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3 Days in Bangkok (with Tour Prices Compared)
A short first visit to Bangkok: one day for the big temples in the old city, one morning at the floating and railway markets, and one day trip to the old capital, Ayutthaya. Every paid stop is a tour we compared across three booking sites, and the hours in between are free.
Day 1: The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun
- Morning: guided temples tour. Klook's Grand Palace, Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour is cheapest on Klook, from US$18.85 (4.8 from 5,825). GetYourGuide's Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun guided tour was from $22 (4.8 from 5,859), and Viator's walking tour (4.6 from 142) showed no price. Read the "Includes" line: palace entrance tickets alone can wipe out an apparent bargain. Cover shoulders and knees for the temples.
- Afternoon: rest out of the heat (free). Back at your hotel, or a slow walk along the river.
- Evening: street food in Chinatown (Yaowarat) (free to walk; pay as you eat). (Not one of the tours we compared.)
Day 2: Floating market and the railway market
- Morning: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market. Cheapest on GetYourGuide, from $24 (4.6 from about 29,400). Viator's half-day small-group version was from $26.14 (4.5 from 4,426), and Klook's from US$28.80 (4.7 from 2,649). It's an early start; the train passing through the railway market is the photo highlight. Lunch is usually not included, so bring cash to eat at the market.
- Afternoon: back in the city, pool or nap (free).
- Evening: a night market or a riverside sunset view of Wat Arun (free).
Day 3: Ayutthaya day trip
- All day: Ayutthaya from Bangkok. The cheapest Ayutthaya day we found was GetYourGuide's Ayutthaya temples and Ayothaya Floating Market day, from $27 (4.7 from 6,390, 8 hours). The Viator and Klook versions showed no price when we checked.
- Or swap in: a temples-only day, since you already did a floating market on Day 2. Viator's UNESCO Ayutthaya Historical Park small-group tour is cheapest for that style, from $41.00 (4.6 from 1,738, about 11.5 hours). Klook's version with the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace was from US$49.25 (4.8 from 8,777). Major Ayutthaya temples often collect entry fees in cash, even when the price looks all-in.
- Evening: back in Bangkok, an easy dinner and early night (free).
Rough cost per person
| Item | Cheapest site | From |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour | Klook | $18.85 |
| Damnoen Saduak and Maeklong markets | GetYourGuide | $24 |
| Ayutthaya temples and floating market day | GetYourGuide | $27 |
| Temple entry fees (Ayutthaya, and the palace if not included) | On site | cash (amount unverified) |
| Total, paid tours | about $70 |
That's $18.85 + $24 + $27 = $69.85 in "from" prices, before taxes, fees, meals, hotel and transport. Swapping in the temples-only Ayutthaya tour ($41.00) makes it $83.85.
Skip if…
- Skip the temples tour if you'd rather go at your own pace. The old-city temples are close together, but you'll pay entry fees yourself (amounts unverified).
- Skip the floating market morning if you dislike early starts or crowded, touristy markets. Spend the morning at a city market instead.
- Skip the Ayutthaya combo with a second floating market if Day 2 was enough markets; take the temples-only day instead.
- Skip doing both market and Ayutthaya days if you're short on time: GetYourGuide's Damnoen Saduak and Ayutthaya combo was from $64 but had only 3 reviews; Viator's was from $66.12 (4.9 from 626). It's a long, tiring day.
A November note: cooler, drier, busier
Bangkok is usually more pleasant by November, as the rains ease after the wettest months, and the cooler-season crowds build through November into peak winter. Booking the Ayutthaya day a bit ahead helps. It's still hot at midday, so the plan puts tours in the mornings and keeps afternoons free. If you're there for Loy Krathong, the lantern and floating-candle festival usually falls in November (check this year's date; unverified); expect busy riverside evenings.
See every price, rating and site side by side in the full Thailand November tours comparison.