Bangkok is one of my absolute favourite cities in the world. Thailand‘s capital is a thriving metropolis filled with amazing sights, an interesting history, great food and shopping and the amazing Thai culture that you will fall in love with. Bangkok is a true assault on the senses, and it is a city that you will either love or hate. For me, I embrace the craziness and chaos of Bangkok and I return here as often as I can.
There is a lot to do in Bangkok, but if you have four days, you can see most of the main sights, and also get your shopping fix. Here is my Bangkok itinerary for spending four days in this vibrant and interesting city.
Grand Palace
Bangkok Itinerary – Day 1
A good way to start your exploration in Bangkok is with a bit of history. Learn about the Bangkok of old and visit some of its famous historic sites and temples. Depending on where you stay in Bangkok, you can either get to these sites by taxi or tuk tuk, or by my preferred mode of transport, the river ferry.
Grand Palace
Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace complex
The Grand Palace has to be the most popular tourist site in Bangkok. This is for a very good reason – it is a very interesting place to visit! The Royal Palace is no longer home to the Thai Royal Family, however it is still used for official events. One of the favourite parts of the palace complex is the royal temple, Wat Phra Kaew, commonly known to tourists as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The temple is a large complex of stunning shrines and religious structures. The main viharn holds the most prized possession in Thailand – the Emerald Buddha. This sacred artefact has an interesting history of its own, dating back hundreds of years.
Wat Pho
Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho
Wat Pho is possibly Bangkok’s second most important temple, and it is conveniently located right next to the Grand Palace. The temple is commonly known as The Temple of the Reclining Buddha, named after the huge 45 metre long reclining Buddha which is covered in gold leaf with mother-of-pearl inlay on its feet. The temple is a large complex and well worth taking some time to explore. Wat Pho is also where Thai massage was invented.
Wat Arun
After Wat Pho, head to Tha Tien pier where you can find some little street stalls and restaurants for lunch. Rested and full of delicious Thai food, catch the cross river ferry to Wat Arun. This temple is characterised by its spectacular stupa, with its central tower rising up above four smaller ones. Wat Arun is known as the Temple of Dawn as it looks spectacular at that time of day, but it also looks lovely at sunset. During the day you can climb the central tower for spectacular views of the city.
Bangkok Itinerary – Day 2
Today, head into Silom and Pratunam for a day of shopping in modern Bangkok. If you’re staying in Banglampu, you can take a scenic cruise down the river on the Chao Phraya River Ferry, hop off at Saphan Taksin and then take the sky train into the city. If you are staying in the city, you can get around by walking or taking the sky rail or metro systems.
MBK
There are a LOT of shopping malls in Bangkok. My favourite is MBK as you can still grab a bargain here, but in the comfort of a shopping mall. There are seven levels of shopping and dining in this massive mall, and parts of it are even set out as an indoor market. The food court here is also very good and cheap.
Platinum Fashion Mall
If it is fashion that you are after, it is hard to beat Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam. You can easily walk here from MBK, or you could take the sky rail system. Platinum Fashion Mall has hundreds of stalls and designers selling all kinds of fashion for women, men and children, and often at wholesale prices. You will be spoilt for choice here.
Pratunam Wholesale Market
Across the road from Platinum Fashion Mall is the Pratunam Wholesale Market. A lot of the clothes are made and distributed here, but it’s also possible to buy them for yourself. It is a crazy maze of shops and stalls selling everything fashion.
Other shopping
You can buy pretty much everything in Bangkok, and the malls are often specific to certain items. If it is electronics you are after, head to Pantip Plaza (just down from Platinum). If you’re after high-end luxury brands, head to Siam Paragon. Other malls worth checking out are Siam Center and Central World.
Bangkok Itinerary – Day 3
Today you can head to the lesser visited Thonburi side of the river and see some more cultural sights.
Wang Lang Market
Start the day with a ferry ride on the Chao Phraya River, and hop off at Wang Lang pier. Almost as soon as you walk out from the pier you will enter the thriving Wang Lang Market. This is very much a local market and you won’t find much in the way of souvenirs here. Instead, you can get a real taste of local life and wander the busy lanes past food and produce sellers, plus clothing and house hold items. Market shopping is still a very important part of local Thai life, seemingly never to be replaced by supermarkets. You can find some great street food here to try.
Wat Rakong
If you’re not all templed out from the first day, head south from Wang Lang Market and make your way to Wat Rakong. This is another interesting temple and far less visited by tourists than the popular sights you visited previously, so you will have a more authentic experience here. It is also nice to sit out on the river and watch the boats go by.
Canal Tour
Bangkok used to be known as the Venice of the East for its network of canals that played an integral part of life in the city. The Chao Phraya River still plays an important role in Bangkok life, however the network of waterways are not as used as they used to be. In fact, many of the canals have disappeared in the city’s constant development. In Thonburi, however, you can still find the canals of the Bangkok of old. The perfect way to see them is by a boat tour.
You can hire a long tail boat and driver at many piers in the city. The best place to find one is at the popular Tha Chang, Tha Tien or Phra Arthit piers. Make sure to barter for a price for an hour tour. Depending on what day you go, you could also include a visit to one of Bangkok’s floating markets.
Wat Saket
If you have time and energy in the afternoon, take a taxi or tuk tuk to Wat Saket to visit the Golden Mount – a man made hill with a huge golden stupa on the top. The walk to the top of the mount is well worth it for the stunning views of Bangkok, and is particularly beautiful near sunset.
Bangkok Itinerary – Day 4
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Try to time your visit to have one of your days fall on a Saturday or Sunday so that you can visit Bangkok’s largest market, Chatuchak, for the ultimate Bangkok shopping experience. Locals and tourists alike flock to Chatuchak every Saturday and Sunday to browse the hundreds of stalls selling almost anything you can think of.
Chatuchak is the largest open air market in Thailand. You will literally get lost among its rows of stalls, but you will find some great buys here. Consequently, it would take you the whole day to see the whole market, and even then you will probably miss a lot of it. There are lots of food stalls and restaurants available for a nice lunch or a coffee stop in between shopping sprees.
To get to Chatuchak you can catch a taxi or take the BTS SkyTrain from downtown Bangkok and hop off at Mo Chit station.
There is a lot to do in Bangkok, but this four day Bangkok itinerary should make for a great introductory visit to the city. It will leave you wanting to come back time and time again.
Bangkok travel planning
Bangkok’s international airport, Suvarnabhumi, has excellent connections to destinations all over the world. To get into Bangkok, metered taxis are readily available. The airport train connects with the excellent BTS SkyTrain service which runs through the city. Getting around Bangkok is easy, with taxis, tuk tuks, buses and train services available. However our personal favourite is the Chao Phraya River ferry.
There are three main areas to stay in Bangkok. The Banglampu/Khao San Road area is the classic backpacker area of Bangkok, located in the older part of the city. However the area is very family friendly, particularly along Soi Rambuttri, between Khao San Road and the river. We stayed at Rambuttri Village, a nice budget hotel with a rooftop pool.
Sukhumvit Road is another popular accommodation area located close to the city centre and along the BTS and MRT lines, making it easily accessible from the airport train. There is a good mix of budget and higher end accommodation here, including some of the big hotel chains like the Hilton and the Marriot. For a picturesque setting, many hotels have a riverside location, easily accessible by river ferry, and the big hotels like the Peninsula have their own boats to shuttle guests around.
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You can just turn up to most attractions and buy tickets on site, however organized tours and shows should be pre-booked. It can also be beneficial to buy tickets in advance for attractions such as Sea Life. They are cheaper online and sometimes avoid long line ups for tickets at the venue.
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