What to do in Bangkok for a week comes down to giving each part of the city its own day: the Old City temples, the museums and the Golden Mount, the river, Siam, the north of the city with Chatuchak, the parks, and Chinatown. A week is long enough to add things a short trip skips, such as a cooking class, a night at the Muay Thai stadium and a contemporary art museum, and still have a free day for a trip out of town.
The plan below is a framework rather than a timetable. Shuffle the days to fit opening days: Chatuchak Weekend Market trades on Saturdays and Sundays, the Bangkok National Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and several other museums close on Mondays.
Day 1: The Old City
Start with the essentials. The Grand Palace opens at 8:30 a.m., and the compound includes Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Wat Pho, with its 46-meter Reclining Buddha, is directly south and stays open into the evening. Dress for both: shoulders and knees covered. Our three-day Bangkok itinerary has the detail for this first day, including the ferry to Wat Arun.
Day 2: Museums, the Golden Mount and Muay Thai
Stay in the Old City for its museums. The Bangkok National Museum, beside Sanam Luang, is open Wednesday to Sunday, and the Fine Arts Department lists Tha Chang pier as its nearest boat stop. In the afternoon, climb the 320 steps of the Golden Mount at Wat Saket, a gilded chedi on a hill with a view over the Old City rooftops.
In the evening, go to Rajadamnern Stadium on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, a short taxi ride from the Golden Mount. It holds fights every night, with a different promotion each evening, and recommends its Club Class seats for first-timers.
Day 3: The river
Spend a day on and beside the Chao Phraya. Chao Phraya Express Boats run from Sathorn pier, next to BTS Saphan Taksin, to the Old City piers. Visit Wat Arun on the Thonburi bank, with its 66.8-meter central prang decorated with seashells and Chinese porcelain.
In the evening, Meridian Cruise sails from ICONSIAM with a sunset cruise and a later dinner cruise, looping past Wat Arun, the Grand Palace and the Rama VIII Bridge.
Day 4: Siam and Pathum Wan
Take the BTS to National Stadium for the Jim Thompson House, a museum of traditional Thai houses where visitors see the main house with a guide. The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, which links directly to the same station, has free exhibitions from Tuesday to Sunday. In the afternoon, SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World in Siam Paragon suits families, and the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection is two BTS stops east.
For dinner, Somboon Seafood's Bantadthong branch, near MRT Sam Yan and BTS National Stadium, has served its fried curry crab at this site since 1991, carrying on the original restaurant that opened in 1969.
Day 5: North Bangkok (best on a Saturday)
If this day falls on a weekend, begin at Chatuchak Weekend Market, also known as JJ Market. Go early, bring cash in small notes and watch your bag in the crowded lanes.
Two other places in the Chatuchak district fill the rest of the day. MOCA Bangkok, the Museum of Contemporary Art, shows more than a thousand works of Thai modern and contemporary art and is open Tuesday to Sunday; the museum puts the walk from SRT Red Line Bang Khen station at 200 to 400 meters. Baipai Thai Cooking School teaches morning and afternoon classes from a Thai-style wooden house, with a shuttle from Major Ratchayothin. It is closed on Sundays, so pair it with the market on a Saturday.
Day 6: Parks and a city view
Bangkok's parks are at their best early in the day. Benjakitti Park, beside the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, opens at 4:30 a.m. and has a 1.6-kilometer skywalk over its wetlands. The skywalk joins the Green Bridge, which crosses to Lumphini Park, so you can walk from one park to the other.
Rest through the midday heat, then finish at the Mahanakhon SkyWalk by BTS Chong Nonsi, whose roof deck on the 78th floor is open until midnight, with last entry at 11 p.m.
Day 7: Chinatown, or a day out of the city
For a last day in town, go to Chinatown. Start at Wat Traimit, the Temple of the Golden Buddha, near Yaowarat Road, and walk the district's lanes. MRT Wat Mangkon is the nearest station. For a special-occasion last dinner, Restaurant Potong serves a Thai-Chinese tasting menu in a restored five-story shophouse on the corner of Yaowa Phanit Road, where the chef's family made traditional Chinese herbal medicine from around 1910. Book ahead.
If you would rather leave the city, our guide to things to do outside Bangkok covers day trips.
Making a week work
- Base: one hotel near the BTS, the MRT or the river saves time every day. Browse our Bangkok hotels.
- Pace: plan outdoor sights for the morning or late afternoon, and keep museums, malls and the aquarium for the hottest hours.
Sources: The Grand Palace, practical information, Wat Pho, Bangkok National Museum, Fine Arts Department, TAT, Wat Saket, Rajadamnern Stadium, Chao Phraya Express Boat, Meridian Cruise, Jim Thompson House, MOCA Bangkok, Baipai Thai Cooking School, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Benjakitti Park, Mahanakhon SkyWalk. Checked September 26, 2026.
A week lets you see the main sights at an easy pace and add museums, parks, a cooking class, a Muay Thai night and a day trip. Three days covers the essentials of a first visit.
Wednesday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is 200 baht for foreign visitors and 30 baht for Thai visitors.
The museum lists 400 baht for adults and 120 baht for students with ID; children under 13 and seniors over 60 with ID enter free. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Its class calendar lists 2,200 baht per person for a joined class, with morning (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) and afternoon (1:30 to 5:30 p.m.) sessions. The school is closed on Sundays and national public holidays.
Every night. Gates open at 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Prices vary by seat and night on the stadium's booking page.
The website lists the Sunset Cruise from 599 baht and the Dinner Cruise from 899 baht per person. The dinner cruise sails from 8 to 9:45 p.m. from ICONSIAM.
Every day from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with cycling allowed from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
