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Bangkok, ThailandBy Last checked

Plan a trip to Bangkok

Temples, canals, and the best street food in the world at almost any budget. Traffic is the enemy. Plan the day around the river and the elevated trains, because you will see twice as much as the person stuck in a taxi.

  • Food trips
  • First-timers
  • Group trips
  • Nightlife
Trip length

Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.

Bangkok at a glance

How long do you need? 3 to 5 days is what most people give Bangkok, and what follows is the four stops worth building a plan around, Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew first among them, plus the three neighborhoods worth comparing before you book a room. All of it turns into a map you can edit.

How long
3–5 days
When to go
November to February is cool, dry, and the peak season, which is why you book December early. March to May is very hot, often above 95°F. The rainy season runs June to October, with short, heavy afternoon storms that clear in time for dinner.
Getting around
The BTS Skytrain and MRT avoid the traffic entirely, and the river boats cover the old town, so the taxis are only for whatever those two cannot reach. Insist on the meter, or use a rideshare app.

What to build the plan around

  1. 1

    Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

    Go at 8:30am opening, and cover shoulders and knees, because the dress code is enforced at the gate.

  2. 2

    Wat Pho

    The reclining Buddha, next door to the palace, with a traditional massage school on site, so leave an hour spare.

  3. 3

    Chao Phraya river boats

    The orange-flag express boat is cheap, and it beats any taxi along the river once the roads back up.

  4. 4

    Chatuchak Weekend Market

    Fifteen thousand stalls, weekends only, so go early and accept that you will get lost, because you will, and that is most of the fun.

Where to stay in Bangkok

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Riverside / Old Town
Closest to the temples and connected by boat, which also makes it the quietest of the three at night.
Browse stays in Riverside / Old Town
Sukhumvit (Asok to Thong Lo)
On the BTS line, with the best restaurants and rooftop bars, and the most hotel choice if you book late.
Browse stays in Sukhumvit (Asok to Thong Lo)
Ari
Residential, with excellent food, and one BTS line from the center when you want to be back in it.
Browse stays in Ari
Browse stays in Bangkok

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Itineraries close to Bangkok

Bangkok has no itinerary of its own yet. These are the nearest ones, and every stop is already mapped.

Bangkok planning questions

How many days do you need in Bangkok?
Most people take 3 to 5 days, and the extra one earns its keep if you dislike rushing. Three days covers the temples, the markets, and two dinners worth remembering. Five gives you Ayutthaya and a floating-market morning, though Ayutthaya by train is the calmer version of that day.
What is the best time to visit Bangkok?
November to February is cool, dry, and the peak season, which is why you book December early. March to May is very hot, often above 95°F. The rainy season runs June to October, with short, heavy afternoon storms that clear in time for dinner.
Where should I stay in Bangkok?
Book Riverside / Old Town if you are undecided, because it is the most convenient of the three and the choice you are least likely to regret. Closest to the temples and connected by boat, which also makes it the quietest of the three at night. Two others are worth comparing before you commit, and the difference is mostly rate against how far you walk. Sukhumvit (Asok to Thong Lo): On the BTS line, with the best restaurants and rooftop bars, and the most hotel choice if you book late. Ari: Residential, with excellent food, and one BTS line from the center when you want to be back in it.
How do you get around Bangkok?
The BTS Skytrain and MRT avoid the traffic entirely, and the river boats cover the old town, so the taxis are only for whatever those two cannot reach. Insist on the meter, or use a rideshare app.
What should I see first in Bangkok?
The first thing to slot in is Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, because once you have given it a morning the rest arranges itself around that. Go at 8:30am opening, and cover shoulders and knees, because the dress code is enforced at the gate. After that, Wat Pho, then Chao Phraya river boats, though the order between those two barely matters.
Can I build a Bangkok itinerary automatically?
Describe the trip and Arriv builds one. Length, pace, who is coming: that is enough to get a Bangkok itinerary of real venues on a map, and every stop is yours to move or delete. Free to run, and an account matters only once you want to keep it.

Tools for a Bangkok trip

Restaurant List → MapA note full of restaurant names doesn't help at 8pm on a Tuesday. Mapped, with the hours and the walk to each one, the same list settles dinner in ten seconds because you can see which places sit within a few blocks.Group Trip PlannerOne link, one map, everybody editing. Suggestions from six people land in the same place, votes settle the arguments, and the plan is current whenever somebody opens it, since everyone is working on the same copy.AI Trip PlannerSay where you're going and how long you have. Arriv comes back with a day-by-day itinerary on a map, ordered around the walking, since crossing town twice before lunch eats the morning. Swap places, add your own, send it to whoever is coming.Itinerary GeneratorYou already know where you want to go. Paste the names and Arriv sorts them into days by location, and each morning starts near where the last one ended.

Questions worth answering first

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