One week in Bangkok: what to do in your 7 day itinerary

Looking for what to do in Bangkok for a week? We spent 7 days backpacking in Thailand’s vivacious capital, which we split across three of the city’s famous districts. The aim of our trip was to capture the city from all angles, including the temples, the museums, the food, the markets, and – of course – a little bit of the nightlife. In this one week Bangkok itinerary for backpackers we share our tips and personal experiences on what to do in the city if you only have 7 days to experience the best of it.

This site contains links to travel services we love, from which we may make commission at no extra cost to you.

One week in Bangkok: at a glance

Here’s a quick snapshot overview of our suggest itinerary for one week in Bangkok:

• Bangkok itinerary days 1–3: Khao San Road
  • Take a bus or tuk-tuk ride to visit the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market.
  • Check out the markets, nightlife and street food on the famous Khao San Road.
  • See interactive exhibitions at the Museum of Siam.
  • Visit the Grand Palace
  • See the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho 
  • Also consider visits to Chitralada Palace, Wat Benchamabophit and Paruskawan Palace
• Bangkok itinerary days 4–5: Silom
  • Go shopping at the huge MBK Center and have lunch in the food court
  • Visit the Bangkokian Museum (Bangkok folk museum)
  • See the beautiful Wat Traimit
  • Take a walking tour and eat street food in Chinatown
  • Peruse the Silom night market
  • Have a night out in Patpong
  • Take a stroll in Lumphini Park
• Bangkok itinerary days 6–7: Sukhumvit
  • Go shopping and try Thai street food in the food court at the Terminal 21 megamall
  • Hang out at Banchasiri Park
  • Take a Thai cooking class
  • Have a drink at a rooftop bar
  • Have a night out on Soi Cowboy

Bangkok itinerary 7 days: beginning at Khao San Road

We recommend beginning your week Bangkok with three days based around Khao San Road. Popular with backpackers and tourists, this area of the city is lively at day and night. It’s also within fairly close distance of some of Bangkok’s top attractions, like the Grand Palace and the National Museum, so it’s a good place to start for some general sightseeing.

On our trip, we arrived a stone’s throw from Khao San Road at 6am on a Saturday after a 17-hour journey from Koh Phi Phi. If you are arriving in similar style, check out our guide on how to take overnight buses like a pro!

Where to stay in Khao San Road

There is an incredible amount of choice when it comes to places to stay around Khao San Road. We stayed in a large and lively hostel which has sadly closed down following the pandemic. But whether you are looking for a budget hostel like us, or something more private and comfortable, there are dozens of options.

These are some top accommodation picks for different budgets in Khao San Road:

• Budget/backpacking: Khao San Social Capsule Hostel, very comfortable hostel with a bar, events and a social vibe
• Mid-range: Tinidee Trendy Bangkok Khaosan, 4-star hotel with a modern heel right next to Khao San Road
• Splurge: DE Phanakron Boutique Hotel, a beautiful boutique hotel in a historic building about 10/15 minutes walk from Khao San Road

Take a trip to the huge Chatuchak Weekend Market

With over 15,000 stalls spread over 35 acres, Chatuchak is the world’s largest weekend market. It’s a little way out of the city centre and main tourist districts, so

We visited Chatuchak Weekend Market on our first day in Bangkok as it happened to be a Saturday, and the best time to experience it. But if the days of your trip fall differently you can mix it up. You could hit the museums or the Grand Palace on your first day instead (more on those below).

Chatuchak Weekend Market is some 10km away from Khao San Road on the other side of the city, so first we had to get there! Rather than take a tuk-tuk or taxi, we opted for the local bus on our backpackign budget. Numbers 3 and 544, both air-conditioned, both went directly to the market gates for small change. But you might prefer the speed and convenience of a cab.

Whiling away 3–4 hours in this enormous labyrinth of stalls, entertainers and food carts is not difficult. You could easily spend the full day there, or head back to Khao San Road mid-afternoon to have a potter around on your first day.

Vendors selling all sorts of trinkets from incense burners to magic cushions to vintage clothing vied for our attention. Once we decided to head back, it took us more than half an hour to find our way back out through the mayhem!

We found Chatuchak Weekend Market to be a fun and friendly experience, and a great introduction to the chaotic spirit of Bangkok. To find more authentic places to shop around the city, check out this guide to the best Bangkok markets.

Khao San Road nightlife: our first impressions

That night, after a much-needed afternoon nap, we went out in search of Khao San Road’s famous nightlife. It was very different to what we had anticipated! Our first experience of Thailand had been the raucous Bangla Walking Road at Patong Beach in Phuket, with its rows and rows of manic bars and locals touting special offers, and we were expecting something similar.

Khao San Road wasn’t on the same level of crazy. There were more market stalls than bars, lots of street food vendors, and the occasional expensive night club tucked away from the street. We ended up cruising to a couple of the bars on a parallel street, where we found live music and cheap beer.

