Grand Palace in Bangkok

Why the Grand Palace in Bangkok is special
The architecture of this two-century-old royal building complex is elaborately detailed. The Grand Palace's Temple of the Emerald Buddha is the star attraction.

Grand Palace tips and insights
Temple of the Emerald Buddha
This is Thailand's top wonder and a Hillman Gold Medal winner. I cover this architectural masterpiece on its own webpage. Click: Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Other Grand Palace architectural gems
They include the photogenic Dusit Palace and the Thai-European hybrid Chakri Maha Prasat Hall.

Note: You won't see it all. Much of the Grand Palace is closed to tourism because the site serves as Thailand's governmental seat.

When to come

• Time of day
  Mid-day Bangkok temperatures are scorching the year-round. So arrive at the Grand Palace in Bangkok at 8:30 am when it opens (and as a bonus, your photos won't be tourist-infested). Arriving late in the afternoon won't help because the venue closes at 3:30 pm.
• Best season
  December and January are the driest months. And temperatures are slightly lower then.
• Worst season
  March to May is the hottest season and May to October (andparticularly in the last two months of that period) is the rainy season.

Location in Thailand