TEMPLES TOUR BANGKOK 

TOUR DESCRIPTION. There are a total of 40,717 Buddhist temples in Thailand as of 31 December 2004, of which 33,902 are in current use, according to the Office of National Buddhism. This serves to illustrate the importance of these temples in Thai culture. In Thailand there are two types of temples; the first type is where religious duties are permitted and carried out, the second type of temples are used as living quarters for monks. There are also two categories that temples fall into, which are Royal temples and common temples. Royal temples are temples that have been built by royalty or that have come under their sponsorship. There are around 200 royal temples in Thailand, but only six of them are of the highest grade: Wat Phra Chetuphon (Bangkok), Wat Mahathat (Bangkok), Wat Suthat (Bangkok), Wat Arun (Bangkok), Wat Phra Pathom Chedi (Nakhon Pathom Province), and Wat Phra Buddhabat (Saraburi Province)

Our Bangkok Temple Tour takes in three of the most famous and important temples in Bangkok. The first of these is Wat Trimitr, also known as the Temple of the Golden Buddha. It houses the largest golden Buddha in the world, which is made of about 83% pure gold and weighing five and a half tons; the 15-foot tall seated image is worth millions of dollars at today’s gold price! The amazing truth about the golden Buddha was that its existence was only discovered in 1957, when a piece of the plaster that covered the statue was broken off by accident. On this tour you will discover the fascinating story of why and how it remained a secret for more than two centuries.

The next of the famous temples we visit is Wat Po (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha). This is the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok. Its construction commenced in 1788 under Rama I, and many relics from the recently sacked capital of Ayutthaya were brought here. It was restored and expanded by Rama III and became a center of learning, effectively Thailand’s first university – Traditional Thai massage and medicine were born here. It is more famous, however, for the giant reclining Buddha, 46 meters long and 15 meters high. His body is covered in gold plating and he is decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay on his eyes and the soles of his feet. The bottoms of the Buddha’s feet are intricately decorated with 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles. The temple has over 1,000 Buddha images, more than any other temple in Thailand.

The third famous temple on our tour is Wat Benchamabophit, or the Marble Temple. Built in 1901 during the reign of Thailand’s revered King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), it is constructed from gleaming white marble imported from the quarries of Carrara in Italy. It is notable for the European influence that Rama V brought to Thailand, with features such as stained glass windows. There is also a Bodhi tree (sacred fig) which was brought to Thailand as a cutting descended from the original Buddha’s Tree of Enlightenment.

This tour encompasses three unparalleled temples that make an unmissable and a picturesque viewing of Thailand’s fascinating history; a must-see tour on your Thailand holiday.

 

TOUR PROGRAM – TIME 08:30-12:00 or 13:30-17:00

-pick up at your hotel lobby and start the tour

-visit of Wat Traimit

-visit of Wat Pho

-visit of Wat Benchamabhophit

-transfer back to your hotel in Bangkok

TOUR BACKGROUND: MORE ABOUT BANGKOK’S TEMPLES. Bangkok’s temples are the Bangkok’s heart and soul. A visit here would not be complete without seeing its most beautiful temples. The architecture is awe-inspiring and the glittering decoration like no other: thousands of pieces of colored glass and pottery adorned with intricate structures gilded in glaring gold. This was the concept of the ancient City of Angels (the meaning of the Thai name of Bangkok).

We recommend to visit most temples is in the early morning because it’s cooler and generally less crowded. The temples (‘wats in Thai language ‘) are not just tourist attractions but also play an important part in Buddhist vibrant life and traditions. Monks live in the temple complexes, wake up around 04:00, attend to prayers and duties and then collect food and necessities from ordinary people in the streets. If you are up very early in Bangkok you will see monks walking around, dressed in saffron colored robes. This daily alms ritual (called ‘ tam boon ‘) takes place not only in Bangkok but all over Thailand and is part of the Buddhist tradition of giving and making merit to attain a better “karma“.

This is one of the most popular tours, and it gives guests a rich insight into Buddhism, architecture and the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Three of the capital’s most stunning temples are visited including: Wat Traimit, which houses the world’s largest solid gold Buddha (5.5 tons of precious metal!); Wat Benchamaborpit (the “Marble Temple”), which is a fascinating fusion of classical Thai architecture and 19th C Italian design and boasts marble and stained-glass windows; Wat Pho, which is the oldest temple in Bangkok and houses the Reclining Buddha, a 45 meter long statue which depicts Buddha entering Nirvana. Wat Pho is also ‘‘Thailand’s first university’’ and houses a wealth of art. It is s until an important center for traditional medicine, such as massage.

