Your Ultimate Bangkok Itinerary 5 Days – A complete authentic Itinerary for 5 Days in Bangkok

A city full of stunning places – Bangkok is one of the most famous metropolises in the world and is even the most visited city in the world again in 2022 with 17 million tourists. (Since 2013, it is actually always in the top 3 most visited cities in the world). 5 days in Bangkok seem hardly enough to admire all the wonderful things to see in Bangkok.

Besides about 400 temples, impressive palaces, and buildings, you will also find a modern metropolis. In such a big city it can be difficult to decide what to see, especially if you are short of time because there are interesting places on every corner. But no problem, here you will find an ideal Bangkok itinerary 5 days to discover everything important in Bangkok in 5 days.

In addition, we give you helpful travel tips and information on the way so that you can discover the unique Thai capital on your own and fall in love with it.

Bangkok Facts

• Since 1782 capital of the Kingdom of Thailand
• By far the biggest city in the country
• Around 10,5 Million inhabitants (2020)
• Economical and Cultural Center of Thailand

How to get around in Bangkok

By Metro (MRT)

In Bangkok, there is a metro called MRT, which allows you to get from one place to another easily. The MRT allows you to move between many parts of the Thai metropolis, avoiding the sometimes chaotic traffic chaos on the city streets.

The city’s subway is open daily from 6 am to midnight and has two route networks. The price of the subway depends on the distance traveled, starting at 15 baht (about € 0.40).

So far, you can’t use it in the whole city yet, but new lines will be built shortly.

By Bus

You can go almost everywhere in Bangkok by bus. But since the traffic can be quite heavy, especially during the rush hours, it can take pretty long depending on where you want to go.

By taxi

The probably most expensive option in Thailand is to go by taxi. Many taxi drivers refuse to use the taximeters, though. Make sure the taximeter is running before you enter, even if they tell you it was broken. (It’s not!)

Grab/ Uber

Using Grab or Uber, you don’t have to worry about being overcharged by your taxi driver as the app fixes the price. Once in a while, you can also get discount codes from the app, which help you save some money.

By tuk-tuk

Not finding a tuk-tuk to go with? Don’t worry that won’t happen in Bangkok. Make sure not to agree with the first price the driver gives you as they expect you to bargain.

Check before on the internet what price is fair for your trip as tuk-tuk drivers like to overcharge tourists.

Bangkok Itinerary 5 Days

Day 1 of 5 Days in Bangkok

Wat Pho – Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Wat Pho temple is most famous for its reclining 45-meter-long golden Buddha. Quite impressive, if you ask me. This temple is definitely one of our Bangkok highlights. Unfortunately, taking a good photo of the reclining Buddha is difficult, as you can easily tell – He’s too big! With a height of almost 15 meters, it is therefore not even so easy to capture its dimensions in a photo.

Besides the huge reclining Buddha, the seated Buddha is also very impressive, as well as the four impressive pagodas decorated with colorful mosaics.

Although the name suggests otherwise, there is much more to see on the temple grounds than just the reclining Buddha. In the temple complex, you can find various buildings and statues. So it’s worth walking around and exploring the sights of this popular temple.

Wat Pho Fun Fact: The full name of the temple is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Ratchaworamahawihan.

Wat Phrae Kaeo – Temple of Emerald Buddha & Grand Palace

Wat Phrae Kaeo

Wat Phrae Kaeo and the Grand Palace are located right next to Wat Pho. As you can see, the entrance fee might not be particularly cheap compared to other sights in town. However, what you get to see inside is definitely unique and an important part of Bangkok’s culture and history. Moreover, the entrance fee includes not only one temple but more than 50 buildings and statues.

Beautiful buildings, statues, and, of course, the Emerald Buddha are just waiting to be admired by you. The Emerald Buddha is located in its own chapel (Phra Ubusot) and is considered the main attraction of the remarkable temple complex.

Fun Fact: Although the statue is called Emerald Buddha, it is actually made of jade.

Wherever you look, you will discover something new and beautiful. What remains especially in good memory is the attention to detail with which this temple complex was designed.

The richness of detail in each attraction is hardly surprising, considering that the facility’s construction once took more than a hundred years. But the long construction time definitely pays off. Everywhere, details and decorations will awaken your curiosity. Therefore, be sure to take enough time when you visit the temple complex of Wat Phrae Kaeo.

The only drawback is the crowds of tourists, which often make it difficult to take nice shots and explore the temple grounds more relaxedly. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to come here early in the morning directly to the temple’s opening to avoid the tourist crowds.

Grand Palace

For around 150 years, this palace used to be the home of several Thai (Siam) kings. The architecture of this place is highly orientated toward the former palace in Ayutthaya, which the Burmese army had destroyed.

