Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District Trip Overview
The ancient city of Ayutthaya or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, the Thai capital for 417 years, is one of Thailand’s major attractions. Many ancient ruins and art works can be seen in a city that was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong when the Thais were forced southwards by northern neighbours. During the period of Ayutthaya being the Thai capital, 33 kings of different dynasties ruled the kingdom until it was sacked and looted by the Burmese in 1767. The ruins indicate that Ayutthaya was once one of the most prosperous and mightiest cities in the world.
– Chance to explore Ayutthaya by Tuk Tuk
– Learn about Thailand’s past splendor on a historical tour of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre
– Visit the country’s most important monasteries and wander around the incredible temple grounds and ruins
– Search for the widely-photographed Bhudda’s head nestled in the trees
– Enjoy an authentic lunch at a local restaurant
Additional Info
Duration: 4 hours
Starts: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Thailand
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand
The ancient city of Ayutthaya or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, the Thai capital for 417 years, is one of Thailand’s major attractions. Many ancient ruins and art works can be seen in a city that was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong when the Thais were forced southwards by northern neighbours. During the period of Ayutthaya being the Thai capital, 33 kings of different dynasties ruled the kingdom until it was sacked and looted by the Burmese in 1767. The ruins indicate that Ayutthaya was once one of the most prosperous and mightiest cities in the world.
– Chance to explore Ayutthaya by Tuk Tuk
– Learn about Thailand’s past splendor on a historical tour of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre
– Visit the country’s most important monasteries and wander around the incredible temple grounds and ruins
– Search for the widely-photographed Bhudda’s head nestled in the trees
– Enjoy an authentic lunch at a local restaurant
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Historic City of Ayutthaya, Pratu Chai Sub-district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
Tour start at 9:00 hours everyday.
Meeting point is in the arrival/departure hall of Ayutthaya train station. The guide will wait for you at the information table inside the arrival hall of Ayutthaya train station, holding a sign with your name. From there we walk to the river and cross the river by local ferry.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Wat Mahathat, Ayutthaya Historical Park Pratuchai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
During our Tuk-tuk Ayutthaya day tour we visit the following 6 places of interest by TUK TUK:
Wat Mahathat (built in 1374), “the temple of the Great Relic”, was one of the most important temples in the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It enshrined Buddha relics and was the seat of the Supreme Patriarch of Buddhism and thus the center of Buddhism in the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It was a Royal monastery located close to the palace. The King performed important ceremonies here. When the Burmese invaded and largely destroyed Ayutthaya in 1767, Wat Mahathat was set on fire.
One of Thailand’s most photographed objects can be found at Wat Mahathat: the head of a stone Buddha image entwined in the roots of a tree
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Pratuchai Subdistrict, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
Wat Phra Si Sanphet may have been built in 1448, but there is ample evidence that it existed earlier. It was reportedly one of the grandest temples in the ancient capital, and it is still one of the best preserved on the island. The temple took its name from the large standing Buddha image erected here in 1503, 16 meters tall and covered with more than 150 kg of gold. The Buddha was smashed to pieces and the gold melted down when the Burmese sacked the city.
King Rama I collected the remaining bronze pieces and placed them in a chedi at Wat Pho in Bangkok.
The three bell-shaped chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet have practically become a symbol of Ayutthaya and were built to contain the ashes of King Boromatrailokanat and his two sons.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit, Pratuchai Subdistrict, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
Wat Mongkhon Bophit
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Lokayasutharam), Phratuchai Subdistrict, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
Wat Lokaya Sutha (or Wat Lokayasutharam), “the temple of the Earth”, is famous because of its 42 meters long and 8 meters high Reclining Buddha image (“Phra Buddha Sai Yat”), usually draped in orange cloth.
Little is known about this monastery’s history. Since it is located close to the Royal Palace it was probably an important temple. Its founding date is unknown; judging from the style of the main prang which is constructed in the same style as Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Mahathat, it is believed that the temple dates back from the early Ayutthaya period
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is one of the most impressive ancient temples in Ayutthaya. It was built in Khmer style in 1630 during the reign of King Prasat Thong to make-merit for his mother.
During its heyday, Wat Chaiwatthanaram was an important royal temple where the king and his descendants performed religious rites and it was also used as a cremation site for various members of royalty. The whole structure of the monastery is supposed to represent the Buddhist view of the world; the central prang is about 35 meters tall and represents Mount Meru. It is surrounded by small spires (representing continents and oceans) decorated with relief sculptures depicting the life of Buddha.
Like many of the Buddha images in Ayutthaya, most of them have had their heads lopped off following the fall of the city to Burmese invaders in 1767. When the Burmese besieged Ayutthaya, the temple served as an army camp, but was abandoned when the city eventually fell
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon, U-thong Road, Pranakorn Sri ayutthaya District, Ayutthaya 13000 Thailand
Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon
Thai style set Lunch at a local restaurant & Snack are included. After the tour we will send you to your hotel/guesthouse on Ayutthaya Island, or back to the train station.
NOTE:
Temples are sacred places and should be treated with respect and formality. You may not enter the temple grounds if wearing shorts or a sleeveless shirt.
Duration: 30 minutes
