Bangkok Itinerary 3 Days: Grand Palace, River Temples, Markets and the 2026 Entry Rules

Part of our travel itineraries library · Amicly Editorial Team · November 1, 2026

A good Bangkok itinerary is built around two things: heat and traffic. Do outdoor temples before 11:00, use the river and the BTS Skytrain instead of taxis at rush hour, and save markets and rooftops for the evening. This 3-day plan covers the old royal city on day 1, Chinatown and the river on day 2, and a choice of the weekend market or a day trip on day 3.

Wat Arun, Bangkok. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Before you go (updated for late 2026)

• Visa-exempt stay is now 30 days, down from 60, for most passports including the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia. The change took effect September 15, 2026.
• TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card): complete it free on the official government portal within 72 hours before arrival. Ignore paid look-alike sites.
• The 300-baht tourist entry fee has been approved in principle but was not being collected as of mid-2026. Check before you fly.
• Grand Palace: 500 baht for foreign visitors, including Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Tickets are sold 8:30–15:30. A strict dress code applies.

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) at the Grand Palace. Photo: Nawit science, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Day 1: Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun

Time	Plan
8:30	Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (the Emerald Buddha) at opening. Cover shoulders and knees: no sleeveless tops, shorts, short skirts, or ripped or see-through clothes. Allow 2 hours.
10:45	Walk about 10 minutes south to Wat Pho for the 46-metre Reclining Buddha. Wat Pho's traditional massage school runs short massages on site.
12:30	Lunch near Tha Tien pier, then the 3-minute cross-river ferry.
13:30	Wat Arun. The steep central stairs are part of the visit. Come back at sunset to see it lit from the Tha Tien side.
Evening	Dinner on Phra Athit Road or at a riverside restaurant facing Wat Arun.

The scam to know: near the palace, a friendly stranger may tell you "the palace is closed today" and offer a tuk-tuk to another temple and a gem shop. The palace is open daily except on some royal ceremony days. Walk to the official gate and check yourself.

Yaowarat Road, Bangkok's Chinatown, at night. Photo: Ninara from Helsinki, Finland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Day 2: Chinatown, the river and a rooftop

Time	Plan
Morning	Wat Traimit (the Golden Buddha), then the alleys of Sampeng Lane and the flower market at Pak Khlong Talat.
Midday	Back to the hotel or a mall. Air-conditioned malls are where Bangkok spends the hottest hours: Siam Paragon, ICONSIAM on the river.
Late afternoon	Chao Phraya Express Boat (orange flag) along the river, or a long-tail boat through the Thonburi canals (khlongs).
Evening	Yaowarat Road for street food after dark, which is when the stalls open. Then a rooftop bar. Most have a smart-casual dress code.

Day 3: Chatuchak or a day trip

• Chatuchak Weekend Market (Saturday and Sunday): more than 10,000 stalls. Go at 9:00–10:00, before the heat. Take the MRT to Kamphaeng Phet or Chatuchak Park. Combine it with Jim Thompson House in the afternoon.
• Ayutthaya (about 1.5–2 hours north by road or train): the ruined former capital and a UNESCO site. A full day.
• Floating and railway markets: Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong (where the train runs through the market) are usually done together on a half-day tour. They're touristy, but the train is memorable.

Getting around Bangkok

Mode	Use it for
BTS Skytrain / MRT	Sukhumvit, Silom, Siam and Chatuchak. The fastest at rush hour.
Chao Phraya Express Boat	The old city, Chinatown and riverside hotels. Cheap, and scenic.
Grab / Bolt	Short hops at night with a fixed fare. Avoid 7:00–9:30 and 16:30–19:30.
Tuk-tuk	One short ride for fun. Agree the price first.
Airport Rail Link	Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Phaya Thai in about 30 minutes. Don Mueang (DMK) is on the SRT Red Line.

Where to stay

Riverside for views and easy access to the temples. Sukhumvit (near a BTS station) for restaurants and nightlife. Silom/Sathorn for a central business-district base with Lumphini Park. Banglamphu/Khao San for budget stays near the old city.

Bangkok itinerary: FAQ

Is 3 days enough for Bangkok?

Yes, for the main temples, Chinatown and one market or day trip. Most travellers then move on to Chiang Mai or the islands.

What should I wear to the Grand Palace?

Covered shoulders and long trousers or a skirt below the knee. No sleeveless, ripped, see-through or tight clothing. Sarongs are sold nearby if you're turned away.

When is the best time to visit Bangkok?

November to February is the cooler, drier season. March to May is the hottest. Mid-April has Songkran, the water festival. June to October is the rainy season, with heavy afternoon showers.

Do I need a visa for Thailand in 2026?

Many passports get 30 days visa-free since September 15, 2026, plus the free TDAC filed before arrival. Check the Thai embassy site for your passport.

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Adding Chiang Mai, Phuket or Krabi? Amicly's AI travel planner builds the Thailand route around flights and keeps temple visits in the cool morning hours.