33 Best Sights in Bangkok, Thailand

In classic Chinese style, this 150-year-old temple has a glazed ceramic roof topped with fearsome dragons. Known in Chinese as Leng Noi Yee, the central shrines contain not only statues of Buddha but other art that incorporate Confucian and Taoist elements. The wat is especially colorful during Chinese New Year, when thousands of Thais visit the temple to burn incense to pay respect and make merit.

A well-known landmark, the towering gold stupa of Wat Saket, also known as the Golden Mount, was once the highest point in the city. King Rama III began construction of this temple, but it wasn't completed until the reign of Rama V. On a clear day the view from the top is magnificent. Every November, during the Loi Krathong festival, the temple hosts a popular fair with food stalls and performances.

To reach the gilded chedi you must ascend an exhausting 318 steps, so don't attempt the climb on a hot afternoon.

Built between the reigns of kings Rama I and Rama III, this highly venerated royal temple houses Thailand's largest surviving Sukhothai-period bronze Buddha, along with intensely colored murals depicting scenes from Buddhist mythology. The ashes of Rama VIII (Ananda Mahidol) are interred in the base of the huge Buddha.