Discover the iconic landmarks where tradition meets wow: Bangkok’s best in one go.
Discover the cultural heart of Bangkok on this half-day tour, where you’ll explore the Grand Palace and the city’s most iconic temples in the company of a local guide. Along the way, you’ll hear fascinating stories about these historic sites, the Thai monarchy, and the role of Buddhism in daily life.
At the centre of the city stands the magnificent Grand Palace, the former royal residence from the reign of King Rama I to King Rama V of the Rattanakosin Kingdom. Today, this architectural masterpiece is still used for royal ceremonies and to receive state guests and foreign dignitaries.
Within the palace grounds lies Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. Here you’ll find Phra Kaew Morakot, the highly revered Emerald Buddha, a single piece of jade carved with extraordinary skill.
Next, you’ll visit Wat Pho, home to the famous Reclining Buddha. This vast temple complex covers 20 acres, making it the largest in Bangkok, and is considered one of the city’s oldest, built around 200 years before Bangkok became the capital. The reclining Buddha, measuring 46 metres in length and 15 metres in height, symbolises the Buddha’s passing into nirvana. Wat Pho also houses more than 1000 Buddha images, many brought from the ancient capitals of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai.
From here, a short ferry ride will take you across the Chao Phraya River to the Thonburi side, where Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, awaits. Dedicated to the Indian god Aruna, its central prang (spire) rises over 70 metres and represents Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods. Adorned with delicate pieces of coloured glass and Chinese porcelain once used as ballast on trading ships, Wat Arun is one of Bangkok’s most recognisable landmarks.
No trip to Bangkok is complete without visiting these treasures of Thai heritage.
Important notes:
- The Grand Palace and temples are sacred sites. Shoulders and ankles must be covered for both men and women. Scarves over sleeveless tops are not permitted. No shorts, leggings, ripped jeans, tight pants, slippers (flip-flops), or revealing tops. Entry will be refused if you are not dressed appropriately.
- Entrance fees (THB 1000 per person) are not included in the tour price and must be paid in cash on the day of the tour.
Meeting point:
Your guide will wait for you in front of Tha Chang Ferry Pier, located at the Chao Phraya River, opposite the Grand Palace.
For the location of the Tha Chang ferry pier on Google Maps, please click HERE.
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158 Comments
5
Amazing temples very informative interesting and educational
It was a bit challenging finding the meeting spot so we arrived a little late, but lucky for us Our guide was still waiting. We were told it was a five minute walk from the train and it is more like a 20 to 25 minute walk in the heat plus you have to figure out which way to go. Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable. The tour itself was very informative and interesting. It’s about four hours long and it is very very hot, so be prepared For the heat they did give us water but not enough you have the option to buy some on the way to other temples that you will visit at the end you will get on the boat to visit the last temple. It is pretty exhausting so make sure you wear comfortable shoes and light clothing and dress appropriately for the temples or you will wind up buying clothes at the gift shop before the tour like many of us had to do lol I recommend this trip it was worth it
5
Professional, trusted guides
Tuk was an excellent tour guide who did a good job of anticipating our interests and answering the questions we had. His English was great and we only had a few instances of asking him to repeat things in the four hour tour. There was a good mix of having him show us around the sights and having time to explore alone, which was good in the huge and overwhelming palace/temples. This was our second tour with Wander Siam and they’ve both been excellent.
5
Quick rundown of beautiful temples
Amazing views, nice and attentive guide. Provided water, which was nice. Not in a hurry.
Maybe one thing to mention is that the guide spoke very quietly and it was a little hard to hear.
5
Great trip with lots of information and local knowledge
Great trip and you get a real insight into all the temples with lots of opportunity to look around. The guide was very knowledgeable and we got some great insights and information. Also included is a boat trip across the river
3
Guide did nothing. Waste of money
Our guide and I use that term loosely because our guide took us places and simply just gave us time to look at things on our own. We had no idea what we were looking at. Other guides were everywhere with their groups explaining sights but not our guide. We could have just posted aid the admission fee and saved the money.