Temples of Bangkok, Thailand

Temple Run in Bangkok

Wat Pho Temple or Wat Phra Chetuphon, famously known as the temple of the reclining Buddha. It is located at Chetuphone road, behind Grand Palace. While Wat Arun/Wat Chaeng or Temple of the Dawn or is located next to the Grand Palace on the west side of Chao Phraya River.

I recommend wearing a good pair of comfy shoes, cotton clothes (observed temple rules), 10 swipes of deodorant, sunglasses, huge bottled water, hat/umbrella/a box/ a leaf/ a plywood/ a ceiling and another bottled water. Let's go!

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Travel Tips

If you're still looking for plane tickets check out Skyscanner, it's a great platform that our family used to compare flight tickets and we always get the best deals there.

Places To Stay Around Bangkok

Our family trusts booking.com when it comes to hotels with great deals. Try to find accommodation in the city center as that will save you time traveling and makes the most of your vacation days.

How to get to Grand Palace Bangkok, Thailand

The Royalties in Bangkok

The temples had intricate designs in a wide variety of colors, having seen all these enormous, golden artifacts powered up my passion for traveling. This is one of the reasons why I love to travel, to be able to see new wonders as it fills up my bucket list with endless anticipation. 

Reminders: They considered temples as a sacred entity, so show some respect and avoid revealing clothes, cover those arms and legs. It actually pays off with that kind of dress code because it will protect your skin from the heat of the sun. 

We rode the taxi going to the Grand Palace located at Phra Lan Road, Old City (Rattanakosin). 
Taxi from Pratunam Market to Grand Palace Gate (meter taxi):50 BAHT

From the moment we stepped inside the gate the Temple of the Emerald Buddha or the Wat Phra Kaew viewed from the Outer Court of Grand Palace welcomed us with its magnificence.

Coincidentally it was a holiday and people were everywhere, it was like a midnight sale at a supermarket. Families from all parts of the world were there, tour guides shouting and trying to keep everyone in the group close as possible; reminding them at the same time to always look for the group’s banner. One group caught my eye instead of bringing the usual flag or a neon umbrella, they have this teddy bear up there, and I bet Mr. Bean would be so devastated to see his friend up there. Even the trash bin looks nice so feel free to throw your rubbish and maintain cleanliness.

We headed to the main entrance at the Phimanchaisri Gate to buy our tickets that will lead us to the Middle Court of the Grand Palace Complex.

Opening hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

Entrance Fee: 500 baht

These are the attractions inside Wat Phra Kaew Area:

Funny thing is the title "temple run" really suits this post considering it was really hot and we were running from one shade to another. Do not underestimate the heat in Bangkok, it stings, like seriously.

Hor Phra Rajphongsanusorn or the Ordination Hall designed with high pillars that seemed to touch the sky at Wat Phra Kaew.

A few steps away the mouth-watering golden ice cream cone in-my-eyes-like temple of Phra Sri Ratana Chedi or Golden Stupa. A bell-like structure covered with a foil of gold at Wat Phra Kaew. 

The colors of the temple were radiant against the blazing sun, and seeing the serene Lotus Flower along the stairs was refreshing for my strained eyes. 

The Prangs looked like pale jade towers and I've also spotted some statues surrounding the temple area of the Emerald Buddha.

A famous temple Phra Sri Ratana Chedi covered with foil gold in the inner Grand Palace, and beside the Gold Chedi is the Ornate Hall.

The Guardian Statues encircle the Base of a Gold Chedi at Wat Phra Kaew.

Buddhist Temple of Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Middle Court: The throne hall of Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat was on sight. 

Meanwhile, the temple with green roofs is the Phra Tinang Aporn Phimok Prasat Pavilion in the Grand Palace in Bangkok - Dusit Maha Prasat Hall

This gate is the Phra Thinang Boromphiman and it's not open to the public for this where the Royal Family lives. 

A few steps away was an oasis overflowing with chocolate flavor, it's a great thing they sell drinks at the end of the temple tour. We bought chocolate drinks at the royal booth for 45 BAHT; I heard they also served this to royals and I wondered if it's true.

One of the Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat group, the Chakri Maha Prasat Hall, a structure with a European twist that made it look like you're in Europe. It is also the Royal's reception hall for important events.

Our grand palace tour has ended in mind-blowing intricate hand-made artworks, shimmering varieties of golden temples and along with the blazing sun was overwhelming. It clearly shows how the people of Thailand are exceptionally creative and hardworking. 

The fun never stops! So after we had our temple run completed we headed to Terminal 21 to relax. Then we resume the temple tours the next day.

Grand Palace to Terminal 21 Mall with Metered Taxi: 95 BAHT

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How to get to Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok Thailand

Wat Pho Temple or Wat Phra Chetuphon, famously known as the temple of the reclining Buddha. It is located at Chetuphone road, behind Grand Palace. The oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. The temple is really not that strict with the dress code; they even provide cover-ups for people showing more skin, who wants to see the reclining Buddha inside the temple.

