the city twice is a day half spent in a car.
The answer is the river and the rails. The Chao Phraya express boat is the best transport and the best sightseeing in the city at the same time, and the BTS and MRT cover everything the boat does not. This plan barely uses a road.
Three days: the river on day one, the old city on day two, and Ayutthaya on day three — which is a far better use of a day than the floating markets everyone is sold.
Part of a Thailand trip? See Thailand in 7 days, which gives Bangkok three days and adds Krabi.
Figure the budget below. November to February.
Before you go: the short version
Entry
- Many nationalities enter visa-free for 30 or 60 days.
- Everyone must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before arrival. It is free — the sites charging for it are not official.
Getting in and around
- Suvarnabhumi (BKK) is 45 minutes out. The Airport Rail Link is THB 45 to Phaya Thai and is immune to traffic. A taxi is THB 400–500 including tolls and can take ninety minutes.
- Don Mueang (DMK) handles most budget airlines and is further north.
- The Chao Phraya express boat is the river bus. The orange flag is the cheap local one at THB 16; the blue tourist boat is four times the price for the same water.
- BTS Skytrain and MRT are cheap, cool and fast. Get a Rabbit card for the BTS.
- Grab is the taxi app and removes the meter argument entirely.
The approach you will meet
- “The Grand Palace is closed today.” It is not. The person telling you is steering you to a gem shop or a tailor, and the tuk-tuk waiting nearby is part of it. The palace is open daily.
Day by day
Day 1 — The river
Walking order: Sathorn pier → boat north → Wat Arun (on the Thonburi bank) → cross-river ferry, THB 5 → Wat Pho (5 min) → boat → Chinatown. About 3km on foot, the rest on water.
- 14:00 — The Chao Phraya express boat from Sathorn, northbound. It is ordinary public transport and it is the best hour in the city — temples, the palace walls, barges, and riverside houses on stilts.
- 15:30 — Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, on the Thonburi bank. The central prang is encrusted with Chinese porcelain — ballast from trading ships, broken and set into the stucco. You can climb part of it, and the steps are very steep.
- 17:00 — Cross on the THB 5 ferry to the Bangkok side. The photograph everyone wants is taken from this bank looking back at Wat Arun, and sunset is when to take it.
- 18:00 — Wat Pho, next to the pier, which stays open into the evening — the 46-metre reclining Buddha, and the massage school where Thai massage is formally taught. An hour costs a fraction of a hotel spa.
- 19:30 — Chinatown — Yaowarat Road — after dark. The best eating street in Thailand, and it only really starts at seven. Stall food, not restaurants.
Day 2 — The old city
Walking order: Grand Palace → Wat Pho (10 min, if you skipped it) → boat or walk → Wat Saket (20 min) → Khlong Lot and the old quarter. About 4km, and there is very little shade.
- 08:30 — The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew at opening. It is uncomfortable by eleven and that is the whole argument for being early.
- The Emerald Buddha is 66cm of jade and is the most revered object in the country. It is dressed in one of three seasonal gold costumes, changed by the king himself.
- Dress code is enforced at the gate: shoulders and knees covered, no see-through fabric, no sandals without a back strap. Sarongs are lent against a deposit and that queue is slow.
- 11:30 — Wat Saket and the Golden Mount — 300 steps up an artificial hill, and the only elevation in central Bangkok.
- 13:00 — Lunch in the old quarter, then out of the heat.
- 15:30 — The Museum of Siam, which explains the country’s history well and is air-conditioned, or Jim Thompson House — six teak houses assembled by the American silk trader who vanished in the Cameron Highlands in 1967 and was never found.
- 18:00 — A rooftop bar. There is a dress code at most and sandals will not get you in.
Day 3 — Ayutthaya
Walking order: hire a bicycle at the station — the island is flat and the sites are spread, and a bike turns a hot slog into a good day. About 8km of easy cycling.
- 07:30 — Eighty minutes by train from Krung Thep Aphiwat. Third class with the windows open costs almost nothing and is the pleasant way to do it.
- 09:30 — Wat Mahathat, for the Buddha head held in banyan roots — the image on every poster, and genuinely arresting in person.
