Where Wat Arun looks its best

Where can I get the best view of Wat Arun?

From the Tha Tien side of the river, directly opposite the temple, at sunset. The sun sets behind the prang, and after dark the tower is lit. The table compares the main viewpoints.

The east bank faces the temple across a stretch of river a few hundred metres wide, which is the right distance to see the whole prang at once. From the temple courtyard you are too close for that, and from further along the river the angle flattens. Each viewpoint has its own best time.

Which rooftop bars face Wat Arun at sunset?

The rooftop bars along the riverbank on the Tha Tien side, such as Eagle Nest at Sala Arun and the Sala Rattanakosin rooftop, look straight across the river at the prang. In the high season, arrive well before sunset for a front seat.

These are small hotel rooftops in the old shophouses near Tha Tien pier, a few minutes on foot from Wat Pho. They are the classic place to watch the sun go down behind the prang with a drink, and to stay on as the lights come on. The best seats are along the railing, and they fill first. From November to February, when the evenings are clear and the town is busy, come early and be ready to wait for a table.

Opening hours and booking rules change, so check with the hotel before you go. Dress is casual but tidy. If the rooftops are full, the pier below gives almost the same view.

Can you see the sunset over Wat Arun without a rooftop bar?

Yes. You only need to stand on Tha Tien pier or along the riverbank next to it, or ride the cross-river ferry as the light goes. The view is the same prang against the same sky.

Tha Tien pier looks straight across at the temple. Stand at the edge of the pier or along the small riverside walkways nearby, out of the way of passengers. The cross-river ferry is a good moving viewpoint for a few-baht coin: the crossing takes 3 to 5 minutes, and at golden hour the prang glows in front of you. Ride over and back if you like. The ferry runs all day until the evening, so check the last crossing if you are on the far side.

If you come from the temple itself, leave Wat Arun before it closes at 6 pm and take the ferry back to Tha Tien in time for the sunset. The routes to the pier are in the getting there guide.

When is Wat Arun lit up at night?

Soon after sunset, the prang is lit gold and white, and the lights stay on in the evening. You see it best from the river or from the east bank, because the temple itself closes at 6 pm.

The lit prang is the other half of the classic view. As the sky darkens, the lights pick out the tiers of the tower and the four smaller prangs, and the whole temple is reflected in the river. From the rooftops and the pier on the Tha Tien side, you watch the change from sunset to night without moving. From a boat, you pass it close, with the light on the water.

Sunset in Bangkok comes roughly between 6 and 6:45 pm through the year, earlier in December and later in June. For a sunset and the lights on the same evening, plan to be in place 30 minutes before sunset and stay about an hour.

What is the best way to see Wat Arun from the water?

The cross-river ferry is the shortest and cheapest, the blue-flag tourist boat gives a longer ride with a stop at the temple, and a longtail boat adds the canals. A dinner cruise passes it lit up after dark.

• The cross-river ferry from Tha Tien: a few minutes on the water, right in front of the prang.
• The blue-flag tourist boat from Sathorn pier: a day pass lets you ride up and down the river and stop at Wat Arun pier. Boats run about every 30 minutes until early evening, so a late ride catches the golden light.
• A longtail boat: the tour from Tha Tien goes through the Bangkok Yai canal to Wat Paknam, then back along the river to Wat Arun. The shorter canal cruise passes the river but does not stop at Wat Arun.
• A dinner cruise: the boats pass Wat Arun and the Grand Palace lit up, without stopping. See the next section.

Three hours by longtail boat from Tha Tien: the Bangkok Yai canal, monitor lizards on the banks, the giant Buddha of Wat Paknam, then back past the river to Wat Arun. Rated 4.5 from 558 reviews; the Wat Arun entry fee is not included.

★ 4.5 (558) · 3 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the longtail canal tour to Wat Arun →

Are dinner cruises a good way to see Wat Arun lit up?

Yes, if you want dinner with the view. The cruises pass Wat Arun and the Grand Palace lit up from the water, but they do not stop, so you see the prang only from the boat.

The Saffron cruise (4.6 from 42 reviews) leaves from ICONSIAM pier for three hours, with a welcome cocktail on the upper deck, a four-course Thai menu and live entertainment. It is the calmer, more expensive choice, and a hotel transfer is available as an option. The Chao Phraya Princess (4.2 from 859 reviews) is a two-hour buffet cruise with live music and a welcome drink; its reviews are mixed on the food and the crowds.

On any cruise, the time in front of Wat Arun is a few minutes. Sit on the outer deck or by a window, and have your camera ready as the boat turns. If the view matters more than the dinner, the ferry or the pier gives it for a coin.

A welcome cocktail on the upper deck, a four-course Thai menu and live entertainment as the boat passes Wat Arun and the Grand Palace lit up. Three hours from ICONSIAM pier, rated 4.6 from 42 reviews.

★ 4.6 (42) · 3 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the Saffron dinner cruise →

What can you see from the terrace of Wat Arun?

From the lower terrace of the central prang, you look across the river to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, with the boats below. It is the only high view from inside the temple, since the upper levels have been closed since the 2013 to 2017 restoration.

The steps to the terrace are very steep, with narrow treads. Hold the rail, take your time, and many people find it easier to come down backwards. From the top, the porcelain decoration is at arm's length: flowers, petals and small figures made of broken Chinese porcelain and seashells. Turn around and the whole old town is in front of you, with the golden roofs of the Grand Palace to the left.

The morning is best: the light is soft, the terrace is quieter, and it is cooler on the stone. The terrace is part of the entry ticket. Everything the ticket covers is in the tickets and hours guide.

How do you take the best photos of Wat Arun?

Come soon after the 8 am opening for soft light on the east face of the prang from the courtyard, and cross to the Tha Tien side for sunset. Dress for the temple, stay out of the way of worshippers and leave the drone at the hotel.

• Morning: the east face of the prang, toward the river, catches the morning light. Stand back in the courtyard for the whole tower, and use the four smaller prangs as a frame.
• Midday: the white prang glares in the sun. Use this time for close-ups of the porcelain and the guardians in the shade.
• Sunset: shoot from the Tha Tien side, with the sun behind the prang. A small tripod is easier on the pier than on a crowded rooftop.
• People: monks and worshippers are not part of the scenery. Ask before a close portrait, and keep quiet near the ordination hall (ubosot).
• Drones: leave them at the hotel, out of respect for the temple and the Grand Palace across the river.

Thai costume is welcome at the temple, and many visitors rent one from the shops outside. With the costume photo shoot (4.8 from 34 reviews), a professional photographer takes you to the best spots for one or two hours, sends photos to your phone straight away and 20 to 30 edited ones within a few days. The costume is an add-on and the entry fee is not included. Reviewers suggest a fan and water.

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