Bangkok National Museum: Thai art and history

We didn’t get properly up and running until the next day, with the benefit of a good night’s sleep. Keen to explore some of Thailand’s history and culture, we first headed to Bangkok National Museum, easily walkable from Khao San Road. This is a huge museum that tells the history and art of Thailand through various exhibits and artefacts, from ancient days to the modern.

You really need at least a couple of hours to work through the Bangkok National Museum. If you’re a history or art lover, you will adore this place. But if you don’t want to spend too much of your time in museums, we would recommend prioritising the next one, which we personally preferred:

The Museum of Siam: a maze of interactive exhibitions

We’ve been to a lot of museums on our travels, and the Museum of Siam one ranks right up there among the best. It was a lot of fun.

For the 100-baht entrance fee (it’s 50 baht if you’re a student), which is cheaper than a lot of other attractions, we enjoyed three hours of fascinating exploration of Thai identity and culture. We would’ve spent longer if it wasn’t for our rumbling stomachs.

Organised into 14 different interactive room displays, the museum invites visitors to ‘decode Thainess’ by exploring various components of the nation’s identity, such as its food, traditions, dress, music, history and religion. By the time we worked our way through most of the puzzles and games, lunch was long overdue. We grabbed some tasty cheap local food at Baan Thatien nearby, and took a slow walk with the camera back towards the hostel.

Khao San Road at night: quirky street food and a foot massage

Our plans for a quiet Sunday night in were soon disrupted when we got chatting to a British solo traveller called Sam, and headed out once again to Khao San Road. Brimming with Chang beer confidence and perhaps wanting to impress a new friend, we felt the time was right to try eating a scorpion. We picked up two for 100 bahts from a street vendor. How can I describe the flavour? It was a bit like a pork scratching thrice-charred to death on a BBQ.

If scorpions and other such charred exotic snacks don’t sound appetising to you, there are many more palatable forms of street food to be found around Khao San Road. We loved trying out pad thais, papaya salads and other local dishes from the stalls and little cafés along the street and the roads parallel to it.

One of the real surprises about Khao San Road was that it seemed to completely shut down at 1am, even on weekends. Once the bars started closing it was really difficult to find anywhere to keep the night going, but we had an idea. The massage parlours seemed to be still open. I can now attest that there is no better way to end a night out than with a half-hour foot massage.

A visit to the busy Grand Palace

Many of Bangkok’s famous highlights, which are not far away from Khao San Road by foot. On day 3 of our trip, we found our way to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho to explore independently, which was fun.

You can also take a guided tour to these city highlights, which is a good idea if you’re unsure about the customs, etiquette and generally finding your way around. There are many tours to choose from, lots are overpriced, and some don’t include entry fees. This full-day guided tour of the Grand Palace and Wat Pho is the best value one we’ve found, much cheaper than most, and it includes entry fees. The meeting point is right near the Museum of Siam.

We were up and out early to try and beat the crowds to the Grand Palace, as we had heard how chaotic it can get. The tales were true, and our plan was a good one. Arriving at 9am we already found ourselves caught in a tidal wave of tourist traffic, but when we left a couple of hours later it was a lot worse.

The Grand Palace is touted as a must-see in Bangkok, and although it was a magnificent spectacle to behold, we did find that it was a little overcrowded – so definitely consider going earlier to avoid the worst of that. At 500 baht each, it was by some distance the most expensive single attraction we saw in Thailand, but it’s worth it to see the unique grandeur of the complex.

However, the crowds were so intense that we spent most of the time scrambling, jostling and trying to avoid being pushed over. Be aware that the dress code is super strict – Lisa wasn’t allowed to cover her shoulders with a sarong, so she had to pay extra to hire a cardigan. 

A visit to Wat Pho (the reclining Buddha)

After our Grand Palace visit was over, we walked a few minutes down the road to visit Wat Pho, one of the city’s most celebrated temples. This turned out to be a much more enjoyable experience than the Grand Palace as it was much less crowded.

Don’t overlook this one when you’re working out what to do in Bangkok. The grounds and buildings were every bit as beautiful as the Grand Palace, but the volume of tourist traffic was far more bearable, and the entrance fee is much more reasonable at 200 baht each.

More places to visit near Khao San Road

Had we an extra day around Khao San Road, or taken it at a faster pace, we could have walked north from our hostel and visited some more of the city’s famous sites such as Chitralada Palace, Wat Benchamabophit and Paruskawan Palace.

Or if we could muster the stomach for it, a short hop across the Chao Phraya River would have taken us to Siriraj Medical Museum, which is a great option if you’re looking for non-touristy things to do in Bangkok.

