Which one to choose in Bangkok
Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) vs Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
Two temples in Bangkok. Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) has 42 tickets and tours to book; Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) has 45 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
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, foreign visitors pay a fee while Thai nationals enter free, and there is no need to book ahead or join a queue for timed entry. Inside, you can wander the courtyards for as long as you like, and the massage school in the grounds takes walk-in customers.
Most of the tours sold online combine Wat Pho with the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, a few minutes' walk to the north, and with Wat Arun across the river by ferry;
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Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Kaew stands inside the walls of the Grand Palace, so there is no separate ticket: one Grand Palace ticket, bought at the official counter inside the main gate or online, covers the temple, the palace courtyards and the small museums in the grounds. The ticket on its own is the cheapest option and works well if you are happy to read the signs and rent an audio guide at the entrance.
Most of the tours sold online combine the palace with the two other great temples of the old city, Wat Pho with its Reclining Buddha and Wat Arun across the river, usually on foot with a short ferry crossing.
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