Amazing Thailand: visiting ancient temples in Ayutthaya and adventuring in Kanchanaburi

Part 3 of our Thailand itinerary. Out of Bangkok there are a few interesting places to visit for one day or longer.

We visited Ayutthaya for one day. It’s the old capital of Thailand with a lot of interesting temples to visit.

Also, Kanchanaburi can be visited for one day, but here we decided to try the floating river hotel and relax for two nights.

Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya was once one of the world’s richest and most beautiful cities. It was the third biggest city of the Siamese Kingdom, where you could find a lot of golden temples and palaces. It was the center of civilization for almost 400 years. In 1767 all the gold was stolen by the Burmese. Nowadays there are still very interesting ruins and I will highlight the best to visit.

How to get there?

As it’s only 80 km drive from Bangkok you can easily access it by car. If you choose to stay for two days, you can see the sunset and the lightened temples.

Another way to get there is by boat from Bangkok across the Chao Phraya-river. You can do this in one day. A great alternative is to board the Mekhala Cruise which takes two days.

Going by train or bus will take about 1,5 hour and is the cheapest way.

Most beautiful temples to visit in Ayutthaya Historical Park.

1) Wat Yai Chai Mongkol

This temple was built in 1357 and was one of the most important of Ayutthaya. You can visit inside if you are willing to climb the steps. Next to the entrance you can find a 7-meter-long reclining Buddha.

Entrance fee: 50 bath, open daily from 9 am till 6 pm

2) Wat Phra Mahathat

This temple is famous because of the head between the roots of the Bodhi tree. No one knows how it got there, some say it was left behind by the Burmese, others that it got stuck there during one of the floodings.

Entrance fee: 50 bath, open daily from 8 am till 5pm.

3) Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Another temple worth a visit, this one was built within the walls of the Grand Palace in 1491 and was used as the Royal chapel.

Entrance fee: 50 bath, open daily from 8.30 am till 5 pm

4) Wat Chaiwatthanaram

The style of this temple is comparable to Angkor Watt in Cambodia as it has been built in Khmer-style. Near the Chao Phraya River and especially beautiful at sunset.

Entrance fee: 50 bath, open daily from 8 am till 6 pm.

5) Wat Phanan Choeng

This temple is totally different than the other ones. Inside you can find a 19 meters high golden Buddha. You can find a lot of locals here that come to pray.

Entrance fee: 20 bath, open daily from 8 am till 5 pm.

!Tip: rent a bike or scooter to take you from one temple to another.