- 11:00 — Wat Phra Si Sanphet and its three restored chedis, the royal temple of the old palace.
- 13:00 — Lunch, and sit out the worst of the afternoon.
- 16:00 — Wat Chaiwatthanaram on the river, which is best in late light and is the one to finish on.
- The ruins are what the Burmese left in 1767. The headless Buddhas were not weathered — the heads were struck off.
- 19:00 — Back in Bangkok.
Why not the floating markets
- Damnoen Saduak is two hours out and almost entirely staged for photographs. Amphawa, on a Friday to Sunday evening, is the real one — but it only runs at weekends, and Ayutthaya is the better day in every other case.
Costs and practicalities
Getting around, and what it costs
| Chao Phraya express boat, orange flag | THB 16 |
| Cross-river ferry | THB 5 |
| BTS or MRT, typical journey | THB 20–60 |
| Airport Rail Link | THB 45 |
| Airport taxi, with tolls | THB 400–500 |
| Grand Palace | THB 500 |
| Wat Pho | THB 300 |
| Wat Arun | THB 200 |
| Train to Ayutthaya, third class | THB 15–20 |
- The boat and the BTS cover nearly everything. Use Grab for the gaps and avoid taxis flagged on the street.
Best time to visit
- November to February — 25–32°C and dry. The season, and December–January is the best of it.
- March to May — 35–40°C, and April is the hottest month of the year. Songkran in mid-April is the water festival and the city becomes a three-day water fight.
- June to October — the rains, which arrive as heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day drizzle. Cheapest, and greener.
Travel tips
- “The palace is closed today” is always a lie.
- Grand Palace at opening, dressed for the gate.
- The orange-flag boat, not the blue tourist one.
- Chinatown after seven, not before.
- Ayutthaya by train and bicycle, not by coach tour.
- Agree a tuk-tuk fare before getting in, or use Grab.
- Respect the monarchy in conversation. Lèse-majesté laws are real and enforced.
What this trip actually costs
Two people, 2 nights, mid-range comfort, international flights excluded:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hotel, 2 nights | THB 5,000 (≈ AED 547) |
| Food and drink, 3 days | THB 4,000 (≈ AED 438) |
| Temples and museums, two people | THB 2,400 (≈ AED 263) |
| Boats, BTS, Grab and the Ayutthaya train | THB 1,600 (≈ AED 175) |
| Massage, incidentals | THB 1,000 (≈ AED 109) |
| Total for two | THB 14,000 (≈ AED 1,532) |
- Bangkok is very cheap to eat in and to move around. The hotel is most of the cost and the street food is the best of it.
- A whole day’s transport costs under THB 200 per person.
- Hotel picks here are chosen on location, not on commission — always check prices and recent reviews before booking.
What to pack
- Clothing that satisfies the palace dress code — covered shoulders and knees, and closed or strapped shoes.
- A layer for over-air-conditioned malls and trains.
- A hat. The old city has almost no shade.
- A Type A/B/C adapter, 220V.
Part of a bigger trip?
- Thailand in 7 days adds Ayutthaya and Krabi.
- Thailand in 14 days adds the north and the islands.
- Chiang Mai in 3 days is an hour by air.
- Thailand and Laos in 11 days runs north from here to the Mekong.
FAQ
Is three days enough for Bangkok? For the river, the old city and one day trip, yes. It is not enough to add the markets as well as Ayutthaya.
Is the Grand Palace worth THB 500? Yes, once. Go at opening, dress correctly, and give it two hours. The Emerald Buddha is small and the compound around it is not.
Floating markets or Ayutthaya? Ayutthaya, unless your dates land on an Amphawa weekend. Damnoen Saduak is a staged photograph two hours each way.
How do I avoid the traffic? The river boat and the BTS. Between them they reach almost everything on this page, and neither is affected by the roads.
Is Bangkok safe? Yes, with ordinary care. The recurring issue is commercial — gem shops, tailors and the “closed today” routine. None of it is threatening and all of it is best ignored.
Prices and entry rules change, and what you need depends on your passport; last checked 29 October 2026, so confirm with the embassy or your airline before booking.
