3 days in Bangkok: Wat Arun sunset, Thonburi canals & Yaowarat
Bangkok on a budget: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun with a riverside rooftop at sunset, a longtail through the Thonburi canals and Chinatown street food, then the Golden Mount and Jim Thompson House by canal boat. Best November to February; May to October is rainy.
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- Day 18:30 am – 8:30 pm · 7 stops
- 8:30 am 1Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha at openingBangkok
Every report says arrive at 08:30 opening, before the heat and the tour groups. 500 THB, ticket sales 08:30 to 15:30; it can close for royal ceremonies. Shoulders and knees covered, no see-through fabric (clothes can be borrowed or rented at the gate). Ignore anyone outside who says the palace is closed today: it is a well-known tuk-tuk scam.
5 min walk · 350 m - 11:15 am 2Street lunch in Tha TienBangkok
The old market lane between Wat Pho and the river. Pad krapow gai with a fried egg from a cart is under 100 THB.
3 min walk · 100 m - 12 pm 3Wat Pho and the Reclining BuddhaBangkok
The 46-metre gold Reclining Buddha, then the quieter chedi gardens behind it, which most visitors skip. 300 THB (raised from 200 in 2024), 08:00 to 18:30.
3 min walk · 100 m - 1:30 pm 4Thai massage at the Wat Pho schoolBangkok
The temple is the home of Thai massage, and both reports we used book a session in the pavilions inside the grounds: about 500 THB for an hour. Chetawan, the school's branch nearby, is the fallback if the queue is long.
7 min walk · 550 m - 3 pm 5Ferry across to Wat ArunBangkok
The cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier takes three minutes and costs about 5 THB; a Grab can take 30 minutes round by road. Climb to the second tier of the porcelain-studded central prang. 200 THB, 08:30 to 18:00, last tickets 17:40.
4 min walk · 300 m - 5:30 pm 6Sunset drink at Eagle Nest rooftopBangkok
A small rooftop on the Sala Rattanakosin hotel facing Wat Arun across the river, with Wat Pho behind you: the best-value sunset view in the old town, and much cheaper than the famous sky bars downtown. Come before sunset for a seat and stay while the temple lights come on. A beer is roughly 300 to 400 THB.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.7 km - 7:30 pm 7Pad thai at Thip SamaiBangkok
Bangkok's most famous pad thai, cooked over charcoal and wrapped in a thin omelette. Expect a queue that moves fast. A short taxi from the river.
- Day 28:30 am – 9 pm · 5 stops
- 8:30 am 8Longtail through the Thonburi canalsBangkok
Leave the river for Khlong Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai: stilt houses, temples and monitor lizards. At Phra Arthit about 1,000 THB per person for 90 minutes in high season (November to April), less in low season; a private boat for a group is around 1,500 THB. Agree the route and price before boarding, ask to skip shop stops, and expect waits at the water gates. Early morning is cooler and the canals are quieter on weekdays.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.4 km - 10:30 am 9Pak Khlong Talat flower marketBangkok
Mountains of marigolds and orchids for temple offerings. Half an hour is enough by day; the wholesale rush is midnight to dawn.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.0 km - 11:45 am 10Talat Noi alleys and lunch on Charoen KrungBangkok
The old riverside quarter next to Chinatown: car-parts workshops, street art, shrines and converted warehouses. Lunch in the cafes on Charoen Krung Soi 32 or near River City.
7 min walk · 500 m - 2:15 pm 11Wat Traimit and the Golden BuddhaBangkok
A 5.5-tonne solid gold Buddha by the Chinatown Gate. 100 THB, 08:00 to 17:00; the museum below is another 100 THB and closed Mondays.
7 min walk · 550 m - 6 pm 12Yaowarat street food after darkBangkok
Start with kuay jab nam sai, rolled noodles in peppery pork broth with crispy pork (Michelin Bib Gourmand, 60 to 100 THB), then grilled prawns at T&K Seafood, the place with staff in green shirts on the Soi Texas corner, and pandan custard with fried dough to finish. Vendors set up from about 18:00 and peak 18:30 to 22:30; some rest on Mondays; cash only. Wednesday and Thursday are the least crowded nights.
- Day 38 am – 10:30 pm · 7 stops
- 8 am 13The Golden Mount at Wat SaketBangkok
318 steps spiral up past bells and gongs to a gold chedi with a panorama over the old city. Go early while it is cool. 100 THB, opens 07:30.
11 min walk · 800 m - 9:15 am 14Wat Suthat and the Giant SwingBangkok
A short walk from the Golden Mount: the red Giant Swing outside and a huge bronze Buddha among wall murals inside, with few visitors. About 100 THB.
12 min walk · 900 m - 10:30 am 15Khlong Saen Saep canal boatBangkok
The commuter boat that locals use: a few baht, paid on board, about 15 minutes to Saphan Hua Chang. Hold the plastic sheeting up when the spray comes.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.5 km - 11 am 16Jim Thompson HouseBangkok
The teak houses and garden of the American silk merchant who vanished in 1967. Entry is by guided tour only, in English, about 250 THB, 09:00 to 18:00.
7 min walk · 550 m - 12:45 pm 17Lunch and stalls at MBK CenterBangkok
Eight floors of small stalls and a food court out of the midday heat, a short walk from Jim Thompson House. On a weekend, swap the afternoon for Chatuchak Market instead.
8 min by train or taxi · 2.0 km - 4:30 pm 18Lumpini Park in the late afternoonBangkok
Free. Pedal boats on the lake, joggers and evening aerobics, and the park's monitor lizards. Go after the heat breaks.
10 min by train or taxi · 6.2 km - 7:30 pm 19Soi Rambuttri and Khao San Road at nightBangkok
Cheap street dinner and beers on Soi Rambuttri, the calmer tree-lined loop behind Khao San Road, then a look at Khao San itself when it gets loud. Phra Athit Road nearby is quieter still.