Carefully selected Top 5 Temples of Ayutthaya, Thailand - For diverse explorations in terms of architecture, photography, faith, colour & Experience

Ayutthaya is temple city of Thailand which has lot of historical temples across the city and are maintained well till date. When you plan a visit to Ayutthaya it becomes hard to decide how much time is enough and what all explore during that time. It depends upon how much like to explore the historical places, as for some people it may be very boring to keep walking for days to see old temples with little variation in their architecture. We have tried to compile this Blogpost assuming that you are planning 1/2 day trip to Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya being a UNESCO World Heritage City has lot of temples across the city and many of them are located around rivers in Ayutthaya Town. Taking a boat ride in Aytthaya can expose you to various other experiences apart from some of the newer active Buddha temples in the town. This boat ride takes you closer to the lifestyle of people in Ayutthaya town of Thailand.

Ayutthaya is temple city of Thailand which has lot of historical temples across the city and are maintained well till date. When you plan a visit to Ayutthaya it becomes hard to decide how much time is enough and what all explore during that time. It depends upon how much like to explore the historical places, as for some people it may be very boring to keep walking for days to see old temples with little variation in their architecture. We have tried to compile this Blogpost assuming that you are planning 1/2 day trip to Ayutthaya. 

Ayutthaya being a UNESCO World Heritage City has lot of temples across the city and many of them are located around rivers in Ayutthaya Town. Taking a boat ride in Aytthaya can expose you to various other experiences apart from some of the newer active Buddha temples in the town. This boat ride takes you closer to the lifestyle of people in Ayutthaya town of Thailand.


Here we will focus on the top 5 temples of Ayutthaya, Thailand and some information around how to reach Ayutthaya from different parts of Thailand and specifically from Bangkok.

Here we will focus on the top 5 temples of Ayutthaya, Thailand and some information around how to reach Ayutthaya from different parts of Thailand and specifically from Bangkok.

Let's talk about how to reach Ayutthaya from Bangkok and what are best ways to commute within Ayutthaya city and it's heritage park : Train : Train is one of the most convenient way to reach Ayutthaya from different tourist places in Thailand like Bangkok or Chiang Mai. There is overnight train from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya and 1 hr ride from Bangkok to Ayutthaya. In Bangkok, train leaves from Hualamphong Station in the city center and train can also be caught from DKK airport if you are flying from some other city & want to go directly to Ayutthaya. We took train from DKK airport station and it costed us 20 THB per person. When you reach Ayutthaya, you can jump on a tuk-tuk to go around the city for 60THB.

Let's talk about how to reach Ayutthaya from Bangkok and what are best ways to commute within Ayutthaya city and it's heritage park :

Train : Train is one of the most convenient way to reach Ayutthaya from different tourist places in Thailand like Bangkok or Chiang Mai. There is overnight train from Chiang Mai to Ayutthaya and 1 hr ride from Bangkok to Ayutthaya.

In Bangkok, train leaves from Hualamphong Station in the city center and train can also be caught from DKK airport if you are flying from some other city & want to go directly to Ayutthaya. We took train from DKK airport station and it costed us 20 THB per person. When you reach Ayutthaya, you can jump on a tuk-tuk to go around the city for 60THB.

Added advantage of Train journey is beautiful views of Thai landscapes full of paddy fields & coconut trees.

MiniVans : There are buses that leave from Mo Chit Station at 30 minutes frequency. It takes about 90 minutes to get to Ayutthaya. Use Google App to figure out how to reach this station. The bus ticket price is 70 baht per person. If you have big bags, you are supposed to pay for the same according to extra seats your luggage occupy. 

Taxi : One can take taxi from Bangkok for 800-1000 THB and if you want to plan out whole day with the taxi and come back to Bangkok, that may cost somewhere around 2000-2500 THB. 

Getting in and around Ayutthaya (Local commute :

Within Ayutthaya, one can hire a Tuk-tuk to move between different places of interest and this is certainly a good option if you don't want to walk a lot or don't want to ride the bike. 

Rent a bike : This is one of the best options to explore Thailand cities. Rent a bike and feel free to explore places around the city. It saves lot of your time, money and offers you freedom. Just be aware that at times there are chances of getting into scam when owner may claim more money when you return the bike. 


5 Top Temples Travelling camera recommends are :

1. Wat Chaiwatthanaram
2. Wat Phra Mahathat
3. Wat Phra Si Sanphet
4. Wat Ratchaburana
5. Wat Lokayasutharam

1. Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Wat Chai Watthanaram is located close to Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya and one needs to take a boat ride. There is also a boat tour which takes you to different temples in Ayutthaya. We took the boat tour and it was quite reasonable. They charge you 200 Bahts per person for approximately 2 hours of tour through the river. Some of the temples are private temples so the main ticket doesn't cover them. Wat Chai Watthanaram is covered in main ticket through which you get access to all main temples of Ayutthaya city of Thailand. Wat Chai Watthanaram is part of old town in Ayutthaya and is part of Ayutthaya Historical Park. Wat Chai Watthanaram is not really a part of Historic City of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It can be reached by road or by boat.