The visit to the Royal Palace of Bangkok includes, first of all, the exploration of the Throne Hall and other imposing building complexes. The palace is considered one of the most sacred places in all of Thailand and is, therefore, one of the most important sights in the whole country.

Wat Arun – Temple of Dawn

Wat Arun is located directly next to the Chao Phraya River. If you want to visit this beautiful temple, it is easiest to take the ferry up to the other side. (The fee of the ferry is 3 Baht/ 0,08€/ $0,09)(However, there is also the option to take a detour over one of the bridges)

Wat Arun is one of Bangkok’s landmarks and an integral part of the riverfront skyline. With its colorful flower facades, this temple is also a really unique specimen from a closeup.

If you want to enjoy an even better view of the Chao Phraya and the temple complex surrounding Wat Arun, you can also follow the stairs up to the top of the temple platform.

From here, you can also see the bars and restaurants on the other side of the river. Right here, you can end your first day in the Thai capital in a laid-back way.

Day 2 of our Bangkok Itinerary

Wat Saket – Golden Mount

The Wat Saket was actually one of our highlights in Bangkok.

Der Wat Saket is located on top of the Golden Mount at the height of 79 meters/ 260 feet. To reach the temple, you have to climb up 344 steps. If you can’t do it at once, there are benches everywhere on the way up to sit down and get some rest.

The temple is full of bells of several sizes. So, whenever there is a breeze, you can hear the jingling. 

In addition, you can hear a typical prayer over the loudspeakers. Even if you most probably cannot understand the meaning, already the sound of the prayer is absolutely relaxing.

Besides the imposing golden stupa on the hilltop, which is home to an Indian Buddha statue, the climb up Golden Mount is worth it just for the wonderful view that awaits you here – a spectacular panorama of Bangkok impresses, especially on a clear day.

Golden Mount Fun Fact: Contrary to what you might expect, the mountain is an artificially raised construct.

Wat Ratchanatdaram

This temple is especially popular for its size. Compared to other temples in Bangkok, it is particularly small. But that doesn’t mean it is any less worth visiting this temple. You can find a huge amount of Buddha sculptures around.

The Wat Ratchanatdaram was commissioned to be built by the King in 1846. He wanted this temple for his niece in order for her to have more silence when meditating. Doesn’t everyone want such a generous uncle?

Wat Benchamabophit – The Marble temple

This temple is called Marble temple for a reason: it was built in 1899 out made of original Italian Marble.

Wat Benchamabophit is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful and impressive temples in Bangkok. I can absolutely recommend a visit to this temple.

Just take care. The ground can get super slippery when it’s raining and might be a little hot when the sun is shining.

By the way, inside the Wat Benchamabophit, you can find more than 50 different Buddha Sculptures. So feel free to take some time to walk around the temple complex and look at the various relics.

Chinatown

Chinatown in Bangkok is not far from the city center and Wat Benchamabophit. So you can walk there (about 3 km). Of course, you can also use public transportation.

This district of Bangkok is home to a large part of the Chinese living in Bangkok. With its colorful signs and Chinese flair, the Chinese quarter of the city is so different from the other parts of the city and, therefore a real must-see.

There is a long narrow street full of street food stalls offering Chinese and Thai delicacies. Also, in these streets, you will find dozens of small stores and stalls that offer almost anything you can imagine.

It is worthwhile to walk through Chinatown and let yourself drift. It gives you the feeling of suddenly being somewhere completely else. Special highlights are the main street, Yaowarat Road, and Wat Traimat with its precious golden Buddha.

Eat yourself through the dozens of street food joints and discover fascinating corners in Chinatown. For the particularly (knowledge-) hungry, it’s worth taking a Chinatown street food tour, e.g. this one on GetYourGuide.

Day 3 of our 5 Days Bangkok itinerary

Lumpini Park

A visit to Lumpini Park is one of the best free things to do in Bangkok. It offers tranquility and relaxation and, therefore, a little change from the last days in the busy city. If you have visited Central Park in New York City before, you might know how nice it can be to see some green for a change and get some fresh air.

This park is perfect for a nice walk after breakfast to reload your energy and get some rest from the busy prior days.

BACC – Bangkok Art & Culture Center

A not-yet so-touristy attraction in Bangkok is the Bangkok Art & Culture Center – short BACC. Inside you can find various exhibitions, like in a museum. My friend Masreeya, who lived in Bangkok for a long time and grew up nearby, brought us here. – A real Bangkok insider tip.

Actually, we were planning to see an exhibition about the king. Unfortunately, it was already closed. But no problem, we found different kinds of other exhibitions that we really liked. And the best is the entrance was completely free of charge.

