The magic of the Bangkok dragon temple

I’ve talked about my top four things to do in Bangkok which included the Bangkok dragon temple, but I wanted to share a little more on my experience as this was a truly unique place to visit.

The temple is very humbling and everyone you meet is extremely kind and calm. Nothing is too much trouble and you’ll immediately feel at peace here.

One thing to note however is this is about a 30 minute taxi ride out of the city. From our hostel which was in the Khao San Road area, this cost 500 baht, which equates to about £12.50. Definitely worth it. I’m pretty sure you can also get a local bus there too for cheaper, but the taxi made sense in a group.

What’s incredible is that this temple is free to enter! Although there are donation boxes which I’d recommend popping a little something in, when I went they were saving to install an elevator so that the temple was more accessible.

A stunning free attraction?

Upon arrival at the Bangkok dragon temple, also known as Wat Samphran, you are greeted by extremely friendly volunteers and presented with orange flower garlands and a piece of red fabric to write your name on. This is to place at the top of the temple in prayer.

You can then take your time and walk around the temple, looking at the stunning colours of the dragon that loops around the building itself. The grounds are also filled with beautiful flora and fauna to walk amongst.

Once you are ready to climb up the temple you can do so at leisure. What’s incredible is you actually walk inside the dragon itself. A completely surreal experience. You go up the equivalent of 16 flights of stairs, each level representing different focal points of life such as wealth, happiness and beauty.

Climbing the impressive Bangkok dragon temple

Stunning views stretching for miles await you at the top. Panting and out of breath, the breeze was very welcome! There are several Buddha shrines throughout, all adorned with different garlands and incense.

At the very top, the dragon head itself looms over where you stand, completely stunning. Underneath it’s chin is the Buddha where you can place your garland before tying your red fabric to the railing.

This experience felt particularly humbling and I found I experienced a sense of calm at this point. There were also a couple of monks around and although they couldn’t speak any English, they were extremely welcoming and kind.

The golden Buddha

On the same site as the Bangkok dragon temple, you can visit their golden Buddha for free. We had the privilege of meeting a monk here, who took us on a walking meditation around the Buddha itself.

We were then able to press gold leaf onto a smaller Buddha, before ringing a gong three times in an act of prayer.

Overall, this temple is completely worth the visit. The grounds are stunning, buildings beautiful, staff extremely friendly and views unreal.