Half day - Every Morning and Afternoon

On this tour, you will witness something that challenges reality and thrills the senses. You will be standing just a few metres away from 5½ TONS of solid gold, worth for the precious metal alone, over 300 million US dollars. This is the famous 3 metres tall ‘Golden Buddha’ the largest solid gold statue in the world, located in Wat Traimit, near Bangkok’s Chinatown. Its aesthetic beauty is unmatched, and its history reads like a fairy tale. Thought to date to the 13th century, and at some time before the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, protective monks coated the priceless statue in thick stucco, painted it, and covered the result with coloured glass, making it look just like hundreds of other plaster Buddha figures. It remained that way until 1955 - your tour guide will tell you how it was accidently re-discovered. Proceed from here to Wat Po to wonder at the huge dimensions of the famous Reclining Buddha statue here – 43 metres long and 15 metres high. This is one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples (80,000 square metres) and is a centre for traditional herbal medicines and therapeutic massage. The tour concludes with a visit to the delightfully serene ‘Marble Temple’ of Wat Benchamabophit, where Italian marble and Thai architecture merge in a blend of great beauty.  A fitting end to a fascinating tour.