7 Days in Bangkok

Check into The Salil Hotel Sukhumvit 57 (4★, $80/night). Freshen up.

Visit Wat Pho ($7/person): 46-meter reclining Buddha and traditional Thai massage school. Get a 30-min massage on-site ($10).

Street food dinner at Tha Tien pier area. Try pad thai from Thipsamai ($3/plate), the legendary pad thai shop.

Rooftop drinks at Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower ($15/cocktail) — the Hangover II filming location.

Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew ($16/person). Home to the Emerald Buddha. Strict dress code (covered shoulders and knees).

Lunch at Err Urban Rustic Thai ($15/person) near Wat Pho — creative Thai street food.

Khlong canal boat tour through Thonburi ($15/person for 1-hour longtail boat). See the "Venice of the East."

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn, $3/person). Climb the central prang for river views at sunset.

Dinner at Raan Jay Fai (from $25/person) — Michelin-starred street food. Expect 2+ hour wait.

Chatuchak Weekend Market (free). 15,000+ stalls. Best sections: ceramics, vintage clothing, and the pet zone.

Lunch at Or Tor Kor Market ($5-10/person) — voted one of the world's best fresh markets. Mango sticky rice and grilled river prawns.

Jim Thompson House Museum ($8/person) — traditional Thai teak houses and a fascinating silk-industry story.

Cocktails at Tichuca Rooftop Bar ($12/cocktail) — jungle-themed rooftop. Then dinner at Soul Food Mahanakorn ($20/person).

Khao San Road: backpacker central with cheap drinks and live music.

Train from Hua Lamphong Station to Ayutthaya (2 hrs, $2/person). Or private driver ($80/day).

Ayutthaya Historical Park: Wat Mahathat (Buddha head in tree roots, $2), Wat Phra Si Sanphet ($2), Wat Chaiwatthanaram ($2). Rent a bicycle ($3/day).

Lunch at Sala Ayutthaya ($15/person) — riverfront Thai with temple views.

Wat Lokayasutharam (free) — the massive 42-meter reclining Buddha. Then Ayutthaya Floating Market.

Return to Bangkok. Rest at hotel.

Dinner at Bo.lan ($50/person) — one of Bangkok's finest Thai fine-dining restaurants.

Explore Talat Noi: Bangkok's oldest Chinese neighborhood with street art and vintage cars.

Lunch at T&K Seafood ($12/person) in Chinatown — legendary streetside seafood. Grilled river prawns are iconic.

Walk Yaowarat Road: gold shops, Chinese medicine stores, and Wat Traimit ($8/person) — the 5.5-ton solid gold Buddha.

Chinatown street food tour (self-guided, $10-15/person): oyster omelette, roasted chestnuts, mango sticky rice.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market (1.5 hrs from Bangkok, $60 private car). Paddle boat through the canals ($10/person).

Maeklong Railway Market (free) — the market that folds up its awnings as the train passes through.

Late lunch at Somtum Der ($12/person) — Isaan (northeastern Thai) food. Som tum and larb are authentic and fiery.

Bang Krachao (Bangkok's "Green Lung"): rent a bicycle ($3/hour) and cycle through this car-free jungle oasis.

Traditional Thai massage at Health Land Asoke ($10/hour) — clean, professional. The 2-hour treatment is bliss.

Final meal at Roast Coffee & Eatery ($15/person) in Thong Lor — Bangkok's best brunch. Souvenir shopping at Terminal 21 mall.

Airport Link from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK, 30 min, $2). Arrive 2.5 hours before international flights.