Wat Pho Reclining Buddha Temple Tour – Morning

Good morning, Bangkok! We hope you’re an early riser because this temple tour is for people who actually want to see the inside of the monuments they visit. And that means coming during opening hours as most temples close before sunset in Thailand (the latest around 5pm). So, breakfast or no breakfast, let’s meet at 8am at your hotel lobby and start the tour.

Before we go over the day’s activities, do remember to cover up with a significant amount of cloth. Remember, we need to respect the temple regulations, and that means you need to cover your shoulders and knees. Bring out those kaftans and elephant pants you got from the market  because today they are going to serve you well!

The first stop is the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) containing a religious relic made of around 5.5 tons of gold! At the top of the temple hill,  you’ll get fantastic views of the city, you can even climb onto the roof of the temple. Next up is the UNESCO-recognised Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), one of Bangkok’s most famous sights . It’s famed for the massive gold-plated ‘Reclining Buddha’,  46 meters long and 15 meters high. The image is meant to depict the Buddha’s passing into Nirvana – it is NOT sleeping! The Buddha image’s eyes and feet are decorated with mother-of-pearl and carvings in the feet depict the ‘108’ characteristics of Buddha. Feel free to walk around the grounds, it’s a beautiful area to wander through.

Before you’re all templed out, there’s one last: The Marble Temple, or Wat Benchamabophit, built of Italian marble which might remind you of certain Basilicas of certain other faiths. The extensive grounds are also highly praised for their prettiness, what with their many pavilions and a small river. And that’s your last stop, good job on a morning well explored!