Four to five days is a comfortable amount of time to see Bangkok properly without feeling rushed between temples, markets, and the heat that makes pacing matter more here than in most cities. Days 1 and 2 belong to the old city. Start at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew as early as the gates open — both close their dress-code enforcement and crowd tolerance get stricter as the day heats up, and the marble courtyards are genuinely uncomfortable to stand on by midday in direct sun. Budget at least two hours inside, then walk or taxi to Wat Pho for the reclining Buddha, a shorter visit but worth the contrast. In the afternoon, take the river boat along the Chao Phraya — it's public transport, not a tour, and costs next to nothing, but the views of riverside temples and the occasional glimpse of Wat Arun across the water are some of the best in the city. Time your second day's river trip for sunset specifically; Wat Arun lit gold against the evening sky is one of Bangkok's signature views. Day 3 moves to markets and Chinatown. Chatuchak Weekend Market, if your dates allow it (it runs Saturday and Sunday), is enormous — wear comfortable shoes and accept you won't see all of it. If your trip doesn't align with the weekend, Chinatown's Yaowarat Road is a strong substitute and arguably better after dark: street food stalls, neon signage, and some of the best grilled seafood in the city. Go hungry and don't fill up early. Day 4 is for modern Bangkok, a deliberate contrast to the temple-heavy first half of the trip. Sukhumvit's malls and side streets cover shopping and casual dining, but the real highlight is timing a rooftop bar for sunset — Bangkok's skyline view from height, with the haze and heat of the day finally breaking, is worth the often-inflated drink prices. Lumpini Park the following morning, if you're an early riser, is where much of the city exercises before the heat sets in — a genuinely local scene rather than a tourist one. Day 5, if you have it, is best spent outside the city. Ayutthaya, the former Siamese capital about ninety minutes north, has temple ruins on a scale and age that put Bangkok's temples in historical context — go early to beat both heat and crowds. Alternatively, the Damnoen Saduak floating market, similar distance in the other direction, gives a different (if more touristy) slice of Thai life; it's worth doing if you haven't seen a floating market before, less essential if you have. A few practical notes: Bangkok traffic is genuinely bad at peak hours, so the BTS Skytrain and MRT are usually faster than a taxi for anything along their routes, even if the walk to a station feels inconvenient. Always negotiate a tuk-tuk fare before getting in, or insist a metered taxi runs its meter — both are common enough scams that it's worth the small awkwardness of confirming upfront. And build in more downtime than you think you need; Bangkok's heat is genuinely draining in a way that's easy to underestimate from a packed itinerary on paper.