10 Temples You Should Not Miss in Bangkok

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In Bangkok there are not only plenty of amazing sights, but also more than 400 temples. If you ask somebody about the temples of Bangkok, you probably will be told about the Temple of Dawn – Wat Arun, the Wat Pho or the Grand Palace.

Bangkok’s 10 most beautiful temples

Of course those three are beautiful, but there are some more if we are talking about the must-see temples of Bangkok. That’s why I would like to introduce you to 10 temples of Bangkok, which are in my opinion absolutely worth a visit.

How to get to Bangkok

Traveling to Bangkok is relatively easy, as there are direct flights and stopovers from all the surrounding countries, as well as from Europe or the Emirates. Flights from neighboring countries arrive at Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) and flights from Europe etc. arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK).

Cheap flights to Bangkok can be found at Skyscanner for example. There you can compare the prices by days, see the flight duration and stopovers. Everything is very clear and absolutely recommended for a first comparison.

If you are traveling to Bangkok from other cities in Thailand or from neighboring countries such as Cambodia, then there are more possibilities. In addition to the airplane you can choose long-distance buses and trains (within Thailand) to Bangkok. Prices and times can be found at our partner 12go.asia.

Accommodation in Bangkok – our hotel tip

We have been to Bangkok many times and have tried many hotels. The Chatrium Riverside is one of our favorites. Directly on the Chao Phraya River with boat access to the Sathorn Pier, where the express boats leave, and the BTS station Saphan Taksin.

Furthermore, the hotel offers an extensive breakfast buffet, a swimming pool and large modern rooms with views over Bangkok. Just the perfect place for a bit of luxury on vacation. Find more hotels in Bangkok here.

1. Wat Phra Kaeo/Grand Palace

The Wat Phra Kaeo is located in the center of the Grand Palace and is open to the public. It’s the most important temple of Thailand and includes the famous Emerald Buddha statue. The entire complex is decorated with countless statues and absolutely worth a visit.

To visit the whole area, you can easily spend a half a day so you won’t have any stress during your visit. The complex consists of 4 parts – the Wat Phra Kaeo, the outer and inner courtyard and the central courtyard.

Very impressive is also the Chakri Maha Prasat in the inner courtyard, thus it is a famous motive for pictures. You can also visit the Wat Phra Kaeo museum in the central courtyard.

Opening hours: 8.30 A.M. – 3.30 P.M.
Admission: 500 baht

2. Wat Arun

The Temple of Dawn is named after the Hindu god Aruna. This is the god of the dawn, hence the nickname of the temple.

In the Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchaworamahaviharn, as the temple is called by full name, you can climb up the 80 meters high central tower Phra Prang and have a fantastic view at the Chao Phraya, the Grand Palace and the skyline of Bangkok.

Anyway, the with mosaic stones decorated tower is totally worth a visit, but during sunset and night time the Wat Arun has a very special aura when it’s illuminated by thousands of lights.

Opening hours: 7.00 A.M. – 5.00 P.M.
Admission: 50 baht

3. Wat Pho

Near the Grand Palace, in the middle of Bangkok’s old town, lies the Wat Pho with its famous reclining Buddha. The 45 meters long statue is the highlight of the temple complex, but the rest of the complex is also not to miss. You can see many beautiful Chedis, Prangs and countless golden Buddha statues.

By the way, the full name of the Wat Pho is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimonmangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan, which is barely used. Furthermore, Wat Pho houses the most famous massage school in Thailand.

Many Thais are trained here and you can do a course in the Wat Pho massage school as a tourist as well. But if you just like to relax after all the sightseeing, you can also have a massage for about 260 baht in the Wat Pho.

Opening hours: 8.30 A.M. – 6.00 P.M.
Admission: 100 baht for the reclining Buddha

If you would like to learn more about Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Arun and Wat Pho, then we recommend a guided tour of the temples including admission fees.

4. Wat Saket (Golden Mount Temple)

The golden Chedi of the Wat Saket lies on a 79 meters high artificial mountain. The name Golden Mount Temple is therefore really appropriate. After you have climbed the 318 steps, you can visit the temple complex around the golden Chedi as well as enjoy an amazing view over Bangkok.

Even the way up to the Chedi is beautifully designed and you can see many statues, small waterfalls and plants along the way. So the climb up could be actually worse. By the way, you can also visit the Wat Saket together with the Phra Sumen Fort and the Amulettmarket on a Tuk Tuk tour.

