A self-guided walking route through Yaowarat and its side streets — temples, gold shops, and the best food.
Exit onto the main road; walk west towards the arch marking the start of Chinatown; MRT exit 1 is closest.
Gold shops (look but don't feel pressured); Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha, worth 20 minutes); the central Yaowarat Road market stalls.
Soi Nana (not the Sukhumvit Nana) for dim sum and Chinese biscuit shops; Talat Noi district for street art and old shophouses.
Hoy Tod (oyster omelette) shophouse on Yaowarat; kuay jab (rolled noodle soup) from the famous long-running stall; fresh fruit at pushcarts.
The walk is best done 4–8 PM — cooler, stalls opening for the evening, golden hour light on the temple roofs.
2–3 hours at a relaxed pace with food stops — longer if lingering at Wat Traimit or getting drawn into the gold shops and side alleys along the way.
Cash for street stalls (most don't take cards), tissues (napkins are rarely provided at food carts), and an appetite, since the route is built around eating.