Wat Saket - The Golden Mountain

Wat Saket - Best Skyline in Bangkok

Photo Wat Saket The Golden Mountain, Buddhist temple in Bangkok Thailand during sunset
Wat Saket is one of the most beautiful, fun and green temples in Bangkok. It’s located at 344 Thanon Chakkraphatdi Phong, Ban Bat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai. 

One of the easiest ways to reach the temple is by boat. Wat Saket is right next to Panfa Bridge, which is the last boat stop. From downtown, all the way across town should cost you about 18thb (¢55). 

If you’d like to learn more about the coolest and most efficient way to travel around Bangkok, we have a detailed post with all the information you’ll need to have an enjoyable and traffic-free day in the city of angels. 

Wat Saket is an Ayutthaya-era shrine with a gleaming gold chedi built during the reign of King Rama III in 1467. From the top of the mountain, you have one of the best views of Bangkok.

Towards the temple’s entrance, you’ll find a big wall covered in gold bodhi leaves with wishes written all over them. This is a common practice in Buddhist temples. To write your wishes a small donation of 20thb (¢60) is required.

Writing wishes on a golden leaf at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok
Hanging the wish leaf on a metal tree
By the feet of the mountain is Wat Saket’s entrance. The temple’s entrance fee is 50thb ($1,50) for adults and 25thb (¢76) for kids. Thai citizens don’t have to pay entrance fee.

The 344 steps take you through green leafy arches, interesting sculptures and big metal bells that you can ring to make wishes.

Before reaching the very top of the mountain you can experience a few traditional Buddhist rituals, such as picking a lucky number, offering incense and hand-folded lotus, and even finding out which Buddha is your birth Buddha. 

In Thailand, it’s common to find a lineup of multiple Buddha statues in temples. These Buddhas are the ones you’re supposed to pray for to have your wishes granted. 

Pro-tip: If you were born on a Wednesday, like me, you need to know what time you were born, because there are two different Buddhas for this day. One for the morning and one for the evening time. I was born after 5 pm, so my Buddha is the second one of the day. All the remaining days have only 1 Buddha. 

Once you reach the top of the mountain you can finally see the breathtaking 80 meters tall golden pagoda, shining against the bright blue sky. 

How to find your birthday Buddha based on the day of the week
I can still remember the very first time I visited Wat Saket; seeing the grandiosity and beauty of the golden chedi made my stomach drop. 
The skyline around the pagoda is gorgeous. You get to see Buddhist monasteries, the old Chinese-style townhouses, and all the way on the back you see the tall skyscrapers shining with neon lights.
The end of the afternoon is my favorite time to visit the temple. The sunset is absolutely amazing from the top of the mountain, the air even feels a little different up there.

Pro-tip 2: If you’d like to eat like a local make sure to explore the roads around Wat Saket. After sunset street food vendors take over the sidewalks to sell the most delicious and affordable Thai foods!

Street food vendors in Chinatown Bangkok Thailand
If you like this post and would like to learn more about Thailand and Thai culture leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!

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Ivy, the in house chef at Copra Coconuts' kitchen.

Ivy is a recipe developer and media producer based in Bangkok, Thailand. She uses the local cuisine, tropical ingredients and all year around gorgeous weather as inspiration to create the most vibrant, delicious and healthy dishes.

Because Ivy cares deeply about sustainability, she tries her best to keep all recipes plant-based, low waste and seasonal.

Some of Ivy’s favorite activities in the city of Angels are weekend bike riding at Bang Krachao island, visiting speakeasy bars and cafes around Yanwarat Road and watching the sunset by the Chao Praya River.

If you would like to find out more about Ivy’s food and cultural adventures around Thailand go to @copra_coconuts.

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