4 Amazing Temples In Bangkok You Have To See!

A visit to Bangkok without visiting some of it’s temples would be wrong. So very wrong. Of course there are other things you can and should do like eating all the amazing food, experiencing the night life, and perusing the local markets for that treasure to bring home. But to skip the temples would be a big mistake. The majority of Thailand practices Buddhism and their temples are gorgeous. There are many to choose from but here are 4 Amazing Temples in Bangkok you have to see. You’ll definitely want to add these to your Thailand Bucket List! Get ready for picture overload. 🙂

Important info to know: The word Wat means temple. You’ll see this word everywhere in Thailand so it’s good to know exactly what it means. Women will need to bring a cover up to all temples in Thailand. No shoulders or knees can be showing. If you want to avoid the crowds and the heat, you should visit these temples first thing in the morning. That means visiting just one of these temples a day.

4 Amazing Temples in Bangkok: Wat Arun

Wat Arun’s official name is Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan. With a name that long, you can see why it’s just known as Wat Arun. Wat Arun means Temple of Dawn, named for the Hindu god of the dawn. And yes, it’s best to experience this temple first thing in the morning. Wat Arun has been a temple since the seventeenth century but it’s main spire (prang) wasn’t actually built until the nineteenth century.

The Wat Arun temple sits along the Chao Phraya River. It’s a pretty large site so expect to spend 1.5-2 hours there. You’ll want to arrive right when they open to avoid the crowds. They open at 8am but if you arrive a little before that you might be able to get in early. We arrived around 7:30am and were let in about 15 minutes before their opening time of 8:00am. We had the whole place to ourselves for about 20 minutes.

4 Amazing Temples In Bangkok: The Grand Palace

Naturally, The Grand Palace is the most elaborate of all the temples in Bangkok. Founded in 1782, the Grand Palace is located in central Bangkok and is enclosed by four walls. There are multiple buildings that serve as both places of worship as well as government offices. The palace is also the official residence of the King. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located on the grounds and is the most sacred Buddhist Temple in Thailand.

At over 2 million square feet, plan to spend several hours exploring all of the Grand Palace. Because of it’s popularity, it is one of the most crowded temples in Bangkok. If you can arrive when it opens you’ll be able to explore a bit before it gets too crowded. We didn’t arrive until 9:30am, about an hour after they opened, and the place was packed. Arriving at 8:30 won’t shield you from all of the crowd but you will have some time without them which will be nice.

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4 Amazing Temples In Bangkok: Wat Pho

Number 3 on my list of 4 amazing temples in Bangkok you can’t miss is Wat Pho. It’s official name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan. This temple is one of my favorites. I love the colors and design and it also houses the Reclining Buddha.

It’s located just south of the Grand Palace. Wat Pho is one of the oldest temples in Bangkok, established even before Bangkok was the capital. The exact date of when Wat Pho was established is unknown but is believed to have been built in the late 1600’s. There are more than 1000 images of Buddha at this temple and the Reclining Buddha is the largest at 151 feet long.

4 Amazing Temples In Bangkok: Wat Saket

The final temple on my list of 4 amazing temples in Bangkok you have to see is The Golden Mount, aka Wat Saket. This temple is located in central Bangkok. It has been around since the 1600’s but has been expanded since then. Wat Saket is built on the only hill in Bangkok. The main part of this temple requires you to climb 344 steps to the top (it’s not that bad). Once at the top, the views of the city are spectacular!

There’s an interesting fact about Wat Saket. In 1820 there was a massive outbreak of cholera and more than 30,000 people died. The temple became a receiving area for the bodies waiting to be cremated. Unable to cremate that many so quickly, a lot of the bodies were left out in the open where vultures came to feed on them. There’s an area of Wat Saket with statues of vultures as a reminder of the cholera outbreak.

Read all about How to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok.

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot of temples to visit in Thailand. You can practically find one on every street. But these four are the most popular and for good reason. My list of 4 Amazing Temples in Bangkok you have to see should not be skipped. They are all beautiful and interesting. How often will you find yourself in Bangkok? Don’t regret not seeing these!