4 Best Sights in The Old City, Bangkok

This is one of Bangkok's most revered spots and one of its most visited. King Rama I built this walled city in 1782, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi. The palace and adjoining structures only got more opulent as subsequent monarchs added their own touches. The grounds are open to visitors, but the buildings are not. They're used only for state occasions and royal ceremonies. On rare occasions, rooms in the Chakri Maha Prasat Palace—considered the official residence of the king, even though he does not live there—are sometimes open to visitors. Admission to the complex includes entrance to Dusit Palace Park. Note, proper attire (no flip flops, shorts, or bare shoulders or midriffs) is required; if you forget, you will be loaned unflattering but more demure shirts and shoes at the entrance (deposit required). You can buy tickets online.

The city's largest wat has what is perhaps the most majestic representation of the Buddha in Bangkok. The 150-foot reclining Buddha---carved from brick and stucco, then covered with black lacquer and a final layer of gold---is so large it fills an entire viharn. Especially noteworthy are the mammoth statue's 10-foot feet, with the 108 auspicious signs of the Buddha inlaid in mother-of-pearl. Behind the viharn holding the Reclining Buddha is Bangkok's oldest open university. A century before Bangkok was established as the capital, a monastery was founded here to teach traditional medicine. Around the walls are marble plaques inscribed with formulas for herbal cures, and stone sculptures squat in various postures demonstrating techniques for relieving pain. The monks still practice ancient cures, and the massage school (now outside the temple grounds on a nearby street, though massages are still available in the temple) is world-famous. Thai massages (which can actually be painful, though therapeutic) cost around B400 for 1 hour. Appointments aren't necessary—you usually won't have to wait long if you just show up. Massage therapy courses of up to 200 hours are also available at the school.

This is the most sacred temple in the kingdom, and no other wat in Thailand is so ornate or so embellished with glittering gold. As you enter the compound, take note of the 20-foot-tall statues of fearsome creatures in traditional battle attire standing guard. Turn right as you enter the compound, where the inner walls are covered with colorful murals depicting Thailand's national epic the Ramakien, a Thai version of India's Ramayana. Several kinnaree (half-woman, half-lion creatures) stand guard outside the main chapel, which has a gilded three-tier roof. Inside sits the Emerald Buddha. This most venerated image of Lord Buddha is carved from a single piece of green jasper 26 inches high.

Established in a former royal palace built in 1887, the National Museum is the best place to acquaint yourself with Thai history. It holds one of the world's best collections of Southeast Asian art and artifacts, beginning with ceramic utensils and bronzeware from northeastern Thailand's Ban Chiang culture (2000–900 BC). Most of the masterpieces from the northern provinces are displayed here, not in museums there.

Free guided tours in English take place on Wednesday and Thursday, usually at 9:30 am.