This eye-opening tour gives insight to the history of Buddhism while you get to enjoy the architecture and the bustle of the city.
In this trip, you will visit two temples within the city; Wat Pho and Wat Traimit. These two temples have several years of history between them and they also house some important statues in the history of Thailand and her people. The tour is only for hours long, but the teachings date back several centuries.
The Temple of Wat Pho
This temple, the oldest in Bangkok, is home to the Reclining Buddha. This temple, whose older name is Wat Photaram, is located in Rattanakosin Island, and it houses the largest collection of Buddha images in the entire Thailand. The 46 m long reclining Buddha is only one of those images.
Within the temple are several artifacts of great importance to the Thai culture, including a school of traditional massage and medicine that was introduced in 1955. Visitors get to enjoy these alternative forms of medicine when they visit this temple as well as marvel at the well-preserved cultural material.
At the entry, you will be requested to remove your shoes and if you could use a little luck in your life, we recommend you buy a bowl of coins in the bowls within the temple. There are 108 bowls in the temple, signifying the number of actions on Buddhism that led Buddha to perfection.
Don’t worry too much about luck if it’s not your thing. The coins make a nice ring when they drop in the bowl and thy also go towards helping the monks keep the temple in great shape.
Wat Traimit – The Golden Buddha
The golden Buddha who resides in this temple is made of 5.5 tons of solid gold and he is the largest golden Buddha statue in the world. The 15-foot tall Buddha image is the main reason why most visit this temple.
This temple, located in China town, tells an important history of the Chinese in Bangkok, all of which you will find on the second floor of this modest temple. On the third floor, you will find the history of the golden Buddha and how he came to be at the Wat Traimit.
You will be pleased to learn that photography is allowed within the complex. You can capture those moments to remind you of your visit to this holy place. As the temple is in use and is a holy ground, men are asked to wear long pants and shirts – either long or short sleeved – while women are to be in long skirts. You will be required to remove your shoes at the entrance too.
Revered Grounds
Both temples are revered grounds and so you will be required to be in the right clothing – that covers anything below the knees and shoulders.
Temple Tour Services
We offer customized temple tours depending on the number of travelers and the time you want to spend at the temple. Usually, these trips last four hours if you limit the time spent inside, but we also have entire-day packages that do not limit how much time you spend.
Number of Temples
A typical tour will include the four most visited and most unusual temples; Wat Arun, Wat Traimit, Wat Pho, and Wat Phra Kaew.
Highlights of the tour include:
- A visit to Wat Phra Kaew through the Royal grand palace.
- Sightseeing of the breathtaking cruise along the Chao Phraya River and canal
- Wat Pho – the temple of the reclining Buddha.
- Wat Arun – Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
- Wat Traimit – The temple of the golden Buddha.
- Shopping at the Platinum Fashion Mall, MBK Center, or Siam Paragon
The package includes transportation in a comfortable car and an English speaking driver. Lunch and snacks are also included as is the fee for tour guides for all four temples. Entry fee to the temples and common places is also included but the cost of a massage and any other activity that you may want to do in the temple is not included.
The temples we have chosen are considered the most important in Bangkok and Thailand at large as they carry lots of history. They are also only four, which is all the time you can manage in a day, but we offer longer tours to cover six other temples.
Depending on activities, the complete tour of all ten temples takes 3 days to give all visitors the chance to see as much as possible and ask as many questions as they wish.
Note:
Dress code: Men: Long pants, long of short sleeved shirts. Tank tops are not allowed. Women: Long skirts and tops that cover shoulders. Shoes are removed before gaining entry into the temple.
