| 08:00 hrs | Meet your English-speaking guide in the hotel’s lobby. Depart from hotel to Rattanakosin Island, the original area of Bangkok when it was first established as the capital over 200 years ago. Visit :
- Wat Saket, an unusual temple that houses Buddha relics within its 58-
metre-high chedi surmounted by a golden cupola.Built by King Rama I just outside the new city walls, the late-18th century temple served as the capital’s crematorium. During the following 100 years, the temple became the dumping ground for some 60,000 plague victims.
- The Golden Mount, is part of the Wat Saket temple located just
outside the old royal city precincts, next to the Pom Mahakhan fort. The mount has a somewhat unusual history. It was started by King Rama III early in the 19th century, who wanted to build a large chedi on the site to mark the entrance to the city. However, the soft marshy ground could not support such a large structure and it collapsed before it was completed. Later on, Rama IV built a small chedi housing a Buddha relic on top of the mud and brick mound. The chedi was rebuilt again towards the end of the 19th century by his son Rama V when the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, made a gift of a Buddha relic excavated from the town where Buddha was believed to have been born. The concrete cap was built during WW II to keep the artificial hill from eroding further.
- Wat Ratchabophit, the temple was commissioned by Rama V late in
the 19th century. The temple’s unique design has the large wiharn and ubosot linked by a circular courtyard. In most Thai temples, the ubosot sits on its own in a square courtyard. In the center of Wat Ratchabophit’s courtyard, between the ubosot and the wiharn, is a large gilded chedi containing a seated Lopburi-style Buddha image.
The outside of the buildings are decorated with hand-painted glazed tiles similar to Thai benjarong enamels. The door and window frames are elaborately decorated with gold and mirrors.
South of the temple buildings is the housing area for the monks and workers of the temple (kuti). At the far end of these is a Chinese-style building that, at one time, was used by kings during their stay in the temple. Next to this building is a storage area for disused Buddha images.
- Tiger God Shrine, the old Taoist shrine constructed in Southern
Chinese architectural style is one of the popular places of worship in Bangkok. The tiger statue, representing the Tiger God, is believed to contain tiger bones and its spirit inside for the purpose of protecting people from the forces of evil. The deity is highly respected by the local people and is believed to be able to improve their fortune.
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| 13:00 hrs | Transfer back to your hotel. |
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by city
Easy 
Moderate 