Wat Chai Watthanaram is located close to Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya and one needs to take a boat ride. There is also a boat tour which takes you to different temples in Ayutthaya. We took the boat tour and it was quite reasonable. They charge you 200 Bahts per person for approximately 2 hours of tour through the river. Some of the temples are private temples so the main ticket doesn't cover them. Wat Chai Watthanaram is covered in main ticket through which you get access to all main temples of Ayutthaya city of Thailand. Wat Chai Watthanaram is part of old town in Ayutthaya and is part of Ayutthaya Historical Park.  Wat Chai Watthanaram is not really a part of Historic City of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It can be reached by road or by boat. 

Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, which lies outside of Ayutthaya island. Wat Chai Watthanaram is one of Ayutthaya's best known temples and a major tourist attraction. While we were at Wat Chai Watthanaram, we roamed around the whole complex and enjoyed evening breeze of Ayutthaya town in Thailand. This was a great conclusion of our day and it was time to head back to Ayutthaya Night Market. Check out more - Wat Chai Watthanaram - A brilliant place to witness magical sunset of Aayutthaya, Thailand

Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple in the city of Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, which lies outside of Ayutthaya island. Wat Chai Watthanaram is one of Ayutthaya's best known temples and a major tourist attraction.

While we were at Wat Chai Watthanaram, we roamed around the whole complex and enjoyed evening breeze of Ayutthaya town in Thailand. This was a great conclusion of our day and it was time to head back to Ayutthaya Night Market. 


2. Wat Phra Mahathat in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Wat Phra Mahathat is not only about the Buddha head inside tree trunk but this whole compound has lot of very interesting things to explore including symmetrical architecture, it's ruins, lot of Buddha statues with varied kinds of deformations and varied sizes. Most of the photographs in this blogpost show decayed & broken structures, but it seemed like proper care in last many years, we can see Wat Phra Mahathat in reasonable state otherwise these structures may have deteriorated even badly.

Wat Phra Mahathat is not only about the Buddha head inside tree trunk but this whole compound has lot of very interesting things to explore including symmetrical architecture, it's ruins, lot of Buddha statues with varied kinds of deformations and varied sizes. Most of the photographs in this blogpost show decayed & broken structures, but it seemed like proper care in last many years, we can see  Wat Phra Mahathat  in reasonable state otherwise these structures may have deteriorated even badly. 

It will be hard to believe that anybody visiting Ayutthaya would miss this place to explore. From the space and size of the tree and by looking at the photograph you can make out the size of this Buddha face. It's not a huge Buddha head, if I have to compare with various sized Buddha heads we saw in Thailand and Cambodia. Folks sitting in above photographs are trying to click the Buddha head in the tree and it's clear from the photograph that the head is at the bottom of this huge tree in Wat Phra Mahathat, Ayutthaya. Check out more - The famous ‘Buddha head in the Tree roots’ in Wat Phra Mahathat, Aayutthaya

It will be hard to believe that anybody visiting Ayutthaya would miss this place to explore. From the space and size of the tree and by looking at the photograph you can make out the size of this Buddha face. It's not a huge Buddha head, if I have to compare with various sized Buddha heads we saw in Thailand and Cambodia. Folks sitting in above photographs are trying to click the Buddha head in the tree and it's clear from the photograph that the head is at the bottom of this huge tree in Wat Phra Mahathat, Ayutthaya. 


3. Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Although there are hundreds of temples in Ayutthaya but these are much more than temples and much about a historical site. Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World heritage site and that's announced because it has something very significant there. There are plenty of temples/wats in Ayutthaya town of Thailand and Wat Phra Si Sanphet is very special. Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya until the town got destroyed by the Burmese. It seems that Wat Phra Si Sanphet was most beautiful temple in Ayutthaya and much grander in many ways. It seemed the same to me and I would say most appropriate place for photography in Ayutthaya.

Although there are hundreds of temples in Ayutthaya but these are much more than temples and much about a historical site. Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World heritage site and that's announced because it has something very significant there. There are plenty of temples/wats in Ayutthaya town of Thailand and Wat Phra Si Sanphet is very special. 

Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya until the town got destroyed by the Burmese. It seems that Wat Phra Si Sanphet was most beautiful temple in Ayutthaya and much grander in many ways. It seemed the same to me and I would say most appropriate place for photography in Ayutthaya.  

