The three main temples of Bangkok, which must be seen

If you have only a couple of days to visit the capital of Thailand, then among the variety of temples in Bangkok, you should choose the most important, interesting and beautiful. Three such Bangkok temples can be confidently called Temple of the emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew, temple of the reclining Buddha Wat Pho and temple of the dawn Wat Arun. It is this "trinity" that all travelers seek to visit first of all, and these same temples are included in the program of visiting most excursions in Bangkok, and for good reason. These are really the most important, largest and most beautiful temples, not only in Bangkok, but in general throughout Thailand.

You can visit all three temples in one day. They are located next to each other within the historic district of Bangkok, so you don't even need transportation, everything can be walked. However, in order to get to the Wat Arun Dawn Temple, you will have to cross the Chaopraya River, for which you will have to take a river ferry. But this is not a problem: ferries run often, and the crossing costs only 5 baht. Just do not think that you will be able to "quickly run around" all of them in half an hour, and go for a walk further. In fact, these attractions are so large-scale that we would recommend allocating only a full day to visit them. Of course, it seems that if you set out to see everything quickly, you can have time to see more, but believe our experience: you simply won't have the strength or emotions for more on this day, and even in the heat, which stays at more than 30 degrees in Bangkok all year round.

Since these temples are very popular with city visitors, an entrance fee for foreigners has been introduced to visit them, and, to be honest, it is by no means symbolic, and it increases almost every year. Moreover, the temple of the Emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew is generally located on the territory of the Grand Palace Royal Palace complex, which in itself is one of the most iconic places in Thailand and a kind of open-air museum, which will also have to be paid for admission.

And now we will tell you more about each of these temples and how you can see them on your own.:

Temple of the Emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew

The temple or Palace of the Emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew is one of the most important temples in Thailand, and it is revered not only by deeply religious people. The fact is that this temple is the most important place of the royal dynasty of Thailand, which most locals love and revere very much. This temple was founded by order of King Rama I in 1783, and was originally intended for his personal worship of the Buddha. There is a special statue of Buddha made of pure emerald (jadeite) with a height of 66 centimeters, which was discovered in 1431, and by whom and when it was made, according to legend, no one knows. The statue was found in the Wat Phra Kaew temple in Chiang Rai in the north of the country, and according to one version it was hidden in another clay Buddha statue, and according to another – covered with gold plates.

The Royal temple of Wat Phra Kayu continues to serve today as a venue for Buddhist religious ceremonies by the king and the royal family, including such major events as coronations, royal initiations and the investiture of the supreme Patriarch. The King or his proxy also attends annual ceremonies dedicated to major Buddhist holidays. Three times a year, the golden robes of the Emerald Buddha statue are changed in a royal ceremony marking the change of seasons. Annual ceremonies are also held on Chakri Memorial Day, the royal plowing ceremony, the King's Birthday and the traditional Thai New Year Songkran). These days the temple is closed to tourists.

Wat Phra Kayu is located on the territory of the royal Palace in an area accessible to tourists. You can enter the temple hall, but photographing inside is strictly prohibited. It is not forbidden to photograph the statue of the emerald Buddha from the outside through the doorway, at least we took such photos without any problems. Read more about the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Royal Palace of Bangkok, and many photos here...

Wat Arun Dawn Temple (Wat Arun)

Opposite the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Po) across the river is the Temple of Dawn – Wat Arun. You can get to it via a river crossing, which costs 3 baht. The marinas are right next to the temples. Getting to it by taxi will be very expensive, you will have to make a big detour across the bridges. In the evening, when the 88-meter temple is illuminated by spotlights, a wonderful view opens up on it from the opposite bank of the river. This is probably the most picturesque temple in Thailand. In spring and summer, light performances are held every evening at 19.00, 20.00, 21.00 and 21.30, during which the history of the temple is told in Thai and English, accompanied by traditional Thai music. Read more about the Temple of the Dawn here...

Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)

Not far from the Royal Palace is the Temple of the Reclining Buddha – one of the oldest temples in the Kingdom and the largest in Bangkok, built in 1688-1703. Here is the famous 46-meter gilded statue of the reclining Buddha. There are many chapels and pagodas on the territory of the temple complex. This is the largest and oldest temple in the capital, and at the same time the most famous among tourists, and one of the most famous symbols of Thailand. Rarely any feature film, the action of which takes place in Bangkok, does without shots from the temple. Despite the "promotion" and tourist popularity, the temple must be visited, especially since it is located almost right next to the Royal Palace. Read more about the temple of the reclining Buddha here...