Bangkok in 3 days: the complete itinerary with Ayutthaya

Three days are enough to see the essentials of Bangkok and add the former capital of Siam, as long as you group your visits by district and set off early in the morning, ahead of the heat and the tour groups. This itinerary devotes the first day to Rattanakosin Island, from the Grand Palace to Wat Arun, followed by Chinatown in the evening. The second day covers modern Bangkok, from Siam to Lumphini Park, with Chatuchak Market if you are there at the weekend, and ends at the top of the Mahanakhon tower. The third is a train trip to Ayutthaya, with its ruined temples to explore by bike, plus a variation via Bang Pa-In Palace. For each stop, you will find the recommended time slot, how to get there and the entry price. Prices checked in October 2026.

Before you go: dress code, opening hours and traps

Three rules decide whether these three days run smoothly:

Dress code: the Grand Palace refuses sleeveless tops, cropped or see-through tops, shorts, miniskirts, ripped or tight trousers and cycling leggings; shoulders and knees must be covered. Wat Pho applies similar rules, and the temples of Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Palace expect the same. Dress accordingly from the morning of days 1 and 3.
Opening hours: the Grand Palace ticket office closes at 15:30, and the palace can close on certain days for royal ceremonies. So start day 1 there. At Wat Pho, the main buildings close before the gate, which stays open until 19:30.
The "temple is closed" scam: around the Grand Palace, friendly strangers claim the palace is closed (for a ceremony, for the lunch break) and offer a cheap tuk-tuk tour that ends up in a jewellery shop or a tailor's. Trust only the official entrance on Na Phra Lan Road. The other common traps are covered in our guide to scams to avoid in Bangkok.

To get around, the Chao Phraya Express Boat (orange flag, 18 baht per trip) serves the temple piers, and the MRT Blue Line, costing 17 to 44 baht depending on distance since 3 July 2026, links Rattanakosin, Chinatown, Silom and Krung Thep Aphiwat station. In October 2026, rehearsals for the Royal Barge Procession change the boat timetables on the mornings of 2, 8 and 15 October. The rest of the year, days 1 and 2 can be swapped freely; only Chatuchak Market requires a Saturday or Sunday.

Day 1: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Chinatown

The great royal chedis and the roof of a vihan at Wat Pho

08:30-11:00, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin, then the express boat from Sathorn pier to Tha Chang pier (N9), or the MRT to Sanam Chai. The palace opens daily from 08:30 to 16:30 and the ticket costs 500 baht for foreign visitors; it includes the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Allow two and a half hours. Route and tips in our page on the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew.

11:15-12:30, Wat Pho. The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is about ten minutes' walk south of the palace. It opens daily from 08:00 to 19:30 and the ticket costs 300 baht, with a small bottle of water included. After the 46-metre Reclining Buddha, take time to wander the courtyards with the four great royal chedis. The temple's Thai massage school offers sessions on site: see our page on Wat Pho.

12:30-14:00, lunch and a break. The streets around Tha Tien pier have plenty of simple restaurants. This is also the best time to get out of the heat.

14:30-16:30, Wat Arun. From Tha Tien pier, the ferry crosses the river in a few minutes for a few baht. The Temple of Dawn opens from 08:00 to 18:00 and the ticket costs 200 baht for foreigners, payable in cash at the ticket office. Its porcelain-covered central prang can be partly climbed via very steep steps. Then cross back to watch the temple silhouetted against the sunset from the east bank. Everything you need to know in our page on Wat Arun.

Evening, Chinatown. From Sanam Chai, the MRT reaches Wat Mangkon station in two stops. Yaowarat Road comes alive at nightfall, when the street stalls set up on the pavements. Our addresses and recommended route are in the guide to Chinatown in Bangkok.

Day 2: market, Siam, Lumphini Park and Mahanakhon

Panoramic view of Bangkok from the Mahanakhon tower

09:00-12:00, Chatuchak Market (Saturday and Sunday) or the Siam district (weekdays). At the weekend, the huge Chatuchak Market, reached by MRT (Chatuchak Park) or BTS (Mo Chit), fills the morning: fashion, crafts, plants and street food, before the hottest hours. On weekdays, head to Siam by BTS instead for the Jim Thompson House and its art collections, then the shopping malls linked to the BTS by covered walkways.

12:00-14:00, lunch in Siam. The food courts in Siam's air-conditioned shopping malls are a practical and inexpensive option at midday.

15:00-17:00, Lumphini Park. A few MRT or BTS stops away (Lumphini, Si Lom or Sala Daeng), the big central park brings together a lake, shady lawns, joggers in the late afternoon and monitor lizards roaming freely. Entry is free.

17:30-19:00, King Power Mahanakhon tower. BTS Chong Nonsi serves the tower. The SkyWalk at the top opens daily from 10:00 to midnight (last entry 23:00). An adult ticket costs 1,000 baht from 10:00 to 15:30 and 1,200 baht from 15:30 to 19:00, the sunset slot; the glass floor hangs over the city at 314 metres. Details in our page on King Power Mahanakhon.

