Itineraries
Bangkok 5-Day Itinerary
Five days lets you slow down. The first two days match the three-day plan; the extra time goes to modern Bangkok, the weekend market and the ruins of Ayutthaya.
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Five days changes what's possible in Bangkok. You can see the essentials without rushing, spend a day in modern Bangkok, and still have time for a day trip to Ayutthaya, the former royal capital.
The plan at a glance
| Day | Area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Town | Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun at sunset |
| 2 | Chinatown and the river | Golden Buddha, Talat Noi, express boat, Yaowarat |
| 3 | Siam and Silom | Jim Thompson House, BACC, malls, a rooftop sunset |
| 4 | Chatuchak and Ari (weekend) | Weekend market, Or Tor Kor, Ari, night market |
| 5 | Ayutthaya | Temple ruins of the old capital |
How to arrange the days
The order above is a starting point. Two fixed points decide everything else:
- Chatuchak must fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Move day 4 to fit your dates.
- Don't do the day trip on your first day. Jet lag and an early train are a bad combination. Anywhere from day 3 onwards works.
Days 1, 2 and 3 can then go in any order, though doing the Old Town first gives you context for everything else.
Day by day
Day 1
The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun
Bangkok's three headline sights, in the order that best avoids crowds and heat.
Morning
Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
MRT to Sanam Chai, then walk · 15 min walk from the station
Arrive for the 8:30am opening. Allow 2–3 hours. Dress code is strict: shoulders and knees covered. Ignore anyone outside who says the palace is closed.
Lunch
Around Tha Tien or Museum Siam
Walk · 10–15 min
Simple Thai lunch near Tha Tien pier, between the palace and Wat Pho. If the heat is too much, Museum Siam is air-conditioned and next door.
Alternative: Museum Siam (1.5 hours) if you want a cool break before more temples.
Afternoon
Wat Pho, then cross to Wat Arun
Walk, then cross-river ferry · 5 min walk + 5 min ferry
Wat Pho takes about an hour; stay longer for a massage at the temple's massage pavilions. Then take the cross-river ferry from Tha Tien to Wat Arun.
Evening
Sunset over Wat Arun
Ferry, then taxi or MRT to Wat Mangkon for Chinatown · 15–20 min
Return across the river and watch Wat Arun light up from the Tha Tien side, then dinner in the Old Town or Chinatown.
If you only have one day in Bangkok, this is it.
Day 2
Chinatown by day, the river by afternoon, Yaowarat by night
The Golden Buddha, Talat Noi's old lanes, an express boat ride and Bangkok's best street-food street.
Morning
Wat Traimit and Talat Noi
MRT to Hua Lamphong · 5 min walk to Wat Traimit
Start with the solid-gold Buddha at Wat Traimit, then walk to Talat Noi's riverside lanes of shophouses, workshops and street art.
Lunch
Chinatown noodle shops
Walk · 10 min
Eat around Charoen Krung or Yaowarat — this is a noodle and rice district at lunchtime.
Afternoon
Chao Phraya Express Boat
Chao Phraya Express Boat · 15–25 min
Ride the public express boat from Ratchawong or Marine Department pier. Head downstream to Sathorn for the riverside, or cross to ICONSIAM for its SookSiam food floor.
Alternative: Rest at your hotel during the hottest hours and return to Chinatown for the evening.
Evening
Yaowarat Road street food
Boat back to Ratchawong, or BTS + MRT to Wat Mangkon · 20–30 min
Stalls set up from late afternoon and are in full swing after dark. Walk the whole road before choosing.
Day 3
Jim Thompson House, Siam and a rooftop sunset
A heritage house, a free art centre, the mall district for the hottest hours and a rooftop for sunset.
Morning
Jim Thompson House
BTS to National Stadium · 5 min walk
Guided tours of the teak houses run throughout the day; allow an hour including the garden.
Lunch
Mall food halls
BTS one stop or walk via skywalk · 10 min
Siam Paragon and Siam Center's food halls are an easy way to try several Thai dishes in air conditioning.
