Bangkok has hundreds of temples, but three of them do most of the work for visitors, and they happen to sit next to each other on the east bank of the Chao Phraya river. Get the order right and you see all three before the afternoon heat. Get it wrong and you spend the hottest part of the day queuing.
The one-morning route
| Stop | What it is | Time to allow | Getting there |
|---|
|------|------------|---------------|---------------|
| Grand Palace + Wat Phra Kaew | The former royal residence and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha | 2 hours | Taxi or boat to Tha Chang pier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wat Pho | The reclining Buddha, and the school of Thai massage | 1–1.5 hours | A short walk south |
| Wat Arun | The Temple of Dawn, across the river | 1 hour | Cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier |
Start at the Grand Palace as it opens. The crowds build fast, tour groups arrive mid-morning, and the courtyards have almost no shade.
Walk to Wat Pho next. The reclining Buddha is enormous (about 46 metres long) and the hall is cooler than the palace grounds. Spend time in the courtyards behind it, which most visitors skip: rows of Buddha images, small gardens, and the massage school, where a massage from a trainee is one of the better-value hours in the city.
From Wat Pho, walk to Tha Tien pier and take the cross-river ferry to Wat Arun. The crossing takes a few minutes and costs a few baht. Wat Arun is a climb, with steep steps on the central tower, and is best in the late morning before the sun is fully overhead.
If you want the river itself as part of the day, the canal and river boat guide explains which boats to take and which to avoid.
What to wear
The dress code is strict at the Grand Palace and relaxed-but-real everywhere else:
- Shoulders covered — a T-shirt is fine, a vest or strap top is not
- Knees covered — long trousers or a long skirt; no shorts, even long ones
- Nothing see-through, ripped or skin-tight
- Shoes off inside any hall with a Buddha image — wear shoes you can slip off
If you arrive in the wrong clothes, the Grand Palace has a place to borrow or buy cover-ups near the entrance, and the stalls outside sell cheap trousers. It is easier to dress for it from the start.
What it costs
Fees for foreign visitors change every few years, so treat these as a guide:
- Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew — the most expensive, around 500 baht
- Wat Pho — a few hundred baht
- Wat Arun — cheaper again
- Wat Saket, Wat Suthat, Wat Benchamabophit — small fees or free
For how the temples fit into a full budget, see how much a trip to Bangkok costs.
The "it's closed today" scam
Somewhere near the Grand Palace, a well-dressed, friendly person will tell you it is closed this morning — for a ceremony, for lunch, for a Buddhist holiday — and suggest a tuk-tuk tour of other temples while you wait. The tour ends at a gem shop or a tailor. The palace was open all along.
Walk to the official gate and check for yourself. The full list of tricks around the old city is in Bangkok scams to avoid.
Four temples most visitors skip
Once you have done the big three, these are where Bangkok's temples become quiet again:
Wat Saket (the Golden Mount). A gold chedi on a hill in the old city, reached by a spiral path of a few hundred steps. The view over the rooftops is the reason to go, especially near sunset.
Wat Suthat. A huge hall with a giant red swing outside, and a courtyard lined with Buddha images. Very few tour groups, and it is a short walk from the Golden Mount.
Wat Benchamabophit (the Marble Temple). Built from Italian marble, with a gallery of Buddha images from across Asia. It sits in the calmer Dusit district, north of the old city.
Wat Traimit. The golden Buddha at the entrance to Chinatown, a solid gold statue of several tonnes. Pair it with an evening in Yaowarat — the Chinatown food guide starts a few streets away.
Temple etiquette that nobody explains
- Do not point your feet at a Buddha image; sit with your feet tucked behind you
- Monks may not touch women or take things directly from their hands
- Stepping on a threshold is considered bad form; step over it
- Photos are allowed in most courtyards but not always inside the main halls — watch for signs
- Talk quietly inside; these are working places of worship, not museums
Fitting it into a trip
The temples are day one of almost every Bangkok plan. For how the rest of the week fits around them, see how many days in Bangkok and the 4-day Bangkok itinerary. If it is your first visit, the first-time Bangkok guide covers what to sort out before you land.
A local changes a temple day more than almost anything else: which gate has no queue, where to eat nearby that isn't aimed at tour groups, and what the murals actually show.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun in one day?
Yes, and most people should. They sit on the same stretch of the Chao Phraya river: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho are a short walk apart, and Wat Arun is directly across the water, reached by a cross-river ferry from Tha Tien pier. Start at the Grand Palace when it opens, walk to Wat Pho, then take the ferry to Wat Arun. Allow five to six hours with a lunch break.What is the dress code for Bangkok temples?
Shoulders and knees covered, for men and women. At the Grand Palace this is enforced at the gate: no shorts, no sleeveless tops, no leggings or ripped trousers, and no see-through fabric. Smaller temples are more relaxed but still expect covered shoulders. You take your shoes off before entering any building with a Buddha image.How much does it cost to enter the Grand Palace?
The Grand Palace, which includes Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha), has the highest entry fee of any Bangkok temple, around 500 baht for foreign visitors at the time of writing. Wat Pho and Wat Arun charge a few hundred baht or less. Fees change, so treat these as a guide and check at the ticket window. Thai nationals enter free.Is the Grand Palace ever closed?
It closes on some royal ceremony days, and parts of it close without much notice. It is not closed for 'lunch' or 'a Buddhist holiday' on an ordinary day: that line, delivered by a friendly stranger near the gate, is the start of the best-known scam in Bangkok. Walk to the official entrance and see for yourself.Which Bangkok temple is best at sunset?
Wat Arun, but seen from across the river rather than from inside it. The riverside bars and the pier area on the Tha Tien side face it directly, and it is lit after dark. Wat Saket (the Golden Mount) is the other sunset option: a short climb gives you a view over the old city.
