Guide to visit Bangkok in 3 days

On our route through Thailand we decided to stop by three days in Bangkok to explore this chaotic city. There are thousands of things to do in Bangkok, and you could stay much longer, but if, like us, you're doing a 15-day tour of Thailand, we recommend saving at least 3 days for Bangkok.

The route we took is intense, but we decided to do it this way to try to make the most of these days. Here we recommend the places we liked the most, we tell you others that we believe are dispensable and some of the best places to eat.

Day 1: Wat Arun, Chao Phraya and Flower Market

We arrived in Bangkok in the afternoon. The flight was long, but the excitement of being in this city gave us enough energy to not want to go straight to bed. We decided to take advantage of the last hours of daylight and went to see the Wat Arun, one of Bangkok's most iconic temples, right on the riverbank Chao Phraya.

Wat Arun and Loy Krathong

The taxi driver who took us to the apartment He informed us that on that very day the day of Loy Krathong, one of the most beautiful festivals in Thailand, where Thai people place small rafts decorated with flowers and candles in the water to make wishes. When we arrived at the river right in front of the temple we realized that for the festival they had set up a free boat which made several stops at different celebration points along the river. That's how we crossed to the temple Wat Arun Seeing the temple lit up and reflected in the water as the locals celebrated the festival was something we didn't expect.

We walked around the temple, looking at the different music groups and food stalls. We dared to try a typical dessert that was recommended to us: Khanom Bueng, a kind of crepe that seemed harmless but turned out to be salty and spicy If you like contrasting flavors, you'll love this street snack.

Flower Market and Fair at Wat Parunarama

To return, we crossed the river again, this time paying 30 baht per person (just over €0.80), and the boat dropped us off directly on the other side. From there, we walked to the flower market It's a stunning street full of life and color, where vendors sell everything from orchids to temple garlands, and on those days they also sold offerings for Loy Krathong.

Crossing the street from the flower market, we came across another surprise: the Wat Parunarama and a kind of fair in the surroundings (we imagine for the same festival). There was music, food, and a festive atmosphere. We decided to enter the temple and participate in one of the local rituals. They give you a can that you have to shake with numbered sticks, and when you throw one away, you get a little piece of paper that your "destination"If you go, try it, it's a curious and fun experience.

After so much movement and with the jetlag starting to get into trouble, we opted for something quick for dinner. We didn't want to make things too complicated, so we went to a 7-Eleven and we tried their famous sandwiches I told you not to expect anything gourmet, but after seeing it in thousands of reels and posts, I had to try it.

Day 2: Bangkok Temples, Khaosan Road and Chinatown

Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha and Wat Pho

We started the day early because we had plans to visit some of the most important places in Bangkok: the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) We went in metro since we took the apartment near a mouth with the intention of using it to move towards the most important points. One thing that seemed curious to us was seeing the monks in their orange robes on the subway and their inclusion in seats reserved for elderly or pregnant women (graphic proof below).

Once you are in the temple area, keep in mind that both are in the same area, so you will need at least one couple of hours to explore them well. The joint ticket costs about 500 baths per person (approximately 13 euros) and we always recommend carrying cash since there are places that let you pay by card but many others don't.

For those who like to play it safe and not have to worry about anything, we recommend a super complete excursion which includes transportation, admission to all of Bangkok's major temples, and a Spanish-speaking guide.

• Grand Palace: Open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Important: bring appropriate clothing, as there is a fairly strict dress code. No shorts or bare shoulders. If you forget, you can rent clothes at the entrance, but it's best to be prepared. It's one of the most important temples in Thailand, so inside you'll find yourself many tourists We met a lot of Asian tourists.

• Temple of the Emerald Buddha: This temple is impressive. Inside you will find a small Buddha statue made of jade, although legend says it's an emerald. It's one of Thailand's most sacred sites, so you'll be asked to enter barefoot and in silence.

After a good walk around the Palace, we walked to the Wat Pho, famous for its gigantic reclining Buddha 46 meters long and 15 meters high, covered in gold leaf. In addition to the great Buddha, there is a fairly large enclosure full of rooms with mini Buddhas super instagramameables (although in theory you can't take pictures with Buddha), and there are four large stupas decorated with tiles brightly colored, dedicated to four kings of the Chakri dynasty. Admission costs around 200 baht.

On the way out we saw a stall selling coconuts And we couldn't resist. You have to try it if you haven't, but only for coconut lovers, as it has a special flavor.

To eat, we went to Sae Phun, a highly recommended restaurant that appears in the Michelin guide. It's a fairly simple place, but the food is spectacular and, what's more, very affordable. The funny thing is that we realized that in Thailand there's a law that prohibits the sale of alcohol between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM, so no beer with food.

After eating, we decided to go for one of our favorite desserts: the mango sticky rice at K. Panich Sticky Rice If you're a fan of mango and coconut, you'll love this place. The sticky rice with coconut milk and fresh mango is simply perfect.

Golden Mountain

With renewed energy, we headed to the Golden Mountain (Wat Saket). Climbing to the top is fairly easy, although there are a few stairs. As you climb, you hear a prayer in Thai that slowly soaks you in and when you are higher up, you hear a ringing of bells Impressive. It turns out there are bells that people can ring as they climb up—great!

