Quick answer: For a 4-day trip to Bangkok, budget about EUR 55 per day (mid-range). Best time: November–February (cool, dry season). Visa: Visa-free/visa-on-arrival for many passports (30–60 days) — check your nationality.
Bangkok is best planned around the river and the heat. This 4-day plan front-loads temples in the cool morning hours and clusters nightlife so you never cross the city twice.
Best timeNovember–February (cool, dry season)
Budget / day~EUR 55
Suggested length4 days
VisaVisa-free/visa-on-arrival for many passports (30–60 days) — check your nationality.
4-day Bangkok itinerary
- Day 1Grand Palace & Wat Pho at opening, river ferry, Chinatown at night
- Day 2Wat Arun, Bang Krachao green lung by bike, rooftop sundowner
- Day 3Chatuchak market (weekend) or MBK, Jim Thompson House, Thonglor dinner
- Day 4Floating market day trip or a Thai cooking class
Where to stay: neighborhoods that make sense
- Sukhumvit (Thonglor and Ekkamai)modern cafes, rooftop bars and easy BTS access, the comfortable expat-adjacent base
- Rattanakosin (Old City)Grand Palace, Wat Pho and riverside temples, best for sightseeing but weaker transit
- Chinatown (Yaowarat)the best street food in the city after dark, chaotic and brilliant for a night or two
- Arileafy local neighborhood on the BTS with great coffee and almost no tourists
What to eat in Bangkok
- Pad thai from a street stall1.50-2 EUR, look for a queue of locals rather than a laminated tourist menu
- Boat noodles near Victory Monumentintense small bowls for about 0.60 EUR each, order several
- Street food crawl on Yaowarat Roadgrilled seafood, kuay jab pork soup and dim sum, 5-8 EUR fills you up
- Mango sticky riceabout 2 EUR in season from fruit carts, an institution for good reason
- Som tam (papaya salad) with grilled chickenaround 3 EUR at any Isaan street kitchen, ask for mild unless you mean it
Mistakes most first-timers make
- Believing anyone who says the Grand Palace is closedit is the classic setup for a tuk-tuk gem-shop scam, walk on
- Taking taxis that refuse the meterinsist on the meter or use Grab, especially from tourist areas
- Sitting in road traffic at rush hourthe BTS, MRT and river boats skip it entirely for under 1.50 EUR
- Showing up at temples in shorts or sleeveless topsyou will be refused entry or forced to rent a cover-up
Worth leaving the city for
- Ayutthaya (1.5 hours by train or minivan)vast ruined temples of the old capital, rent a bicycle to explore
- Maeklong Railway Market and Amphawa floating market (1.5 hours) - the famous market on train tracks plus canal-side dinner
- Ko Kret (45 min)car-free river island with pottery villages and a weekend food market
Getting around
The Airport Rail Link runs from Suvarnabhumi to the center in about 30 minutes for 1.20 EUR. Around town use the BTS Skytrain and MRT (0.50-1.50 EUR per ride), Chao Phraya river boats for the Old City, and Grab for short hops at 2-3 EUR.
Why this plan won't send you to a closed café
Almawander is an AI travel planner that remembers you across trips - it learns your pace, budget, diet and taste, checks places are still open, and bakes in your passport's visa rules.