Luxury hotels in Bangkok

Bangkok guide

The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha: how to visit well

Bangkok's most famous sight, with the dress code, the timing and the temples that follow.

The Grand Palace has been the ceremonial heart of the Thai kingdom since 1782, and within its walls Wat Phra Kaew holds the Emerald Buddha, the country's most revered image. It is the first stop on nearly every guide to the city.

The palace has a strict dress code: shoulders and knees covered, and no sleeveless tops or short skirts. Arrive at opening time, before the tour groups and the midday heat, and allow two hours. A private guide makes a real difference here, because the murals and the stories behind each building are easy to miss.

Then cross the street to Wat Pho and its reclining Buddha, home of traditional Thai massage, and take the short ferry over the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun, best seen from the river at sunset. A riverside hotel lets you do all of this by boat.

Wat Pho and Wat Arun

Wat Pho, next to the Grand Palace, is home to the Reclining Buddha, 46 metres long and covered in gold leaf, and it is one of Bangkok's most cited temples. It is also considered the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, and its school still offers massages in the temple grounds.

A short ferry ride across the Chao Phraya leads to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, whose central prang is decorated with Chinese porcelain. It is beautiful in the morning and spectacular from the opposite bank at sunset, ideally from a riverside terrace.

The Chao Phraya and Bangkok's canals

The Chao Phraya River is Bangkok's main artery, and a private longtail boat through the khlongs, the canals of Thonburi lined with stilt houses and temples, is one of the city's most cited experiences. The Royal Barges Museum and Wat Paknam are along the way.

The floating markets of Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa, outside the city, are popular day trips, and a dinner cruise on the river at night passes the illuminated temples and palaces. Many of Bangkok's grandest hotels stand on the riverbank and have their own boats.