Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bangkok

The Emerald Buddha and a Reclining Giant, Bangkok's Grand Palace and Wat Pho

You are standing on the south edge of Sanam Luang, the great open field in front of Bangkok's Grand Palace. To the south, white walls and golden spires mark the royal compound that King Rama I began in 1782, when he moved the capital across the Chao Phraya River and founded Rattanakosin. This walk is about 3 kilometres, under an hour on foot, and ten stops. It leads from this field to the City Pillar Shrine, through the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, then south to Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha, and it ends at Tha Tien pier, looking across the water at Wat Arun. If you plan to go inside the Grand Palace, start in the morning. Tickets for foreign visitors are sold from 8:30 until 15:30, and you will need shoulders and knees covered. Wat Pho stays open into the evening on a separate ticket. Carry water. The field and the palace walls give little shade. Anyone who tells you the palace is closed today and offers you a cheap tuk-tuk ride is running a well-known scam. Check the official calendar, or walk to the gate and ask the staff. When you are ready, stay on this sidewalk for a moment and look at the field.

Walking59 min10 stops2.9 km