Private Ayutthaya Temples Tour From Bangkok

Following hotel pick up from Bangkok city area hotel at 8 am by English speaking guide start your private Ayutthaya day tour. Your first stop will be Bang Pa In Palace. Bang Pa-In palace the summer palace of the Thai kings. It is located about 15 km south of the city of Ayutthaya and 50 km north of Bangkok at the Chao Phraya River. It was named after the island on which it was erected and which lies at a current loop of the river. Originally the palace was built around 1600 by King Prast Thong, who was also born here. All subsequent kings used this palace until the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, during which the palace was also destroyed. King Mongkut, Rama IV, revived this place. He and his son, the successor King Chulalongkorn (Phra Bat Somdet, Rama V) had built a new palace with many European elements. Before Mongkut became king, he enjoyed an education as a monk, which led him on extended journeys not only through Thailand but above all also to Europe. His son opened Thailand to the West.

Believed to be the spiritual centre of Early Ayutthaya Period, Wat Mahathat was the royal ceremonial ground for both religious and non-religious affairs before King Trailoknat replaced it with Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Built before Ayutthaya became the Siamese capital, the temple features a Khmer-style prang (now collapsed) which used to enshrine a miniature casket containing the Buddha’s relics (now on display at Chao Sam Phraya Museum). Apart from the principal prang, Wat Mahathat is the site of the lone Buddha's head entrapped by the roots of an overgrown banyan tree – today a popular icon of Ayutthaya. The head is closely guarded around the clock, and even the slightest gesture of disrespect (e.g. taking photographs while standing over the Buddha’s head) will not be tolerated.

The Reclining Buddha managed to survive, however, and stretches 37 meters long and 8 meters high. It was once encased by a monastery building (which is now only foundations) and although the Buddha itself is quite weathered from being exposed to the elements, restoration work in the 1950s has ensured its survival. The Buddha faces to the west, with its head resting on a lotus flower, and apparently the vertical straight arm, which is supporting the head indicates that it was built in the Middle Ayutthaya period (post 16th century). During the Early Ayutthaya period, Reclining Buddhas were sculpted with their supporting arm folded, making them distinctively different. Another standout feature of the Buddha is its toes, which are all exactly the same length, with the feet alone measuring 5 meters in length!

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One of the best-preserved ancient royal monasteries, situated just before the eastern entrance to the inner city, the temple is famous for its large reclining Buddha and a 62-metre inverted bell-shaped chedi (pagoda) built to commemorate King Naresuan’s victory over the Burmese. Set in vast landscaped grounds, the temple was constructed during King U-Thong’s reign (1350 – 1369) as a forest temple school. Surrounding the principal chedi are cloister walls lined with several Buddha images – a unique architectural feature of the Early Ayutthaya Period.

South of Wat Phra Si Sanphet, this stand-alone chapel was built to shelter a large bronze Buddha image, Phra Mongkol Bophit. It was ransacked and burned by the Burmese, then finally restored to its original glory in 1956. Although it houses a Buddha image, Wiharn Phra Mongkol Bophit is not a temple because it is the only structure standing, built on the original site of Wat Chi Chiang, which was burned down in 1767 along with the rest of Ayutthaya.

The Historic City of Ayutthaya has to be one of the most impressive in the world. First built in 1350, it served as the capital of the Siamese Kingdom in modern day Thailand. After the fall of the equally impressive Angkor Empire, Ayutthaya was well positioned to fill in the power vacuum. Over the next four hundred years, it flourished as possibly The most important economic capital of the world as it was strategically positioned between India and China.Ayutthaya was the envy and example of many kingdoms near and far. The Japanese, Dutch, and many others describe the capital in awe and set up settlements for trade outside of the city limits. Siam at the time, was very strict about not letting outsiders inside the main city. At last, it's an ideal opportunity to return. Furthermore, drop off you at your Bangkok City Hotel around 5 pm.