Michiel and I have traveled to Bangkok more than thirty times combined, so we might know a thing or two about this city.
Bangkok is chaos, but the kind that somehow works and keeps pulling you back every single time. It is loud, busy and sometimes overwhelming. Traffic, tuktuks, street food stalls and people everywhere you look. But in between all that, you find calm, quiet cafés, slow river moments and massages that reset everything. This Bangkok 3-day itinerary focuses on food, cafés, cocktails, and photography spots across the city.
It is a city of contrasts, where chaos and calm exist side by side in the most unexpected way. One moment you are sweating in a crowded market, the next you are in a trendy café with a matcha. And that is exactly why we keep coming back to Bangkok again and again. Because somehow, in all that chaos, the city starts to feel familiar, almost like a routine.
What This Bangkok Itinerary Covers
This guide is based on multiple trips to Bangkok and combines our favorite food spots, cafés, cocktail bars, and photography locations into a practical 3-day itinerary.
It’s not about ticking off every temple, but about experiencing the city through food, atmosphere, and places we’d genuinely return to.
This Bangkok itinerary is perfect if you want to go beyond the typical tourist highlights and experience the city through food, cafés, and local spots.
If it’s your first time in Bangkok and you also want to include major landmarks like the Grand Palace or Wat Arun, we’d recommend adding an extra day rather than replacing one from this itinerary, so you don’t miss out on the food and local experiences.
Bangkok 3-Day Itinerary Overview
- What This Bangkok Itinerary Covers
- Day 1: Michelin Recommended Food, Massage and Chinatown Chaos
- Day 2: Cafés, Creative Spots & Cocktails
- Day 3: Temples, Street Food & Chasing Sunset Photography Spots
- Final Thoughts
- Bangkok 3-day Itinerary Map
Day 1: Michelin Recommended Food, Massage and Chinatown Chaos
On the first day of our Bangkok 3-day itinerary we landed in the late afternoon. After landing in Bangkok, clearing customs, and grabbing our backpacks from the luggage belt, we did what we always seem to do in this city: find good food and book a massage. First things first, right?
We took a Grab from the airport and about 45 minutes later we were at the hotel. Easy, smooth, and most importantly… air conditioning. Already a win. At least, that’s what I thought at the time.
If you’re unfamiliar with Grab and just want to have someone waiting for you at the airport, you can also book an airport pick up relatively cheap in advance here.
While still in the Grab, we booked Jeh O Chula using the QueQ app.
There were 212 people ahead of us.
Tip: Download QueQ App. This app is a lifesaver when it comes to avoiding insane queues in Bangkok.
Checking-in at Galile Oasis Boutique Hotel
We arrived at the Galile Oasis Boutique Hotel around dinner time and checked in.
Before even settling in, we were greeted by Hyper, one of the many cats around the property. She walked straight into our room and decided to hang out with us for a bit before we headed out. Not a bad welcome.
The hotel is located in a quiet alley, far from the main road, so you won’t hear any traffic noise. Some reviews mention a nearby school where students occasionally sing the national anthem, but during our three-night stay, we didn’t notice any noise at all.
The hotel itself is centered around a nice open-air courtyard filled with lush Bangkok-style greenery. There are a few small shops on-site, including a trendy coffee spot. At reception, you’ll find a fridge full with drinks for purchase, as well as unlimited complimentary bottled water, which we found especially convenient.
First Massage of the Trip
We walked from the hotel to the restaurant area, an easy 20 minute stroll. Conveniently, we found a massage place nearby.
We went for a one-hour massage at Vela Massage, focusing on foot, head, and shoulders. It was exactly what you need after a flight, relaxing music, comfortable chairs, everything on point.
But honestly speaking I wasn’t fully relaxed. I kept checking the number on the QueQ app, watching it get closer and closer.
Even while enjoying the massage, part of my brain was somewhere else… making sure we wouldn’t miss our turn.
By the time we finished, we walked straight to the restaurant and only had to wait about 10 more minutes outside. It was already around 11 pm, and the place was still completely packed.