Opening hours: 7.30 A.M. – 5.00 P.M.
Admission: 20 baht

5. Wat Intharawihan (Standing Buddha)

The Wat Intharawihan is known for its 32 meters high Buddha statue Luang Pho Tho and isn’t well-attended, compared to the other famous temples of Bangkok. The statue is decorated with glass mosaic and beaten gold. If you are interested in the culture and temples of Bangkok, you should definitely not miss this one.

Opening hours: 6.00 A.M. – 10.00 P.M.
Admission: free of charge

6. Wat Traimit

The Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan is located near the Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok. Among many travelers it is also known as the Temple of the Golden Buddha. The Phra Maha Mondop which belongs to the temple was just opened in 2008 after some renovations.

On the first two floors you can find a museum and on the third floor you can visit the famous golden Buddha. The full name of the statue is Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon, but just a few people know that and use that name. By the way, the nearly 3 meters high statue has a value of 30 million dollars, which makes it of course very special.

Note: The Wat Traimit can also be connected to the Wat Pho and Wat Benchamabophit on a private temple tour. Hotel pick up, guide and entrance fees included.

Opening hours: 8.00 A.M. – 5.00 P.M.
Admission: 40 baht + 100 baht for the museum

7. Wat Dhammamongkol

The Wat Dhammamongkol is still an insiders’ tip! Most likely you won’t meet any tourists on site but just some locals. The complex with its 95 meters high tower can be seen from many parts of Bangkok.

You can go up the tower by foot or take the elevator. On top you will find many paintings with Buddhist sayings and a terrific view over Bangkok. On the top floor, which is only accessible by foot, there is also a statue of Buddha. Often many Thais are on the spot and praying, so you should remain calm and quiet.

The are also some other buildings in the complex where you can explore some more statues of Buddha, as well as a huge black one. The whole complex is really quiet and remote. But you can walk to the temple from the BTS Skytrain Station Punnawithi in about 10 minutes. Definitely worth it!

Opening hours: 6.00 A.M. – 5.00 P.M.
Admission: free of charge

8. Wat Yannawa

The Wat Yannawa is located at the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok near the Sathorn Unique Ghost Tower. The name translated means something like temple of the perpetual ships. The complex with its Chedis in a shape of a Chinese junk is very unique.

The temple was built already in 1835 but is still in a really good condition nowadays. You won’t meet many tourists and therefore I would say the temple is still a small insiders’ tip.

Opening hours: 9.00 A.M. – 5.30 P.M.
Admission: free of charge

9. Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple)

The Wat Benchamabophit is known as the Marble Temple to most visitors. Alongside the many decorations in the Ubosot, you can see the main Buddha statue in the same building that is called Phra Phutthachinnarat.

Another highlight of the complex is the Bodhi tree, which is an offshoot of the Bodhi tree from Bodhgaya in India (Buddha’s place of enlightenment). During a pilgrimage from a Prince of India, this was given to the King of Thailand. Today the tree is already over 100 years old and can still be visited.

Opening hours: 8.00 A.M. – 5.30 P.M.
Admission: 20 baht

10. Wat Bang Chak

The Wat Bang Chak isn’t really located directly in Bangkok but a bit further north in Nonthaburi at the Chao Phraya River. The 25 meters high golden Buddha statue is undoubtedly the highlight of the temple. You can have a pretty good view from the opposite site of the river on Koh Kret and take some nice pictures.

If you want to visit the temple, you can rent a longtail boat on Koh Kret and the driver will be happy to take you there for a small fee.

Opening hours: 7.00 A.M. – 5.30 P.M.
Admission: free of charge

Note: Inside the Buddhist temples of Bangkok you should always cover your shoulders and knees. Unfortunately, many tourist often ignore this, but out of politeness you should invariably pay attention to that!

If you want to know more about the sights of Bangkok and you are not just interested in temples, then check out our Bangkok guide.

Bangkok Temples: Tours and Tickets

Do you prefer to travel with a guide who knows the area very well? Then we recommend a guided tour with a local. This way you can get to know Bangkok in a completely different way. GetYourGuide offers a wide selection of exciting tours for Bangkok.

Have you ever been to Bangkok and visited some of the temples? Which one is your favorite? Which one is missing in this list? Leave us a comment below!

Photos: Photo 1 courtesy of Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok – Photo 4 (Wat Pho) – iMoved Studio/shutterstock.com, Photo 8 (Standing Buddha) – javarman/shutterstock.com, Photo 9 (Wat Traimit) – apiguide/shutterstock.com, Photo 13 (Wat Benchamabophit) – Sombat Muycheen/shutterstock.com