The Best Temples in Bangkok 2025 - The Insider Tips About Bangkok For Those Who Are Coming.

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The best and most famous temples in Bangkok that you need to know about and how to plan your trips the insider tips about temples in Bangkok.

BEST TEMPLES IN BANGKOK 2025

Bangkok's temples are a unique part of the capital's heart and soul. A visit here would not be complete without visiting at least a couple of them. The architecture is awe-inspiring and the glittering decoration like no other. Imagine thousands of pieces of coloured glass and pottery adorned with intricate structures gilded in glaring gold – you're indeed in the City of Angels!

We selected our top favourites temples for our favourtie readers.

Temple of The Emerald Buddha
Wat Prakaew

The Temple of Emerald Buddha or the Wat Phra Kaew is considered as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple houses the statue of Emerald Buddha made of green jadeite and the beautiful, glittering structure of the temple is sure to leave you in awe.

Built within the grounds of the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew or 'The Temple of the Emerald Buddha' is the most important and most visited temple in Bangkok. One of the most significant features of Wat Phra Kaew is the Emerald Buddha, carved from a 66 cm tall block of jade. This highly revered icon was first discovered in 1464 in Chiang Rai when the wat sheltering it was struck by lightning. It was taken to Laos before coming back to Chiang Mai and finally making a permanent home in Bangkok where you can admire it today.

Wat Phra Kaew is a superb temple to explore, especially the 2-km-long gallery covered with incredibly detailed mural paintings depicting 178 scenes of the epic story of Ramayana. Around every corner you’ll find tall chedis covered with glazed tiles or gold leaf, but the most photographed building is the massive golden chedi of Phra Sri Rattana, featured on the 1 baht coin.

The temple is only open until 3.30pm
Entrance costs at least 500 baht for non-Thai citizens
A strict dress code applies – no short pants and no sleeveless shirts.

Temple of the Dawn
Wat Arun

Despite its name, the Temple of Dawn looks amazing at sunset.

Wat Arun, the most iconic temple of Bangkok, is located on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, almost opposite to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Built during the 17th century, its full name of 'Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan' is rather hard to remember, so it's often called the 'Temple of the Dawn'. The distinctive shape of Wat Arun consists of a central prang (a Khmer-style tower) surrounded by 4 smaller towers, all encrusted with faience from plates and potteries. The stairs to reach the balcony on the main tower are quite steep, usually easier to climb up than to walk down, but the view from up there is really worth it.

Wat Arun can be easily accessed via ferry across the Chao Phraya River to Maharaj pier.

Entrance fee to the temple is around 50 baht

The Golden Mountain
Wat Saket

This landmark is an ancient temple on the only hill of Bangkok. 320 stairs take you up to the top for panoramic views of the Rattanakosin Island.

Wat Saket or the Temple of the Golden Mount, Bangkok, is an ancient temple dating back to the Ayutthaya Period. Previously called Wat Sakae, the name was changed to wat saket during the reign of King Rama I. The Golden Mount, built under the rule of King Rama V, is 77 meters tall and at the top reside many of Buddhist relics found at Kapilavastu ancient city. Some other interesting things in this Bangkok temple are the many Buddha images, the temple hall, the pagoda, the scripture hall, and the Sri Maha Bodhi tree. This is another place you should not miss when you visit Bangkok. And it is for free!

Wat Suthat
The Red Giant Swing

The temple has an elegant prayer hall with sweeping roofs, magnificent murals, and exquisite hand-carved teakwood door panels. It’s widely known for the towering red Giant Swing standing at its entrance.

Wat Suthat, better known for the red Giant Swing that stands at its entrance, is one of the oldest and most impressive temples in Bangkok. It features an elegant chapel with a sweeping roof, magnificent wall murals and exquisite hand-carved teakwood door panels.

The temple’s construction was commissioned by King Rama I (1782-1809), to shelter the 13th-century bronze Buddha image transported by boat from Sukhothai, but it was finally completed during King Rama III’s reign (1824-51). Located in the Old City area, just east of the Royal Field, you can easily combine a visit to Wat Suthat with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.

