Bangkok Tour 4: The Best of Bangkok Temples

As the name of the tour suggests, this tour introduces you to the best temples in Bangkok. If you’re into eastern history, culture, myths, and folklores, this tour is not to be missed as it let you experience 5 of the most impressive temples, or Wat, Bangkok has to offer.

The Thais call Bangkok “Krung Thep” which literally means City of Angels and it really lives up to its name. Bangkok was established by King Rama the first in 1782 when Siam (Thailand’s name back then) was still reeling from the loss of the great Ayutthaya kingdom to the Burmese. Siam and its neighboring kingdom Burma and had long been at war and finally in 1767 the Burmese dealt the fatal blow. They breached Ayutthaya defense, seized everything valuable and completely burnt down the great city.

King Taksin regained independence for Siam and propelled the Burmese back. Then King Rama the first succeeded him and chose Bangkok as the new capital with the vision of making the city as glorious as Ayutthaya had ever been. You can see clear evidence of this when you visit the old Bangkok (called Rattanakosin island, as it’s surrounded by river and canals). The Grand Palace was erected and its temple Wat Phra Kaew was richly elaborated that it had become the symbol of Bangkok for centuries to come. Many other Royal temples and palaces were found by the subsequent kings and they were almost all very elaborate, beautiful, and one of their kinds. On this driving tour you will get to see many of them.

Wat Phra Kaew is arguably the most important landmark of Bangkok. It is visually stunning and conceptually mystifying, and is revered as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand and thus all the buildings in there are much elaborated. Commissioned by King Rama I as the royal temple, you will see the glisters of gold almost everywhere. All the buildings spare nothing on elaboration according to Buddhist and Hindu heritages which are the prevailing religious beliefs in Thailand. The main building houses the Emerald Buddha which is the sacred statue of the Buddha believed to be the protector of Thailand. Around the ground you will see many mystic creatures there including Giants, Garudas, Sihamoni angels, and Kinnara. One of the surprised displays is the model of Angkor Wat. All the shires and walls have deeper stories and it will help to have tour guide.

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Wat Pho is a royal temple richly decorated with eastern sculptures and architecture. The temple is classed as the highest grade of the Royal temples in Thailand. King Rama I first rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site, and became his main temple where some of his ashes are enshrined. It was later expanded and extensively renovated by Rama III. The temple complex houses the highly revered 46m long Reclining Buddha, which is 15 m high and 43 m long with his right arm supporting the head. This giant reclining Buddha is a surreal sight and you wouldn’t believe it is housed inconspicuously in the center of busy city like Bangkok. The surrounding area is also beautiful with gardens, sculptures, pagodas – all conveying very interesting mystical stories.

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Wat Arun is an iconic landmark of Bangkok. Think of what the Tower Bride is to London and the Eiffel Tower to Paris. Wat Arun is arguably the comparable landmark of Bangkok. The temple is situated on the bank of the Chao Phraya River and is extremely beautiful when seen from the river, especially when lit up at night. The central Prang (pagoda) rises to 220ft and is assessable via a series of three steep staircases, to three different levels – allowing aerial views across the river of the Grand Palace and around the Chao Phraya River itself. Note: If it is a very wet day, they will not allow anybody to climb up the Prang as it can be quite slippery. The Prang is unique because it’s ornately decorated with mosaic porcelain covering almost every inch of the Prang, making it reflective to the light.

Wat Traimit houses the world's largest solid gold Buddha statue. The statue is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall and weights 5.5 tonnes. The statue was housed in a wat in the old capital of Ayutthaya until mid 19th century, and its provenance from Ayutthaya excludes the possibility of it having been made after about 1750. The statue is estimated to be worth 250 million dollars and is recognized to be the most valuable religious object. The legend has it that the golden Buddha was plastered to hide its true worth and not until the plaster cracked centuries later that the gold was revealed.

Golden Mount (Wat Saket). Wat Saket’s uniqueness comes from the fact that it houses a large pagoda known as Poo Khao Thong (the Golden Mount). It was built by King Rama III and finished during the early days of the reign of King Rama V so the construction itself took a long time spanning over 3 reigns. You can have a nice and relaxing walk uphill to the top of the giant pagoda. Along the climb to the top, there are stops with interesting information telling stories of the old Bangkok, and good photo opportunities. The stairs are not very steep (except for the few last steps to the very top) so anyone with average physical condition should be able get to the top without problem. Once on top, you get to see a 360 degrees view of Bangkok old town, with the modern skyscrapers mostly on the east and the old Grand Palace on the west.