Walking Tour: Golden Mount to Giant Swing

During his reign from 1824 to 1851, King Rama III began the construction of many temples which are today some of the major landmarks of Bangkok. This walking tour takes in many of the less frequented of these monuments. The walk weaves in an out of the eastern defensive wall marking the original confines of the royal precinct, before finally heading into the center of the city. See a map of the suggested route below.

Start at the Golden Mount. You should be able to get there by taxi, or you can brave the water taxi along Saen Saeb canal from the Siam Square area.

The mount was started by King Rama III, although what you see now isn't what he had in mind. The plan was to build a giant chedi - a much larger version of the golden bell-shaped shrine you can see at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The core structure was being constructed using logs and bricks. The soft earth of Bangkok could not support the weight and the pagoda collapsed before it was completed. The project was abandoned until a later king built a small chedi on top of the mound. The concrete casing seen in the photo was only added around World War II. See our full length article for more on the Golden Mount.

Exit the Golden Mount via the rear gateway. You come out onto a street lined with carpentry and wood shops. Turn right and walk up the street past a fire station and over a bridge crossing Saen Saeb canal. Directly ahead of you is the museum dedicated to Rama VII. Veer left over another bridge and walk past the Pom Mahakan fortifications. The fort was built around the time Bangkok was founded in the late 18^th century to defend the city against invasions like the one that toppled Ayuthaya.