How to Manage 4 Days in Bangkok? Here Are All the Places You Can Visit on Your Thai Trip in 2023! - Must-Visit Highlights to Squeeze into Your 4-Day Bangkok Getaway

As the bustling capital of Thailand, Bangkok is not only a popular travel destination but a cultural heartland waiting to be discovered. Although four days is hardly sufficient to uncover all that this dynamic metropolis has to offer, it is more than enough to hit the highlights that have made Bangkok a global icon. From the city's iconic temples to Bangkok's famed floating markets, here are the main points of interest that visitors can work into a 4-day itinerary. 

The Grand Palace

Whether one is based at the Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel or any of the other hotels, Bangkok riverside attractions don't get any bigger than the Grand Palace. As the country's most impressive historical highlight, the residence of the Thai royal family is not only home to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha but also some of the most iconic structures ever constructed in Thailand. Although most Buddhist devotees flock to witness the stunning Emerald Buddha inside Wat Phra Kaew, the resplendent royal chambers and halls of the Grand Palace are no less awe-inspiring. Be sure to dress conservatively for a tour of the Grand Palace as indecently clad tourists will be turned away or fined and made to wear a sarong before entering the heritage site. 

Clay Gilliland, The Grand Palace Bangkok (12444872835), CC BY-SA 2.0 

Riverside Temples 

Although a 4-day vacation may not allow one enough time to tour each and every one of the ancient temples lining the shores of the Chao Praya River, visiting two of the most famous sites will more than suffice for first-timers. Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn is perhaps the most visually arresting of the two places of worship although Wat Pho is just as captivating with its golden sculpture of the Buddha in a reclining pose adorned with mother-of-pearl embellishments. 

The River of Kings 

Considered a rite of passage for all travellers exploring the Thai capital, a cruise along the Chao Praya River is a must-experience highlight regardless of the duration of one's visit. In addition to allowing visitors a glimpse of the Bangkok riverside by day or by night, the cruises also offer travellers the chance to marvel at the Khlongs and the Bangkok skyline. Conducted on converted rice barges, dinner cruises also include a traditional Thai dinner with Apsara dance recitals and onboard entertainment. 

The Floating Markets

Damnoen Saduak and the other colourful floating markets in Bangkok must be some of the retail hotspots that every traveller hits during a stay in the capital. Deemed the most authentic retail experience tourists can enjoy in Bangkok, shopping at a floating market is as simple as hopping on a boat and heading to the areas where longtail boat vendors congregate. Purchasing wares from a riverboat can be a magical experience for first-time visitors.

Jim Thompson’s House

Thai silks are world-renowned for their high quality. The American entrepreneur who spearheaded the campaign to popularise this traditional commodity is none other than Jim Thompson. Although the business tycoon mysteriously disappeared in the late 1960s, the labour of his love and his passion for silk continues at his last-known residence, Jim Thompson’s House. The traditional teak house is now a shop and a museum dedicated to the legacy of Jim Thomson with proceeds from tickets being channelled to aiding underprivileged children in Bangkok.

Chinatown

Shopaholics who do not wish to to head to Siam Square and walk through its plush malls and department stores can venture down to vibrant Chinatown instead as the best deals are found in this community hotspot. In addition to containing the best Chinese restaurants and temples in Bangkok, the area is laden with hundreds of stores and street markets where one can buy everything under the sun at affordable rates.