Dinner at Jeh O Chula
By the time our queue was up, we were more than ready to eat.
We ordered shrimp cake, morning glory, shrimp omelet, Thai style sashimi salad and of course the famous mama noodle hotpot, plus two orange juices.
Without a doubt the highlight of the dinner, was the noodle hotpot: loaded with seafood, prawns and squid, pork meatballs and raw egg yolk. The broth is what makes it special, creamy tom yum that’s spicy, tangy, and packed with flavor. It’s bold, slightly addictive, and honestly it’s just like comfort food.
Our second favorite menu item, was the Thai style sashimi salad that has nothing to do with the Japanese version. It’s sour, limey and garlicky and an explosion of flavor. We loved it.
Morning Glory is a Thai classic we order every time, no questions asked. We like to pretend we eat our greens.
The shrimp omelette unfortunately didn’t live up to the expectations. It was very oily and mostly tasted like frying oil. Nothing compared to the several omelettes you can find in Taiwan, at Raohe NightMarket.
The crab cakes were delicious and nicely crispy. The orange juice was a surprise, Thai oranges have a very distinctive, almost mandarin-like flavor. Super fresh and refreshing.
The restaurant is messy, loud and chaotic, but full of flavor. The kind of place that just works and that you keep coming back to.
Tip: Try the seafood mama noodle hotpot and Thai style sashimi salad.
Banthat Thong Night Market Walk & Mango Sticky Rice
After dinner, we had a much needed walk around Banthat Thong Night Market. here you can find plenty of stalls selling the most random stuff, from clothes to electronics, accessories and even jewellery.
Even late at night, Bangkok is still at full energy, energy that we were definitely starting to lack.
We ended the night with a mango sticky rice from one of the street stalls for 100 THB, then slowly walked back to the hotel.
We enjoyed our dessert, or as we like to say, toetje in the balcony.
Day 2: Cafés, Creative Spots & Cocktails
The morning started slow on the second day of Bangkok 3-day itinerary. Staying in bed longer than we probably should, but we were on holiday, so no regrets. After getting ready, it was straight downstairs for coffee at Piccolo Vicolo, conveniently located in the hotel. Ended up sitting there for a while, planning the day ahead… what to see, what to do, and most importantly, where to eat.
Breakfast at Urai Braised Goose
The morning kicked off with an unusual breakfast at Urai Braised Goose. Arrival was around 10 am and, surprisingly, there was no queue, just one of the last tables available. After sitting down, it was time to browse the menu.
It was kept simple: white rice, their famous braised goose, plus that vinegar and garlicky sauce (so good), and a side of soup. The goose was delicious and exactly the kind of comforting start you want.
The soup, though… not my favorite. Just a clear broth with dried seaweed that we could have skipped. Still, it helped as a hot palate cleanser after all that garlicky, sauce-dipped goose.
They also brought a jar of iced tea, which honestly saved us once the morning heat started to show.
Service was a bit rough, not very patient and slightly rude. But weirdly, that kind of adds to the whole experience. I’m quite used to it from eating out in Hong Kong or Singapore.
By the time we left, a line was already forming outside.
Tip: Although goose and rice doesn’t sound like breakfast, we recommend to come early in order to avoid the queues.
Song Wat: Cafés & Creative Spots
From there, we made our way to Song Wat, which quickly became one of our favorite areas in Bangkok.
I was on the hunt for matcha, so we walked over to Koyo Tearoom, a calm, minimal spot hidden in the alleyways, with a very Japanese aesthetic. Took us a minute to find it.
Since Michiel wasn’t in the mood for matcha, we walked a bit further to Sit in Soi to grab a coffee for him. We sat inside, cooling down in the AC with our iced drinks. The space was really nice, spacious with wooden furniture, cozy corners, and really cool lamps.
On the same street, you’ll find some interesting little shops. We made a quick stop at House of Vintage and Road of Cinnamon, browsing through ceramics, postcards, textiles, vintage items and all kinds of random souvenirs.
