Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) tickets and tours: which one to book

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.

Some add a long-tail boat ride along the Thonburi canals, a walk through Chinatown or a visit to the Marble Temple; others finish with a dinner or a performance of masked khon dance. They normally include a licensed guide and sometimes hotel pick-up, while the entry tickets may or may not be included, so check before booking. Private tours are worth the extra cost if you have little time or travel with children. A guided half-day tour of the palace and Wat Pho is the sensible choice for a first visit, because the guide explains the murals and the symbolism that are easy to miss in the crowds.

Visiting Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha): what to see and how to behave

Wat Phra Kaew is the most sacred temple in Thailand and the royal chapel of the Chakri dynasty. Building began in 1783 under King Rama I, who had just moved the capital to the east bank of the Chao Phraya, and the Emerald Buddha was installed here in 1785. Unlike an ordinary monastery, it has no resident monks. Every later king added or restored something, which is why the courtyard looks like a crowded treasury of gilded spires, mosaics and coloured glass. You enter the temple court from the outer palace. Look first at the cloister that runs all the way round it: its walls are painted with the whole of the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Ramayana, in more than a hundred scenes.

On the upper terrace stand the golden Phra Si Rattana chedi, the library known as the Phra Mondop, the Royal Pantheon and a stone model of Angkor Wat made in the 19th century. Giant demon guardians watch the gates. The main hall, the ubosot, holds the Emerald Buddha itself, a small figure carved from green stone and seated high on a gilded throne; the king changes its robes at the start of each of the three seasons. Shoes come off before the main hall, photography is not allowed inside it, and you should sit with your feet pointing away from the image. Guards turn away visitors who are not properly dressed. The easiest way to arrive is by river boat to Tha Chang pier or by MRT to Sanam Chai station. Ignore anyone outside who says the palace is closed today.

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha): opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew usually open from 8.30 am, with the last tickets sold in the middle of the afternoon; check the official site for the current hours. The complex closes without much notice for royal and state ceremonies, so check before you go if your dates are fixed. Arrive at opening time. By 10 am the coach groups fill the courtyards, and by midday the stone paving reflects the heat.

The cool season from November to February is the most comfortable time to visit Bangkok, though also the busiest; the hot months of March to May are hard work in long sleeves, and the rainy season brings short downpours that empty the courtyards for an hour. Allow two to three hours for the temple and the palace together. Wat Pho is a ten-minute walk to the south, and from the nearby pier a ferry crosses the river to Wat Arun, so the three can be seen in one long morning followed by lunch near the river.