Ayutthaya Trips & Tours

Swap the current capital for the ancient one and immerse yourself in Thai history from years gone by

Calling all history buffs! In fact, you don’t even have to be a history buff to fall head over heels for the charm of Ayutthaya, the erstwhile capital of the ancient Siam Kingdom. Nestled on the banks of the Chao Praya River and surrounded by rice fields and meandering waterways, the city was once a bustling trading port, and merchants from India, China and Europe would flock to trade and peruse the exotic wares. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and tourists replace the merchants (although really, there aren’t that many in this part of the country), eager to see the ornate temples, shrines, monasteries and Siamese artefacts left behind. If it were us, we’d hop on a bike and peddle our way through the back alleys and landmarks, before stopping for a light lunch of ‘boat noodles.’ In the afternoon, a leisurely cruise on a converted rice barge is just the ticket to see the sacred sights from a different perspective.

What to do in Ayutthaya

As the bygone capital of the kingdom of Siam, Ayutthaya acts as a great, open-air museum. On walks, bicycle rides and rice barge cruises, your head will be left spinning by the ancient architecture. Look out for ruined stupas, temples, monasteries and palaces including some of Thailand's oldest and most impressive temples, and striking statues of Buddha including Wat Phra Mahthat where a stone head is suspended in the roots of a giant banyan tree and the golden figure at Wat Panan Choeng, which stands at 19 metres high and was said to have shed tears when the city crumbled.