# WatArunVisit.com - Visiting Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) in Bangkok: tickets, dress code, timing and the tours compared

> Independent guide to visiting Wat Arun Ratchawararam in Bangkok: tickets and opening hours, what to wear, how far
> you can climb, the best time to go, the ferry across the Chao Phraya, combining it with Wat Pho and the Grand Palace,
> the best views, and the tours sold on GetYourGuide compared honestly. Independent of the temple, every tour operator and GetYourGuide.

Site: https://watarunvisit.com
Languages: Thai (root), English (/en/), French (/fr/), German (/de/), Spanish (/es/), Italian (/it/). Country: Thailand.
The site prints no prices by design; check the live price on each listing.

## Verified facts (checked 30 September 2026; Thai government visitor pages, TAT, royalgrandpalace.th, US Embassy Bangkok, Wikipedia for history)

- Wat Arun Ratchawararam stands on the west (Thonburi) bank of the Chao Phraya River, facing Wat Pho and the Grand Palace.
- Open daily 8 am to 6 pm; ticket sales stop at about 5:30 pm. Foreign visitors pay a small entry fee in cash at the counter by the gate (it usually includes a small bottle of water); Thai citizens do not pay. There is no online ticket and nothing to book ahead.
- Visitors can climb only to the lower terrace of the central prang; the upper levels have been closed since the 2013 to 2017 restoration. The steps are very steep.
- Dress: shoulders and knees covered, nothing see-through; wraps can be rented for a small fee at the entrance; shoes off inside the ordination hall.
- The central prang is covered in pieces of Chinese porcelain and seashells (the porcelain arrived as ships' ballast) and is surrounded by four smaller prangs. Official Thai sources describe it as over 80 m tall; published heights differ.
- History: an Ayutthaya-era temple (Wat Makok); renamed Wat Chaeng under King Taksin's Thonburi capital (around 1767); the Emerald Buddha was kept here from 1779 until 1784; Rama II began enlarging the prang and Rama III completed it around 1851. The ordination hall's main Buddha image is said to have been designed by Rama II, whose ashes rest in its base.
- Two giant yaksha guardians from the Ramakien (green Thotsakan and white Sahatsadecha) stand at the ordination hall gate.
- Getting there: MRT Sanam Chai (Blue Line, Exit 1), a short walk to Tha Tien pier (N8), then the cross-river ferry (a few minutes, a few-baht coin fare). The orange-flag express boat stops at Tha Tien; only the blue-flag tourist boat stops at Wat Arun pier (from Sathorn pier, BTS Saphan Taksin).
- Time needed: 45 to 90 minutes. Best: at 8 am, or late afternoon; the classic sunset view is from the east bank. Season: November to February; April is the hottest month; rain June to October, September the wettest.
- Nearby: Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha, open 8 am to 7:30 pm) across the river; the Grand Palace (tickets sold until 3:30 pm).
- Tourist Police hotline: 1155. Ignore strangers who say a temple is closed today.

## Bookable tours listed on this site

Ratings are GetYourGuide figures at the last build.

- Grand Palace, Wat Pho & Wat Arun Tour (Tha Chang pier, by the Grand Palace) - 5 hours, rated 4.8 from 5,771 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-grand-palace-wat-pho-and-wat-arun-guided-tour-t840436/
- Wat Pho & Wat Arun Walking Tour (Old town, near Wat Pho) - 3 hours, rated 4.6 from 1,803 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-wat-pho-and-wat-arun-guided-walking-tour-t417017/
- Evening Wat Arun, Wat Pho & Tuk Tuk (Maha Rat Road, old town) - 4 hours, rated 4.6 from 721 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-evening-tour-with-wat-arun-wat-pho-tuk-tuk-ride-t331506/
- Private Grand Palace & Temples Tour (Hotel pickup in Bangkok) - 5 hours, rated 4.8 from 898 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-grand-palace-wat-pho-and-wat-arun-private-tour-t161661/
- Half-Day Grand Palace, Wat Pho & Wat Arun (The Grand Palace gate) - 4 hours, rated 4.8 from 430 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-half-day-guided-grand-palace-wat-pho-wat-arun-t1150259/
- Longtail Canal Tour to Wat Arun (Tha Tien pier) - 3 hours, rated 4.5 from 558 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-longtail-boat-canal-tour-to-wat-arun-t432685/
- Chao Phraya Hop-on Hop-off Boat (Sathorn pier, BTS Saphan Taksin) - 1 day, rated 4.6 from 3,484 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-chao-phraya-river-hop-on-hop-off-boat-t409287/
- Thai Costume Photo Shoot at Wat Arun (Wat Arun) - 1 hour, rated 4.8 from 34 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/professional-thai-costume-photography-at-wat-arun-bangkok-t848156/
- Saffron Fine Dining River Cruise (ICONSIAM pier) - 3 hours, rated 4.6 from 42 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-saffron-chao-phraya-fine-dining-cruise-t441461/
- Longtail Boat Canal Cruise (Old town, Bangkok) - 2 hours, rated 4.5 from 5,526 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-longtail-boat-canal-cruise-t724973/
- Chao Phraya Princess Dinner Cruise (ICONSIAM, Bangkok) - 2 hours, rated 4.2 from 859 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/bangkok-chao-phraya-princess-cruise-ticket-t481150/
- Wat Pho, Wat Arun & Wat Hong Private Tour (Hotel pickup in Bangkok) - 4 hours, rated 4.9 from 50 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/bangkok-l169/wat-pho-wat-arun-and-wat-hong-rattanaram-private-tour-t121650/

## Guide pages on this site

- https://watarunvisit.com/khumue/tua-lae-wela/ - Wat Arun tickets and opening hours: how the entry fee works, what one ticket covers, the climb to the lower terrace and what you see inside.
- https://watarunvisit.com/khumue/kan-taeng-kai/ - What to wear to Wat Arun: shoulders and knees, shorts and sarongs, shoes for the steep steps, colours, and how to dress for the Grand Palace too.
- https://watarunvisit.com/khumue/wela-thi-dee/ - The best time to visit Wat Arun: the hour, the month, how long you need, sunset from the right bank, the rainy season, Songkran and a sample half day.
- https://watarunvisit.com/khumue/kan-doen-thang/ - How to get to Wat Arun: MRT Sanam Chai and the Tha Tien ferry, river boats from BTS Saphan Taksin, taxis, Khao San Road and the touts to ignore.
- https://watarunvisit.com/khumue/wat-pho-wat-arun/ - Wat Pho or Wat Arun? Why to see both, the distance across the river, the best order with the Grand Palace, and the tours that combine them.
- https://watarunvisit.com/khumue/jut-chom-wiw/ - The best views of Wat Arun: sunset rooftops and the pier on the Tha Tien side, the prang lit at night, river boats, dinner cruises and photo tips.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- You cannot climb to the top of Wat Arun: only the lower terrace is open to visitors.
- Wat Arun needs no advance or online ticket; tickets are sold at the gate.
- Most 'Wat Arun tours' do not include the temple entry fee; check each listing's inclusions.
- The current 10-baht coin does not show Wat Arun; the older coins (1988 to 2008) do.
- watarun.com is not an official temple website.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage. Opening hours and boat timetables change; verify close to your date.