Ayutthaya UNESCO Temples Small Group : Full Day Tour From Bangkok
Description
Step back in time and discover the fascinating world of Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. This full-day tour takes you on a journey through the heart of Thailand’s rich history, as you explore majestic temple ruins, centuries-old Buddha statues, and the remains of a once-thriving kingdom. Accompanied by an English-speaking guide, you’ll visit some of the most iconic and photogenic sites within the Ayutthaya Historical Park, while learning about the city’s rise, golden age, and eventual fall. Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya quickly grew into one of the most powerful and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Merchants from Europe, Persia, China, and Japan all passed through its vibrant streets, and its golden-roofed temples and palaces once rivalled the finest in Asia. This immersive day trip offers a perfect blend of culture, history, and stunning architecture; a must for anyone curious about Thailand’s royal past.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. A number of impressive buildings can be found in the palace complex, built in very different architectural styles, some in classical Thai, some Chinese and some European design.
Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon was founded in the second half of the 14th century during the reign of King U Thong, first ruler of Ayutthaya. Highlight of the monastery is its very large imposing prang dominating the area. century. During the Burmese invasion of 1767 the temple was largely destroyed.
Wat Mahathat, also known as the Monastery of the Great Relic, is believed to have been built around the 14th century and was once residence to the Supreme Patriarch leader of the Thai Buddhist monks. The most popular tourist attraction of Wat Mahathat is a tree whose roots have grown around the head of the Buddha statue.
This famous temple is situated on the south of Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Its large bronze seated Buddha image or Phra Mongkhon Bophit is one of the largest bronze Buddha images in Thailand with its measures of 9.5 meters across the lap and a height of 12.5 meters. During the fall of Ayutthaya, the building and the image were badly destroyed by fire. The present Vihara and Buddha image have been reconstructed and renovated in the reign of King Rama V.
Used mainly for ceremonies that served to authenticate the king’s spiritual and moral authority, Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the official royal temple. No monks lived here and only people within the royal circle were allowed to enter. Destroying Wat Phra Si Sanphet and the Royal Palace was a priority of the invading Burmese. They melted down 160 kilos of gold from the Phra Buddha Chai Sri Sanphet image and set fire to everything else. The distinctive pagodas of Wat Phra Si Sanphet are one of the most famous sights in Ayutthaya.
Wat Chaiwatthanaram was built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong during the later period of Ayutthaya. It was built to commemorate his mother's hometown and to celebrate his coronation. The main prang is surrounded by many lesser prangs and towers in eight directions. Wat Chaiwatthanaram was a royal monastery. The King and its descendants would perform religious rites here. It was also a cremation site for members of the Royal family. With its Khmer-style buildings, Wat Chaiwatthanaram is one of the most impressive ancient temples in Ayutthaya.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There is a strict dress code to enter Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Shoulders and ankles need to be covered. No sleeveless shirts, shorts, ripped jeans, tight trousers, leggings, slippers, sandals, or revealing tops, otherwise you won't be allowed in.
- Bangkok’s traffic can be heavily congested. As our tours run on a group basis, we can wait a maximum of 10 minutes after the scheduled meeting time. After this grace period, the guide will begin the tour. If you cannot make it on time, please let us know before the tour starts. If possible, we’ll do our best to reschedule you for the next available time slot or day, though a rescheduling fee will apply. No refund will be provided in case of late arrival.
- Cancellations made at least 24 hours before the tour start time are eligible for a full refund. For cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance or in case of no-show, no refund will be issued.
- Our tours operate rain or shine, as tropical rain showers in Thailand usually don’t last long. If it rains heavily, we try to seek shelter and will continue as soon as the weather improves. During the rainy season, it’s a good idea to bring a raincoat or poncho. Please note cancellations due to weather are not eligible for a refund.
- The exact departure time from the meeting point will be sent to you via private message on the booking platform one day before the tour. Please check your email (including your junk/spam folder) carefully the day before your tour to avoid any delays or missed departures.
- For tours starting at 7:30 hrs, departure from the meeting point will be between 7:30 and 8:00 hrs, depending on the number of participants.
- For tours starting at 10:00 hrs, departure from the meeting point will be between 9:30 and 10:00 hrs, depending on the number of participants.
Reviews(1,094)
We had an absolutely wonderful day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. It had the right balance of activities so that we were not overly exhausted by the end of the day (especially given the hot and humid weather). The tour guide, Coconut, was excellent and made the trip much more enjoyable. She was very knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the temples and ensured that the bus rides were filled with interesting conversations. She took the time to take photographs of us and other families. She even went out of her way to cater to our dietary restrictions and ensured that we had suitable food before she ate herself. She also showed exceptional patience and grace in dealing with two members of our group who decided to wander off on their own! When we were stuck in rush hour traffic at the end of the day, she and the van driver were kind enough to figure out a walkable dropoff location for each of us. Overall, I would strongly recommend this tour and tour guide to anyone visiting Thailand.
Very sunny 😎 day trip. The guide spoke broken English but that was okay. I learnt some new things from the guide.
I really liked our guide piya he was well informed, took amazing pictures, and knew lots of interesting facts.
Overall good tour. It should be clearly stated in the booking confirmation when you have paid to get lunch and entrances included instead of saying something along the lines if you selected it.
Our tour guide gave us a wealth of information about the many temples and palaces we visited.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted that our guide's deep knowledge and fascinating stories brought all the temples and palaces to life for you. We hope to welcome you back for another insightful journey soon!
A very interesting tour. The temples are very cool and the tour is quite good.
Thank you for the fantastic review! We're glad you enjoyed exploring the stunning temples and found the tour so interesting. We hope to see you again for another great experience!
Small group of 4 people, which made the experience very personal and welcoming. Going with Uan as a guide was very pleasant. He always made sure to take us into the shade, give us water, and provide us with umbrellas so we could better handle the heat. We have grown fond of him. It is a highly recommended excursion!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We're thrilled that your small-group tour of 4 was so warm and cozy, and that Guide Wan took such great care of you by finding shade, providing water, and offering umbrellas to beat the heat. We truly appreciate your heartfelt recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon!
Very gray your guide Wan and good experience seeing all the sites
Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We're thrilled that Wan was great and that you had such a wonderful experience exploring the sites. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you back on your next adventure!
Coco was amazing! Was so nice and friendly and was super funny too! Had lots of information and was a great tour overall! Highly recommended with Coco !
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time and that Coco made your tour so fun and memorable with her friendly personality, great humor, and wealth of information. We truly appreciate your high recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon!
We had an excellent time with Mild. She was funny, knowledgeable, and took great pictures!
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear that you had an excellent time and that Mild made the experience so fun and memorable with her great knowledge and photography skills. We truly appreciate your kind recommendation and hope to welcome you back again soon!
