The Golden Mount Temple is one of our all-time favorite places in Bangkok.
We absolutely love bustling Bangkok, yet sometimes it’s nice to get a break from this crazy city that never sleeps. We got our “break” on top of the Golden Mount Temple where we for the first time in Bangkok experienced a sense of serenity.
The Golden Mountain, formally known as Wat Saket, is such an incredible temple in Thailand.
The 360-view from the temple hilltop gives you the opportunity to experience Bangkok from every angle. On top of that, you can watch an incredible sunset over Bangkok from here. Lastly, The Golden Mount Temple is also a place where you have the chance to experience the Buddhist religion up close.
As you can see, there are many reasons to why the Golden Mountain Temple is incredible. Therefore, we’ve decided to share this blog post about our experience of this magical place in Bangkok.
We’ll share the history of the Golden Mountain, the opening hours and entrance fee of the temple, how to get there, why you should visit, plus our own experience watching the sunset over Bangkok.
After reading this travel guide, you should hopefully have all the information you need in order to visit the Golden Mount Temple by yourself.
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Why visit the Golden Mount Temple in Bangkok
There are many reasons why we think the Golden Mount is an amazing temple, and thus why you should visit it on your next trip to Bangkok!
Bangkok is known for having many beautiful temples such as Wat Arun and Wat Pho. But these temples are more expensive to visit and often way more crowded with other tourists than Wat Saket.
The fact that the Golden Mountain temple is 77 meter tall means that you get an amazing view over Bangkok compared to some of the other temples. We actually think that the Golden Mount Temple is located on the only hilltop of Bangkok. And we personally just love watching places around the world from different perspectives.
Since the temple is situated on this hill or “mountain”, as they call it, you naturally have to climb a lot of steps to get to the top. Maybe this is one of the reasons why fewer tourists are visiting Wat Saket?
What people don’t know is that the walk up to the golden top is actually a great experience. You walk along an artificial garden and next to massive temple bells, which you can ring for good luck on your way up. It’s also very common to see monks who are on their way up to pray in the temple.
So if you want a less tourist-crowded experience of a temple in Bangkok, with some great views along the way, then you should definitely visit the Golden Mount during your trip to Thailand.
How to visit the Golden Mount Temple in Bangkok
In this section, we want to share everything we know about the Golden Mount Temple in Bangkok. We go through the history of the temple, opening hours, entrance fee, and how to get to the Golden Mountain.
So if you’re planning to visit this temple yourself, then this section is especially useful for you.
You can also visit Wat Saket on this affordable and good rated small-group temple tour in Bangkok if you want to learn beyond what’s in this guide.
History of the Golden Mountain Temple
The Golden Mount Temple’s official name is Wat Saket.
The Golden Mount isn’t actually the whole temple itself. It’s seen as a compound within the Wat Saket temple complex, and it’s called, “Phu Khao Thong”, which means “Golden Mountain.”
But people just refer to Wat Saket as the Golden Mount, because it sits on a 77 meter tall hilltop in Bangkok with a golden chedi on top.
Wat Saket dates all the way back to the Ayutthaya period.
It’s believed that the king once stopped here to wash his hair before returning home from a war. So apparently the word “Saket” should have some meaning about “Washing hair”
And no, it’s doesn’t mean that it’s the temple of hair washing. But the king washing his hair at Wat Saket, have for some reason, which we don’t know, helped naming this beautiful temple.
How to get to the Golden Mountain in Bangkok
The easiest way to get around in Bangkok is by subway. That way, you don’t get stuck in Bangkok’s infamous traffic jams.
The closest metro station to the Golden Mount Temple is “Sam Yot”, which is a station on the newer MRT Blue Line that runs through the old town of Bangkok.
The walk from Sam Yot metro station to the Golden Mountain Temple is a little over 1 kilometer and takes about 10 minutes.
You can of course also take a tuk-tuk, a taxi, or the river boat to the temple.
