The Best Bangkok 3-Day Itinerary: Temples & Views

In Bangkok for a short period of time and wondering how best to spend it? This is my 3-day itinerary of how I spent my time in the capital city of Thailand.

Intro

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand with a lovely mix of towering skyscrapers and old traditional temples. You can visit bustling street markets right next to glamorous luxury malls. If you only have 3 days in Bangkok, this itinerary will cover the best this city has to offer, with culture, food, and scenic experiences.

Note that this itinerary is jam-packed with activities to see as much as you can in a short amount of time. So feel free to tailor this itinerary to fit your own interests, pace, and/or schedule.

Where to Stay in Bangkok

Bangkok is a pretty big city with several areas you can stay in. For me and this itinerary, I prioritized a convenient location to all the main sights we planned to see. So we opted to stay at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok Hotel located right off the Chao Phraya River. We found this hotel’s location worth it since it was right next to the Iconsiam Mall with plenty of restaurants, as well as next to a River ferry. Not to mention, this hotel has an amazing pool along the river and a rooftop sky bar to admire Bangkok from a bird’s eye view.

Book the same stay by clicking here or add your dates and click “Search” for availability in the widget below:

Recommended Bangkok Tours & Activities

Book unforgettable experiences and check out the below recommended Bangkok tours, activities and attractions that are mentioned throughout this post:

• Chao Phraya River Hop-on Hop-off Boat
• Mahanakhon Skywalk
• Bangkok Midnight Food Tuk Tuk Tour
• Private Full Day Bangkok City Tour
• Longtail Boat Canal Cruise

The above map shows all the points of interest mentioned in this Bangkok itinerary. The points are color-coordinated as:

• Day 1 Points of Interest → DARK BLUE
• Day 2 Points of Interest → LIGHT ORANGE
• Day 3 Points of Interest → PURPLE

HOW TO USE THE ABOVE BANGKOK MAP:

Morning: Explore ICONSIAM Mall

Start your time in Bangkok at the ICONSIAM Mall. ICONSIAM sits right at the edge of Chao Phraya River and is a huge shopping complex with high-end fashion, local Thai brands, and an impressive indoor market. Even if you’re not looking to shop, you can visit the mall and marvel at its luxury and unique interior decor and architecture. There is an outdoor balcony where you can get a view overlooking the Chao Phraya River and admire the skyline of Bangkok.

Be sure to visit SookSiam, a market that resembles Thailand’s traditional market where you can explore the different street food vendors and handicrafts.

We ate lunch at ThipSiam where we ate some of the most delicious Pad Thai noodle! FYI – Pad Thai is a popular Thai food item in the U.S., but in Thailand, it is not considered to be that popular. But if you are a Pad Thai fan, you definitely got to try Trip Siam!!

ICONSIAM Mall • photos by Jeanie A

Afternoon: Relax at the Hotel Pool

After lunch, take advantage of your hotel pool! As mentioned, we stayed at Millennium Hilton Bangkok Hotel where the pool is located on an outdoor balcony overlooking the Chao Phraya River. Relax, sunbathe, and cool off in the pool before you need to get ready for your extravagant night.

Millennium Hilton Hotel • photos by Jeanie A

Evening/Night: Dinner & Drinks on Lebua Rooftop

End the 1st night of your 3-day itinerary in Bangkok enjoying drinks, food, and views atop a tall skyscraper! Go to Lebua at State Tower where you can eat a delicious meal at Sirocco restaurant and enjoy drinks at one of the bars. Be sure to make reservations for dinner though!

We had a reservation at Sirocco Restaurant at 7 PM, but we decided to go to the Lebua No. 3 bar at 6 PM to enjoy some drinks and views of the sunset. Be sure to roam the bar a bit because there’s some great photo opps here! Then when our table was ready, Lebua No. 3 staff members then led us to the Sirocco restaurant for our reservation.

Lebua No. 3 bar • photos by Jeanie A

The Sirocco Restaurant serves mediterranean cuisine with delicious seafood. After dinner, we enjoyed a drink at the Sky Bar, and soaked in the twinkling lights of the city. The dome atop the tower is also such a unique sight that you’re going to want to take pictures!

Sirocco Restaurant atop Lebua at State Tower • photos by Jeanie A

Morning: Ferry Ride on the Chao Phraya River

Spend your morning taking a relaxing river cruise along the Chao Phraya river. If you’re at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok Hotel, you can get to a ferry stop outside the Iconsiam mall on the riverside. You can ride the ferry to admire the views, see river-side temples, and listen to the onboard audio that speaks briefly about the surroundings. If you’d like, get off at any of the stops to explore a bit!

But I do want to mention, that Day 3 of this itinerary will include visiting some of the temples you’ll see along this river, so you can skip visiting them today if you want to wait to explore these amazing temples with a guide who will give invaluable information and context about the temple.

Book Your Chao Phraya River Tickets

You can book a boat ride along the Chao Phraya River here or click on the widget below:

Ferry along the Chao Phraya River • photos by Jeanie A

Afternoon: Sky-High Views from Mahanakhon Skywalk

For the best panoramic views of Bangkok, go to the King Power Mahanakhon Tower! It is Thailand’s tallest building, and you’ll certainly feel it at the top!