Let's first talk about how to reach Wat Phra Si Sanphet : Wat Phra Si Sanphet is located at walkable distance from the famous Wat Phra Mahathat, which has world famous Buddha face hugged by roots of a Banyan tree. If you don't want to walk a lot, there are Tuktuks available to do day tour of various temples in Ayutthaya and one can chose to take tuktuk to move from temple to another temple at your choice of time. Check out more at - Wat Phra Si Sanphet - Most beautiful temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Let's first talk about how to reach Wat Phra Si Sanphet :

Wat Phra Si Sanphet is located at walkable distance from the famous Wat Phra Mahathat, which has world famous Buddha face hugged by roots of a Banyan tree. 

If you don't want to walk a lot, there are Tuktuks available to do day tour of various temples in Ayutthaya and one can chose to take tuktuk to move from temple to another temple at your choice of time. 


4. Wat Ratchaburana in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Wat Ratchaburana is a Buddhist temple/wat in the Ayutthaya, Thailand. The temple's main prang is one of the finest in Ayutthaya city. Located in the island section of Ayutthaya, Wat Ratchaburana is immediately north of Wat Mahathat. This part of Ayutthaya is also called Ayutthaya Historical Park and you would notice a very different kind of vibe while roaming around few acres of this region, which is full of all these temples. Center part of Wat Ratcha Burana in Ayutthaya is a large Khmer style prang symbolizing Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology. The prang is surrounded by four smaller towers, in turn surrounded by a gallery enclosing a courtyard. I remember it was very hot day when we were in Ayutthaya and lot of these structures all around the temple complex were very helpful in providing us shadow to walk around.

Wat Ratchaburana is a Buddhist temple/wat in the Ayutthaya, Thailand. The temple's main prang is one of the finest in Ayutthaya city. Located in the island section of Ayutthaya, Wat Ratchaburana is immediately north of Wat Mahathat. This part of Ayutthaya is also called Ayutthaya Historical Park and you would notice a very different kind of vibe while roaming around few acres of this region, which is full of all these temples. 

Center part of Wat Ratcha Burana in Ayutthaya is a large Khmer style prang symbolizing Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology. The prang is surrounded by four smaller towers, in turn surrounded by a gallery enclosing a courtyard. I remember it was very hot day when we were in Ayutthaya and lot of these structures all around the temple complex were very helpful in providing us shadow to walk around. 


5. Wat Lokayasutharam in Ayutthaya, Thailand

This is 4th largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand. The temple encasing the Buddha was destroyed by the Burmese during the war in 1767. While the statue might appear as stone painted but it is actually brick and plaster only like most of the Ayutthya buildings. One of the other things worth noticing is that there is a lotus on which Buddha's head is resting.

This is 4th largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand. The temple encasing the Buddha was destroyed by the Burmese during the war in 1767. While the statue might appear as stone painted but it is actually brick and plaster only like most of the Ayutthya buildings. One of the other things worth noticing is that there is a lotus on which Buddha's head is resting. 

This reclining Buddha is not bigger than what you see in Wat Pho of Bangkok. There are some ruins nearby this grand Reclining Buddha in Ayutthaya town of Thailand. This place is relatively quiet and that makes it a place to unwind and just enjoy the atmosphere/peace. Check out more - Wat Lokayasutharam - Temple of Reclining Buddha in Ayutthaya, Thailand

This reclining Buddha is not bigger than what you see in Wat Pho of Bangkok. There are some ruins nearby this grand Reclining Buddha in Ayutthaya town of Thailand. This place is relatively quiet and that makes it a place to unwind and just enjoy the atmosphere/peace. 


Related Blogposts :

Although there are hundreds of temples in Ayutthaya but these are much more than temples and much about a historical site. Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World heritage site and that's announced because it has something very significant there. There are plenty of temples/wats in Ayutthaya town of Thailand and Wat Phra Si Sanphet is very special. Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya until the town got destroyed by the Burmese. It seems that Wat Phra Si Sanphet was most beautiful temple in Ayutthaya and much grander in many ways. It seemed the same to me and I would say most appropriate place for photography in Ayutthaya. All about One Day Trip to Ayutthaya from Bangkok in Thailand










Although there are hundreds of temples in Ayutthaya but these are much more than temples and much about a historical site. Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World heritage site and that's announced because it has something very significant there. There are plenty of temples/wats in Ayutthaya town of Thailand and Wat Phra Si Sanphet is very special. This Blog-post will share more about why it's special and much visit places in Ayutthaya. Beyond that we would also be talking about how to reach Wat Phra Si Sanphet, main things to do around Wat Phra Si Sanphet and some surprising details, which would help you plan your visit better to Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya, Thailand - The most photogenic temple & hence Travellingcamera loved it the most




















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