Grand Palace & Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)

Fortified palace complex that has served as the offical seat of the Thai monarchy since 1795.

Wat Phra Kaeo, which occupies the northeast corner of the palace, is the holiest site in the country and houses the most important image, the Emerald Buddha. The Grand Palace is now only used for state functions, as the king resides in Chitrlada Palace in Dusit. The only entrance to the complex is on Thanon Na Phra Lan, within easy walking distance of Banglamphu, and close to the Tha Chang express-boat pier. Admission to Wat Phra Kaeo and the palace is B125 (daily 8.30am-3.30pm), and includes entry to Vimanmek Palace . As it's Thailand's most sacred site, there's a dress code (no vests, shorts, sarongs, miniskirts, slip-on sandals or flip-flops), but you can borrow suitable garments and shoes at an office just inside the entrance.

The turnstiles in the west wall open onto the back of the bot (main sanctuary), which contains the Emerald Buddha and is encircled by eight boundary stones, each sheltering in a psychedelic fairy castle. The walls of the bot itself, sparkling with coloured glass, are supported by 112 golden birdmen (garudas), holding mythical serpents (nagas). Inside, a pedestal supports the tiny sixty-centimetre jadeite Emerald Buddha, a hugely sacred figure renowned for its miraculous powers. The king ceremonially changes the statue's costumes according to the season: the crown and ornaments of an Ayutthayan king for the hot season; a gilt monastic robe for the rainy season retreat; and a full-length gold shawl to wrap up in for the cool season. (The spare outfits are displayed in the Coins and Decorations Pavilion.)

North of the bot is a scale model of Angkor Wat, the Cambodian temple complex which was under Thai rule during the reign of Rama IV. At the western end of the terrace, dazzlingly gold Phra Si Ratana Chedi enshrines a piece of the Buddha's breastbone. Extending for over a kilometre in the arcades which run inside the wat walls, the surreal murals of the Ramayana depict every blow of this ancient Hindu story of the triumph of good over evil. The story is told in 178 panels, labelled and numbered in Thai only, starting in the middle of the northern side. Panel 109 shows the climax of the story, when Rama, the hero, kills the ten-headed demon Totsagan.

Coming out of the exit in the southwest corner of Wat Phra Kaeo, you'll pass a beautiful Chinese gate before reaching the grand residential complex and its main audience hall, Phra Thinang Amarin Winichai , which centres on an open-sided throne with a spired roof, floating on a boat-shaped base. On the western side of the courtyard, the delicately proportioned Dusit Maha Prasat , another audience hall, epitomizes traditional Thai architecture with the soaring tiers of its red, gold and green roof culminating in a gilded spire. Inside, you can still see the original throne, a masterpiece of mother-of-pearl inlaid work.

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