The problem with deciding what to do in Bangkok is that there’s so much choice! Time caught up with us, and it was time to move on to the next district, we where we recommend staying for days 4 and 5 of this Bangkok itinerary

Bangkok itinerary 7 days: a stay in Silom

For days 4 and 5 of our one week Bangkok itinerary, we recommend a two-day stay in Silom. That’s what we did and we really enjoyed this area.

The neighbourhood of Silom is at the epicentre of Bangkok’s commercial history, once the home of Thailand’s first printing press, and today a thriving financial district. Backpackers are drawn by the bustling nightlife and markets of Patpong, and green spaces like Lumphini Park.

To get to Silom from Khao San Road we ordered a Grab taxi, which cost us 164 baht for the 7km journey. This was a convenient way to do it, but if you’re looking to save money you can take the bus. Or if you’re feeling really energetic you could walk it across the city! It’s possible in about 90 minutes, but we didn’t fancy it with our big backpacks.

Where to stay in Silom

We stayed at a hostel in Silom, which sadly, like the one we stayed in Khao San Road, isn’t there any more. But there is a lot of choice. These are are recommended picks in the neighbourhood:

• Budget/backpacker: Ekanek Hostel, comfy and clean hostel with a terrace and bar right next to Patpong Night Market
• Mid-range: Every Surawong, a decent value-for-money hotel with city views and a sun terrace
• Splurge: The Rose Residence, one of the more affordable luxury hotels in the area, featuring a swimming pool

Shopping and lunch at the MBK Center

The MBK Center is one of Bangkok’s legendary giant shopping malls. A quick consultation with our map when we arrived in Bangkok showed we were close to it. It’s well worth a visit while you’re here.

For a few weeks we had been keeping an eye out for deals on a new tablet or laptop to replace a broken one, and with over 2,000 outlets spread over eight floors, this place seemed a fair shout. It took us about 20 minutes to walk there from the hostel. The entire fifth floor of the mall was dedicated to electronics, and it didn’t take long to find a bargain – we bought a tablet/laptop combo for about half of what it would’ve cost back home.

Whether or not there’s something specific you want to buy, it’s fun to explore the giant maze of this mall. On the next floor up, we found a huge food court – often a feature of the Asian megamalls – with a host of different Thai food options for super cheap prices. We paid 40 baht each for some seafood noodle soups, which were delicious.

Not fancying the walk back to the hostel with our new gadget, we decided to take a metered taxi from the rank by the mall. This worked out even cheaper than taking a Grab.

After the mall, or before, depending on how you would prefer to order your day, you could make a visit to Lumphini Park, a huge and popular green space. There is lots to see and do in Lumphini Park and you could even spend a whole day here exploring its lake, monuments, library, outdoor activities and more.

A visit to the Bangkokian Museum (Bangkok folk museum)

We opted for a quiet night after our first day in Silom exploring the mall and park. On the second day in Silom, we suggest exploring the Bangkokian Museum and Chinatown.

We started with the Bangkokian Museum, just ten minutes’ walk from our hostel. The museum is the former home of a middle-upper-class Thai family, preserved to give insight into high society life in the city over a century ago.

Walking through the bedrooms, bathrooms and family living areas was like taking a step back in time to a forgotten place – quite a different experience to other museums we’ve encountered on our travels.

A walking tour in Bangkok’s Chinatown

After the Bangkokian Museum, we had a great time spending the rest of the day walking around Chinatown, something that rarely disappoints. It’s about a 45-minute walk from Silom, but there are some interesting spots along the way to see.

The route to it is perfect for a slow stroll, through lively backstreets, along the river, and past scatterings of street food stalls. We stopped on the way to marvel at the magnificent white and gold structure of Wat Traimit.

While we tried some tasty titbits from street stalls in Chinatown. There are lots of restaurants too – many seemed quite overpriced as it’s a bit of a tourist trap area.

If you want to find the best spots and avoid the tourist prices, you can take this fantastic Chinatown foodie tour, a two-hour tour that runs at 6pm daily. The tour it great value and will give you some insights into the best street food spots as well as seeing the highlights of the district such as its magnificent temples.

Nightlife in Silom: night market and Patpong scene

That night we tried out the Patpong scene, and found something far more closely resembling the chaos of Bangla Walking Road back in Phuket. There is also some intrigue in the area as you can peruse the Silom night market to find a bargain.

We made a beeline for the main road that stretches through the Patpong nightlife scene. Bar staff hustled in the street to try and get us into their establishments, and women clad in very little tried to allure us into ping pong shows and other seedy entertainments.

Drinks at Patpong were about twice the price of Khao San Road and we’d missed happy hour, but we stayed out for a few drinks to soak in the madness and grab a street food fix before heading back to the hostel.

We had intended to call it a night, but we met a group of revelling backpackers in the hostel’s outside bar area, and ended up joining them for drinks and chats until 6am! Could just one night in Bangkok go according to plan?

