The best way to explore a city is on foot and during this 3-4 hours walking tour you'll experience some of Bangkok’s lesser-known treasures and see some places a lot of tourists don't visit. The ‘Hidden Gems of Bangkok’ walking tour starts from our office, conveniently located in Chinatown, only 5 minutes walking from MRT (metro) Station Wat Mangkon. Experience unknown Bangkok with one of our excellent tour guides and immerse yourself in the atmosphere and history of this amazing city!
Built by King Rama I in the late 18th century, Wat Saket is one of the oldest temples in Bangkok. Visitors usually come here to climb to the top of the artificial hill from where you have a beautiful view of Bangkok. For a long time, the 'Golden Mountain' was one of the tallest landmarks in the city, before the skyscrapers started popping up. During the 19th century, it served a rather macabre function as a crematorium. Thousands of people who died from the "Black Death" (the plague) were brought here and piled up. Because there were so many victims, it took a long time for the bodies to be cremated and local people gave it the nickname "Vulture Hill" because hundreds of vultures circled above the mountain! The total duration includes walking time from the meeting point to the Golden Mount.
When King Rama I ascended the throne as the first ruler of the Chakri dynasty in 1782, he decided to establish Bangkok as the new capital of the Kingdom. Because only a few years before that, in 1767, the Burmese had completely destroyed the old capital of Ayutthaya, the King had a number of fortifications built and canals dug out to protect Bangkok. Mahakan Fort was one of 14 forts of which only two remain today, the other one being Phra Sumen fort (located next to the Chao Phraya River, near Khao San Road).
The Loha Prasat or ‘Metal Castle’ is a very unique structure. It has 37 black metal spires symbolizing the 37 virtues that are required to reach enlightenment. The 36 meter high Metal Castle consists of three levels, the bottom one has 24 spires, the middle one 12 and the top level has one spire, totaling 37 spires. Only two other similar structures have existed in the world, in India and in Sri Lanka. Neither of these exists today. The total duration includes walking time from the Golden Mount to Wat Ratchanatdaram.
You will make your own way to the meeting points