How to get there:

Southside of Grand Palace. Walk either left or ride side of the Palace wall and the Wat Pho temple is just a meters away. Keep in mind it's a walking distance from the Palace so no need to get a taxi. It's better to walk so you can buy some fruits or street foods along the way and avoid taxi drivers driving you in circles to get to the temple. Even worse, some drivers passed by shops where they encourage you to take have a look and you lose precious time.

Wat Pho Entrance Fee: 100 baht

As I entered the gate these cute behinds of two elephants greeted me. It was a funny sight and it only means a good start for the day. The temple welcomes foreigners in open arms, they even provide cover-ups when you enter and a handy bag for your shoes. It's good to know that they want to avoid misplace shoes and at the same time keep the place clean and organized. The gigantic reclining Buddha highlights the tourist spot at Wat Pho temple, the image of the Buddha was surprisingly striking. 

When we entered the temple people were carrying loads of coins and one by one they drop it in a caterpillar line of metallic pots. Then later I realized they were actually praying and it said that at the end of the line they can make a wish. We never bothered to try it; I was just curious and seeing them do it was already entertaining to me. It reminded me of playing "sungka" which is an old game in the Philippines, where you drop a certain number of pebbles in a block of wood with 9 holes. There's a man-made waterfall and stone benches where you can hang around for a while and take a rest. 

It was really hot and the temperature was draining all the fluids I had with me. Unfortunately, we missed one spot, the place where they have a collection of different Buddha's made with different materials. My mother and I hurried to see this giant Buddha that sits at the center of the temple and the other side was actually the temple we've missed.

How to get to Wat Arun or Temple of Dawn:

Sunset by the River

Temple of the Dawn or Wat Arun/Wat Chaeng is located next to the Grand Palace on the west side of Chao Phraya River. Wear proper dress code when you visit this temple, the same goes for Grand Palace to avoid renting clothes that are unnecessary for your budget list. Before we had our trip I've already researched some places in Bangkok that people suggest being breathtaking. One place that describes beauty was seeing the sunset at the Wat Arun temple. I've always been a huge fan of sunset and having a part of it in my itinerary is a must.

How to get there:
Take a taxi to the Tha Tien  Pier at the Rattanakosin side. It's a walking distance away from Grand Palace and Wat Pho Temple. 

River Ferry one way fare : 3 baht

Wat Arun Entrance Fee: 120 baht

While we were at the Tha Tien Pier I looked around and found something unexpected. A different kind of slingshots was in store for 50 baht. It reminds me of my childhood days when I tag along with my big brother or my cousins and we shot anything we find. I'm really not a shooter but they would always let me try and cheered when I've almost made the stonefly. Precious memories that make me smile once in a while.

I peered into the gate and tried to see what exciting activities happening inside. I've observed that It's quite a long climb in the temple so better equipped yourself with comfortable clothes and shoes. However, we were not wearing proper temple clothes, I thought they are not that strict just like in Wat Pho. Besides, we're running out of cash too much food trip last night is now haunting our day. Unfortunately, my sunset moment in the temple did not happen as planned, yet, we had a relaxing time in the cafe just outside the temple. People were having coffee here while I watched the people from the temple's inclined stairs. Those people were striving hard to climb while maintaining their balance by holding on to the sides or on the edge of each step ahead of them. It's actually what I wanted to be doing at that very moment, but my companions were tired and just wanted to sit down. I'm exhausted as well yet I always have this energy if I put my mind to it. 

Cute decorations neatly place around the cafe.

It wasn't that bad sitting around, We watched the day fade and let the shadows grew longer. The Chao Phraya river was still and serene when we decided to go back to the ferry terminal. Then the most unexpected thing happened, the one thing I've wanted to see, the sunset as we sail away. It's not exactly what I wanted but overall its more than I expected. The Sunset along the Chao Phraya River, overlooking the Wat Arun Temple was exceptional. A brief moment of " ahh", "wow" and "hhmm" was all it takes to take my disappointments away. 

Sometimes plans don't go accordingly and yet the most unforgettable moments are the once that's not even in the checklist. I learned that if plans go wrong you can either be upset or just laugh about it. At the end of the day your plans still went wrong, so might as well just laugh about it. Good things follow if you're in a good mood.

Have fun and be safe ^__^

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Do you want more adventure?

If you still have more days to spare then have an exciting day checking out these places :

1. Bangkok, Thailand Itinerary, 2.Floating Market Tour 3. Pasalubong from Bangkok 4. Must-try foods in Bangkok

Where am I going next?
My next adventure is a Backpacking Trip in Cambodia and seeing the ruins of Angkor Wat.