What places to visit in Ayutthaya?
What to do and see in Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya is a little piece of Thailand history at 1 hour 30 from Bangkok. It is one of the destinations in Thailand with the most interesting ancient temples to visit. In the city center, in an area often called Ayutthaya Historical Park, there are many ruins to see. Don't miss Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon a little outside the center.
I also listed at the end of the page some
good tours, excursions and activities that you can do in Ayutthaya or from Ayutthaya.
Click here to see them.
Must-visit places in Ayutthaya
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the most visited temple in Ayuthaya, three chedis perfectly preserved make this wat very unique.
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perfectly restored, a very beautiful temple with two large Buddhas on each side of the big chedi and a reclyning Buddha a little further. Around the main building a square with buddhas statues. It is better to visit it early in the morning around 8:30-9:00, there are very few visitors and you will practically have the temple for you alone.
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Temple on the outskirts of the city, it has a huge golden Buddha sitting
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very ruined especially interesting for its Buddha head trapped in the roots of a tree
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close to the Wat Phra Si Sanphet, it houses a huge bronze Buddha.
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Khmer-style temple outside the city. It can be accessed by longtail (boat) from the Chankasem Palace Pier.
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and its reclining Buddha
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This night market offers a very nice decor and a pleasant atmosphere. It is held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in the heart of the city near the most famous historical temples of Ayutthaya. This is particularly a place that I recommend for dinner and discover the local cuisine.
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This small temple is very rarely mentioned in guide books but its ''Gate of Time'', a ruined arch in the roots of a tree, is probably one of the most photogenic places n Ayutthaya. I let you judge by looking at my pictures and decide if you want to go or not.
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This temple located in Bang Pa In 25 kilometers in the South from Ayutthaya is unique and surprising for two reasons: it is a Buddhist temple with a neo-Gothic church architecture and the way to access it is not common.
Other nice places to visit in Ayutthaya
starstarstarstarstar temple especially interesting for its huge sitting Buddha 95 meters high, the highest in Thailand. You can touch Its hand from a little stage
starstarstarstar Bang Pa-In is town a few kilometers before Ayutthaya (usually trains for Ayuthaya stop there). This palace was the summer residence of the royal family.
starstarstarstar especially noted for its columns and its ceiling decorated with brown and gold and its atypical Buddha
starstarstarstar this temple often overlooked next to the main temples in the center worth a visit at least for its old chedi and its gold-coated Buddha relining
starstarstarstar unknown by most tourists, it is located after the Wat Phra Neru and has a beautiful reclining Buddha more than 600 years old. The rest of the temple is less interesting
starstarstarstar This stone carver located next to Wat Phra Ngam temple in Ayutthaya is one of the few to still carve Khmer-style statues and lintels in Thailand in a business and a skill passed from father to son. He gladly welcomes visitors to his studio when he is there.
starstarstar and its very well-preserved prang
starstarstar small temple. It only remains a stupa with its Buddha in front and the walls of a building housing a sitting Buddha
starstarstar or Golden Mount, outside the city, it is a white stone staircase building with a golden tip
starstarstar is an enclosure for elephants with teks pillars you visit quickly and can observe from a platteforme
starstarstar This temple is not the best known in Ayutthaya, it is rarely mentioned in guide books. Butit is one of the oldest if not the oldest in town. Visitors often remember its stone Reclining Buddha but its Khmer-style prang surrounded by a courtyard and a covered enclosure with sitting Buddhas is also interesting to visit.
starstarstar This temple-palace is remarkable for its juxtaposition of the ruins of an ancient temple from Ayutthaya period and a more modern building built on its ruins more than two centuries after its sacking. Very little touristy, it is an interesting visit to add for those who want to get off the beaten track in Ayutthaya.
starstarstar This temple in the province of Ang Thong in the north of Bangkok dates from the Sukhothai period and has the largest reclining Buddha in Thailand. All white, it is often covered with a yellow patchwork dress made of the prayers and words of visitors.
starstarstar It's the biggest fresh market in Ayutthaya and if you haven't seen a local market in Thailand yet, I recommend you go there for a walk in the early hours of the day when the market is the most active with the more sellers and customers.
starstarstar Wat Phanom Yong is not Ayutthaya's most unmissable temple to visit, but it houses a reclining Buddha and the colorful murals in its ordination hall are superb. Recent but superb!
starstar brand new, this market is not a traditional floating market at all but remains a nice place for shopping and eating that welcomes you every day
Tours in Ayutthaya and around
This selection includes tours, excursions and activities that I have personally tested or were tested by people I fully trust but also offers by recognized agencies or websites known for their seriousness and quality.
Tours from Ayutthaya
Safarine Tours
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