Bangkok is rich in culture, history, and religion, with numerous temples throughout the city with centuries of stories that are told through their walls. There are a few iconic landmarks in Bangkok, such as the Grand Palace which houses the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Arun, and Wat Pho, but there are also other breathtakingly beautiful temples that are not quite as popular and thus less crowded when visited. No two temples are the same, which is why it is worth seeing as many as you can. Three temples you should visit in Bangkok include Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram (“The Marble Temple”), Wat Saket (“The Golden Mount”), and Wat Ratchanatdaram (“The Metal Castle”).
Both temples are not too far from each other, so we managed to pay both of them a visit in the same morning. Our hotel arranged for us to have a private tuk-tuk bring us from our hotel to both temples, and then onward to lunch. As with most excursions in Bangkok, I highly recommend visiting outdoor temples in the morning hours when the sun is not as strong and the crowds are not as big. Most tour groups don’t usually arrive until 9 or 9:30 am, and the temples open as early as 7 am, so while it means getting up early – it’s definitely worth it.
Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram
In 1899, King Rama V, famously known as Chulalongkorn, commissioned a temple to be built near his new residential palace, the Dusit Palace. The Grand Palace had been the royal family’s official residence for over a century, but after visiting the royal palaces of Europe on his grand European tour, Chulalongkorn was inspired to build a new palace that was just outside the main city center. The Grand Palace had become quite overcrowded, and the king desired a more peaceful, private residence for himself, his wives, and his children. He had a new palace built – the Dusit Palace – which was not too far from the Grand Palace. The new palace needed a place of worship for the royal family, and thus Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram was built. The name “Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram” literally translates to “temple of the fifth king located near Dusit Palace.” It was designed by the king’s half-brother, and unlike other temples in the city, this temple was made of Italian marble which led to its nickname “The Marble Temple.” Chulalongkorn’s ashes are buried here underneath the temple, thus making it a royal burial site. In 2005, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.
As this temple was closest to our hotel, we visited this spot first on our morning tour of Buddhist temples. We visited around 8:30 am, and we were the only ones there for the first little while. It was both romantic and peaceful having a historic temple to ourselves. Had we come just a little bit earlier, we could have witnessed the monks receiving alms which occur every morning between 6 and 7:30 am. While we did not get to witness the monks, we did get to befriend a mama cat and one of her kittens. Temples notoriously have cats that reside within the grounds. The cats are good at killing rodents and are considered sacred in Buddhism, but a lot of the time the cats that you find at temples were originally abandoned there as people know the monks will never harm them. Some cats are quite shy, but one mama cat followed me and the beau around and was such a sweetheart.
At around 9 am, the first of several tour groups arrived. They headed straight for the inside of the temple, where we had already been, so we moved off to the side at the little bridge and pagoda for a different view of the temple. In the early evening hours, this temple would look absolutely stunning with the glow of the sun coming from behind (the temple faces east). We will have to do that next time.
Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram is open daily from 8 am – 5 pm and costs 50 Thai baht ($1.50 USD or 12 HKD) for foreigners to visit.
Wat Saket
Perched high atop of an artificial hill in the center of Bangkok is the golden temple Wat Saket Ratchawora Mahawihan, commonly known as “Wat Saket” or “The Golden Mount.” The sacred grounds date back to many centuries ago, and in the 18th century, King Rama III attempted to build an extremely large shrine for pilgrimage and meditation at the temple. Unfortunately the structure was not supported properly and collapsed, creating an artificial “mountain” of brick, mud, dirt, and rubble. This artificial hill is the only hill in all of Bangkok. During the reign of King Rama IV, also known as Mongkut, he commissioned a small Buddhist chedi to be built on top of the hill. It was finished during the reign of his son, King Rama V, also known as Chulalongkorn, and covered in gold. A winding staircase of 320 stairs now leads up to the golden chedi on top of the hill, giving visitors a panoramic view of Bangkok as you make your way up to the top.
We couldn’t decide which temple to start with first on our morning temple tour, and in hindsight we probably should have woken up just a little bit earlier and visited Wat Saket first. Wat Saket usually opens at around 7 am, and since it’s a 320-stair climb up to the top, it’s probably easier to do it in the early morning hours. We did it at 10 am, and even though that doesn’t seem so late, the sun and heat were already extremely strong. The first half of the climb is shaded under trees with sprays of mist to keep you cool, but the second half has you exposed out in the open. Luckily we had some wind, but the beau and I were dripping in sweat by the time we reached the top. The view of Bangkok throughout the climb was worth it though, and along the way there are gongs and bells you can ring after wishing for health, luck, and wealth. Once we reached the prayer room at the top, we found comfort in some AC and fresh water as we admired the Buddha image.
The absolute top of Wat Saket was closed during our visit for minor renovation works, so unfortunately we did not get to see the images of Buddha up there. Despite the intense climb up the stairs in the sun and heat (once again, I’m sorry to the beau! I’m a fast climber), the temple is stunning and wonderfully unique compared to other temples. I’d recommend doing this temple first during the day, before the harsh sun rises higher in the sky and the tour groups arrive, but this temple is also extremely popular in the early evening hours for its prime sunset views from the top. No matter which time of day you choose to visit, it’s extremely worth it.
Wat Saket is open 7 am – 7 pm daily and costs 100 Thai baht ($3 USD or 24 HKD) for foreigners to visit.
Wat Ratchanatdaram Worwawihan
Throughout our visit in Bangkok, we had seen temples made of marble and gold but Wat Ratchanatdaram Worwawihan is unique in its metallic look. It is nicknamed “Loha Prasat” which translates to “metal castle”. Its original name means “Temple of the Royal Niece”, as it was commissioned to be built by King Rama III for his granddaughter Princess Somanass Waddhanawathy, who would ultimately go on to marry King Rama IV (Mongkut) and become Queen of Thailand, but the temple was not finished during Rama III’s reign. Nine months after their wedding, the queen gave birth to Rama IV’s first son and heir, but tragically the baby died shortly after birth. The queen died less than 2 months later at age 17. Her widower made several attempts to finish the temple in her memory, but was unsuccessful. It wasn’t until 1960 that King Rama IX ordered its construction to begin again. The construction was overseen by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand, and the temple was not completed and opened to the public until 2007. It features 37 metallic spires, each representing the 37 virtues required to reach Enlightenment, also known as the 37 Bodhipakkhiya Dharma in Buddhism.
This was the last temple we visited on our morning temple tour. It’s basically across the way from Wat Saket, since you can see Wat Ratchanatdaram Worwawihan from Wat Saket. It’s about a 10 minute walk between both temples, so it’s extremely easy to combine them in one day. It was brutally hot when we visited around 11 am, but luckily most of the temple is shaded. This was also the quietest and least busy of the three temples we visited, with no major tour groups at the time we were there. The metallic spires glittered and sparkled in the late morning sunlight, and are truly unique compared to the other temples we visited in Bangkok.
Wat Ratchanatdaram Worwawihan is open daily from 8 am – 5 pm and costs 20 Thai baht ($.60 USD or 5 HKD) to visit.
