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.
- If you are not an actual guest at one of the hotels in our pick-up area, the designated meeting point will be our office on Chao Khamrop Road in Chinatown. Our office in Chinatown is just a short 5-minute walk from Wat Mangkon MRT (metro) station. IMPORTANT: The exact meeting/departure time will be informed in a private message via the booking platform the day before before the tour. Participants should be aware that pickups will begin up to 45 minutes before the scheduled tour start time. Please carefully check your email (including junk mail) the day before the tour.
- 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.
Reviews(1,015)
Our guide Piya was great Super accomodating and friendly and we felt we learnt a lot of really interesting information about the history of Thailand. He was very enthusiastic a great photo taker and overall super accomodating towards us. The inclusive option was also extremely handy, allowing us to get our bearings while he got tickets. He checked up on us and ensured we weren’t too hot or if we needed a break and overall I loved my experience today.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that Piya's enthusiasm, knowledge, and thoughtful care made your Ayutthaya experience so enjoyable. He'll be delighted to know his photography and attention to every detail helped create such special memories. We truly appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you on another unforgettable adventure in Thailand soon!
Piya was a fantastic guide. So friendly and knowledge and gave excellent advice on where to get the best pictures and was willing to answer every question we asked of him. He was flexible to our needs and kept checking in consistently on a very hot day. Transport was comfortable and cool. I would absolutely recommend him and the tour to anyone.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that Piya's knowledge, friendliness, and thoughtful care made your day so enjoyable. It's great to know his photography tips, flexibility, and attention to everyone's comfort helped create such a memorable experience. Thank you for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another amazing adventure in Thailand soon!
Overall this experience was mixed with Great people, a very accommodating tour guide team and more than enough time to become fully immersed into culture and history. Did I mention the team had Awesome communication.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your Ayutthaya experience and had plenty of time to immerse yourself in the rich history and culture. It means so much to know our team made you feel well taken care of, and we're especially happy that our communication helped make your day smooth and enjoyable. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you back for another memorable journey in Thailand!
The day was perfect. The temperature and the sun were also present. My guide, Coco, was very pleasant and took several photos of me. I took this group tour, but in the end, I was the only one, and the tour still took place. At each location, I was given (at the beginning of each visit) a brief overview of the country's history and the different relationships with the temple/palace I was about to see, and then I had free time to explore at my leisure. Coco is very knowledgeable about her history with the dates and shares her knowledge with me. The chosen restaurant was very nice and good. In summary, a beautiful day in the country's past. Thank you
Hi there, Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear that your day was perfect and that you got to enjoy the beautiful weather. It’s great to know that Coco made your visit so memorable. We love that she took so many nice photos for you! It was completely natural for us to go ahead with the tour even though you were the only one booked—we really wanted you to have a great time and enjoy the experience. We are also so glad you enjoyed the balance between the history lessons and your free time, as well as the restaurant choice. We will definitely pass your lovely compliments on to Coco; it will absolutely make her day! We hope to welcome you back to Thailand very soon. Take care! Warmly,
Coco was a great guide and I had a nice day!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you had such a nice day exploring Ayutthaya with Coco. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us, and we'll be sure to share your compliments with her—she'll be so happy to hear them! Thank you for choosing to travel with us. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience in Thailand soon! 😊
I thought it was very well organized there wasn't any hanging about and our guide Meaw was knowledgeable, funny and approachable taking us on a journey through all the temples we visited. The optional stop for lunch was good the restaurant having river views and the food being excellent.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found everything well organized from start to finish. Meaw will be thrilled to know that her knowledge, sense of humor, and friendly approach helped bring the history of Ayutthaya to life throughout the day. It's also wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the lunch stop and the beautiful riverside setting. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you on another memorable journey soon.
For those who enjoy historical ruins, this tour is ideal. We met at a convenient MRT station and were driven around in a luxury van for small groups of 9 or less. The driver smoothly managed the heavy traffic. Our guide, Coco, was warm and welcoming sharing with us her vast knowledge of Thai history while walking through multiple sites including a UNESCO site. The weather was hot so they provided us with water to keep us hydrated. The tour was well divided as we toured two sites prior to lunch at a local Thai restaurant and then three sites after lunch. We ended up back in Bangkok around 6 pm tired but happy.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Ayutthaya is truly a paradise for history lovers, and we're so pleased that you enjoyed discovering its remarkable ruins and UNESCO World Heritage sites with Coco. Her passion for Thai history and storytelling makes every stop come alive, and we're glad that was part of what made your day special. It’s also wonderful to hear that the comfortable transportation, thoughtful itinerary, and refreshing water helped make the journey enjoyable despite the heat. A day filled with fascinating history, authentic local food, and great company is exactly what we hope every guest experiences. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Coco and the driver. Thank you for joining us, and we hope your memories of Ayutthaya stay with you for years to come.
I found the tour guide, Meaw, to be very good she was very Knowledgeable about the temple complexs and had a good sense of humor and approachable personality. She kept the tour running smoothly and with the driver made the tour a pleasure. The stop for lunch was pleasant with river views and good food. The tour overall exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend Wander Siam.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're delighted to hear that the tour exceeded your expectations. Meaw will be so pleased to know that her knowledge, sense of humor, and approachable personality helped make the day both enjoyable and informative. It's also wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the riverside lunch and that the smooth coordination between Meaw and your driver contributed to a relaxing and memorable experience. Thank you for your recommendation and for choosing WanderSiam. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you on another adventure in Thailand in the future.
I had a great experience with Piya on this tour and would strongly recommend it if you want to learn about the Ayutthaya period, temples, and Thailand’s history. The tour went ahead despite a very small group due to lower-than-normal tourist levels. Piya was very knowledgeable, and it was clear that he was an experienced guide. At each site, he took the time to explain the relevant history to me, was happy to answer any questions I had, and helped me to take photos. The time at each site was well-managed and I never felt rushed. Our driver was also very safe and punctual. I felt that this tour offers excellent value and left it with a much deeper appreciation of Thai history and religion.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that Piya helped bring Ayutthaya's history to life and made your experience both enjoyable and meaningful. Thank you for your kind words about our guide and driver. It means a lot to know you left with a deeper appreciation of Thai history and culture. We hope to welcome you on another adventure in Thailand soon!
This was such a fun and interesting tour. Our guide Meow was amazing and made the day so memorable. I would recommend here and the tour 100%!
Thank you for your feedback and for joining our Bangkok Canal Tour. We're delighted to hear that you found your guide friendly and enthusiastic. We also appreciate your honest comments regarding the English communication. Your feedback is very valuable to us, and we'll continue working to improve our language skills to provide an even better experience for our guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future!
