Thailand

Three days in Bangkok - The ultimate itinerary

Bangkok is not only the capital city of Thailand, but it is also known as the backpacking capital of the world. Every year, more than twenty million tourists visit the city. This, of course, has its reasons, as Bangkok has a lot to offer regarding things to see and do. That much, that it might be a bit overwhelming in the first place. Therefore, in this blog, I will give you the perfect itinerary for three days in Bangkok for first timers!

Arriving in Bangkok

Before going into what to do in Bangkok, first some general information about your arrival in the city. Bangkok has two airports. The first one, Don Muang Airtport, is the ‘old’ airport, and is currently used for domestic flights. The second one is Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the new international airport at which you will probably arrive. After arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport, there are a couple of ways to get to your hotel.

The first option is the bus. From 06.00 until 22.00 a shuttle bus commutes from the airport to Khao San Road every 30 minutes. This bus is especially interesting for those staying in the neighbourhood of Khao San Road as it only costs 60 Baht (€1,50!!). The bus leaves from Gate 7.
The second option is the Airport Rail Link, an interesting option for those staying in the centre of Bangkok. The Airport Rail Link leaves every 15 minutes from 06.00 until 00,00 from the basement of the airport, and only costs you 45 Baht!.
The last option is the taxi. This option is both the most expensive and the most comfortable. You will end up at the official taxi stand if you simply follow the signs ‘Public Taxi’. Here, you will get a ticket with the number of a particular taxi stand, the taxi arrives and you get in. A taxi to the centre of Bangkok is around 350 to 700 Baht, including toll which is also for your account. Don’t forget to ask the taxi driver to turn on the meter!!

Where to stay in Bangkok

As you might have read above Bangkok has several nice neighbourhoods in which you can stay. Are you travelling by yourself, do you like some hustle and bustle, are you in for a party, or do you want to stay close to some of the most beautiful temples, then I would recommend you to look for a hotel around Khao San Road. We have, for example, stayed in the Rambuttri Village Plaza Hotel. This hotel is not located on Khao San Road itself (which is a good thing), but on the quieter side of the nicest street of Bangkok, Soi Rambuttri. And it is affordable! Furthermore, we have also slept in the Sleep Within Hotel, also on Soi Rambuttri. Both hotels have a lovely swimming pool on the rooftop, but the latter was a bit more noisy. Another nice neighbourhood to stay in, is Sukhumvit. This neighbourhood is closer to Lumphini Park and the many rooftop bars Bangkok has.

Day 1: The temples of Bangkok

After the long flight (or not that long, depends on where you are coming from of course) you will probably arrive tired. Therefore, on your first day, you will take it slowly and visit some of the most beautiful temples Bangkok has. On our first day, we visited the temples ‘Wat Arun’ and ‘Wat Pho’. If you want, you can add the Grand Palace and its ‘Wat Phra Kaew’ to this day. In what order you decide to visit these temples is completely up to you. We started early at Wat Arun to get this temple completely to ourselves. Starting early at one temple, does mean that the other temples will probably be more crowded. Especially the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew are very popular and can get extremely crowded. For that reason, in order to escape the tourist mass, we skipped these in the first place.

All temples mentioned above are on walking distance from each other, and from Khao San Road. Instead of walking, you can do it like the locals do, and take the Chao Praya River Express. In order to get to Wat Arun you will also have to cross the river with the ferry which stops close to the entry of Wat Pho.

Good to know In order to be able to get into the temples you will have to cover your shoulders and knees. Dress appropriately in order to prevent disappointment. Although you can at Wat Arun and Wat Pho, it is not allowed to make use of a sarong in order to cover your shoulders at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew!

As said before, you can add the Grand Palace and the Wat Phra Kaew to your itinerary, but also Wat Traimit, Wat Benchamabophit and Wat Saket are worth a visit (guess the meaning of the Thai word ‘Wat’… indeed, temple). Although all of these temples are beautiful, after having spent some hours at Wat Arun and Wat Pho we had gained enough impressions for our first day. Therefore, we spent the rest of the day relaxing at the swimming pool.

At night I would recommend you to walk around Khao San Road and Soi Rambuttri. Whether you are staying in this neighbourhood or not, whether you like a party or not, it is quite an experience. Make sure you have dinner at one of the many street food stands selling the most delicious food. Don’t worry, these street food stands are often more clean than the hidden kitchens of restaurants. Try the delicious Pad Thai and spring rolls for sure, and finish off with Mango Sticky Rice as a desert! Also the Thai pancakes with banana are delicious and worth the try. Furthermore, in the neighbourhood of Khao San Road, you can have a drink at one of the many bars, listen to live music, buy your first souvenirs, or simply enjoy watching the crazy backpackers trying to eat fried scorpions..

