Bangkok was originally supposed to be a quick stop on our 2026 Asia adventure, but the more we researched it, the more we wanted to give it a couple of days. Scott was skeptical because he’s not a huge fan of massive cities, but Bangkok completely won him over. In just two nights, we packed in what ended up feeling like the city’s greatest hits: extravagant temples, rooftop bars overlooking Wat Arun, the over-the-top ICONSIAM mall and the absolute chaos of Songkran on Khao San Road. Staying along the river at Riva Arun Bangkok made our ridiculously short visit surprisingly manageable, putting many of the historic sights within walking distance while giving us incredible Wat Arun views right from our balcony. Two nights was nowhere near enough, but Bangkok still became one of the most colorful, surprising and memorable stops of our entire Asia trip.

🗓️ Itinerary: Two Nights, One Very Full Bangkok Adventure

This itinerary is based on our April 11–13 visit to Bangkok, the third stop on our Asia 2026 trip. With only one full day, we focused on the historic riverfront so we could walk or ferry between major sights, then save the evening for Songkran. Two nights barely scratched the surface, but we still packed in rooftop cocktails, ornate temples, river ferries, Wat Arun views and one of the world’s biggest water fights, making Bangkok one of the most colorful and memorable stops of our trip.

🍸 Day 1 – ✈️ Bali → Bangkok Rooftop Bars

• 🛫 12:10 PM – Flight: Bali → Bangkok DMK (~4.5h – Thai AirAsia, 🎟️ BOOK)
• 🛬 5:00 PM – Arrive in Bangkok at DMK Airport after a flight delay (clear immigration, get bags, withdraw THB from ATM)
• 🚗 6:00 PM – Transfer to hotel (🎟️ BOOK Klook, 30-60m)
• 🏨  6:30 PM – Check in to Riva Arun Bangkok (🎟️ BOOK)
• 🍽️ 7:00 PM – Dinner at Above Riva rooftop with views of Wat Arun (🎟️ RESERVE corner table, ~THB 1250 min spend, 🌾3.5 FMGF)
• 🍸 8:00 PM – Sala Rattanakosin Rooftop (🎟️ RESERVE rail seats w/ Wat Arun view, paid THB 1000 non-refundable deposit, open until 10:30 PM)
• 🎬 Optional: Sky Bar at lebua (Hangover film location, iconic, skyline)
• 🎬 Optional: The Bamboo Bar (White Lotus film location, no reservations, live band)

🛕 Day 2 – Bangkok Temples + Songkran 

• 🛕 7:50 AM – Walk to Wat Pho & admire Reclining Buddha (🎟️ 300 THB at entry, ~1h)
• 🏛️ 9:30 AM – Walk to Grand Palace & explore ornate courtyards, temples, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (🎟️ 500 THB at entry, ~2h)
  • 💡 Strict dress code – shoulders & knees covered; clothing available for purchase nearby
• 🍜 11:30 AM – Lunch @ Saiwatana (very casual, 🌾 almost entire menu can be GF)
• 🎬 Check out Wat Pho Pier, White Lotus filming location
• 🚶‍♂️ Walk to Riva Arun Pier
• 🚤 1:10 PM – Ferry: Riva Arun Pier → Wat Arun (~15m, 🎟️ ~12 THB cash at booth right by the dock, very frequent)
• ⛩️ 1:30 PM – Explore Wat Arun (🎟️ 200 THB at entry, ~1h), including the intricate central prang and steep climb for elevated views across the Chao Phraya River
• 🛍️ 2:30 PM – Grab (~30m) to ICONSIAM to explore SOOKSIAM, buy water guns and join the Songkran splash zone (~1h)
• 🚕 4:45 PM – Grab to Riva Arun (~16m)
• 🌅 5:15 PM – Reset at hotel and watch sunset (6:29 PM) from balcony
• 🍜 7:00 PM – Dinner @ Saiwatana
  
  
• 🛺 7:30 PM – Tuk-tuk (~10m) to Khao San Road
• 💦 8:00 PM – Songkran on Khao San (2-4h, Bangkok’s New Year celebration with water guns, DJs, dancing and massive crowds)
• 🏨 10:00 PM – Return to Riva Arun (~1.4mi, ~10m tuktuk)

💦 Day 3 – Bangkok → Phuket Songkran 

• 🚗 7:00 AM – Transfer to airport (🎟️ BOOK Klook, 30-60m)
• 🧳 7:40 AM – Arrive at DMK airport and check bags (arrive 2-2.5h before flight)
• 🛫 10:30 AM – Flight: Bangkok → Phuket (1.5h – Thai AirAsia, 🎟️ BOOK)

