Short answer
A good Bangkok 3 day itinerary is: day 1 the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in the morning (1,000 baht in tickets) and the old town and Chinatown by night; day 2 a day trip, either the floating and railway markets (about 7 hours), Ayutthaya (about 9 hours) or Kanchanaburi (about 13 hours); day 3 museums, Jim Thompson House and markets, timed to opening days. Chatuchak is open only at weekends, and several museums close on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our three tours from $75, $40 and $25 per person can fill days 1 and 2.
The three days at a glance
Day one is the old town: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in the morning, a rest, and street food in the evening. Day two is one day trip out of the city. Day three is the modern side: museums, Jim Thompson House and markets, picked by the day of the week. Group each day by area and give each half day one big sight, so that the heat and the queues do not decide your day for you.
Wikivoyage's Bangkok guide suggests giving the Grand Palace and Wat Pho together a full day because the heat and glare are wearing. That is why day one has one morning of temples and an evening of food, with a rest in between, and why the plan leaves out a fourth temple. If you have only one day, see our Bangkok in one day plan; for more temples, see the best temples in Bangkok.
Day 1: the three temples, then the night streets
In the morning, visit the Grand Palace (500 baht), Wat Pho (300 baht) and Wat Arun (200 baht, according to Wikipedia as of March 2024). The palace opens at 8:30 am, so start there. Our Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour costs from $75 per person, includes the three tickets and the ferry, and ends at about 12:30 pm. Check the palace's online calendar for your date first; our closed scam guide explains why.
In the evening, our night tuk-tuk food tour costs from $40 per person and starts at about 5:30 pm. It rides past the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, stops for Wat Arun lit up across the river, walks the Pak Khlong Talat flower market, and ends with a street-food dinner and dessert on Yaowarat Road at about 9:30 pm. It does not go inside the temples. Rest at your hotel between the two; the morning ends at 12:30 and the evening starts at 5:30.
Day 2: pick one day trip
Our floating market and railway market day costs from $25 per person and takes about 7 hours: Maeklong Railway Market, Damnoen Saduak Floating Market with a longtail boat ride, and Wat Bang Kung. Our Ayutthaya day costs from $25 and takes about 9 hours, with four temples and the Buddha head in the tree roots at Wat Mahathat; temple fees of about 280 baht in total and lunch are paid on the day. Our floating market or Ayutthaya guide compares the two.
Kanchanaburi is the longest, from $60 per person and about 13 hours: the Bridge on the River Kwai, lunch and Erawan Falls, with hotel pickup between about 6:15 and 7:15 am. The Erawan park fee, 300 baht per adult as of June 2026, is paid in cash. Choose by what you like: markets and a boat, ruins, or history and a swim. Do not do two day trips in three days; the tour times are long, and the third day needs energy.
Day 3: modern Bangkok, by day of the week
A Thai government visitor page dated 15 August 2025 lists the opening days that decide day three. Jim Thompson House is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, at 250 baht for adults. The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is free and open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00, closed Mondays. The National Museum Bangkok is open Wednesday to Sunday from 08:30 to 16:00, at 240 baht for foreigners, closed Monday and Tuesday. On a Monday, Jim Thompson House is the safe choice.
Chatuchak Weekend Market is open on Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00, according to the same page, with some zones open on Friday afternoon, and entry is free. Our Chatuchak guide covers how to get there. On a weekday, the page lists Nang Loeng Market as open daily from 06:00 to 17:00, and Pak Khlong Talad as open 24 hours, most lively from 4:00 to 8:00 am, where the floors are slippery before 7:00 am. Khao San Road is open 24 hours, with a peak from 5:00 pm to 1:00 am.
Getting around between the sights
Use the river and the rail. The Chao Phraya Express Boat lists 19 baht for the orange line on its website in October 2026, and the BTS and MRT cover the rest; the government page names BTS National Stadium for Jim Thompson House and the Art and Culture Centre, MRT Sanam Chai for Wat Pho and the National Museum, and MRT Kamphaeng Phet or BTS Mo Chit for Chatuchak. Our express boat guide explains the flags.