Khao San Road

The Khao San Road is probably the most famous street in Bangkok. Here you can find all sorts of things, with everything from Thai massages, souvenirs of every kind, clothes, tailors, travel agencies, and restaurants to several kinds of street food stables. I can’t just emphasize enough how much you should absolutely try different kinds of street food if you can (like Mango sticky rice or chocolate from Bangkok!). Most of it is super delicious. Furthermore, unlike in this area’s restaurants, you can save some money by eating street food. 

But even if you are looking for your daily dose of Western Food, this is also the place to be!

During the old times, the Khao San Road was used to sell rice. (The name Khao San Road actually translated means Street of polished rice) Anyway, since the 80s, the Khao San Road became more popular when more and more backpackers came to see it.

Day 4 of 5 Days in Bangkok

Chao Phraya River

The Chao Phraya is beside the Mekong, the most important river in Thailand. It runs through Bangkok and separates some of the sights from the rest of the city. You can either get to the other side by ferry for  3 Baht/ ca. 0,08€/ $0,09 or take one of the bridges.

If you like to explore the city from the river, you can join different kinds of boat tours. Just check out the offers at the pier or book a tour online in advance, like this one.

Siam Shopping Center

Bangkok is known to be a modern city and a shopping paradise. We heard that Asian women especially love to go shopping. (At least that’s what some Asian men told us).

The Siam Shopping Center is probably one of the biggest malls I have ever seen. We actually got even a little lost inside when hiding inside from the rain.

If you are a shopping enthusiast or are just looking for a souvenir of Bangkok, this is the right place for you. You will probably find every kind of shop you could be looking for.

Soi Cowboy

One of the most controversial places in Bangkok. On the one hand, I guess everyone wants to see this street for themselves. On the other hand, it might have a bad reputation. You will find the street full of lightly dressed Thai girls. (And ladyboys) and men looking for them. Murray Head described this part in his 1984 song One night in Bangkok as “The bars are temples, but the pearls ain’t free. You’ll find a god in every golden cloister. And if you’re lucky, then the god’s a she“

As a woman, I kinda felt a little bit out of place walking around in this area, to be honest (maybe it’s just me, though). I kind of had the same feeling about the other few female tourists, though.

However, this is the place to see the “authentic Bangkok” for many people. And we even saw a family walking around this street.

Day 5 – Day Trip from Bangkok

In the surroundings of Bangkok, you can find many great options for day trips.

Here are two popular options.

Day Trip to the Floating Market & Maeklong Railway Market

It’s not that easy to get here by public transport, but still not impossible. However, if you find it too complicated, you can simply book a tour (e.g. this one) to visit the exciting train market.

Day Trip to Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is a town near Bangkok that is famous for its Bridge which you might know from the famous movie the bridge over the River Kwai.

But also the surrounding nature and the city itself with its night market is worth a visit. You can also learn more about the tragic history of the region during the war by visiting the nearby Hellfire Pass.

You can get all the information about Kanchanaburi and Day Trips from there in our comprehensive Kanchanaburi Guide.

More time? More things to do in Bangkok

Jim Thompson House

Jim Thompson was arguably one of the most important Americans in Thai history. After the end of World War II, he revolutionized the Thai silk industry. But he also made a name for himself as an art connoisseur and collector.

Today, his house is considered one of the most beautiful attractions in Bangkok. But not only the impressive wooden architecture is a reason for a visit to the Jim Thompson House, which by the way, consists of six individual buildings.

The collected works of art inside are also a real experience, especially for art lovers.

Where to stay in Bangkok

The best Budget accommodation in Bangkok

Sawatdee Guesthouse The Original

This guesthouse offers great value for money for travelers on a smaller budget. Especially the cleanliness stands out positively. The accommodation is located about 15 minutes walk from Khaosan Road.

Check more info, availability, and prices of Sawatdee Guesthouse

Best Middleclass Accommodation in Bangkok

Metz Pratunam

The three-star hostel offers everything a good hotel should: friendly staff, comfortable rooms, and cleanliness. It is also well connected to Bangkok’s airport and the city’s public transportation. The hotel is located close to great shopping opportunities and malls for all shopping fans.

Check more info, availability, and prices of Metz Pratunam

Best luxury Hotel in Bangkok

Column Bangkok Hotel

This 4-star luxury hotel is perfect for those who prefer something more luxurious. The accommodation has tastefully decorated rooms, suites, and studios with great views. In addition, you can expect a spa, a gym, a roof terrace restaurant, and an infinity pool with panoramic views. The hotel stay is already an experience in itself.

Check more info, availability, and prices of Column Bangkok

Didn’t find the perfect place for you?

>>Check all accommodation in Bangkok on Booking.com

Where to next?

Make sure to read about our most romantic places in Thailand.

Are you planning to go from Bangkok to Pattaya?

FAQ about your Bangkok Itinerary

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