At the very top there is a golden stupa and the views of Bangkok They are impressive. From here, you can see how the chaos of the city blends with the temples and skyscrapers. This temple is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and admission costs 50 baht.

Khao San Road

Since we spent only a few days in Bangkok, we had to make the most of them and then we went straight to Khao San Road, and what we had read was an understatement: this is incredible! During the day it's a street full of backpackers and souvenir shops, but at night it transforms. Everyone is partying, the neon lights, the food stalls, and the music make the experience unique. Here you'll see the typical tourist stalls selling scorpions, crocodile and all kinds of vermin to eat.

We sat down for a while to have a drink Chang very cold and we saw how a man next to us ate one scorpion skewer without blinking. We didn't dare try it, but it's certainly something you could try if you're adventurous.

Chinatown

It was almost night when we went to Chinatown, which seemed even crazier and more chaotic than Khao San. Here, the streets are filled with people, food stalls, and smells we'd never experienced before. We looked for somewhere to eat and, after wandering around a bit, decided on this stall: Mr. Ang Bamee Shrimp Dumpling, famous for its noodle soup with meatballs.

We couldn't leave without trying the famous Crispy Kuai Chap Uan Photchana Pork, which was also delicious. The experience was even more fun because we shared a table with a Thai couple. Although their English was very limited and our Thai nonexistent, we tried to chat with them a little while we enjoyed the food.

Day 3: Floating Market, Train Market, and Patpong Night Market

Our last day in Bangkok we dedicated to doing one of the most famous excursions, the Maeklong Railway Market and the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market We reserved the excursion through Civitatis, since we saw that it was quite complete and had good reviews. Also, we were lazy about having to book all the transport separately, but with them it was super convenient since they picked us up early in the morning at a they go shared with another couple and then they dropped us back at our accommodation.

They also have some very nice looking excursions that include both markets and a visit to Ayutthaya, or one that is dedicated exclusively to visit AyutthayaWe didn't include it since our plan was to travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, visit it during the day, and from there take the night bus to Chiang Rai.

Maeklong Train Market

This market is famous because it's literally on the train tracks. The most interesting thing is watching the vendors put away their wares and fold up their awnings at full tilt when the train passes through the middle of the market It's a very peculiar experience because, when the train passes, everything returns to normal in a matter of seconds. If you prefer, you can also experience it yourself from inside the train, which crosses the market.

The train runs several times a day. The most common times are at 8:30, 11:10, 14:30, y 17:40, but we recommend checking the schedules before going, as they may vary.

There we walked around and bought a few things (don't forget to haggle!), watched the train pass by a couple of times (once going and once coming back) and headed to the next point of the excursion.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

This market is visually spectacular. The boats filled with fruit, food, and souvenirs are picture-perfect, although it's true that the place is quite crowded prepared for tourists The guide told us that the prices at the stalls are inflated for tourism, so he advised us that, when bargaining, we should start by offering a third of the price that they asked us for.

We took a boat ride through the canals, where we stopped at various floating stalls. Here you can buy everything from food to crafts We bought some beautiful bowls made of mango wood.

After the excursion, we returned to Bangkok and went to rest for a while at the apartment we had in the area of Silom Silom has a lot of local restaurants where you can eat well without spending a lot, and it's also a quieter area compared to other parts of the city. After searching for a while, we decided to go eat at This restaurant whose name we cannot leave you because it appears in Thai, but the truth is that we recommend it to you because we ate super well. Of course, be careful not to be careless when they ask you if you want to spicy Because we made the mistake of saying we wanted some, and that food was on fire. But it was still spectacular.

Patpong Night Market

In the afternoon we went to Patpong Market, which was quite close to our accommodation (you'll see that distances in Bangkok are super long). This market is known for selling counterfeits of all kinds, from bags to watches y brand name clothing Haggling is also key here if you want to get good prices, although the quality of the fakes can vary greatly. It felt like a flea market to us a little decadent but it has its charm to enjoy that different atmosphere. In addition, it also has food stalls, where we took the opportunity to try our first pad thai in Thailand.

To buy better counterfeits we were recommended the MBK Center, one of the most famous shopping centers in Bangkok, but the truth is that the plan didn't interest us much so due to time we decided to discard it. Another of the most recommended shopping centers is the IconSiam, which seems spectacular, really.

Returning to the area of Patpong, is also famous for its nightlife, with many bars and clubs. We weren't that interested in that area, but it's hard not to notice the number of venues around the market. The two parallel streets on either side of the market are full of nightclubs with adult shows, and there are a lot of PRs inviting you in with offers.

Bangkok Rooftops

We were also tempted to go to one of the rooftops most famous in Bangkok, such as the Sky Beach which is in the famous tower Mahanakorn Skywalk (King Power Mahanakorn) or the Sirocco Bar, famous for appearing in the movie "The Hangover", but in the end we didn't go because the prices seemed a bit exaggerated to us for Thailand. The idea of paying so much for a drink at a hotel bar seemed more like a tourist trap than something authentic.

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement Guide to visit Bangkok in 3 days you can visit our posts about Thailand.