Use a metered taxi, not a tuk-tuk, for short trips: Wikivoyage advises insisting on the meter, and the palace's own page warns that a tuk-tuk to the palace may cost more than a taxi. The floating market and Ayutthaya days start from a central meeting point near a BTS or MRT station, and the Kanchanaburi minibus collects you from your hotel. Our BTS and MRT fares guide and taxi and tuk-tuk prices guide give the costs of the rest.
What it costs and what to book ahead
On our tours, the three bookings come to from $140 per person: $75, $40 and $25. Temple fees at Ayutthaya, lunch on the day trip and your own meals are extra. On your own, the three temples are 1,000 baht in tickets, plus Jim Thompson House at 250 baht and a boat at about 19 baht, to which you add a day trip. The numbers are rough, and dollar values move with the exchange rate.
Book the tours first, because they fix your dates: send us the date and the number of guests on WhatsApp and we confirm availability and the total before you pay. If you want the palace on your own, its FAQ says online tickets can be bought up to a month ahead and cannot be refunded or changed. Leave day three loose; it works better when you can follow the weather and your energy.
Dates to watch in November 2026
Two dates matter right now. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the Royal Barge Procession ends at Wat Arun on 6 November 2026, with viewing areas opening from about 3 pm, and that the river is cleared of ferries and longtails when the barges pass. The Nation reported high-tide alerts for Bangkok and six central provinces from 27 October to 5 November 2026, especially in low-lying riverside areas.
If your three days fall in that period, put the river sights in the morning, check the Grand Palace's calendar, and ask us before booking the floating-market day. The Nation reported water in Mae Klong Market on 28 October, and Thai PBS World reported flooding at Amphawa. Outside those dates, nothing about the plan changes; the main risk is the afternoon heat, which is why the plan keeps the afternoons light.
Who this plan suits, and who it does not
It suits a first visit with two full days and a half-day of museums or markets, and travellers who like to see temples, a local market and street food rather than the shopping malls. It does not suit you if you want nightlife, a beach or a long lazy morning: our night tour finishes at about 9:30 pm and the day trips start early.
If you only want one tour, the Grand Palace tour is the better first choice for a short visit, and the night tuk-tuk tour is the better first choice if you have already seen the temples. Our Chinatown food tour guide explains the evening in more detail, and what to eat in Bangkok lists the dishes to look for.
Practical checklist
- Do the temples in the morning of day 1, and keep a rest between the morning and evening tours.
- Pick one day trip for day 2: markets, Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi.
- Plan day 3 by day of the week: Chatuchak is weekends only; the Art and Culture Centre is closed Mondays and the National Museum Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Check the Grand Palace's online calendar and the news about high tides before you go.
- Send us your dates on WhatsApp so we can confirm each tour before you pay.
Questions and answers
Is 3 days enough for Bangkok?
Yes, for a first visit: one day for the old-town temples and street food, one day trip and one day for museums and markets. It does not leave time for malls, nightlife or a second day trip.
What should I do on day 1 in Bangkok?
The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in the morning, 1,000 baht in tickets or included in our tour from $75, then a rest, and a street-food evening in the old town and Chinatown.
Which day trip from Bangkok is best?
It depends on your taste. Our floating and railway market day is about 7 hours from $25, Ayutthaya about 9 hours from $25, and Kanchanaburi about 13 hours from $60.
Which day of the week is best for Chatuchak?
Saturday or Sunday, from 09:00 to 18:00, according to a Thai government visitor page, which adds that some zones open on Friday afternoon. The market's own website lists only a plant section on Wednesday and Thursday.
What closes on Mondays in Bangkok?
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is closed on Mondays, and the National Museum Bangkok on Monday and Tuesday, according to a government visitor page. Several Yaowarat shops are also closed on Mondays.
Can I do two tours in one day?
Yes, our temple tour ends at about 12:30 pm and the night tuk-tuk food tour starts at about 5:30 pm. We do not suggest a day trip and a night tour on the same day.
Read next
- Bangkok in one day: a realistic plan, costs and timings
- Floating market or Ayutthaya day trip from Bangkok: what you see, what each costs and who should pick which
- Chinatown Bangkok food tour: when Yaowarat's street food runs, and what our evening includes
- Bangkok tuk tuk food tour price: what $40 covers, what costs extra and who should skip the evening