Quick Answer
The greatest Buddhist temples in Asia include Angkor Wat, the temple plain of Bagan, Borobudur in Java, Shwedagon in Yangon, Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera, Todai-ji in Nara and Bhutan’s cliffside Tiger’s Nest. Here are 10, with etiquette and timing.
Buddhist temples across Asia range from single gilded stupas to plains covered in thousands of shrines. These 10 are the most remarkable — each still an active place of worship, which shapes how you should visit.
10 of the Best Buddhist Temples in Asia
1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Best months: Dec–Feb · 22–31°C days · dry (ERA5 climate data)
The largest religious monument on earth, built Hindu and later Buddhist — five lotus towers best seen at sunrise from the reflecting pools.
2. Bagan, Myanmar
More than 2,000 brick temples and stupas across a plain beside the Irrawaddy, spectacular at first light.
3. Kiyomizu-dera & Kyoto's temples
Best months: Sep–Nov · 13–22°C days · some rain (ERA5 climate data)
Kyoto holds seventeen UNESCO-listed sites; Kiyomizu-dera’s wooden stage over the hillside is the most photographed.
4. Borobudur, Indonesia
Best months: Jul–Sep · 23–33°C days · rainy (ERA5 climate data)
The world’s largest Buddhist temple — a stepped stone mandala on Java, walked clockwise from base to summit.
5. Wat Arun & Wat Pho, Bangkok
Best months: Dec–Feb · 22–32°C days · dry (ERA5 climate data)
The Temple of Dawn on the Chao Phraya, and the reclining Buddha nearby — Bangkok’s two essential temples.
6. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon
A gilded stupa said to hold relics of four Buddhas, at its best in the hour before sunset.
7. Todai-ji, Nara, Japan
Best months: Sep–Nov · 14–22°C days · rainy (ERA5 climate data)
One of the world’s largest wooden buildings, housing a 15-metre bronze Buddha, surrounded by free-roaming deer.
8. Boudhanath, Kathmandu
One of the largest stupas in the world and the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal — walk the kora at dusk.
9. Tiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang), Bhutan
A monastery clinging to a cliff 900 metres above the valley, reached by a steep two-hour climb.
10. Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Best months: Dec–Feb · 23–30°C days · rainy (ERA5 climate data)
Sri Lanka’s most sacred Buddhist site, holding a relic tooth, with daily puja ceremonies open to visitors.
Temple etiquette
These are working religious sites, not monuments. Cover shoulders and knees — many temples refuse entry otherwise, and Bhutan and Thailand enforce it strictly. Remove shoes where indicated, never point your feet toward a Buddha image, and do not turn your back on one for a photograph. Walk clockwise around stupas. Ask before photographing monks or people praying, and check whether photography is permitted inside shrine halls at all. Sunrise visits at Angkor and Bagan are both the most atmospheric and the most crowded — arrive very early.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest Buddhist temple in the world?
Borobudur in Java, though Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument of any faith.
What should you wear?
Shoulders and knees covered. Carry a scarf or sarong; some temples provide cover-ups, many do not.
When is the best time to visit?
Sunrise for Angkor and Bagan; the dry season (November–March) for most of Southeast Asia.