Bangkok itinerary 7 days: ending in Sukhumvit

The final two days of our 7-day Bangkok itinerary are focused in a neighbourhood with a very different vibe: Sukhumvit. We took a Grab from Silom, which cost about 150 baht.

Sukhumvit doesn’t offer so much in terms of historical or cultural attractions compared to our previous destinations; it’s more of a place to indulge in shopping, eating and drinking, and so might not be the obvious choice for backpackers on a budget. There are ways to work around it cheaply, though, and anyone who has seen The Hangover 2 may want to witness the nighttime scenes on the notorious Soi Cowboy.

Where to stay in Sukhumvit

We stayed at Revolution Hostel Asoke, our cheapest Bangkok stay yet and was a super welcoming place to stay. We couldn’t really fault the place: the beds were large and comfy, it had a cool little rooftop bar with great city views, and the bar sold breakfasts with names like “the Che-Guevara’. Fun!

These are are recommended places to stay in Sukhumvit if you’re not into hostels:

• Mid-range: August Residence, one of the few budget-level hotels in the area, a clean and comfortable stay
• Splurge: Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Bangkok, stunning hotel in great location right next to the Terminal 21 mall

Great, cheap food at another megamall: Sukhumvit’s Terminal 21

After a busy few days in Khao San Road and Silom, and a night at Patpong Market, you will probably want to slow down a bit and take the last couple of days at a slower place. With malls, parks and rooftop bars, Sukhumvit is a good place for that. For this final leg, we’re suggesting some more leisurely activities to take at your own pace and spread out over the two days.

Sukhumvit has some fantastic restaurants, but it is harder to find budget food here if you’re backpacking. Thankfully, we found a gem in yet another Bangkok megamall, Terminal 21.

On the fifth floor of the mall there are a whole bunch of restaurants with various (mainly western) themes, and fine-dining prices. By chance we decided to take the escalator one floor higher, where we found a giant local food court. There was barely a western tourist in sight. Busy stalls sold main dishes for as little as 25 baht; we got a plate of BBQ duck and pork with rice and veg for 35 baht each. And this was some of the best food we ate in Bangkok.

Exploring Sukhumvit: parks, more malls, and rooftop bars!

After exploring Terminal 21 some more, we walked along the main road to Benchasiri Park (otherwise known as Queen’s Park) and had a look around another mall, the Emporium. After a pleasant wander, we headed back to the hostel to chill on the rooftop with a beer.

There are more rooftop venues around Sukhumvit that are fun to try out, and this would be a great relaxing choice for what to do in Bangkok on your last afternoon. You can try RISE or Vanilla Sky rooftop bars for fun drinks and sweeping views of the district.

Thai cooking class in Sukhumvit

We always love to try cooking classes on our travels. Thai food has to be one of the best cuisines we’ve experienced, and you will experience it at its best in Bangkok.

With the mixture of top restaurants and mall food courts, Sukhumvit is a good area for foodies. You can also learn to make Thai dishes yourself on this Sukhumvit Thai cooking class and market tour. After heading to a local market to buy ingredients, you learn how to make four classic dishes.

A night out in Sukhumvit on your last night in Bankgok!

We couldn’t spend our last night in Bangkok without going out for some drinks, especially with it being a Friday, and especially being in Sukhumvit. We thought we’d find out if Soi Cowboy was all it’s cracked up to be.

Soi Cowboy, made famous as a filming location in The Hangover 2, is a narrow road with flashing neon signs protruding from both sides, and dancing girls beckoning groups of western men through shady-looking doors.

We found a bar on the corner selling bottles of Singha for 80 baht all night, where we were happy to soak up the atmosphere, people-watch, and chat to the friendly staff at our bar for a couple of hours. There were to be no 6am shenanigans this time: before midnight struck we called time on a great week and headed for bed.

If you do want to experience a raucous night out in Sukhumvit, you can book to go on an organised district bar and club crawl. We love organised pub crawls as you get to meet other people, and it’s a safer way to explore the nightlife of a new place.

What to do in Bangkok: map of attractions

If you want to use these ideas for one week in Bangkok to piece together your own itinerary, you can see the locations of the various sites and attractions we have mentioned by clicking the map below: 

Further reading on Thailand

Are you planning to travel Cambodia after Thailand? Check out this article on getting from Bangkok to Siem Reap, including all you need to know about the border crossing.

Check out our other articles on Thailand to inspire your trip:

• Savvy travelling: 15 tips for Thailand on a budget
• Things to do in Chiang Rai: a two-day cycling itinerary
• Chiang Mai trekking: adventure in the Thai jungle
• Tiger Cave and Dragon Crest: escaping the beach in Krabi
• Swimming with sharks: advanced scuba diving in Koh Phi Phi

Love it? Pin it!