The Golden Mount (Wat Saket)

The Golden Mount (Wat Saket) is a hilltop temple offering one of the best panoramas of Bangkok's old city. Unusually for the flat capital, it sits atop an artificial hill, reached by a winding staircase of around 300 steps that spirals up past gardens, bells, and prayer flags. At the top, a gleaming golden chedi (stupa) housing a Buddha relic is ringed by a terrace with 360° views over the temple roofs, the rivers, and the sprawl of the city.

The climb is gentle and shaded, and ringing the row of bells on the way up is part of the experience. It's far quieter and more contemplative than the big riverside temples, and a wonderful spot at sunset. An annual temple fair in November wraps the mount in red cloth and fills it with festivities.

Don't miss

• The ~300-step spiral climb past bells and gardens
• The golden chedi enshrining a Buddha relic
• 360° panoramic views over old Bangkok
• A quieter, more contemplative temple experience
• The November temple fair, when it's wrapped in red cloth

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit The Golden Mount (Wat Saket)

Cheapest way inBangkok Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha Tour4.3★ · 143 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$13 per personSee dates →Best full dayBangkok Private Highlights Tour with Local Guide4.9★ · 4,593 travelers~8 hoursFrom$72 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleTop 3 Must-see Temples in Bangkok Private Tour [Optional Luxury]4.9★ · 358 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$117 per personSee dates →

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Know before you go

• It's around 300 steps, but a gentle, shaded spiral, take your time and ring the bells on the way up.
• Late afternoon is ideal: cooler climb and sunset views over the old city.
• Dress respectfully, it's an active temple.
• If you visit in November, the temple fair is a colourful spectacle.

A bit of history

Wat Saket dates to the Ayutthaya era, but the artificial hill (the 'Golden Mount') was begun in the 19th century under Rama III; the soft ground collapsed and it was completed under later kings, with the golden chedi added to enshrine a Buddha relic. The November fair is a long-standing Bangkok tradition.