Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha), or Wat Phra Chetuphon, is right behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha- it's a must-see for any
first-time visitor to Bangkok. As one of the largest temple complexes in the city, it's famed for its giant reclining Buddha that is 46 metres long, covered in gold leaf.
It's an easy 10-minute walk between here and the Grand Palace, and we recommend coming to Wat Pho second because even though the golden Buddha here is just as popular, many people don't take the time to wander around the rest of the complex, making for a more relaxing experience. Wat Pho is also a great place to get a traditional Thai massage. It's often considered the leading school of massage in Thailand, so you really are in good hands here.
It's really worth taking a look around the rest of the temple. Wat Pho was the first public university in Thailand, specialising in religion, science and
literature. It is now more well-known as a centre for traditional massage and medicine. After a walk around the temple, there's nothing quite like a relaxing foot or head and shoulder massage. If you've never tried a traditional Thai massage, Wat Pho is a good place to experience it.
It's quite different from most other forms of therapeutic massage and tends to be invigorating rather than relaxing, incorporating yoga style postures to relieve stress and improve blood circulation (480 THB / 1h).