The beginning of the afternoon was spent at Song Wat Road. This is one of those streets where old Bangkok still feels very much alive. A mix of historic shops, small local businesses, and a growing number of cafés and boutiques, it’s the kind of place where tradition and creativity quietly blend together.
We walked into Skonx Perfumery, a place you’ve probably seen all over TikTok. The concept is cool and some perfumes do smell nice, but the prices are quite high for Bangkok. It felt more like social media hype than something that really justifies the price tag.
Across from this shop you can find Oyster and Things another famous shop on social media. Here you can find ceramics, homeware, and a mix of cool little finds. One of those places you end up browsing for longer than expected. Bangkok was just the beginning of our trip, and the thought of carrying everything we bought with us made me save some money.
Mango Break at Wanjai Cafe House
Just a few steps away, we came across this cafe house. We took a mango break at Wanjai Cafe House, and the whole place just felt real. Outside, a grandma sitting under an umbrella surrounded by mangoes. Inside, it’s old in the best way, vintage video games, old photos decorating the walls and cute little seating areas. You just want to stay a bit longer and that’s what we did. We shared a mango sticky rice and had a mango smoothie, honestly the best we’d had so far. So fresh and sweet. April is peak mango season, and we definitely took full advantage of it… mango pretty much everywhere we went.
Tip: If you’re heading to Thailand from March to June, please enjoy everything mango, with April and May being peak season.
Massage & Chinatown Wandering
In a desperate move to avoid the warmest part of the day, we decided to leave the cafe house and head for a near by massage. At this point we were sweaty and tired from the sun so we visited Blessed Hands Massage.
I feel like massages in Bangkok can be a bit of a gamble: either really nice and relaxing, or just someone touching you without any real treatment or relaxation. Sadly, this one fell into the second category. Nevertheless, was just nice to be in a quiet relaxing environment for a while.
After that, we wandered through Chinatown, took some photos along the main road, and stopped by a pet shop. Thailand is known for being quite cheap when it comes to pet supplies, especially cat food and treats. And I’m sure Archie and Benji wouldn’t complain about a refill of their favorite Thai snacks.
We usually buy these things in Silom or at a nearby supermarket, but since Silom is more of a business area, prices tend to be higher. Treats we normally pay around 100 THB for were only 70–80 THB at Pet 22.
We browsed the shop and somehow ended up spending about €50 on cat treats and flea treatment, still more than half the price compared to Dubai.
Tip: if you have cats or dogs, Thailand can be extremely cheap for food, treats or medication.
Bonus tip: one of the best softeners that will make your clothes smell amazing can be found at Tops Supermarket. My choice: Hygiene Expert Care Concentrate Fabric Softener. (at checkout, make sure you ask the cashier for the discount code for all the items discounted on the shop)
I feel like I should make a separate article about groceries around the world, and if I ever do, this softener will definitely be on the list. With my job as flight attendant, I’ve built up a few go-to items that I only buy in certain countries.
Sunset Drinks with a View
Later in the afternoon, with 1.5kg of cat treats heavier, we made our way to Sala Rattanakosin Rooftop Bar for drinks.
With views over the river and Wat Arun in the background, it’s one of those spots that feels almost too perfect, especially around sunset. We enjoyed a couple of drinks and right before sunset we left to photograph Wat Arun during the golden and blue hour. You can actually stay at the Sala Rattanakosin Hotel right below the bar too to have these amazing views from your room.
We also walked around the Grand Palace area, taking photos and soaking in the atmosphere.
Dinner at Porwa Northern Thai Cuisine
For a while, every time I visited Bangkok, I made it a thing to try different khao soi spots around the city. This night, we had dinner at my forth place, Porwa Northern Thai Cuisine. Easily one of our favorite meals of the trip and one of my favorite khao soi places.
Khao soi is a rich and comforting Northern Thai curry noodle dish, originally from the Chiang Mai region. It’s made with egg noodles in a creamy coconut curry broth, usually topped with chicken or beef, and finished with crispy noodles on top for that extra texture. Served with lime, pickled mustard greens, and shallots on the side, it’s the perfect balance of creamy, spicy, and slightly tangy.
