Rattanakosin temples, Bangkok: free self-guided audio walk
Quick answer. A free self-guided audio walk through the old royal quarter of Bangkok: 4 stops, about 2.5 km, about 35 minutes of walking plus about 28 minutes of listening. Start at the Grand Palace on the banks of the Chao Phraya, walk south to Wat Pho, a royal monastery that predates Bangkok as the capital, then east to Wat Ratchabophit, a first-class royal temple from the reign of King Chulalongkorn. Finish at Wat Ratchanatdaram, whose Loha Prasat bristles with dark metal spires. All four stops are on the same bank of the river.
- Stops:
- 4
- Distance:
- about 2.5 km
- Walking:
- about 35 min
- Listening:
- about 28 min
Rattanakosin temples, Bangkok: how long does the walk take?
About 63 minutes in all: about 35 minutes on foot over about 2.5 km, plus about 28 minutes of audio at the 4 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Rattanakosin temples, Bangkok: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Ratchabophit, and Wat Ratchanatdaram. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.3 km, about 17 min on foot.
Route and map
Opens Google Maps with walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
Gold-latticed towers and glass mosaics begun by King Rama I in 1782, when he moved the capital here from Thonburi.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Wat Pho · about 0.5 km, about 6 min on foot
Stop 2
One of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temple complexes, rebuilt by King Rama I as his main royal monastery.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Wat Ratchabophit · about 0.7 km, about 10 min on foot
Stop 3
A first-class royal temple a short stroll from the Grand Palace, built in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V.
about 8 min of audio
Next stop: Wat Ratchanatdaram · about 1.3 km, about 17 min on foot
Stop 4
The Temple of the Royal Granddaughter, centred on the Loha Prasat, a stepped pavilion bristling with dark metal spires.
about 7 min of audio
How does this self-guided walk work?
The audio guides on this page stay free: open any stop to listen in your browser.
Live Walk Mode uses your location to narrate places as you walk. It opens in the Mappu app at the first stop, Grand Palace.
Live Walk Mode: 2 hours for 50 credits (€4.99 Starter pack)
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: straight-line distance between stops plus 30%, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Route checked by Mappu on October 11, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.