Ayutthaya Temples Day Trip with Entry Tickets & Boat Ride from Bangkok

Ayutthaya Historical Park

Ayutthaya, about 80 kilometres north of Bangkok, was founded in 1350 and ruled as the capital of the Kingdom of Siam for more than four centuries. Built on an island where three rivers meet, it grew into one of the largest and richest cities in Asia, trading with China, India, Persia and Europe, until it was sacked and burned by a Burmese army in 1767.

Its brick temples, chedis and prangs now stand in the Ayutthaya Historical Park, listed by UNESCO in 1991 as the Historic City of Ayutthaya. The drive from Bangkok takes about two hours each way, and an Ayutthaya day trip from Bangkok with a guide is the easiest way to understand the ruins, as the sites are spread out across the island and beyond.

Wat Mahathat and the Buddha head in the tree

Wat Mahathat, the Monastery of the Great Relic, was one of the most important temples of the old capital and the seat of the supreme patriarch of Thai Buddhism. Founded in the 14th century, it once had a great central prang that collapsed long ago, leaving a field of brick ruins and headless Buddha statues.

Its most famous sight is a stone Buddha head entwined in the roots of a banyan tree, one of the most photographed images in Thailand. Nobody knows exactly how it got there; it probably fell from a damaged statue and was slowly lifted by the growing tree. Out of respect, visitors crouch or kneel when taking photos so that their head is not higher than the Buddha's. You spend about 45 minutes here with your guide.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon

Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon lies south-east of the old island and was first built in 1357 for monks returning from study in Sri Lanka. Its huge bell-shaped chedi was later raised to celebrate a famous Ayutthayan victory in battle, and today it dominates the skyline of the area.

Long rows of seated Buddha statues draped in saffron robes line the courtyard walls, and a large reclining Buddha rests near the entrance. Unlike many sites in the historical park, it is still an active temple with resident monks. You can climb the steps of the main chedi for a view over the grounds, and the guided visit takes about 45 minutes.

The river boat ride around Ayutthaya

After a one-hour lunch break at a local restaurant, at your own expense, you board a boat for about 45 minutes on the river that encircles the old city. Ayutthaya was a city of canals and waterways, and seeing it from the water helps you understand why it grew so powerful as a trading port.

The boat passes wooden houses on stilts, riverside temples, fishing platforms and everyday local life, before landing you directly at Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Along the way your guide explains how the river linked the city to foreign merchants, whose old trading settlements lay just outside the island. It is also a welcome chance to cool off in the breeze during the heat of the day.

Wat Chaiwatthanaram on the riverbank

Wat Chaiwatthanaram stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, just outside the old island. It was built in 1630 by a king of Ayutthaya in memory of his mother, in the Khmer style inspired by Angkor, with a 35-metre central prang surrounded by four smaller prangs and eight chapel-like towers on a raised terrace.

Restored after centuries of neglect, it is one of the most beautiful temples in Ayutthaya, especially in the soft light of late afternoon. You have about 45 minutes to walk around the galleries and photograph the towers before the drive back to Bangkok. Is Ayutthaya worth a day trip? With these three temples and the river, most travellers say it is the highlight of their time in central Thailand.