Golden Mountain Temple opening hours 2023
The opening hours of the Golden Mountain Temple is from 7:30 AM – 7 PM.
But, if you plan on coming in the evening, then we would advice you to come before 6 PM so that you have enough time to climb the 320 stairs to the top before watching the sunset over Bangkok.
Golden Mountain Temple entrance fee 2023
The entrance fee to the Golden Mountain Temple depends on whether you’re a foreigner (tourist) or a local (Thai).
The foreigner price is 50 Baht, and you pay the entrance fee to Wat Saket at the ground level before you start climbing the hill. We’re pretty sure the entrance is free for locals.
Dress code when visiting temples in Thailand
As all other religious sites you visit around the world, you have to respect the dress code.
Within the Buddhist temples of Thailand, you should always cover your shoulders and knees. Normally, you have to take your shoes off before entering a temple, but at Wat Saket, it’s stated to keep your shoes on. So just follow the rules on the signs and you can’t go wrong.
Just don’t be that kind of tourist who shows up in small, tight hot pants or a loose tank top with the Chang-logo on it. Just don’t.
The sunset in Bangkok from the Golden Mount Temple
It was a coincidence that we made it to the Golden Mount Temple at sunset. We actually had no idea that the temple was one of Bangkok’s best sunset spots.
We are not always the best at doing research before visiting a place, and it’s not uncommon that we’re late for the last submission to attractions. However, everything just seemed to work out on this particular day in Bangkok.
After 5:30 PM, the sun wasn’t sharp anymore, so it was the perfect time to climb the many stairs to the top of Wat Saket.
Little did we know that you could actually enjoy a beautiful sunset in the middle of the old part of Bangkok from this beautiful Golden Mountain.
To make things even better, there was a Buddhist ceremony happening during sunset. A monk was leading a group of women around the golden chedi while chanting. It was a very authentic and peaceful experience.
While Glenn was running around filming and taking pictures, I was immersing myself in the now.
The mesmerizing sound of the Buddhist chant, the small bells ringing when touched by the mild wind, and the beautiful formation of purple colors in the sky really made me feel at peace. The Golden Mount Temple turned out to be the most tranquil place I had ever experienced in Bangkok.
Years later, I still remember this night so vividly.
We had just left for our one year trip around the world, and this was only day 3 out of 365. At this time, I suffered from a lot of anxiety about what I was doing with my life and what was to come in the future. But in this exact moment, on the top of the Golden Mountain Temple, I felt completely at peace. I was for the first time (in days!) feeling okay with my “now”, and the uncertainty of my future.
Even though the sky was a bit grey, cloudy, and polluted, this was still the best sunset we’ve ever experienced in Bangkok. Not just because of the sunset itself, but because of the overall experience that surrounded the sun going down.
That night, the Golden Mount became our favorite temple in Bangkok.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post about the Golden Mount Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. To this day it still remains one of our favorite temples in the world, and we cannot wait to go back some day.
If you have any questions, then please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, and we’ll get back to you.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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What a stunning place to watch the sunset! I love places like this that offer an oasis of calmness in the middle of busy cities.
Was it very busy? If so, I’d also consider going when it opens early in the morning instead…
Hi Josy, yea I feel the same way 🙂
No it wasn’t very busy, especially when you compare it to the other temples in Bangkok – somehow it’s very overlooked. A trip in the morning would also be a great idea, although I really liked the ceremony that was there in the evening – it gave another feel to it.
The Golden Mount Temple looks like the perfect place to watch a sunset. Those colors and view! Looks like you had a very memorable experience.
Thanks! Yes I had a very memorable experience, and I can definitely recommend this place.
I studied abroad in Bangkok for three months and never made it here! It looks like I need to go back. I did visit Chinatown and had some amazing food!
What a shame! Put in on your list for the next trip then. Must be so nice to study abroad in Bangkok!
Somehow I always end up in Bangkok again? Haha.
You’re welcome, I hope you get to go some day Steph.