The must-do highlights of Bangkok in three days

The Age

27-06-2025

Bangkok defies metaphor. An enigma wrapped in a traffic jam? The place where feudalism meets futurism? Just step out and surrender to its din and aromas, the combo of urgency and 'mai pen rai' (no worries) solutions. This city of 11.5 million people on the Chao Phraya River doesn't have a clearly defined centre and its hotel accommodation is scattered wide. Which means, depending on your location, think of the following day itineraries as adaptable, mix-and-match suggestions. Hint: cross-city travel can be slow (and hot) so don't over-plan your day.
Day one
Make an early start for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) in the Grand Palace complex, preferably arriving by 8.30am to beat the crowd. It'll be busy anyhow. Spend a couple of hours in this ornate royal compound but don't attempt to photograph the tiny Emerald Buddha statue. Make time for the adjacent temple, Wat Pho, home to one of the city's great icons, the 46-metre Reclining Buddha. Catch a meter taxi to nearby Yaowarat Road, Chinatown, for lunch. (Tuk-tuks in this area are a rip-off.) The grazing choice is enormous, from hawker carts to side-alley restaurants. Try a local favourite, guay chap flat rice noodles in pepper soup, but skip the common 'delicacy', shark-fin soup.
Afternoon
You're in one of the world's largest Chinatowns, where the main attractions include Wat Traimit, home to a massive 5½-tonne golden Buddha statue, and to Bangkok's most important Chinese Buddhist shrine, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Dragon Lotus Temple). Then make your way to Sathorn Pier near Saphan Taksin BTS Skytrain station to join the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat. An all-day pass will allow you to hop on and off wherever you please at the ferry's 10 stops, including Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), Khao San Road and attractions like the Asiatique theme park.
Evening
Bangkok has around 40 high-rise sky bars, most of them brilliant for sunset cocktails with spectacular views, plus dinner if you kick on. Not far from wherever you are there's probably a sky bar with an intriguing name like Paradise Lost, Cooling Tower, Vertigo or Flashback. If you're looking for sophisticated dining at a lower altitude, consider Red Rose in the Shanghai Mansion hotel on Yaowarat Road, or a choice of excellent French, Italian or Cantonese options in the Four Seasons Bangkok Hotel at Chao Phraya River. Or, further inland, the celebrated Bo.lan restaurant in Soi 53 Sukhumvit at Thong Lor.