Obviously, we had to ordered khao soi, along with pork belly and stir-fried gourami. Everything was flavorful and incredibly satisfying.
Cocktails to End the Night
We weren’t done yet. We might have skipped dessert, but we were definitely not skipping a few drinks and I’m glad we didn’t.
First Stop: Bar Us
We tried a few cocktails here and our recommendations: Pad Thai, Coconut Jasmine Margarita, The Grasshopper and Guava Leaf + Green Chilli + Kaffir Lime. Each one perfectly executed with incredible balance. It’s hard to wrap your head around how ingredients like fish oil, red shallot, Tabasco, or olive brine can come together so beautifully. The result felt more like a piece of art rather than a simple cocktail. Bar Us was fun, bold and completely unexpected.
The staff was very polite and helpful, and the menu was honestly out of this world. So creative, so fun. The whole concept felt very clean and makase-style experience inspired. Dark speakeasy vibes, plenty of seating, and a really beautiful atmosphere. Easily a 10/10.
Second Stop: #FindTheLockerRoom
We finished the night at Find The Locker Room. A speakeasy-style bar where the fun starts even before you enter. You have to find the entrance hidden behind a wall of lockers and once you open the right one, you step into a small, intimate bar.
We enjoyed our last cocktails of the night, together with some house made rice crackers and tom yum peanuts, delicious and highly addictive. The whole locker concept is definitely memorable. The space can feel a bit tight, especially when it gets busy, but that’s also part of the speakeasy charm.
Day 3: Temples, Street Food & Chasing Sunset Photography Spots
Slow Morning & Room Upgrade
We started the day slow and with me feeling slightly sick. I knew all these air conditioning would get me sooner our later. We had coffee to go at Piccolo Vicolo before catching a Grab to our first activity of the day.
Since we extended our stay by an extra day, we had to move to a different room, and what an upgrade it was. We ended up booking the only option available, a suite at the GalileOasis Boutique Hotel. It was huge, with a separate living room, a very spacious bathroom, and an even bigger bedroom. There was even an “indoor balcony” with a fan. Such a shame we had a busy day full of outdoor activities. We only came back to the room at night, ready to sleep before our morning flight the next day.
Erawan Museum & the Three-Headed Elephant
We took a Grab to Erawan Museum, famous for its massive three-headed elephant statue.
Located on the outskirts of Bangkok, away from where most tourists tend to stay, the whole place felt quiet and calm. The grounds are beautifully landscaped, but the real highlight is inside. The museum sits right beneath the elephant, and the interior is honestly stunning: colorful, detailed, and almost surreal.
We walked all the way up and a small staircase led us inside the elephant itself, where we found another beautiful room with a shrine and air conditioning, where we stayed for a while. Cooling down while enjoying the details and beautifully decorated interior.
We also followed a local ritual: burning 12 incense sticks, 3 in each of the 4 holders, typically done for good luck, protection, health, and prosperity. That incense better fix my whole life.
Entrance was 500 THB per person (2026). Book your entrance tickets to the Erawan Museum in advance here.
7-Eleven Stop & The Iconic Shot
After spending a couple of hours here, we walked to the nearby 7-Eleven to get that iconic photo. It’s quite popular on social media, especially on Xiaohongshu – Chinese Instagram (where I first saw it), the elephant in the background, the skytrain passing by, and the 7-Eleven in the foreground.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without a snack. Classic 7-Eleven stop: sausage cheese toast and a refreshing banana yogurt drink. No regrets.
Legendary Beef Noodles at Wattana Panich
Next stop: Wattana Panich, home to the famous beef noodle soup that has been simmering for over 50 years.
I had the beef soup with noodles and Michiel had it with rice. The broth is deep, rich, and almost stew-like, with a slightly herbal, savory flavor that feels layered and intense. I’m guessing that’s something you only get from something that’s been simmering for years.
Michiel found the broth a bit salty, while I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. One thing we both agreed on, though, it’s the kind of dish you try once, tick off the list, and that’s it.
