Private Ayutthaya Day Trip with Driver from Bangkok

Ayutthaya, the old capital of Siam

Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 on an island where the Chao Phraya, Pa Sak and Lopburi rivers meet, and for more than four centuries it was the capital of a powerful kingdom and one of the largest trading cities in Asia. Merchants from across the region and from Europe lived in its quarters, and its skyline was filled with gilded temples and palaces. The city was destroyed in 1767, and the brick ruins that survive are now protected as Ayutthaya Historical Park, inscribed by UNESCO in 1991.

An Ayutthaya day trip from Bangkok takes about an hour and a half by road each way, which makes a private car the easiest way to see the main sites in one day. Is Ayutthaya worth visiting? For anyone interested in Thai history, temples or photography, the answer is yes: the scale of the ruins, the quiet lawns and the rows of Buddha statues give a feeling Bangkok cannot offer.

Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, the summer palace

Bang Pa-In lies on the Chao Phraya about 20 kilometres south of Ayutthaya. A royal residence first stood here in the 17th century, and the complex you see today was rebuilt and expanded in the late 19th century as a summer retreat. Its charm is the mixture of styles: a Thai pavilion floating in the middle of a pond, a Chinese-style hall, a European-style observatory tower and neat gardens with clipped hedges and bridges over the water.

Plan around an hour here to walk the gardens and photograph the lake pavilion, which is the classic image of the palace. Bang Pa-In is still used for royal functions, so modest dress is required: shoulders and knees covered, no very short shorts. The Bang Pa-In Palace entrance fee is paid at the gate and is not included in this trip.

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 kingdom and stood close to the royal palace. Its central prang once rose high above the city and housed sacred relics; today the brick bases, broken towers and long rows of headless seated Buddha statues show how fiercely the city was attacked in 1767. Excavations here uncovered gold objects and relic caskets that are now kept in the national museum in Ayutthaya.

The best-known sight is a sandstone Buddha head gently wrapped in the roots of a bodhi tree, one of the most photographed images in Thailand. Visitors are asked to crouch or kneel when taking a photo so that they are not standing higher than the head. Allow about 45 minutes to walk the grounds at your own pace.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the royal temple

Wat Phra Si Sanphet stood inside the grounds of the old royal palace and was used only for royal ceremonies, so no monks lived here. It is famous for its three large bell-shaped chedis standing in a row, which held the ashes of Ayutthaya kings. A huge standing Buddha covered in gold once stood in the main hall before the city fell. The three chedis are the symbol of Ayutthaya and appear on countless photographs of the old capital.

The site is compact and easy to walk in about 30 to 40 minutes. The light is softest in the late afternoon, but the temple is beautiful at any hour. Entry tickets for Ayutthaya temples are sold at each site; your driver will point you to the ticket booth and wait for you at the car park.

Viharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit and its bronze Buddha

Right next to Wat Phra Si Sanphet stands Viharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit, a large hall with a white and red tiered roof that shelters one of the biggest bronze Buddha images in Thailand. The seated Buddha, covered in dark bronze with a gentle expression, is believed to date from the 15th century. It was damaged when the city fell and the hall was rebuilt in the 20th century, so today it is an active place of worship visited by many Thai families.

Inside, it is customary to remove shoes and sit with your feet pointing away from the Buddha. Entry to the hall itself is normally free. Outside, small stalls sell snacks, fruit and souvenirs, which makes it a convenient place for a break before the drive back to Bangkok.