Day Trips to Ayutthaya from Bangkok

The Kingdom of Ayutthaya is a living, breathing reminder of Thailand's rich cultural heritage. It is a historic place that is home to magnificent temples, royal palaces, ancient ruins and beguiling landscapes that simply take your breath away. Booking a tour to Ayutthaya from Bangkok is one of the best things you can do on your trip to Thailand, and it's no wonder that more and more people are exploring the glorious past of this mighty kingdom.

If you want to experience the Ayutthaya Historical Park in a comfortable and comprehensive way, booking a tour to Ayutthaya from Bangkok is the perfect option for you.

Ayutthaya Historical Park is a fascinating place full of history and culture where you can see impressive monuments:

• Wat Mahathat, famous for its stone Buddha head entwined in the roots of a Bengal tree that continues to rise daily.
• Wat Chaiwatthanaram, with its imposing stone chedis resting on an army of elephants.
• Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the temple that served as the model for Bangkok' s Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
• Wat Lokayasutharam, with its gigantic statue of the reclining Buddha: 42 metres long by 8 metres high.

In addition to visiting these highlights, lunch included and water at your disposal and, of course, transport by air-conditioned vehicle and the accompaniment of an expert guide are included.

Details of interest

• Price: 32 € per person.
• Duration: 7 hours and 30 minutes.
• What you should know: it is common to book this type of tour in Spanish, so you won't have any problems with the language.
• What the tour includes: Transport to and from Bangkog or even from your accommodation. Lunch. Bottled water. Transport service in an air-conditioned vehicle. Expert local guide service.
• Pros: The convenience of a private transfer to and from Bangkok is a great advantage of this type of customisable tour.
• Cons: On weekends during peak season the temples are often crowded with tourists, so even if the tour is customised, the experience may suffer.

If you want to combine the convenience of not having to worry about all the logistics with the greatest flexibility, then booking a private tour to Ayutthaya from Bangkok is the best option for you.

The tour can be customised according to your tastes and interests, but in general the highlights are as follows:

• Wat Lokayasutharam.
• Wat Phra Phra Si Sanphet.
• Wat Mahathat.
• Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
• Wat Ratchaburana. This is a different kind of place of worship, as Indian influences can be seen in its architecture.
• Chao Sam Phraya Museum, which houses the royal ornaments found at Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Mahathat.

Details of interest

• Price: from €106 per person.
• Duration: 9 hours.
• What you should know: the tour can accommodate a maximum of 15 people.
• What the tour may include: Professional guide service. Transport by air-conditioned vehicle to and from Bangkok or your hotel. Lunch at local restaurant. Bottled water.
• Pros: this is one of the most complete tours you can do in one day to discover the beauty of Ayutthaya in its intimate and touristy side at the best price.
• Cons: This activity is often offered in English only.

The tour will start with a pick-up from your hotel, from where you will head southwest to the open-air market on the railway tracks in Mae Klong. Here, you will have the opportunity to see all kinds of local products and, if you are lucky, watch the train pass through the centre of the market.

Afterwards, the tour continues to the popular Damnoen Saduak floating market, where local vendors offer their wares from traditional boats. You can board one of these boats and enjoy a unique Thai-style shopping experience.

After enjoying some free time for lunch and exploring the area, the tour will continue to one of Asia's representative architectural gems: Ayutthaya Park, one of the focal points of the ancient Kingdom of Siam from the 14th to the 18th century. Here, you will visit the ruins of the three main temples of the area:

• Wat Mahathat.
• Wat Yai Chai Mongkol.
• Wat Pra Sri Sanphet.

Details of interest

• Price: from €75.
• Duration: between 6 and 11 hours, varies depending on the destination combinations you choose.
• What you need to know: wear comfortable shoes, this day will be all about exploration, cardio, adventure and fun!
• What the tour may include: entrance fees and taxes to the palace, temples and floating market. Transport by air-conditioned minivan. Local guide service in your language.
• Pros: Having the opportunity to enjoy both experiences in one tour is convenient and practical.
• Cons: This type of tour often does not include food and beverages.

Day tours to the Kingdom of Ayutthaya include visits to must-see temples and ruins in Asia according to Traveler, but how about raising the stakes with a boat trip on one of the best cruise excursions from Bangkok? That's the experience on offer with this type of Ayutthaya group tour and cruise.

This tour combines an exciting cruise on the Chao Phraya River with a ride in a comfortable air-conditioned bus and begins at Khlong Toei Harbour, where you board a luxury boat for a relaxing river cruise from which you can:

• Admire iconic landmarks such as the Temple of Dawn and the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
• Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch with a variety of local and international cuisine.

After the cruise, the group will change transport to board a bus to Ayutthaya province, where you will visit Wat Lokayasutharam, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya and Wat Chaiwattanaram.

Details of interest

• Price: from 64 € per person.
• Duration: 9 hours.
• What you should know: This tour is not recommended for pregnant women or people with small children.
• What the tour may include: all entrance fees to temples and palaces visited. Chao Phraya river cruise. Buffet lunch. Transfer by bus.
• Pros: The price is convenient. This land and sea tour of Thailand is quite comprehensive, ideal for families and groups of friends.
• Cons: Groups can be large. Attention is less personalised. The guide service is usually in Thai and English.

If you are looking for an exciting, cheap and convenient way to discover Ayutthaya from Bangkok, a small group tour may be the perfect option. This tour includes an expert guide, all entrance fees and lunch at a local restaurant. You can choose to travel in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle or join the tour at the first stop at Wat Lokaya Sutha.

The next stop is Wat Phra Sri Sanphet and then you will visit Wat Mahathat before enjoying lunch at a local Thai restaurant, where your guide will be on hand to recommend local culinary specialties.

To conclude the tour the group will approach the temple of Wat Chaiwattanaram. The architecture here is imposing and reminiscent of the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. Here you can stroll around the monumental grounds and marvel at its beauty. Finally, you will be driven back to your point of origin.

Interesting details

• Price: from 35 € per person.
• Duration: 7 to 8 hours.
• What you should know: this tour usually follows a less flexible itinerary of activities, however, it is functional for a day at the ruins of Ayutthaya.
• What the tour may include: Lunch. Shuttle service to and from Ayutthaya. Bottled water. Expert guide service. Entrance fees to the temples.
• Pros: This tour gives you a quick overview of the main sights of the area.
• Cons: Shuttle service to and from your hotel is an additional cost. Often not offered in English.

• Take care of the dress code: although Thailand is one of the countries with a tropical climate, and in summer, for example, 30°C is often a constant, you should wear trousers and cover your shoulders to enter the temples.
• If you have a trip to Ayutthaya on your list of things to do in Bangkok with kids, take into consideration that the hikes are long.
• If you decide to stay with Airbnb .... you may need to provide a central pick-up point to the tour company. For safety's sake, shuttle service providers only go through hotels in the area.