Having some time to kill before sunset, we stopped at The Cream Factory. We could have easily skipped it, but something sweet was calling us, especially after that salty meal. We shared a peanut butter chocolate cookie, and it was exactly what we were craving.
From there, we jumped on the metro towards our next stop: Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen. The first great view of the Buddha is from the The Phra MRT station.
Tip: Bangkok’s metro accepts contactless payment, which made things so much easier for us. Just make sure you have your physical card handy. Apple Wallet isn’t accepted yet.
Wat Paknam & Sunset Photo Hunt
We arrived at Tha Phra and even from the station, we already had a glimpse of the massive golden Buddha.
Even though Michiel spent some time figuring it out, we still managed to exit the station on the wrong side. We walked through a few local streets until we reached Urea Cafe.
There’s a small entrance fee of 20 THB, which is redeemable on any drink.
We grabbed a cold local beer and sat by the river, overlooking the temple and watching the boat passing by.
After finishing the beer, we decided to head closer to the buddha in order to photographing it.
About 15 minutes and four bridges later, we reached a much better photo spot, right across the river.
And just when we thought we were done, we kept going again, chasing that last bit of light to a near by place I found in Xiaohongshu.
We ended up on a bridge next to the highway, above the canal, where we got the best view of the day: the Buddha against a red-pink sunset sky, with bougainvillea in the foreground. Worth every step.
Massage Round Two (or Three?)
We took a Grab to Tara Spa, another place we wanted to try. Sadly there was no availability for the next hour.
So we did what made the most sense at the time, we went back to Vela Massage. We enjoyed a relaxing 90-minute massage while watching our number on the QueQ app slowly go down. And if we’re using QueQ, it can only mean one thing: we’re going back to that amazing, crowded spot from the first night.
Back to Jeh O Chula (Yes, Again)
Dinner was back at Jeh O Chula, because once just wasn’t enough. This time we came a bit earlier, so we managed to get the crispy pork before it sold out.
We ordered it along with our favorite Mama noodle hotpot and the Thai-style sashimi salad. Feeling a bit adventurous, we asked for it spicy… and let’s just say, Thai cuisine does not mess around with chilies. That sashimi was spicy spicy spicy. Of course, we had my favorite iced orange juice on the side to help deal with the chili heat.
Dessert & Late-Night Drinks
Dessert at Ice Cream Samosorn
For dessert, we went to Ice Cream Samosorn, a place I had saved on my map for a very long time.
I remember showing it to Michiel before, and him, being the “healthy Michiel” that he thinks he is, saying, “That’s diabetes on a plate. Disgusting.”
Well, fast forward to this night, and suddenly Mr. Healthy was very interested in going, mainly because it was just around the corner. Funny how that works.
We went for the banana crème brûlée sundae, the special. Rich, indulgent, and honestly the perfect way to end the meal. Surprisingly, it was not as sweet as we expected, which made it even better.
Of course, I did not let it go and kept reminding Michiel that it was, in fact, not “diabetes on a plate.” We had a good laugh about it.
Cocktails at Kodo Bar
We wrapped up the night with a custom-made cocktail at Kodo Bar before walking back to the hotel.
The bar felt a bit empty at first, but slowly more people started arriving. The bartenders created an original cocktail based on our preferences and personal taste. A very nice and personalized experience to end the day.
We ended up chatting with the bartenders, who shared their favorite bars around Bangkok. Funny enough, one of their top picks was Bar Us, which we had already been and we shared the same opinion.
In return, we recommended one of our favorites from Phuket, The Fool: known for its high-end cocktails with a fun, creative concept. A perfect, relaxed way to end the day.
Final Thoughts
Three days in Bangkok is just enough to get a feel for the city, but not nearly enough to see it all.
There’s always another street to explore, another café to sit in a little too long, another dish you didn’t plan to try but end up loving anyway.
And that’s exactly why we keep coming back. Not to tick things off a list, but for the feeling the city gives you, somewhere between chaos and comfort, where every day somehow turns into a routine you don’t want to leave.
Bangkok 3-day Itinerary Map
Use this map to easily navigate all the food spots, cafés, cocktail bars, and photography locations included in this itinerary.
