If you’re planning your first trip to Thailand and wondering how to fit it all in, this one week Thailand itinerary is exactly how I spent my time exploring Bangkok and Chiang Mai. From iconic temples to tasty food tours, this itinerary is perfect for those who don’t want to feel rushed.
If you’re looking to travel to Thailand on a budget, make sure to check out how I paid $0 for a week of hotel stays.
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Day 1: Arrival in Bangkok and Lumphini Park
After two flights and over 24 hours of travel from Chicago, I arrived in Bangkok and checked into the Sindhorn Midtown Hotel. I had an incredible corner suite, and I honestly can’t recommend this hotel enough. Views of the city skyline were incredible and the infinity pool was the perfect place to relax on a hot day.
Since I was dealing with jet lag, I kept things low-key and spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool before heading out for a walk through Lumphini Park. Make sure to carve out time for this because you’ll see tons of monitor lizards roaming around. You can also rent paddle boats here if you’re brave enough to venture into the water with these dinosaurs.
Day 2: Bangkok Temple Tour – Grand Palace, Wat Pho & Wat Arun
To kick off my first full day of my one week Thailand itinerary, I took a guided tour of the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. The Grand Palace was absolutely stunning and lived up to the hype. From there, we took a boat ride across the river to Wat Arun, where the porcelain details are even more impressive up close. The tour ended at Wat Pho, home to the famous reclining Buddha. I really loved this tour because it made it so easy to see Bangkok’s most iconic temples all in one day without worrying about logistics.
After this tour, I had one of the best meals of my trip at ครัวนมหก ร่วมฤดี Kuanomhok Restaurants. It was located down an alley across from the Holy Redeemer Church Bangkok. I chose a crispy, spicy pork dish from their extensive menu and it was probably some of the best pork I’ve ever had in my life. I definitely recommend looking it up on Google Maps.
Day 3: Ayutthaya Day Trip and Bangkok Malls
The next day was a full-day tour to Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese capital. Seeing the ruins and learning about Thailand’s history was a great contrast to the busy city. This tour outside of Bangkok does eat up most of your day, but I did feel like it was absolutely worth it with the 4 days I had in the city.
After returning to Bangkok, I decided to check out some of their malls in the Siam area including MBK, Siam Paragon, and CentralWorld. At CentralWorld, I tried the Wagyu boat noodles from Thong Smith which were delicious. I did not have to wait for a table and I think the TikTok hype is worth it. I followed dinner with a mango dessert from Make Me Mango. This spot had so many different mango dessert options that everyone will leave happy.
Day 4: Song Wat Road, Chinatown Food Tour & Asiatique
This day ended up being one of my favorites. I explored Song Wat Road, which quickly became my favorite neighborhood in Bangkok. It’s full of cute coffee shops, boutique stores, and specialty items. I grabbed a hot chocolate and highly recommend checking out the perfume shops in this area.
Later, I went on an amazing food tour in Chinatown, and I honestly lost track of how many meals we had. I left incredibly full and happy. This was a great opportunity to try street food without worrying about food poisoning.
I spent my last night in Bangkok at Asiatique, which was such a fun way to end the city portion of this one week Thailand itinerary. Asiatique has restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and even a Ferris wheel. But the best part is its location on the river and seeing the city skyline at night. It’s the perfect place to have a drink with a view.
Day 5: Chiang Mai Temple-hopping and Sunday Night Market
The next morning, I flew to Chiang Mai to continue my one week Thailand itinerary. You could take a bus or train, which is cheaper, but I chose to spend the extra money to get there faster. I checked into the Chiang Mai Marriott, which had beautiful rooms and incredible views of the city.
That afternoon, I ventured out to go temple-hopping. There are so many temples in Chiang Mai so all I had to do was walk out the door, open Google Maps, and start exploring. After all that walking, I relaxed by the pool with a cocktail.
That evening, I checked out the famous Sunday night market. While it was cool to see since they had a variety of artisans and food vendors, it was extremely crowded to the point where I could not wait to get out of there. I also feel like the mass crowds of tourists led to inflated prices with less room to haggle. Even though everyone recommends checking out the Sunday Night Market, there are other less crowded night markets that are more enjoyable to wander around.
After dealing with being stuck in crowds of people, I decided to treat myself to room service from Han, the Marriott’s Chinese restaurant, which was really good. I ordered the duck and some shrimp dumplings.
Day 6: Doi Suthep Mountain and Night Bazaar
This day was a full-day tour exploring the temples on Doi Suthep mountain. You not only get to visit two unique temples, but you are also met with stunning views of Chiang Mai from the mountain. I really loved the beauty of the hidden jungle temple, Wat Pha Lat. We were even given some time for a hike through the forest.
That night, I visited the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, conveniently located near my hotel. It was an easy, relaxed way to browse souvenirs and enjoy some food.
Day 7: Baan Kang Wat and the End of my One Week Thailand Itinerary
On my final day, I visited Baan Kang Wat, an artist village filled with shops, creative spaces, and even DIY artwork experiences. It’s a busy spot, but the vibes are amazing and absolutely worth visiting.
Make sure to check out the restaurant with the outdoor cooking area. I had the best Khao Soi of my entire trip with the meat literally falling right off the bone. There will most likely be a wait, but it is worth it!
To end my week on a relaxing note, I stopped by Magokoro, a Japanese tea house with a beautiful garden. This final day was all about good, calm vibes.
Final Thoughts on My One Week Thailand Itinerary
This one week Thailand itinerary gave me the perfect mix of culture, food, temples, and downtime between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. While you could easily spend more time in each place, this schedule is ideal if you’re limited to seven days and want a well-rounded introduction to Thailand.
Make sure to check out my Transportation Guide for Thailand and my experience as a Solo Female Traveler.
Some optional add-ons to this one week Thailand itinerary include attending a Muay Thai Boxing Match, visiting the Floating Market, seeing Nasatta Park lit up at night, and visiting Doi Inthanon National Park.