Bangkok is a huge city where travelers of any taste can find something for themselves. Of course, you won’t find white sand beaches and aquamarine sea here but anything else awaits you in Bangkok or its surroundings. What to see & do in Bangkok when visiting for 3 Nights?
Day 1 in Bangkok
The plan on the first day depends on the time of the day you will be arriving in Bangkok.
Daytime
If you will be arriving early enough, just enjoy your lunch and start your Thailand experience with one or few of the most popular Thai food dishes. There are many places to eat in Bangkok, from local street restaurants offering meals for as little as 1 or 2 USD to high-end restaurants suitable for fine dining.
Don’t plan too much for the first day, especially if you had a long flight to Bangkok. Just enjoy relaxing Thai massage or refresh in your hotel’s pool (especially if you’ve chosen one of hotels with the best rooftop pools).
Nighttime
If it’s your first trip to Thailand, get familiar with Thai culture at Siam Niramit Show (our review of this show – Siam Niramit Show Bangkok). The show starts at 8 PM but there are various pre-show activities organized and dinner served since 5 PM so you can arrive earlier.
After the show we would recommend visiting Talad Rot Fai Ratchada Night Market. Even if you are not keen on visiting Siam Niramit Show, this night market is worth to be included in your trip plan as reaching the market is easy and it opens every night. Our favorite night market in Bangkok is Talad Rot Fai Srinakarin but getting there is a bit more complicated and the market fully opens only on weekends.
Day 2 in Bangkok
Daytime
Waking up early on your second day is recommended as the best time for visiting Bangkok’s must-see attractions is in the morning. These are top attractions in Bangkok that must be visited by anyone visiting Thai capital for the first time:
- Royal Grand Palace & Wat Pra Kaew (Temple of Emerald Buddha)
- Wat Pho (Temple of Reclining Buddha)
- Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
All these historical sites are close to each other so visiting them in one morning is easy. If you will arrive earlier, it will help you to avoid biggest crowds of tourists as Grand Palace gets really busy at the daytime.
After morning full of sightseeing, hide from the heat and choose the following:
- Lumpini Park – visit it if you like relaxing in peaceful nature and big lizards wandering around the park doesn’t bother you (they are the main reason why we visit this park most of the time)
- SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World aquarium where you can get familiar with underwater creatures that can be met later on your trip to the islands (our review of aquarium - SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World)
- ICONSIAM – Bangkok’s newest and most luxury shopping mall which can be easily reached from the historical sites as it’s located by the same river
Nighttime
For the night choose one of Chao Phraya River dinner cruises. During cruise you will have an opportunity to see Bangkok and its historical sites from a different angle. We’ve experienced and really adored Loy Nava Dinner Cruise (our review – Loy Nava Dinner Cruise), but it’s one of the most expensive cruises there. You can find cheaper cruises, especially when booking online. The list of top Chao Phraya River dinner cruises can be found here – Bangkok Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruises.
After the cruise head to Khao San Road that is a favorite nighttime spot for tourists in Bangkok. Here you will find plenty of bars, restaurant and other nighttime activities. The atmosphere at Khao San Road is special and is completely different from the one you will experience at Bangkok night markets.
Day 3 in Bangkok
The things you can do in Bangkok and its surroundings also depend on the day of the week. If you will be visiting Thai capital on weekend, you’ll have more options. As you might be aware, one of the biggest in the world Chatuchak Weekend Market opens only on weekends. Thailand’s floating markets, with an exception of tourist trap floating markets, also opens on weekends and national holidays only.
Daytime on Weekend
If the third day of your trip to Bangkok is on weekend, visit one of Bangkok floating markets. For complete Thai floating market experience, make sure to join one of Bangkok canal tours that are offered at the market. The easiest to reach is Taling Chan Floating Market. It’s also the starting point of the boat tour to 3 floating markets. Not that far from Taling Chan you can find Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market which is much larger and attracts fewer tourists. These are the main reasons why we always recommend visiting Khlong Lat Mayom to all our friends.
Daytime on Weekday
In case you are visiting Bangkok on weekday but still want to visit floating market, your only option is the touristy Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. You can visit it by booking a tour here: Day trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
Our recommended option would be a day trip to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya is the ancient capital of Thailand where you will see many spectacular ruins of ancient temples and experience completely different atmosphere if compared to chaotic Bangkok. As Ayutthaya is not that far from Bangkok, you can easily get there on your own. Otherwise, you can join a Day trip to Ayutthaya.
Nighttime
Visit Bangkok’s Chinatown which is the largest Chinatown found in a foreign country. The best time to visit Chinatown is evening as at night it gets really lively with lots of street food, little shops, crowds of locals and tourists. You can also visit the nearby flower market Pak Khlong Talat which is open 24 hours.
For the end of the night visit one of Bangkok’s sky bars. There are many rooftop bars and sky bars in Bangkok and the best ones are listed here: Best Rooftop Bars in Bangkok.
Day 4 in Bangkok
The last day in Bangkok mostly depends on the time left at your disposal. Depending on where in Bangkok you are staying, you might need up to 2 hours just for getting to the airport.
If you still have some time left, spend your last day in Bangkok shopping for souvenirs and gifts at Chatuchak Weekend Market (if you’re visiting on weekend), Sampeng Market in Chinatown, Pratunam Market or MBK Center shopping mall.