Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
Iconic riverside temple with a towering porcelain-encrusted prang you can partly climb for river views.
- Category
- Temples (Wat)
- Entrance fee
- ~200 THB for foreigners (as of 2026, confirm locally)
- Hours
- Daily ~08:00-18:00 (confirm locally)
- Best time
- Late afternoon and sunset, when the Khmer-style spire glows; photograph it from the opposite bank at dusk.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
About Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
The Temple of Dawn is one of Bangkok's most recognisable silhouettes, a towering Khmer-style prang crusted in porcelain that sits right on the Thonburi bank of the river. Up close you can see the thousands of bits of ceramic worked into the surface, and you can climb partway up for river views.
Time it for late afternoon into sunset. That's when the spire catches the golden light and glows, and the classic shot is actually from the opposite bank at dusk with the temple lit up across the water. Getting there is half the fun too, since you cross the river on a little ferry to reach it.
One practical note: the steps up the central prang are steep. If heights make you uneasy, admire it from the base and the riverbank instead, you won't miss much.
Highlights
- Porcelain-encrusted central prang up close
- Climbing partway up for river views
- Golden-hour glow on the spire at sunset
- The cross-river ferry approach
Tips
- Go late afternoon into sunset for the best light
- For the postcard shot, cross back and photograph from the opposite bank at dusk
- The prang steps are steep, skip the climb if heights bother you
- Take the cheap cross-river ferry from Tha Tien straight to the temple
How to get there
On the Thonburi (west) bank: take the Chao Phraya boat to Tha Tien then the cross-river ferry (~5 THB) directly to the temple; ~30-45 min from centre.