Bangkok itinerary

How many days is ideal for Bangkok?

Three or four days is ideal for Bangkok: the temples, the river, a fight and two big evenings, plus a day trip with four.

The old city alone fills a morning, so one day covers only the temples and the river.

Two days works for a first look; five or more is for a slow trip or a long weekend before the islands.

For a group, three days in Bangkok and the rest on a beach is the classic split. Ask Tanner how to split yours.

The four days at a glance

Here's the plan, from the old city to the stadium, the rooftops and a day out of town.

Cut day 4 for a three-day trip, and day 3 too for two days.

Every evening ends with your car, not a taxi queue. Ask Tanner to line up the car for each night.

Day 1: Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun

Start in the old city: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho beside it, and a boat across the river to Wat Arun.

The Grand Palace charges foreigners ฿500, including Wat Phra Kaew, with visits from 8:30am to 3:30pm daily, the Bureau of the Royal Household says (checked November 2026), so go in the morning. Wat Arun is ฿200 for foreign adults, per TAT's listing.

Cover your shoulders and knees: sleeved tops and long trousers or a long skirt, and no shorts.

Take the Chao Phraya boat to Tha Chang pier for the palace. See things to do in Bangkok for the rest of the old city, and ask Tanner to book a guide for the morning.

Day 1 evening: the river and a rooftop

The first evening is the river and a rooftop: the boat along the Chao Phraya, then a bar above the city at sunset.

The blue-flag tourist boat runs every day, about 8:30am to 7pm from Phra Arthit and roughly every 30 minutes, at ฿40 a ride or ฿150 for a day pass. The orange-flag commuter boat now runs Monday to Friday only, in the morning and evening rush.

Watch Wat Arun light up from the water, then head up to a rooftop.

Pick your roof: Sky Bar for the famous view, or the best rooftop bars in Bangkok for the rest, and ask Tanner to hold a table for sunset.

Day 2: Chinatown and a Muay Thai fight

Chinatown by day, the stadium after dark.

Walk Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, for the street food, then head to the stadium for the main fights.

Rajadamnern has run fights since 1945, with a card every night; tickets run about ฿1,000 to ฿4,500, with the box office open from 3pm. Ringside puts you close enough to hear every kick.

See our Rajadamnern Stadium guide, and ask Tanner to book ringside for the group.

Day 3: Sukhumvit, Thonglor and the clubs

The big one: a slow start, Thonglor and Ekkamai's bars, then your own VIP section at a club.

In Bangkok, licensed entertainment venues in Silom (with Patpong), RCA and New Phetchaburi, and Ratchada may open until 4am under Ministerial Regulation No. 3 (2566). Most bars in Thonglor, Ekkamai and Sukhumvit close by 2am.

Our host meets the group and walks them straight in.

Where to go: Thonglor, Ekkamai and the best clubs in Bangkok. Ask Tanner which club suits your group.

Day 4: a day trip to Ayutthaya

Out of town: Ayutthaya, the old capital, or a floating market.

Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Fine Arts Department charges ฿50 a temple or ฿220 for a combined ticket, and trains from Krung Thep Aphiwat take about an hour.

Leave early to beat the heat, and be back for a river dinner cruise.

See our day trips from Bangkok and the Bangkok dinner cruise for the evening, and ask Tanner to send the car for the day.

Only 2 days in Bangkok?

Do day 1 as written, then make day 2 a mix: Chinatown by day, then a rooftop and a club.

You'll miss the stadium and the day trip, but you'll see the temples, the river and the nightlife.

Fly in the morning of day 1 if you can, so the first afternoon isn't lost.

Then head south for the beach; our Thailand itinerary picks up from there. Ask Tanner to fit both into your dates.

Ten things not to miss

The temples, the river, the food and the party, in ten.

• The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha
• Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha
• Wat Arun from the river at sunset
• A Chao Phraya boat ride
• Street food in Chinatown
• A rooftop bar at sunset
• Ringside at Rajadamnern Stadium
• A VIP section at a superclub
• A day trip to Ayutthaya
• A dinner cruise on the river

Pick five for a short trip, see things to do in Bangkok, and ask Tanner to put them in order.

What a week costs

A mid-range day runs about ฿2,500 to ฿4,000 a person on the ground.

A party trip costs more, because the big costs are the villa, the boat and the club evenings.

A full party week for 12 starts from about ฿300,000, covering the villa, the boat, the cars and the parties.

See what a Thailand trip costs, and ask Tanner to price your week.

Getting around

Bangkok is easiest by river boat and the BTS Skytrain and MRT by day, and by car after dark.

The Chao Phraya boat to Tha Chang is the easy way to the Grand Palace.

For a group, a car saves time between the old city, the stadium and Sukhumvit.

After dark, a luxury van for up to 4 runs from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, with a party van for up to 10 and a coach for 20 or more. Ask Tanner to match the cars to your plan.

Five days, or a week?

Five days? Keep the four above, then add a slow day: a pool villa on the edge of the city, or your own boat on the river.

A week? Do four days here, then go to the beach: about two hours by road to Pattaya (Bangkok vs Pattaya), or about 1 hour 20 to 35 minutes in the air to Phuket (Bangkok to Phuket).

Seven days? Four in Bangkok, three in Phuket. That's Tanner's pick.

Ask Tanner to add the beach leg.

The Bangkok itinerary in short

What it is: a day-by-day plan for 2 to 4 days in Bangkok, built around the evenings.

• This Bangkok itinerary runs three to four days: the temples, the river, a fight and two big evenings.
• The Grand Palace opens at 8:30am; go in the morning.
• Licensed entertainment venues in Silom, RCA and Ratchada can open until 4am; most other bars close by 2am.
• Ayutthaya, the old capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is about an hour away by train.
• The blue-flag tourist boat runs every day on the Chao Phraya.

Rajadamnern Stadium has a fight card every night.

Checked October 2026.

Next: plan your days

Pick your days: three for the temples, the stadium and the clubs, or four with Ayutthaya.

Then add the hotel, the car and the club. Our where to stay in Bangkok guide covers the areas.

Plan it with Tanner, and he sends back the days and the evenings for your group.