2 days in Bangkok

Day by day

1. Day 1: Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho

   Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, Bangkok National Museum and Museum Siam, then Chinatown and Yaowarat Road in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

      Its cloisters are painted with the whole Ramakien epic, and the compound glitters with golden chedis, mosaic-covered towers and guardian giants. A strict dress code covers shoulders and knees.

   2. Late morning

      Wat Pho

      Wat Pho is regarded as the home of traditional Thai massage, and its school still gives treatments on site.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pad thai

      Street carts and specialist shops across the city, especially in the old town around the Golden Mount.

   4. Afternoon

      Bangkok National Museum

      In the former Front Palace beside Sanam Luang, the national museum covers Thai art and history from prehistoric times, with gilded royal funeral chariots, Buddha images in every regional style and the Buddhaisawan Chapel with its painted murals.

   5. Late afternoon

      Museum Siam

      It is a good introduction to the culture and works well with children.

   6. Evening

      Chinatown and Yaowarat Road

      Go after 6pm for the food, take the MRT to Wat Mangkon, and eat at stalls with queues of locals.

2. Day 2: Wat Arun and Chatuchak Weekend Market

   Wat Arun, Chatuchak Weekend Market, Chao Phraya Express Boat and Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha), then Rooftop bars in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Wat Arun

      Steep steps climb part of the way up, and the temple is a few minutes across the river by ferry from Tha Tien pier next to Wat Pho.

   2. Late morning

      Chatuchak Weekend Market

      It runs mainly on Saturdays and Sundays and is reached from MRT Kamphaeng Phet or BTS Mo Chit.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tom yum goong

      Restaurants and riverside eateries across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Chao Phraya Express Boat

      It is an inexpensive river tour and often faster than a taxi through the old town's traffic.

   5. Late afternoon

      Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha)

      Exhibitions on the lower floors cover the history of Bangkok's Chinese community.

   6. Evening

      Rooftop bars

      Go just before sunset for both views, and expect cocktails to cost several times street prices.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Jim Thompson House (Pathum Wan): Combine it with the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre near BTS National Stadium, a few minutes' walk away.
• Swap in ICONSIAM (Thonburi riverside): Eat dinner at SookSiam, then watch the river from the terrace; arrive by shuttle boat or the Gold Line monorail.
• Swap in Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (Pathum Wan): Ride the escalators to the top floor and walk down the spiral ramp through the exhibitions.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–21 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.3 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Metro. The BTS Skytrain's Sukhumvit and Silom lines and the MRT's Blue Line loop link Siam, Sukhumvit, Silom, Chatuchak and Chinatown, and the Blue Line reaches Wat Pho at Sanam Chai; newer monorail lines serve the suburbs.

More or fewer days

• One day in Bangkok
• 3 days in Bangkok
• 4 days in Bangkok
• 5 days in Bangkok
• 7 days in Bangkok

Questions travellers ask