4 Days in Bangkok: Travel Itinerary and Tips

Tips for Visiting Bangkok

Plan: Unlike Rome or Amsterdam, the city of Bangkok is not walkable! Plan your trip. Know how long you’re going to stay in Bangkok and what you want to see and do. I do always save the places I want to visit into Google Maps and then sort the favourites according to their location. By doing so, you can spend, for example, a half-day in the Old Town of Bangkok and visit many places within walking distance.

Explore the City Independently: you don’t really need a tour guide in Bangkok or in any city you’re are visiting in Southeast Asia. Make your plan in advance. Save your wish list on your smartphone.

App Tip:

Google Maps will show you the best option and how long it takes to get from A to B.

Station Bangkok is the best application to check your public transportation options.

First-timers – Where to Stay In Bangkok?

Figuring out where to stay in Bangkok is actually quick and challenging at first. If you’re visiting Bangkok for the very first time, I would recommend you to stay whether in the Old Town or in Sukhumvit. The first option is great for exploring Bangkok’s biggest highlights within walking distance. The second option is the best one if you want to be near the MRT and Skytrain and have a good Airport connection. We preferred to stay in Sukhumvit near the metro station as it gave us easy access to the full metro line.

Glorious Food: Eat as much as possible and try different Thai cuisines! Thai food is all about the senses. Thai food is my favourite food in the whole world! Thai people are famous for the most heavenly street food on earth. And the street food in Bangkok is absolutely safe! Go outside and explore as much as possible. And you don’t have to search to find it! Street food is everywhere – from airports to malls, bus or MRT Station … You’ll never get hungry! You won’t regret it!

Food Tip: End your meal with a mango sticky rice or coconut ice cream.

Chinatown: This is the go-to place for foodies in Bangkok!

Have a Drink at a Rooftop Bar in Bangkok

Watching Bangkok’s city lights from above is a must! Go and experience the quenchless nightlife. Bangkok has some of the best international cocktail bars in the whole World! Go to a rooftop bar at least one night but be prepared to spend more than usual for Bangkok – the rooftop bars are expensive!

Rooftop Bar Tip: The best rooftops in Bangkok are Vanilla Sky, Mojjo, Vertigo, Moon Bar, Lebua at State Tower, Octave Rooftop Bar, and Three Sixty at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok.

Chatuchak Weekend Market Bangkok

There are plenty of Western malls in Bangkok, and some of them are even more spectacular than those in Dubai … But – if you want to experience the real Thai market, go and get lost at Chatuchak Weekend Market! Chatuchak is one of the biggest markets in the World and the biggest in Thailand. The market covers a 142000 m² area, has more than 8 thousand stalls, and on normal days over 200,000 visitors will be going crazy here. Chatuchak is open on Saturdays and Sundays, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Go as early as possible to avoid the crowds, smells and heat.

Chatuchak Tip: Take the Skytrain – one of the easiest and the cheapest ways of getting e.g. from Siam to Chatuchak for less than 15 minutes.  

Get your (first) Thai massage: One of my favourite things about Thailand is definitely the Thai massage! We got a Thai massage almost every single day during our 24 days in the country. And enjoyed every single one – food massage, back massage, classic Thai massage, shoulders massage, head massage … Heaven! One hour of massage in Bangkok costs about 10 €.

Custom-Made Clothing: Bangkok is the place to get it done – the service is cheap but very good!

Watch a Real Muay Thai Boxing Match: With elbow smacks and high kicks – Thai boxing is a big magnet for visitors. Thai Boxing is more than just a sport in Thailand, it is a tradition.

Thai Boxing Tip: Although it is an expensive experience in Bangkok, there is also a  free alternative.  Live Thai Boxing in Korea Town was absolutely for free!

Tuk-Tuk: What I learned about the Tuk-Tuks in Thailand will Blow your mind! The very first Tuk-Tuk drive cost us about 250 Baht from the Old Town to Siam, which was bargained from 500 Baht! On the next day, a local guy told us that 80 % of all Tuk-Tuks are fake! The real Tuk-Tuk drivers are government employees! One hour of drive costs ONLY 30 Baht!!! And you can go wherever you want! The real Tuk-Tuks have the Royal sign on the windshield.

Avoid Scammers: If you plan to visit the Grand Palace “the Grand Palace is closed this afternoon but I can take you to another beautiful temple or you can go shopping” – this is a scam!!! That includes taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers, and even people who may approach you just as you arrive. The Grand Palace is open every day from Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Malls: Bangkok is a mall paradise! There are so many luxurious shopping malls, but they are kind of always empty. You can choose from MBK Center, Central World, Siam Paragon, Platinum Fashion, Terminal 21 and many others.

Lumphini Park Bangkok

Located in the heard of Bangkok, Lumphini Park is the green lung of the city and the sweet escape for locals and tourist! Bangkok makes you tired … Everything is too much in the City of Angels. So if you want to have to a city break in nature go there early in the morning – you might see locals practising yoga, tai-chi, or just running. Lumphini Park is also the place where you can see the huge monitor lizards chilling around the park.

Chao Praya River Bangkok

Especially during your first trip to Bangkok, you must cruise the Chao Phraya River! The river is a spectacle within itself. You can take a private boat, a public transportation boat or even a dinner cruise! The best place to catch a boat is at the Sathorn-Taksin Pier. The boat will take you to the Old City where Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Grand Palace are located.

Khao San Road: The most famous address and the Mecca for backpackers in Bangkok. Here you can find hundreds of affordable accommodations, hostels, bars, clubs, and street food stands around. Here is the place if you want to try some fried scorpions and various other insects and monsters. If you want to buy some souvenirs, this is one of the best and cheap neighbourhoods in Bangkok. And the best place for partying for sure!