COMBINED ROYAL PALACE + TEMPLES TOUR.

This tour will show you first Wat Traimit temple, which houses a striking 3-meter tall Golden Buddha image – a gleaming, 5-ton figure of solid gold. The second stop will be at Wat Pho temple. Wat Pho houses the highly revered giant Reclining Buddha and the traditional massage school, while Wat Benjabophit is famous for its elegant, white marble facade and Buddha images lining the cloister walls behind the main chapel.

Those 3 temples will be combined with a visit to the Grand Palace. Inside its 61-acre complex, you’ll encounter what is undoubtedly one of the wonders of the world, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew).

COMBINED TEMPLES + CANAL TOUR PROGRAM 07:30-12:30

Khrung Thep, the city of angels (khrung Thep is Bangkok in Thai) is known as the Venice of the east and by traveling down the Chao Phraya River by a motorized long tailed-boat, you will see how the local residents have lived for centuries in shanties built among the piles of rubble which co-exist side by side with luxury villas. During your time traveling down the river, observing the picturesque scenes of typical Thai canal life, you will get to see attractions such as the Royal Barge Museum which lets you see the historical barge of Thai kings, the temple of Wat Arun, also known as the ” Temple of the dawn “because it was named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn. The outstanding feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (a prang is a Khmer-style pagoda), which is about 80 meters tall and symbolizes the legendary Mount Meru, center of the universe. The second of the temples you will see is Wat Po, Bangkok’s oldest and largest temple. It houses the Reclining Buddha which is 46 meters long and 15 meters high. His body is covered in gold plating and it is decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay on his eyes and the soles of his feet. The bottoms of the Buddha’s feet are intricately decorated with 108 auspicious scenes in Chinese and Indian styles.

 

This tour includes:

– Licensed English, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, Thai or Italian speaking tour guide

– Private transport by air con minibus

– All listed activities

– Pick up and drop off at your hotel

– Entrance fees.

This tour excludes:

-Lunch

-tips.

 

TEMPLES TOUR PRICE WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

PRICES WILL BE EXPRESSED PER PERSON

2-3

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

4-6

PEOPLE

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MORE THEN 6 

PEOPLE

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1

PERSON

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TEMPLES TOUR PRICE WITH CHINESE (MANDARIN OR CANTONESE), RUSSIAN, FRENCH, SPANISH, GERMAN, KOREAN OR JAPANESE SPEAKING GUIDE:

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

PRICES WILL BE EXPRESSED PER PERSON

2-3

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

4-6

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

MORE THEN 6 

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

1

PERSON

REQUEST A QUOTE

TOUR PRICE ROYAL PALACE + TEMPLES + CANALS FULL DAY WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

PRICES WILL BE EXPRESSED PER PERSON

2-3

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

4-6

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

MORE THEN 6 

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

1

PERSON

REQUEST A QUOTE

TOUR PRICE ROYAL PALACE + TEMPLES + CANALS FULL DAY (MANDARIN OR CANTONESE), RUSSIAN, FRENCH, SPANISH, GERMAN, KOREAN OR JAPANESE SPEAKING GUIDE:

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

PRICES WILL BE EXPRESSED PER PERSON

2-3

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

4-6

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

MORE THEN 6 

PEOPLE

REQUEST A QUOTE

1

PERSON

REQUEST A QUOTE

 

BOOKING FORM

CUSTOMER'S NAME (AT LEAST ONE)*

NUMBER OF ADULTS*

NUMBER OF CHILDREN

TOUR DATE(S)*

TELL US THE TOUR(S) YOU WANT TO BOOK
OR ASK FOR OUR CONSULTING*

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Tour Transport.

We only employ safe and careful drivers and use the most modern and comfortable air conditioned minivan and coach. We will provide transport dependent on your group size as follows.

Group size 1-9 persons: modern minibus with air-conditioner – 9 passenger seat format.

Group size 10-13 persons: modern minibus with air-conditioner- 13 passenger seat format.

Group size 13 + persons: we can either use multiple minibuses or a full sized passenger coach in a 24, 32 or 40 seat format.

Guides.

A Tourist Authority of Thailand licensed and English, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, Thai or Italian speaking guide will be provided. We provide separate drivers and your guide will not be driving the vehicle.

Customize.

If you feel this itinerary does not quite suit then we can customize it to suit your own interests and length of time so please contact us with you suggestions.

Pick up and drop off.

Included with all our tours are both pick up and drop off to and from any hotel in the city center.