Bangkok, love it or hate it, because while it’s a city packed with actions, it could be intimidating to less-experienced travelers. But now, you have decided to venture into Bangkok anyway (since you are reading this, I assume you are..), so just take a deep breath, and Bangkok can be easy.
How long to stay in Bangkok?
While I have friends who had made it in 3 days, 3 days only allow yourself with 1 full day to cover the ‘basics’, but nothing substantial. If it’s your first time in Bangkok, 4 days is good for shopping and food in city, 5 to more days if you have plan to venture outside of the city.
What’s to do in Bangkok?
Back to our first trip to Bangkok in 2007, I loved the Grand Palace, while my hubby thought he could have save the time (and money) to shop for (more) Singha T-shirt. Best to ask yourself ; do you like to visit cultural/historical places? Is your main objective to shop till you drop? Or is it the delicious Thai food is your main target? Are you just looking for a lay-back vacation?
Although for the last question, I wouldn’t recommend Bangkok city if your answer is yes. If you are a mix of everything, then lucky you, as you will enjoy the city tremendously.
Here are the guide to decide how many days you should stay :
IF:
1. You only want to shop and dine (no plan to go out of city center) = 3 – 4 days
2. You only want to visit cultural/historical site (no plan to go out of city center) = 3 days
3. You want to visit cultural/historical site (want to venture out of Bangkok) = 4 days
4. You want a mix of everything (no plan to go out of city center) = 4 – 5 days
5. You want a mix of everything and wish to venture a little further = 5 minimum to unlimited days.
You probably have all the information, suggested places to visit and food to eat already, so I am not going to bore you with details, just sharing the itinerary that I had done before.
Please open the below suggested itinerary in new tab/window for bigger image.
For easier reference, I had marked the point of interest, shopping and recommended food in this Google Map:
Bangkok Itinerary Map – Shopping Culture and Food