The temple of Good Friends
Wat Kalayanamit

Wat Kalayanamit is a mixture of Chinese and Thai architectural styles. On the grounds are chedis, pavilions and statues in both Chinese and Thai styles.

Despite dominating the western bank of the Chao Phraya River with its giant temple structure, Wat Kalayanamit is often overlooked by tourists, city guides, and even locals. The nearby Wat Arun is much more famous and acts as a magnet, drawing the crowds away from some of the other nearby Thonburi attractions and temples. If you want a more tranquil, less touristy alternative, head to Wat Kalayanamit, a temple particularly famous for its enormous golden seated Buddha inside the main building.

Getting to Wat Kalayanamit in Thonburi is easy. In fact, it even has its own pier. Take a ferry there from the opposite side at Ratchinee Pier or hop on one of the many the Chao Phraya express boats that make their way up and down the river every day and ask for "Wat Kalaya-namit".

The Marble Temple
Wat Benjamabhopit

The temple was built with impressive carrara marble imported from Italy in 1899.

Wat Benjamabhopit, most commonly called Wat Benja, was built by King Rama V in 1900 and is renowned for more than one reason. It's nicknamed 'The Marble Temple' because all the external walls of the main temple are covered with marble imported from Italy but is more famous for being the temple embossed on the back of 5 baht coins. Located near the many government offices and palaces, this wat is highly revered and is often visited by high-ranked officials.

Temple of Reclining Buddha - Wat Pho
Wat Phra Chetuphon

Wat Pho is world famous for The Reclining Buddha, houses a school of Thai Traditional Medicine where Thai Massage is still taught and practiced at the temple.

Wat Pho, named after a monastery in India where Buddha is believed to have lived, is one of the oldest and largest Buddhist temples in Bangkok. Wat Pho is also known as 'The Temple of the Reclining Buddha' thanks to the 15-metre-high, 43-metre-long Buddha image it shelters, covered with gold leaf and baring 4-metre-long feet encrusted with exquisite mother-of-pearl (or nacre) decorations.

Located just next to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho also houses 1,000 Buddha images and 91 chedis (stupas), including 4 very impressive chedis dedicated to the 4 Chakri kings. Wat Pho is also home to the first Thai massage school where Thai massage is taught at the Traditional Medical Practitioners Association Center, located in a shophouse outside the temple.

The entrance fee is 100 baht

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The Metal Castle - Loha Prasat
Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan

It is the adjacent ‘metal castle’ known as Loha Prasat that is unique and one worth seeking out when you visit Bangkok.

Bangkok has no lack of majestic temples and each is more elegant and impressive than the next, but Loha Prasat really stands out with its unique architectural identity. Only two other similar structures have existed in the world. It is said that during the life of the Buddha some 25 centuries ago, a huge Loha Prasat was built in India containing 1,000 rooms with a golden spire on top. Another one was built in Sri Lanka, the former Ceylon. Neither of these exists today. The Loha Prasat of the Wat Ratchanadda was modelled after the one in Sri Lanka.

Also called the 'Metal Castle', Loha Prasat is located on the ground of Wat Ratchanaddaram and was submitted to UNESCO in 2005 and is under consideration to become a World Heritage site, highlighting the historical importance of the temple. Located very near Wat Saket and the Democracy Monument, it's a must-see if you happen to be around Khao San Road.

The Golden Buddha
Wat Trimitr

Wat Traimit is an elegant, multilevel, white-and-gold temple located at the very beginning of Yaowarat Road, making it a perfect starting point for a Chinatown exploration. The main attraction of Wat Traimit is not only its beautiful architecture but the immense Buddha made of solid gold seated inside – the largest of this kind in the world.

This 5-metre-high, 5.5-ton statue was long hidden under an unimpressive coating of stucco and plaster thought to have been made in the 13th-14th centuries. The gold hidden underneath was only revealed by accident in 1955! A small entry fee is required to visit the museum located halfway up the steps but, in fact, visiting the golden Buddha above it is free.

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