An independent guide · updated October 2026

DiscoverBangkok

Which area to base yourself in, what to see in what order, where to eat at what hour, and what to skip. Every opening time and price shows the month we checked it.

What’s worth doing or just give me three days

What’s actually worth your time

The ordination hall of Wat Phra Kaew, flanked by gilded chedis, inside the Grand Palace compound — Photo: Tivistar, Pixabay Content License via Pixabay

Start in the Old Town, at 8:30am

Be at the Grand Palace gates when they open, walk to Wat Pho after lunch, then take the five-minute ferry to Wat Arun and come back across the water to watch it at sunset. It is the best single day in Bangkok, and the order matters more than you would think.

The temples, in order

…and 27 more, with what to skip

Neighbourhoods

Bangkok is a city of districts

The Old Town is only about ten kilometres from Thong Lo, but at rush hour the road between them can take an hour. Pick one area per half-day and let the trains and the river do the rest.

Old Town (Rattanakosin): — palaces, temples, early mornings
Chinatown (Yaowarat): — street food after dark
Riverside (Charoen Krung & Khlong San): — grand hotels and boats
Siam: — malls and the BTS hub
Silom: — weekday lunches, late bars
Sathorn: — rooftops and quiet hotels
Sukhumvit: — restaurants, nightlife, every budget
Ari: — cafés and a slower pace
Pratunam: — wholesale fashion, budget hotels

Bangkok food

Eat by street and by hour, not from a list.

Silom’s sois and food courts peak at weekday lunch. Yaowarat wakes up after dark. The best stall on any street is usually the one with a queue of office workers and only one thing on the menu.

How eating works in Bangkok Where the street food is

order several bowls →

ผัดกะเพรา
Pad kra pao
Holy basil stir-fry over rice, fried egg on top. The default Bangkok lunch.
ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ
Boat noodles
Small, dark, intense bowls.
ส้มตำ
Som tam
Green papaya salad. Ask for it a little spicy.
ข้าวมันไก่
Khao man gai
Poached chicken and rice. Gentle, perfect on day one.
ต้มยำกุ้ง
Tom yum goong
Hot, sour prawn soup.
ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
Mango sticky rice
Best from March to May.

The places that justify the queue

go early. seriously.

Every place, with when it disappoints

The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew2–3 hoursAt opening
Wat Pho1–1.5 hoursLate afternoon
Wat Arun45 minutes–1 hourVisit in the afternoon
Jim Thompson House1–1.5 hoursMorning
Chatuchak Weekend Market3–4 hoursSaturday or Sunday at opening

Itineraries

Three days in Bangkok

1The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat ArunBangkok's three headline sights, in the order that best avoids crowds and heat.
2Chinatown by day, the river by afternoon, Yaowarat by nightThe Golden Buddha, Talat Noi's old lanes, an express boat ride and Bangkok's best street-food street.
3Chatuchak Weekend Market and AriThe big weekend market at opening, Or Tor Kor's fruit hall, an afternoon in Ari's cafés and a night market.

See it slot by slot, with travel times

Five daysAdds Siam, a rooftop sunset and Ayutthaya.A weekThe same, at a pace you can keep up in the heat.

none of these quite right?

Tell the itinerary planner your days, interests and where you’re staying. It builds a plan around weekends and day trips — no sign-up, no AI.

Match the market to the day

The markets guide

Which Bangkok markets are open on which days
open on…	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Chatuchak Weekend Market9am–6pm	Closed	Closed	Partly open	Partly open	Partly open	Open	Open
Or Tor Kor fresh marketmornings	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Jodd Fairs Ratchadafrom 5pm	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Pak Khlong Talat flowerslate night & dawn	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open

Hollow circle: Chatuchak’s plant market (Wed–Thu) and Friday-night wholesale only. Checked October 2026 — markets change, so confirm before crossing the city.

Where to stay

Choose the area first. The hotel second.

Siam if it’s your first trip, or you have children.

The Riverside for atmosphere, and boats to the temples.

Sukhumvit for restaurants and late nights.

Silom for value, the Old Town for early starts, Ari for a slower stay.

Compare every area