The Grand Palace is the historic royal mini-city located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It comprises dozens of buildings, courtyards, halls, temples, pagodas, garden and even a miniature mountain. The palace was the residence of the kings of Siam from 1782 to 1925 and among the attractions are the Funeral and Coronation halls while another big draw is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, where a 45cm statue of the Gautama Buddha was carved from one piece of solid translucent jade. Adjacent to the Grand Palace is the city’s oldest temple, Wat Pho, which is famed for the Reclining Buddha. This 43 metre-long figure is covered in gold leaf and reaches up to 15 metres at its highest point. There are also more than 1,000 images of the Lord Buddha as well as a sacred tree. Visit the Wat Traimit temple, which is home to a 5.5-tonne solid gold Buddha with an intriguing tale to tell. The Golden Buddha is believed to be about seven centuries old and at some point it was covered in plaster to hide its true value. Over time, this was forgotten and it was only when it fell in 1954 that its true composition was discovered. To round off the tour, we call in at a local lapidary factory and showroom where you will be able to get locally made jewelry, handicrafts and silk at competitive prices.