The Skywalk, which is on the top 78th floor, has a thrilling glass floor where you can actually look down and look straight down to the ground below you. This area is monitored by a staff member that regulates the number of people on the glass and where you’ll also have to receive shoe booties to put over your shoes. If you’re scared of heights, you definitely don’t have to go on the SkyWalk though as it is voluntary.

There’s a tiered seating area here where you can also relax and just simply enjoy the views, and a bar where you can enjoy a drink as well.

Book Your Mahanakhon Skywalk Tickets

Book your entry tickets here, or click on the widget below.. There are different ticket options available, from a daytime to sunset entry time, to drink and phot inclusions. Check it out:

Mahanakhon Skywalk • photos by Jeanie A

Evening/Night: Tuk Tuk Food Tour

Tonight, get a taste of Thailand and enjoy a fun ride on a tuk tuk with a Tuk Tuk Food Tour!

Book Your Tuk Tuk Food Tour

Click here to book your Tuk Tuk Food tour, or click “Book Now” in the widget below. This was such a fun experience. Not only do you get to try delicious authentic Thai food, you also get to experience a ride on a tuk tuk and drive through the busy (and nerve-wrecking) streets of Bangkok!

Tour Experience

On this tour, a local will take you around Bangkok and try different kind of delicious Thai food and hidden gems. And! you get between each location via tuk tuk, a small motorized vehicle with an open-air cabin (where you’ll sit), driven by an experienced tuk tuk driver. It’s perfect for navigating the busy and packed streets of Bangkok. The ride is so exciting that this tour is a two-in-one: delicious FOOD and an EXCITING ride!

Some of the food we tried and stops we made:

• Guay Tiew Kua Gai – stir-fried chicken noodles
• Khanom Bang – crispy pancakes
• Mango Sticky Rice
• Flower Market
• Chinatown
• Beautifully-lit temple
• Enjoy a beer at a river-side rooftop bar with views of Chao Phraya River & Wat Arun

Tuk Tuk Food Tour • photos by Jeanie A

Morning: Explore Temples

On your last day in Bangkok, you’re going to visit and explore the many traditional temples found throughout the city. Each temple is breathtaking and going with a guide is the best way to efficiently visit multiple temples while learning about their history and Thai culture.

Book your Temple tour

If you want to experience all the stops on the first half go this day with a live tour guide who also provides transportation, then book it here, or in the widget below. I highly recommend booking a tour so you can have a driver/guide AND you can learn as much as you can about Bangkok’s temples, landmarks, history, and culture.

Temple Visitation Dress Code

Do note that there is a dress code when visiting Thailand’s sacred temples. Wear modest clothing that cover your shoulders, and for women, long skirts or pants that cover your knees. Sometimes, there may be a temple member that hands out sarongs (to be returned) if they deem your outfit needs extra covering.

Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is a large complex with amazingly-designed elaborate buildings. You can roam the grounds and see all the beautiful architecture and also enter a temple (you’ll have to remove your shoes though)

Grand Palace • photos by Jeanie A

Wat Pho

Wat Pho is home of the golden reclining Buddha! This statue is so much bigger in person and needs to be seen with your own eyes! A cool temple activity we partook in was the wat pho coins! Behind the reclining Buddha, there is a line of small bowls where you can drop coins into the small bronze bowls that’s believed to bring good fortune (so of course we had to do it!).

Wat Pho • photos by Jeanie A

Wat Arun

This temple, Wat Arun, is my favorite temple we visited! The intricate design of each of the towers were so mesmerizing and mind-blowing! We were able to walk up some steeps steps to get a higher view of the temple with the Chao Phraya River in the background.

Wat Arun • photos by Jeanie A

Long-tail Boat Ride on Chao Phraya River & Canals

We boarded a traditional long-tail boat and rode across the Chao Phraya River and into the small canals. The ride was so relaxing and we got to see more amazing Thai statues in the canals, such as a tall golden Buddha statue! Our guide continued to give some more information about the local life on the canals. What a lovely way to relax after exploring all the temples.

Alternatively, if you choose to not do a full day tour, you can also book a long-tail boat ride through the canals here or click on the widget below:

Boat ride through Canals • photos by Jeanie A

Canal-side Stop

While exploring the canals, we did make a brief stop where we got off the long-tailed boat and walked alongside the canal. We were surprised but a bunch of koi fish at the water surface where we were able to feed them some food and witness them frenzy in the waters.

Canal-side stop • photos by Jeanie A

Evening/Night: Food Nearby & Sky Bar

You’ll probably be tired after your day out exploring Bangkok, so get some food at the nearby ICONSIAM SookSiam Market. Maybe there was something you saw during your first visit that you just have to try, so try it!

Then end your 3-day itinerary with a toast to your time well spent and also get your last look at Bangkok atop another Sky Bar! We opted to go to our hotel’s Sky Bar that still offered amazing views of Bangkok.

SookSiam & Hotel Sky Bar • photos by Jeanie A

Final Words

This 3-day itinerary gives you a taste of Bangkok’s both modern and traditional sides. You’ll visit luxury malls, traditional temples, and get amazing views and try delicious foods. Hopefully your short visit to Bangkok will have you wanting to return to this vibrant city.

Did you visit Bangkok too?
Let me know what stood out most during your trip in the comments below!