Bangkok's Royal Grand Palace: Emerald Buddha
4.1
106 Ratings
Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang

Discover the rich history and vibrant culture of Bangkok on a tour of the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha. Explore these iconic landmarks with a knowledgeable local guide.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Grand Palace - Visiting the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew is a must-see experience in Bangkok. The dazzling Grand Palace is an architectural marvel that served as the official residence for the kings of the Chakri Dynasty for over 150 years.
    Constructed in 1782 by King Rama I, the complex boasts an extraordinary array of golden spires, ornate…
What's Included
  • English speaking guide
  • One bottle of drinking water per person
What's Not Included
  • Personal Expenses
  • Admission fees
  • Gratuities for the tour guide (optional)
Additional Information

Explore Bangkok’s most renowned landmark, the Royal Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. These iconic sites are situated within a stunning compound that has served as Thailand’s spiritual center since the late 1700s.
Stroll among the golden chedis, intricate halls, and vibrant murals that depict ancient tales from Thai mythology. Enter the…

Location
Tha Chang
Na Phra Lan Road
The meeting point is in front of the Tha Chang ferry pier on the Chao Phraya River, located opposite the Grand Palace (see tour page). After booking, you will receive a manual confirmation email with photos of the meeting location. Please check your inbox and junk folder carefully.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(106 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Andrew_p
Mar 29, 2026
Thai royalty - Knowledgeable tour guide. Meeting point was easy to find and convenient. Activity is a great insight into the royal family history of Thailand.
Review provided by Viator
Cade_c
Mar 29, 2026
Would Recommend! - We had a great experience! The tour guide was very helpful in telling us the history of the Grand Palace, taking us around, and taking pictures.
Review provided by Viator
I2883ykad
Mar 22, 2026
Wonderful guide, so worth it! - Nicky is a fantastic guide! She has great vibes and shared so much interesting history and context we never would have gotten on our own. She also took some fantastic photos for us! We don’t often do guided tours but this one was great. And it’s clear we would have missed a lot just going on our own.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fernando_b
Feb 15, 2026
DJ is the best guide. Knowledgeable and fun - Very informative about Thai culture. Very well planned, according to time and with a very trustworthy guide
Review provided by Viator
John_y
Feb 14, 2026
Iconic Thai Palace and great guide! - Our tour guide Nicky was amazing. After meeting at the designated Tha Chang Pier, she directed early tour members to the underground pathway to the Grand Palace, which is air conditioned, for a bit of respite from the high 30's temperatures, while waiting for the rest of the tour group to arrive. The tour itself was a continuous happy presentation by Nicky of the history, unique cultural and religious aspects of the palace. She has great energy and enthusiasm for the job and it shows. As other reviewers have noted she is proactive in helping tour members get good photo ops. The pace of the tour was perfect, with break stops for photos. Overall, the timing of the Grand Palace tour, including viewing of the fabled Emerald Buddha, was as advertised, 2 hours. The palace is an incredible, historic, gilded, iconic treasure of Thailand. And with Nicky as tour guide it was a wonderful experience. I very much enjoyed this tour. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Viator
Stephanie
Feb 10, 2026
Perfect - The tour was very informative and interesting, our guide Nicki was great, the organization was great. We can highly recommend this tour 👍🏻😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeannie_l
Feb 11, 2026
A successful guided tour of the Palace - We were very lucky and there were only 2 of us in the small group tour .The guide was knowledgeable with good English and managed to negotiate the large crowds well . The Palace was particularly busy as the Queen mother was lying in state and many Thai people were visiting the site . We felt it was important to visit this Palace as it reflected the ancient Thai architecture which was golden , bejewelled and colourful . Seeing the Emerald Budda in its winter attire was also interesting .
Review provided by Viator
114srinivasann
Feb 23, 2026
Poor instructions - Meeting point difficult to find. Did not get the guide until much later. Was not worth the money Very disappointed. Instructions should be clear.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jordanep611
Feb 12, 2026
Be careful it's not entrance tickets but to have a guide - Disappointed because we had bought these tickets thinking that it was the entrance we paid out it was to have a guide and more on site we had to pay the entrances. Very poorly explained during the purchase it is written visit but in fact it is to have a guide. In addition we never found the guide after 30 min waiting so in the end visit without guide while we paid one. Very bad experience we unfortunately do not recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_h
Feb 10, 2026
Not worth it! - Guide didn’t communicate well. Tour was supposed to be in English. Guide also didn’t add many details, we could have done the tour ourselves. Water was not provided although it was supposed to be. And we specifically asked about a credit card for payment and Viatours said no it must be cash. That is wrong information, you can absolutely pay with a credit card!
Review provided by Viator
From $14
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).