The Grand Palace in Bangkok is a stunning complex of buildings that has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782. While today it's more of an attraction and a museum - the king, his court and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. The area is huge and it showcases and preserves some of the most important Thai art and architecture since the 18th century. Not only that, it also hosts the most sacred temple in Thailand - Wat Phra Kaew.

The Grand Palace is definitely a must-visit you should see at least once!

HOWEVER, it WILL be busy, and I mean crazy busy. If you want to see it somewhat empty you will need to be there at opening and even then there might be a queue already waiting.

My personal favourite was actually the Royal Palace that you visit after first seeing the temple buildings. When you exit the temple side you will enter the Royal Palace grounds, a gorgeous open area with beautiful details, green grass and flowers.

OPEN TIMES: 08:30 am - 4:30 pm daily
ENTRY FEE: 500 thb
TIME NEEDED: 1-2 hours

DRESS CODE:❗️While all temples in Thailand require you to cover shoulders and knees, the dress code of The Grand Palace is especially strict: No knees, shoulders or cleavage showing, no sandals or open shoes, no sleeveless shirts, no vests, no short tops or crop tops, no see-through tops, no shorts or short trousers, no torn or ripped trousers, no tight trousers (including tight jeans). Dress code applies to both men and women and will be enforced as they have people checking at the entrance. If you're dressed inappropriately you can get turned away or asked to rent clothing to cover up.

❗️Be careful of anyone telling you the Grand Palace is closed as you near the entrance. It is not. They are scammers and they are lying to you. Just keep walking and ignore them!

Wat Pho, or the real name of Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan, is a gorgeous temple complex famous for it's massive 46-meter long reclining golden Buddha and many decorative stupas, considered one of the oldest and largest temples in the city. It's less busy than the Grand Palace and in my opinion I actually preferred it. The decorations are gorgeous with lots of hydrangea plants covering the gardens, and the details and colours of the temple and stupas are beautiful.

If you go early you can have it mostly to yourself while the sun rises! It DOES get busy later on though, especially around the reclining Buddha.

ENTRY FEE: 200 baht. You can also visit at night for free! You can’t see the reclining buddha at night but the stupas will be lit up and it will be quiet.

OPEN: 8 am - 7:30 pm. However, the grounds stay open until 23:00. The listed hours of 08:00 - 17:00 are for the inside areas such as the Reclining Buddha. Entry at night is via the south gate on Chetuphon Road.

One of the most stunning temples in Bangkok that is a complete hidden gem despite being so close to the most popular sights in Bangkok. The details are so unique and incredibly beautiful. This was our favourite temple in Bangkok! It is so incredibly beautiful and yet so quiet!

Both times we visited it was midday and no one else was there. Highly recommend checking it out for a breath of fresh air from the chaos of Bangkok.

Free to visit.

Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is a famous Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Its distinctive feature is a central prang adorned with colourful porcelain, standing tall along the Chao Phraya River.

It is one of the most visited temples in Bangkok.

You can rent traditional Thai outfits for photoshoots next to the entrance and on the road behind it.

There's shuttle boats to take you across the river for 5 baht.

A tip is to visit Wat Arun in the early evening and then go back across the river to watch the SUNSET from the other side of the river. This will give you a view of the sun setting behind the temple and afterwards the whole temple will light up, which it does every night.

ENTRY FEE: 200 baht.