Thailand Life Tools

Golden Mount (Wat Saket)

WATPOM PRAP

A golden chedi on a man-made hill in the old town, about 318 steps up (review-based). Open until 19:00, so it is the place to end a day at sunset.

OPEN
07:00
CLOSE
19:00
FEE
฿100

Every day · Review-based

Some listings say it opens at 07:30.

THIS WEEK

    Usual days, with holidays and alcohol ban days. Not a promise for a given day.

    Checked 31 October 2026

    Last checked: 31 October 2026 · ฿100 (Review-based)

    The gold chedi on top of the Golden Mount at Wat Saket
    Show this to a driver

    วัดสระเกศ

    The Thai name, as drivers know it.

    Where
    Pom Prap Sattru Phai, at the east edge of the old town, near Wat Ratchanatdaram. (Wikipedia)
    Fee
    ฿100 for foreigners (review-based: three blogs agree). (Planning research summary (owner’s re-check: Google Maps, guides); khaosanroad.com; Thai Budget Planner; Your Thai Guide)
    Hours
    Daily 07:00–19:00 (review-based; one blog says 07:30). (Planning research summary (owner’s re-check: Google Maps, guides); khaosanroad.com; Thai Budget Planner; Your Thai Guide)
    Built
    An Ayutthaya-era temple renamed by Rama I; the hill is the ruin of a chedi that collapsed. (Wikipedia; Wikipedia)
    Dress
    No sleeveless tops or shorts/skirts above the knee. There’s no sarong loan, so bring a light layer. 300+ steps, so wear comfortable shoes. Dress code for all temples
    Getting there
    No station next to it: take a taxi, or walk from the old town or from MRT Sam Yot (BL30).
    Getting there

    By taxi: no station close by

    Open in Google MapsAll Bangkok templesKhao San Road

    What to see at the Golden Mount

    1. About 318 steps to the top

      Review-based count. The path winds round the hill to the roof terrace, with places to stop on the way.

    2. The golden chedi on the roof terrace

      Walk all the way round: the old town, Wat Ratchanatdaram’s iron spires and the city towers in every direction.

    3. Sunset over the old town

      Open until 19:00 (review-based), after sunset in every month.

    4. A red robe in November

      At the yearly temple fair a candlelit procession climbs the hill and the chedi is wrapped in a long red cloth, a custom since Rama V.

    The story

    The temple goes back to Ayutthaya times, when it was called Wat Sakae. Rama I renovated it and gave it its present name.

    Rama III began a huge chedi here, but Bangkok’s soft ground could not take the weight and it collapsed. The rubble became a hill; Rama IV started a small chedi on top, finished early in Rama V’s reign. The concrete walls round the hill were added in the 1940s to stop it washing away.

    Wat Ratchanatdaram (Loha Prasat)

    วัดราชนัดดาราม

    About ฿20 or a donation, 09:00–17:00 (review-based).

    A few minutes from the foot of the Golden Mount. Its Loha Prasat is a 36 m hall of seven storeys with 37 iron spires (24, 12 and 1), said to stand for the 37 qualities that lead to awakening. By most accounts it was begun under Rama III in 1846, restarted in 1960 and opened to visitors in 2007. The ground floor is a maze of columns you can walk through.

    Review-based · (Your Thai Guide; Wikipedia)

    Sunset

    Sunset in Bangkok falls between about 17:48 and 18:49 through the year; the Golden Mount closes at 19:00 (review-based).

    The November temple fair falls around Loy Krathong. Loy Krathong 2026

    Don’t

    • Shoes off in the shrine halls.

    Dress code for all temples

    Walks with this temple

    Questions

    How much is the Golden Mount entrance fee?
    ฿100 for foreigners (review-based).
    How many steps are there to the Golden Mount?
    About 318, by visitors’ counts (review-based).
    Is the Golden Mount good at sunset?
    Yes: it is open until 19:00 (review-based), and Bangkok’s sunset falls between about 17:50 and 18:50 through the year.
    Is Wat Saket the same as the Golden Mount?
    Yes. Wat Saket is the temple; the Golden Mount (Phu Khao Thong) is its hill with the golden chedi.

    BEFORE YOU GO

    Before you go

    1. Cover shoulders and knees

      Pack a light long-sleeved top or scarf and long trousers or a long skirt; it is hot, so loose cotton works best.

    2. Shoes you can slip off

      You take them off at every hall door.

    3. Cash in small notes

      Ticket offices may take cards, but ferries, drinks and donation boxes are cash.

    Money Exchange