What to Do in Bangkok in One Day: an Hour-by-Hour Itinerary

Before you go: dress, money and heat

The most important rule of the day is about clothing. At the Grand Palace, dress is checked at the entrance: sleeveless tops, tank tops, short or see-through tops, shorts, torn or tight trousers, cycling shorts and miniskirts are refused. Wat Pho also asks for respectful dress and bans shorts above the knee. The simplest approach is to set out in the morning in light trousers or a long skirt, a top that covers your shoulders and shoes that are easy to slip off: you remove them at the entrance of every shrine.

The day's three entrance fees add up to 1,000 baht for a foreign visitor: 500 baht at the Grand Palace, 300 baht at Wat Pho and 200 baht at Wat Arun. Carry cash in small notes for the ferry, drinks and street food. Heat is the second challenge: even in October, at the end of the rainy season, midday is heavy and humid, and a shower may fall in the afternoon. Bring water, a hat and a light umbrella.

To get there in the morning, Sanam Chai station on the MRT Blue Line is the closest to the temples; the Chao Phraya Express boat (orange flag, 18 baht per trip) serves Tha Chang pier, next to the palace, and Tha Tien pier, next to Wat Pho. All means of transport are covered in our guide listed at the end of this article.

08:30-11:00: the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

The Grand Palace is open daily from 08:30 to 16:30, but tickets are only sold from 08:30 to 15:30. Arrive at opening time: tour groups pour in from mid-morning and the shadeless paved courtyards heat up fast. The 500-baht ticket covers Wat Phra Kaew, the royal chapel of the Emerald Buddha, the palace courtyards and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, located inside the grounds. You can buy it at the ticket windows on the day or from the palace's official online ticket office. An audio guide in English rents for 200 baht, against a deposit of your passport or a bank card.

Allow two to two and a half hours: Wat Phra Kaew and its gallery of Ramakien murals first, then the throne halls seen from the courtyards. Do not engage with strangers near the walls who claim the palace is closed that morning and offer a tuk-tuk tour: it is Bangkok's best-known scam, described in our guide to scams to avoid in Bangkok. Full visiting details are in our Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew page.

11:00-12:30: Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho lies just south of the palace: allow 10 to 15 minutes on foot along the outer wall. The temple is open daily from 08:00 to 19:30; admission is 300 baht, free for children under 120 cm. Go first to see the Reclining Buddha, 46 metres long and covered in gold leaf, whose soles are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Then take time to walk through the courtyard of the four great chedis and the galleries of seated Buddhas, which are much quieter.

Wat Pho is also the cradle of traditional Thai massage teaching. Its school offers massages on site, from 08:00 to 19:30: 340 baht for 30 minutes and 520 baht for an hour, for either a Thai massage or a foot massage. It makes a good break here or later in the afternoon. More details in our Wat Pho page.

12:30-13:30: lunch near Tha Tien

At Wat Pho's west exit, the small Tha Tien pier neighbourhood, 5 minutes away on foot, has stalls selling noodles, fried rice and fresh fruit juice, as well as a few air-conditioned cafés overlooking Wat Arun. This is the time to get out of the heat. Avoid sitting down in a restaurant you were steered to without choosing it yourself: prefer places frequented by Thai customers.

13:30-15:00: the ferry and Wat Arun

From Tha Tien pier, a ferry crosses the Chao Phraya to the foot of Wat Arun in a few minutes, with frequent departures; the crossing costs a few baht, paid in cash at the pier ticket window. This cross-river ferry is separate from the express boats that run up and down the river: follow the signs for Wat Arun. All the boat lines are explained in our Chao Phraya River page.

Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, is open daily from 08:00 to 18:00 and admission is 200 baht for foreign visitors, payable in cash. Climb the terraces of the great central prang, covered in fragments of coloured porcelain: the steps are very steep, so hold the handrail. The view takes in the river, Wat Pho and the roofs of the Grand Palace you have just visited. Keep the same covered dress as in the morning. Allow an hour, then take the ferry back to Tha Tien. Everything about the visit and the best time for photos is in our Wat Arun page.

15:00-17:00: a break, or a museum

Mid-afternoon is the hottest time of the day. You have three options. The first is to go back to your hotel for a shower and a nap before the evening. The second is to return to Wat Pho for a massage, since the school works until the evening. The third suits history lovers: the National Museum Bangkok, north of Sanam Luang, holds the kingdom's art and archaeology collections; check its opening days and hours in our page, as it closes earlier than the temples.

In the evening, first option: Chinatown (Yaowarat)

From Wat Pho, walk to Sanam Chai station, then take the MRT Blue Line two stops to Wat Mangkon, in the heart of Chinatown. Yaowarat Road comes alive at dusk, around 18:00 in October: the neon signs light up and street food stalls set up on the pavements. Noodles, skewers, Chinese desserts and seafood are eaten standing up or at small plastic tables. Prices are displayed at most stalls; if not, ask before ordering. The best addresses and the area's temples are in our guide to Chinatown in Bangkok.

In the evening, second option: the river

If you prefer a quieter evening, stay by the Chao Phraya. On the Thonburi bank, the Iconsiam shopping centre gathers restaurants with water views and a recreated floating market indoors. Further south, Asiatique The Riverfront combines a night market and a Ferris wheel. Finally, a dinner cruise lets you see Wat Arun and the Grand Palace lit up from the water. For Iconsiam and Asiatique, the easiest way is to head to Sathorn pier, at the foot of BTS Saphan Taksin station, where river shuttles depart; connections and cruises are described in our river page.

Summary of the day

Prices observed in October 2026. Minimum budget: 1,000 baht in entrance fees per adult, plus transport, meals and an optional massage.

Adapting the day

If it rains

October showers fall mostly in the afternoon. Keep the Grand Palace for the morning, since it is in the open air and its ticket office closes at 15:30, and make Wat Pho, with its covered galleries, your shelter stop. If the rain sets in, replace Wat Arun with the Textiles museum or the National Museum, and postpone the river crossing to the end of the day.

With children

Limit the palace visit to Wat Phra Kaew and the main courtyards, and favour Wat Pho, shadier and less crowded, where children under 120 cm enter free. The steps of Wat Arun's prang are very steep: with young children, stay on the first terrace. In the evening, the river is more relaxing than the Yaowarat crowds.

During royal ceremonies

The Grand Palace may close, fully or partly, during royal ceremonies: it was closed from 13 to 19 June 2026 for the funeral rites of Queen Mother Sirikit, whose royal cremation is scheduled from 15 to 19 December 2026 on the Sanam Luang esplanade. Check the palace's official website the day before your visit. If the palace is closed, start with Wat Pho and Wat Arun, and add the National Museum.

Further reading

If you have two days, our Bangkok in 2 days itinerary covers this day at a calmer pace and adds other parts of the city. With three days, follow Bangkok in 3 days, which includes a trip to Ayutthaya. For the MRT, BTS, boats and taxis, see our guide to getting around Bangkok.