Afternoon
BACC and Siam shopping
Walk · 5–10 min
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is free (closed Mondays). Then browse Siam Discovery, Siam Center or CentralWorld.
Evening
Sunset from a rooftop or the Mahanakhon SkyWalk
BTS Siam to Chong Nonsi or Sala Daeng · 10 min
Head to Silom or Sathorn for sunset — a rooftop bar or the SkyWalk observation deck at Chong Nonsi.
Day 4
Chatuchak Weekend Market and Ari
The big weekend market at opening, Or Tor Kor's fruit hall, an afternoon in Ari's cafés and a night market.
Chatuchak's full market only operates on Saturday and Sunday.
Arrange your days so this falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
Morning
Chatuchak Weekend Market
MRT to Kamphaeng Phet or BTS to Mo Chit · Direct
Be there at opening. Allow 3 hours. Note section numbers of stalls you like.
Lunch
Or Tor Kor Market
Walk · 5 min
Directly across the road. Excellent fruit and prepared curries in a clean hall.
Afternoon
Ari cafés
BTS Mo Chit to Ari · 5 min
Two BTS stops south. Rest your feet in one of Ari's independent cafés and walk the leafy sois.
Evening
Jodd Fairs Ratchada night market
Taxi or BTS + MRT to Thailand Cultural Centre · 20–30 min
A busy night market with lots of food stalls. The original Rama 9 site has closed — head to the Ratchada one.
Alternative: If you are tired, eat in Ari instead.
Day 5
Day trip to Ayutthaya
The former royal capital's temple ruins, an hour or so north by train.
Swap for a canals day if you would rather not leave Bangkok.
Morning
Train to Ayutthaya
Train · About 1 hour on faster services
Most northbound trains now leave from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal; slow ordinary trains still use the old Hua Lamphong station. Check the State Railway of Thailand timetable for your departure station.
Lunch
Lunch near the historical park
Ayutthaya is known for boat noodles and river prawns. Eat before the afternoon heat.
Afternoon
Temple ruins by bicycle or tuk-tuk
Tuk-tuk or bicycle · 10–15 min between sites
Wat Mahathat (the Buddha head in tree roots), Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Chaiwatthanaram are the essentials. Hire a tuk-tuk by the hour or rent a bicycle.
Evening
Return to Bangkok
Train or taxi · 1–1.5 hours
Train back, or a taxi if you are a group (around 1.5 hours, longer in traffic). Easy dinner near your hotel.
Alternatives for day 5
Not every traveller wants a day out of the city. Instead of Ayutthaya:
- A canals and riverside day: a long-tail boat through the Thonburi khlongs, lunch at Wang Lang Market, an afternoon on Charoen Krung and a dinner cruise. See the Chao Phraya River guide.
- The quieter Old Town: the Golden Mount, Loha Prasat and Wat Suthat — temples with a fraction of the crowds. See the Old Town guide.
- Maeklong Railway Market and Damnoen Saduak: a tourist-heavy but memorable full-day trip. See day trips from Bangkok.
Where to stay
For a five-day trip, Siam, Silom and lower Sukhumvit are the most efficient bases. If you want the river on your doorstep, stay on the Riverside and lean on the express boat for days 1 and 2. See where to stay in Bangkok.
Make it yours
The itinerary planner rebuilds a five-day plan around your interests and dates, keeping the day trip off day 1 and the market on a weekend.
where to next?
- Bangkok 3-Day ItineraryThree days is enough for Bangkok's essentials if you group sights by area and use the river and the MRT rather than taxis. Here is the plan, slot by slot.
- Bangkok 7-Day ItineraryA week in Bangkok is a different trip from a long weekend: you can afford a slow day after the day trip and still see more than most visitors do.
- Best Day Trips From BangkokA day trip costs you a whole day of a Bangkok trip, so it needs to earn it. Ayutthaya does. Some of the others are better as half-days or not at all.