Overview

No trip to Bangkok would be complete without a trip to the spectacular Grand Palace, the city's most famous landmark which continues to enthrall visitors with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail. Once the royal residence of Thailand’s kings, today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom. Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by the king of Thailand, and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the 20th century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious functions.

Get a feel of Thailand’s royalty and its rich Buddhist tradition in this Grand Palace tour of Bangkok.

Itinerary

This tour is available in two options – coach and private. The private option offers you greater flexibility- you can spend as much time at any of the places you visit, as per your preference.

You will be picked up from either your hotel or directly from the airport (if you prefer) and taken to the Grand Palace, accompanied by a local English-speaking guide.

The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is one of the major tourist attractions in Bangkok, and dates back to 1782, the year in which Bangkok was founded. It is actually a complex of buildings and served as the official residence of the king of Thailand from the 18th century to the early 20th century. Today, it is used only for ceremonial purposes. The palace complex consists of over 100 brightly coloured buildings, golden spires and glittering mosaics. You will also see the Dusit Hall within the palace complex which houses some of the finest architectural works of the building.

The Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha: The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), situated within the Grand Palace, is Thailand's holiest shrine. Its main deity, the tiny (between 60 and 75 cm) jadeite statue of Emerald Buddha, is located high above the heads of the worshippers and tourists. The murals that adorn the walls depict scenes from the Thai version of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

At the end of this three-hour tour, you will be taken back to your hotel or the airport in Bangkok.