💡 Tips: Know Before You Bangkok

• 🏨 Stay Along the Chao Phraya River: This was one of our best Bangkok decisions. Staying at Riva Arun gave us incredible Wat Arun views while putting Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, river ferries, restaurants and rooftop bars within easy walking distance.
• 📍 Group Your Sightseeing Geographically: Bangkok is huge and traffic can eat up valuable time. We concentrated most of our sightseeing along the river, which made it possible to see a surprising amount in a short stay.
• 🚤 Use the River: Bangkok’s ferries aren’t just scenic. They can be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to move between riverfront attractions while avoiding road traffic.
• 🚕 Mix Your Transportation: We used private airport transfers, Grab, river ferries, walking and tuk-tuks rather than relying on one method. Each worked best for different parts of the city.
• ☀️ Plan Around Bangkok’s Heat: Bangkok’s April heat can be exhausting, especially when you’re walking between temples and outdoor sights. Mix AC stops like ICONSIAM and leave flexibility in your schedule for a hotel reset if the heat catches up with you.
• 💵 Carry Some Thai Baht: Cash was useful for ferries, smaller purchases and places where cards weren’t practical, even though we used apps and cards for many larger expenses.
• ⏰ Give Bangkok More Than Two Nights: We packed a lot into two nights, but barely scratched the surface. With more time, we would have explored more neighborhoods, rooftop bars and areas beyond the historic riverfront.
• 🌾 Plan Ahead for Gluten-Free Food: Bangkok was more challenging for reliable gluten-free dining than we expected, so research restaurants before arriving instead of assuming you’ll easily find safe options nearby.
• 📅 Check Festival Dates Carefully: If you’re visiting around Songkran, don’t assume every celebration happens only April 13–15 or that every location celebrates equally each day. Bangkok events were already fully underway for us on April 12, and schedules varied by venue.

📸 Bangkok: Our Trip Summary

🌅 Wat Arun Views: Rooftops, Sunsets & Our Riverfront Stay

Having Wat Arun directly across the Chao Phraya River became one of our favorite parts of Bangkok. We stayed at Riva Arun, watched an incredible sunset from our balcony and spent our first night rooftop hopping between Above Riva and Sala Rattanakosin, where illuminated Wat Arun provided a pretty spectacular introduction to Thailand.

Read more: Bangkok’s Best Wat Arun Views: Riva Arun, Rooftop Bars & Sunsets

🛕 Bangkok’s Best Temples: Wat Pho, Grand Palace & Wat Arun

Bangkok’s historic riverfront made it surprisingly easy to visit Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun in a single day. We started with the enormous Reclining Buddha and traditional Songkran celebrations at Wat Pho, got completely overwhelmed by gold at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, then crossed the Chao Phraya River to climb Wat Arun, where we discovered that apparently everyone else had received the traditional-Thai-outfit memo except us. 😂

Read more: Bangkok’s Best Temples: Wat Pho, Grand Palace & Wat Arun

💦 Bangkok Songkran: From Temple Traditions to Khao San Road Chaos

Experiencing Songkran in Bangkok gave us two wildly different perspectives on Thailand’s traditional New Year. Wat Pho introduced us to water blessings, Buddha bathing, merit-making and sand pagodas before ICONSIAM eased us into the water fights with its riverfront celebration. By that night, we were shoulder-to-shoulder on Khao San Road getting blasted with water, covered in white paste and stumbling into a street foam party that felt like a Vegas nightclub had exploded into the street. 😂💦

Read more: Bangkok Songkran: From Temple Traditions to Khao San Road Chaos

🎬 Wat Pho Pier: Our White Lotus Filming Location

Bangkok also gave us our first chance to visit a filming location from The White Lotus Season 3. We stopped at Wat Pho Pier, which appeared in the series, and had also considered drinks at The Bamboo Bar at Mandarin Oriental, another filming location, although our short stay meant we never made it there. It was a fun little bonus after watching the season.

🚤 Chao Phraya River: Ferry Good Transportation

The Chao Phraya River turned out to be one of the easiest and most scenic ways to get around this part of Bangkok. Our inexpensive ferry right by Riva Arun to Wat Arun was quick, fun and gave us another perspective of the riverfront while avoiding Bangkok traffic.

🎥 Ferry to Wat Arun: Quick, Easy & Scenic Bangkok Transport

🌾 Gluten-Free Bangkok: Saiwatana to the Rescue

Finding reputable gluten-free food in Bangkok was surprisingly challenging, and Saiwatana was the only nearby option we found that we felt comfortable with, so we happily ate there twice. Almost the entire menu could be made gluten-free, and it became our introduction to our first massaman curry and mango sticky rice, along with pad thai and a fresh mango smoothie for me. The owner was incredibly friendly, with bonus points for his fantastic cat-print shirt that we may have loved almost as much as the food. 😹

📞 Transfer, Tour & Guide Info: Getting Around Bangkok

Bangkok transportation can look intimidating at first, but we found that combining prebooked airport transfers, Grab, tuk-tuks, walking and the river made getting around surprisingly manageable.

• 🚗 Airport Transfers: We prebooked private SUV transfers through Klook between DMK airport and Riva Arun Bangkok for about $30 each way, which made both travel days much easier with luggage.
• 🚤 Wat Arun Ferry: ~12 THB cash per person, with tickets purchased near the pier. Ferries run frequently and the crossing takes around 15 minutes.
• 🚕 Grab: We used Grab when destinations weren’t convenient by foot or ferry, although Bangkok traffic can make travel times unpredictable especially during holidays like Songkran.
• 🛺 Tuk-Tuks: We took a tuk-tuk to and from Khao San Road for Songkran, which made the ride feel like part of the experience.
• 👟 Walking: Staying in the historic district let us walk to Wat Pho, the Grand Palace, river piers, restaurants and rooftop bars, saving a surprising amount of transportation time.