Bangkok
Enjoy your morning at leisure to explore Bangkok. Breakfast will be served at the hotel.
This afternoon, you will be met in the hotel lobby by your local private guide for a Liquid Bangkok Excursion, including lunch at a local restaurant.
Discover the original Bangkok riverside neighborhoods which are the foundation of the city’s early development. Chinese, Portuguese, Muslim and European influences blend with Thai communities along Bangkok’s famous Chao Phraya River. Using the waterway as your launch point, you’ll walk in the steps of early Bangkok merchants, exploring the architecture, neighborhood mercantile and commercial identities, as well as significant temples well off the usual beaten track. Several longtail boat starts and stops take you through Thonburi, Thailand’s capital between the Ayutthaya and Bangkok periods, visiting old artisan villages, markets and art communities.
The excursion will also include a visit to Wat Pho, officially named Wat Prachetuphon Vimon Mangkararam. Wat Pho is believed to be founded during the 16th century and later served as the Royal Temple of King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty. Laid inside the main ordination hall is the sacred, 150ft, reclining Buddha statue, whose feet are beautifully inlaid with mother-of-pearl and carved with holy signs. Wat Pho is, among Thais, also known as “the Nation’s First Public University,” thanks to 1,360 marble inscriptions about medical, historical and liberal sciences placed all around the temple where the people can read and learn anytime. Marble inscriptions about medical sciences, anatomy and orthopedics are the origins of Wat Pho Thai traditional massage principles, which has made Wat Pho a world famous site. Wat Pho was listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World (MOW) as a documentary heritage for Asia and the Pacific region.
The Grand Palace is the “must see” attraction in Bangkok. It is an architectural wonder of golden stupas, walls and pillars, encrusted in shining and colorful mosaics. Previously the residence of past kings of Thailand, you will see palaces once used for different occasions: the Reception Hall, the Coronation Hall, the Throne Hall, the Royal Guest House and Wat Phra Kaew. The architecture is predominantly Thai, though there are some European influences. The palace served as the official residence of kings of Thailand from the 18th to the mid-20th century. The most famous building within the palace grounds is Wat Phra Kaew, and this is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand.
Following your excursion, you will be transferred back to the hotel. Enjoy your evening at leisure.
Four Seasons Bangkok Meals: Breakfast / Lunch