Ayutthaya Day Tour by Bus with Chao Phraya River Cruise from Bangkok

Ayutthaya: Bangkok to the Old Capital by Coach

Ayutthaya lies about 80 kilometres north of Bangkok, on an island formed by three rivers. From 1350 until 1767 it was the capital of the kingdom of Siam and a major trading port, visited by ships from China, India, Persia and Europe. When a Burmese army burned the city, the court moved south, eventually founding Bangkok, and Ayutthaya's brick temples were left to the jungle. The Historical Park was listed by UNESCO in 1991.

Many travellers ask how to get to Ayutthaya without the hassle of trains and tuk-tuks between the sites. On this tour our air-conditioned coach takes you directly there in a little over an hour, and your guide introduces the history of the kingdom on the way. The early start means you reach the ruins before the strongest heat and the largest crowds of the day.

Wat Mahathat Ayutthaya

Wat Mahathat, built in the late fourteenth century, was the religious heart of the old capital and the residence of the most senior monk of the kingdom. Its central prang once rose high above the city but collapsed long ago, and today the site is a landscape of crumbling towers, brick walls and rows of Buddha images that lost their heads during the sack of 1767.

The highlight is the serene sandstone Buddha head cradled by the roots of a fig tree, one of the most recognisable images in Thailand. No one knows exactly how it came to rest there, but the tree slowly grew around it after the temple was abandoned. Visitors are asked to crouch when taking photos so their heads are lower than the Buddha's. The guided visit lasts about 40 minutes.

Wat Phra Sri Sanphet and the Old Royal Palace

A short drive away, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet occupies the grounds of Ayutthaya's former royal palace. It was the kings' own temple, used for royal ceremonies rather than as a monastery, and its three tall bell-shaped chedis, built around 1500, hold the ashes of kings. Their row of pointed silhouettes against the sky is the defining image of Ayutthaya.

The Wat Phra Sri Sanphet ruins also include the foundations of assembly halls and the old palace walls, giving an idea of the scale of the royal compound. Next door, the Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit shelters a very large bronze seated Buddha, visible from the lawns. You spend about 30 minutes here with your guide, which is ideal for photos of the three chedis.

Wat Lokayasutharam: the Giant Reclining Buddha

Wat Lokayasutharam, on the western side of the old city, is known for one of the largest reclining Buddha images in Thailand. Built of brick and covered in white plaster, the figure is about 42 metres long and 8 metres high, with its head resting on a lotus flower. Unlike the reclining Buddha in Bangkok, it lies in the open air, as the hall that once covered it disappeared centuries ago.

The statue is usually draped in a long saffron cloth offered by worshippers, and small stalls nearby sell flowers and incense. The surrounding temple ruins are quiet and spacious, so it is easy to take a full-length photo. Your guide explains the meaning of the reclining posture, which shows the Buddha at the moment of passing into nirvana. Allow about 30 minutes.

Chao Phraya River Cruise from Nonthaburi to Bangkok

After the temples, the coach takes you about an hour south to Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok, where you board the boat for the journey back to the city. The Chao Phraya, the great river of central Thailand, has been the main highway of the kingdom for centuries, and both Ayutthaya and Bangkok were built on its banks. This Chao Phraya River cruise follows it for about two hours.

While a Thai and international buffet lunch is served, you can relax on the upper deck and watch riverside temples, wooden houses on stilts, long-tail boats and modern bridges drift by. As you approach central Bangkok, the gleaming spires of Wat Arun and the roofs of the Grand Palace appear on the banks. The cruise ends at River City Bangkok, where the tour finishes in the afternoon.