Good to know It is discouraged to eat pre-cut fruits as this is often washed with tap water. Non-cut fruits and smoothies, however, are completely fine 😊

Day 2: Biking

You will start your second day in Bangkok early with a 5-hour bicycle and boat tour with Co van Kessel in order to explore the traditional side of Bangkok. You will bike through the busy China Town and the beautiful green plantations, and you will explore the ‘Venice of the East’ by boat. You will stop at several temples and you will get the possibility to feed hundreds of fish. The tour exists partly out of biking and partly out of relaxing in a traditional longtail boot, and after being on the road for about 2 hours you are treated with a delicious meal with a local family. Despite the tour being given twice a day, at both 07.00 and 14.00, I would recommend choosing the 07.00 one. It sounds very early, and it is, but it prevents you from biking around the city at the hottest part of the day.

Good to know Do you have to set off early without having time for proper breakfast? You can find a 7-eleven at almost every corner of the street in Bangkok. This supermarket is often open 24/7 and they sell amazing toasties which you can buy and they will heat it up at the cash register. Ideal!

Bike and Boat Tour Co van Kessel Bangkok

As you probably will be tired after the 5-hour bike tour, it is time to relax! There is a big shopping mall close to the Co van Kessel office where you can initially walk around and cool off. Thereafter you can rent a tuktuk or a Grab taxi to the perfect place to relax. The green oasis of Bangkok, Lumphini Park. Lumphini Park is the biggest park in Bangkok and is often compared to Central Park in New York. In the park you can relax, rent a boat on its artificial lake or.. spot massive lizards! These enormous ‘Monitor Lizards’ have been living in harmony with the visitors of the park for years. Watch out though, they can bite!

Good to know Every day from 19.00 on, there is a food market on the parking lot of the Lumphini Park. Do like the Thai do, and buy yourself some food at the market in order to eat it in the park.

Day 3: Markets and rooftops

Today is your last day in Bangkok. Time to visit some markets! After having visited several markets in Thailand our favourite will always be Chatuchak Weekend Market. This enormous, partly indoor, market is the perfect place to buy souvenirs and enjoy delicious food. Moreover, the prices for souvenirs at this market are lower than compared to the prices in other parts of Bangkok. You can easily reach this market with a Grab taxi or even with public transport. As the name already suggests, the Chatuchak market is a weekend market, which means it can only be visited on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. So if any of your other days in Bangkok turn out to be Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays, don’t hesitate to change the itinerary and visit the market on another day.

Good to know The Chatuchak weekend market is massive which means you can get lost particularly easy. Ask for a map of the market at the entrance in order to avoid this from happening.

Two other very special, but also very touristy, markets which you could possibly visit on your last day in Bangkok are the Damnoen Sudak Floating Market and the Maeklong Railway Market. As the names already suggest, these markets are unique. The Damnoen Sudak floating market is the most famous floating market in Thailand where the biggest share of the stalls are only to be reached by a small boat. The Maeklong Railway market is a market on top of a trail track which disappears quickly every time a train passes by. Because both of these markets are located further from Bangkok I would recommend visiting these with a tour (yes, really!). Be prepared for many other tourists, being stuck with your boat at the floating market for half an hour because of all the other boats filled with tourists, and not being able to take pictures without 10 others on it. But if you realize this is the reality of visiting these markets, you will still be able to enjoy them! We booked our tour here. With this tour you will arrive at the Railway market by train, which gives you a more unique and less touristy viewpoint of the market!

Damnoen Sudak Railway Market Tour Bangkok Thailand

After a long day of shopping at one of Bangkok’s many markets, you will enjoy your last evening in Bangkok in style. Watching the sunset with a cocktail in your hands from one of the many rooftop bars in the city. Some of the most popular rooftop bars are Octave Rooftop Bar & Lounge, Sirocco Sky & Bar (known from the movie ‘The Hangover Part II’), and Above Eleven. Also fun: the brand new ‘King Poer MahaNakhon’. The second highest building in Thailand where you can walk across a glass floor on the 78^th floor. Only for daredevils! Most rooftop bars mentioned above have a dress code. This means you will have to dress appropriately, no flipflops and no open shoes for men! Also make sure to bring your ID card with you, some bars might ask for it.

Good to know The Octave Rooftop Lounge and Bar has ‘happy hour’ during sunset, from 5 to 7 PM. This means that all cocktails are sold for only half of the original price!