Evening alternative, Asiatique The Riverfront. If you prefer the river, take the boat from Sathorn pier to this night market set in former warehouses, with its Ferris wheel and waterside restaurants.

Day 3: day trip to Ayutthaya

The prangs of Wat Chaiwatthanaram, on the west bank at Ayutthaya

08:30-10:30, the train journey. Take the MRT to Bang Sue, which connects to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Since 1 August 2026, the air-conditioned SRT Bangkok Connex (BNEX) train has linked this station to Ayutthaya: departures from Bangkok at 05:15, 09:05 and 18:15 on weekdays, and at 09:05 and 18:15 on Saturdays and Sundays. The ticket costs no more than 50 baht until 31 October 2026, under a promotional fare; the regular price has not yet been announced. The journey takes about 1h15. Ordinary trains from the historic Hua Lamphong station, in fan-cooled third class for around fifteen baht, are slower. Alternatively, minivans leave from the Mo Chit 2 bus terminal, but their journey time depends on the traffic.

10:30-10:45, bike and river crossing. Ayutthaya station is on the east bank, facing the historic island. A small ferry, just opposite the station, crosses the river for a few baht. Bike rental shops are plentiful around the station and on the island; check the brakes and tyres before setting off, and keep water with you.

10:45-12:30, Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana. The two temples face each other in the centre of the island. At Wat Mahathat, the Buddha head caught in the roots of a fig tree should be photographed crouching, with your head lower than the statue's, as a mark of respect. Each major temple run by the Fine Arts Department costs 50 baht for foreign visitors.

12:30-13:30, lunch on the island, in the restaurants near the temples.

13:30-15:00, Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Its three great chedis in a row, which held the ashes of Ayutthaya's kings, are the city's best-known image. The neighbouring temple houses a large bronze Buddha and remains an active place of worship. If you visit at least five paid temples, the combined ticket at 220 baht covers six of them (Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mahathat, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Wat Maheyong) and is valid for 30 days.

15:30-17:00, Wat Chaiwatthanaram. The most photogenic of Ayutthaya's temples lies on the west bank, off the island: cross the bridge by bike or take a tuk-tuk. Its Khmer-style prangs take on a warm colour in the late afternoon. Our page on Ayutthaya details the other temples and how they are spread across the island.

Evening return. Return the bike, cross the river again and catch the train back. The BNEX leaves Ayutthaya at 14:40 and 19:45; several rapid and express trains from the north or north-east stop at Ayutthaya in the late afternoon and evening on their way to Bangkok; buy your ticket at the station ticket office or on the SRT online booking site.

Variation with Bang Pa-In. The BNEX also stops at Bang Pa-in station, south of Ayutthaya. The summer palace of the kings of Siam, with its Thai, Chinese and European pavilions by the water, opens daily from 08:00 to 16:00; the ticket costs 100 baht for foreigners and appropriate dress is required. Take the 09:05 BNEX, visit the palace first, then continue to Ayutthaya by ordinary train, in a quarter of an hour; Wat Chaiwatthanaram then becomes optional. See our page on Bang Pa-In Palace.

Itinerary summary

Day	Stops	Recommended time	Constraint	Main transport
1	Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Chinatown	Day and evening	Covered-up dress, palace ticket office until 15:30	Express boat or MRT Sanam Chai, ferry to Wat Arun, MRT to Wat Mangkon
2	Chatuchak or Siam, Lumphini Park, Mahanakhon	Day and evening	Chatuchak on Saturday and Sunday only	BTS and MRT
3	Ayutthaya (Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Chaiwatthanaram), Bang Pa-In option	Full day	First BNEX at 09:05 at the weekend	Train from Krung Thep Aphiwat, bike on site

Entry fees budget

Site	Full price (foreign visitor)
Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew	500 baht
Wat Pho	300 baht
Wat Arun	200 baht
Lumphini Park	Free
Mahanakhon SkyWalk	1,000 baht (10:00-15:30) or 1,200 baht (15:30-19:00)
Ayutthaya temples	50 baht per temple or 220 baht for the six-temple combined ticket
Bang Pa-In Palace (variation)	100 baht

Prices checked in October 2026. With the SkyWalk at sunset and the Ayutthaya combined ticket, entry fees for the itinerary come to 2,420 baht per person; add 100 baht for Bang Pa-In. If you only visit three temples in Ayutthaya, pay for them individually (150 baht in total). Children under 120 cm enter free at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.

For transport, allow 18 baht per trip on the orange-flag express boat, 17 to 44 baht per MRT trip, and no more than 50 baht each way for the BNEX train until 31 October 2026. The ferries across the Chao Phraya or the river at Ayutthaya cost only a few baht, payable in cash.