48 hours in Bangkok: a two-day plan that stays out of the traffic
Two days is enough for Bangkok if you accept one rule: do not try to cross the city more than once a day. 48 hours in Bangkok done well is one day on the river and old town, where the temples and the oldest food are, and one day across the modern centre, from Chinatown through Silom to Sukhumvit, using the MRT, the BTS and the boats rather than the roads. Here is the plan, with evenings included.
Day one: the old town and the river
Morning: Grand Palace and Wat Pho
Be at the Grand Palace gate in Rattanakosin when it opens. An hour and a half covers Wat Phra Kaew and the throne halls. Walk to Wat Pho, five minutes south, for the reclining Buddha and, if the legs are already complaining, a half-hour massage at the school inside. Dress code at both: shoulders and knees covered, no see-through fabrics.
Afternoon: across the river and up it
From Tha Tien pier take the cross-river ferry to Wat Arun and climb the terraces. Back on the east bank, lunch at one of the shophouse cafes behind Tha Tien or at the stalls on Maharat Road. Then board the Chao Phraya Express northbound to Phra Athit and walk the Banglamphu lanes: Phra Athit Road's riverside bars, Phra Sumen Fort, and the old shophouse streets around Samsen. The Rattanakosin old town guide and Khao San guide cover both ends.
Evening: Banglamphu or Chinatown
Eat in Banglamphu, where the pad thai and the Thai-Chinese noodle shops along Phra Athit and Samsen are among the oldest in town, then a drink by the river. Alternative: taxi or MRT to Yaowarat for the Chinatown night stalls, which run from dusk until late. See Chinatown and Yaowarat guide. If you choose Chinatown tonight, start day two in Silom instead.
Day two: Chinatown to Sukhumvit
Morning: Chinatown and Charoen Krung
MRT to Wat Mangkon. Walk Yaowarat Road, the Sampheng lane and the temple, then east into Talat Noi for its lanes of old engine shops and street art and a coffee by the river. Continue south along Charoen Krung, past the old customs house and the Bang Rak creative district, for lunch near Soi 44 or at the Sathorn pier end. See Charoen Krung and Bang Rak guide.
Afternoon: Silom and Lumphini
BTS from Saphan Taksin to Sala Daeng. Spend the hot hours in Lumphini Park's shade or in the Silom malls, then walk Silom Road, where the office crowd and the evening stalls arrive together. If you prefer culture to shopping, take the BTS to National Stadium for the BACC art centre and Jim Thompson House. See Silom guide and Siam guide.
Evening: Sukhumvit
BTS east to Thong Lo. Thonglor and Ekkamai are the dining and cocktail district, with restaurants in every price range on Soi 55 and its side sois. For a cheaper and louder night, stop at Asok for Terminal 21's food court and the Soi Cowboy strip. Round off at a rooftop bar; the Bangkok rooftop bars by area post lists them by district so you can pick the nearest.
Making 48 hours in Bangkok work
The plan only holds if the days stay in their halves of the city. Do not book a dinner in Thonglor on the old-town day, and do not try to add the Chatuchak weekend market unless you drop something else; it is a half day on its own. Temples before noon, air-conditioning in the afternoon, and the river or the BTS for every move longer than a kilometre.
Getting there
- Day one: MRT Sanam Chai or Chao Phraya Express to Tha Tien; the express boat north to Phra Athit.
- Day two: MRT Wat Mangkon; BTS Saphan Taksin to Sala Daeng; BTS to Thong Lo or Asok.
- Airport: the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi takes under half an hour to Phaya Thai, which connects to the BTS. Allow an hour by taxi from either airport in the evening.
- If you have a third day, see the Bangkok 3 day itinerary for Chatuchak and the Sukhumvit parks.