Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Kaew stands inside the walls of the Grand Palace, so there is no separate ticket: one Grand Palace ticket,…
45 tickets & tours
Country
Best temples in Thailand
10 temples in Thailand, ranked by why it makes the list from the catalogue data. Each page tells you what to see, which ticket or tour to book and when to go.
| # | Temple | Country | Why it makes the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) | Thailand | The Emerald Buddha's royal chapel inside the Grand Palace, a dazzle of gilded spires, glass mosaic and painted Ramakien cloisters, the benchmark for Thai temples. |
| 2 | Ayutthaya Historical Park | Thailand | The ruined capital of Siam, sacked in 1767, where brick prangs, headless Buddhas and a stone head held in tree roots fill a river island. |
| 3 | Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) | Thailand | Bangkok's great royal monastery holds the 46-metre gilded Reclining Buddha, cloisters lined with seated Buddhas and the country's best-known school of Thai massage. |
| 4 | Sukhothai Historical Park | Thailand | The cradle of Thai art and Buddhism, with lotus-bud chedis and serene Buddha images reflected in moated ponds, best explored by bicycle in the early morning. |
| 5 | Wat Phra That Doi Suthep | Thailand | Northern Thailand's most revered temple sits high on Doi Suthep above Chiang Mai, reached by a naga staircase to a golden chedi and city views. |
| 6 | Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) | Thailand | The Temple of Dawn's porcelain-studded central prang rises from the west bank of the Chao Phraya, a short ferry from Wat Pho, finest towards sunset. |
| 7 | Wat Rong Khun (White Temple) | Thailand | Chalermchai Kositpipat's dazzling White Temple near Chiang Rai, a modern artwork still in progress that mixes Buddhist symbolism with surreal murals of popular culture. |
| 8 | Wat Chedi Luang | Thailand | The ruined great chedi of Chiang Mai's old city, once the kingdom's tallest structure and home of the Emerald Buddha, with monk chats in the grounds. |
| 9 | Wat Umong | Thailand | A forest monastery on Chiang Mai's western edge, where whitewashed brick tunnels lined with old Buddha images run beneath a wooded mound beside a lake. |
| 10 | Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea) | Thailand | A working forest monastery near Krabi, where more than twelve hundred steps climb a limestone peak to a golden Buddha and views over the Andaman coast. |
Ayutthaya Historical Park
Ayutthaya, Thailand
Ayutthaya is not a fenced park with a single gate. The ruins are scattered across an island formed by three rivers and…
141 tickets & tours
Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Pho is one of the easiest of Bangkok's great temples to visit on your own: the ticket is sold at the gate,…
42 tickets & tours
Sukhothai Historical Park
Sukhothai, Thailand
The park is divided into zones, each with its own gate and ticket bought on the spot, so there is no need to book entry…
18 tickets & tours
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Doi Suthep sits on a mountain 15 km west of Chiang Mai, so the real choice is how to get up there.
46 tickets & tours
Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Arun stands on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya, opposite Wat Pho, and most people simply take the cross-river…
46 tickets & tours
Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
Chiang Rai, Thailand
Thai visitors enter free, while foreign visitors pay a modest fee at the ticket office;
17 tickets & tours
Wat Chedi Luang
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Wat Chedi Luang charges foreign visitors a small entry fee at the gate on Phra Pokklao Road;
1 ticket or tour
Wat Umong
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Wat Umong is free to enter and there is nothing to book.
15 tickets & tours
Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea)
Krabi, Thailand
Entry to the temple and the summit stairway is free, and many visitors come independently, by taxi, rented scooter or a…
18 tickets & tours