Ayutthaya is the historic former capital of Thailand, famous for its UNESCO-listed temple ruins, river-island setting, and rich Siamese heritage. It’s an easy and rewarding day trip from Bangkok, offering a completely different feel from the capital.
This is a full and potentially tiring day, and some kids find their interest levels dropping after viewing a few of the temples. Plan your time wisely and consider balancing it with something more fun-focused the next day. As we live in Southeast Asia, our boys now have quite a low temple-visiting threshold, so we always need to approach these visits carefully.
However, this trip to Ayutthaya was a real success. We explored by private tuk-tuk, and the temple complexes are relatively compact (much smaller and manageable than Angkor Wat, in Cambodia).
In this guide, we share how to travel independently to Ayutthaya, how to get around, and how to plan your day. Plus, you’ll find some top tips for tackling temples in the heat with kids.
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Getting to Ayutthaya from Bangkok
Ayutthaya is on the main railway line heading north from Bangkok, so there are plenty of train options between the two cities. We took the 10.15am train from Hua Lamphong Station to Ayutthaya, which takes just under two hours. We loved the third-class carriages and their open windows, wooden benches and lots of atmosphere.
We took a Grab to Hua Lamphong station, which is the original grand station in Bangkok (it has been largely replaced by Krung Thep Aphiwat, but some local trains still depart from here). We bought our tickets at the station (online booking is not possible for the third-class train). The total cost for the four of us was just THB53 (£1.22).
READ: How to get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya by train
On arrival to Ayutthaya, it’s a good idea to book tickets for your return journey to Bangkok at the ticket counter, especially if you would prefer to travel back in a second-class carriage. Station staff are used to dealing with non-Thai-speaking tourists and there are plenty of signs and timetable information available.
Arranging a tuk-tuk in Ayutthaya
Tuk-tuks in Ayutthaya look a little different, rather cartoonish, with a rounded front and seating similar to songthaew in two rows along the sides. These colourful tuk-tuks and their drivers will be eagerly waiting for you on arrival to Ayutthaya Railway Station.
Gone are the days where you need to haggle hard on fares for tuk-tuks, there’s still a minor soft-sell going on, but everyone is quite friendly. The standard rate seems to be THB300 per hour, although our driver agreed to THB900 for four hours (we were probably about three and a half hours in total in the end).
Visiting the temples
After a quick lunch stop, our driver took us around the main temple loop, which includes:
- Wat Mahathat
- Wat Ratchaburana
- Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Ayutthaya has been welcoming visitors for decades, so the tourist route around the temples is established and organised. The drivers know the best routes and you can rely on them to plan you an itinerary that includes the best temples, entertains the kids, and gets you back in time for your train back to Bangkok.
Letting the drivers take over the planning also removes some stress from parents, allowing you to relax and focus on sightseeing.
Drives between temples are no longer that about fifteen minutes. In all honestly, with the heat we sometimes wished these drives could have been longer, as the moving air was greatly appreciated. As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to keep up a constant supply of cold drinks and ice-creams for the kids, and an eye out for the early-warning signs of temple-fatigue.
There is an entry fee for most temples for adults (children are usually free), payable in cash. Individual temple tickets are typically around 80 THB, though costs add up quickly across multiple sites in a single day. A combined day pass (around 300 THB) is available for the main temple circuit, but depending on your route it doesn’t always work out cheaper (it didn’t for us).
Temples also offer umbrellas at the entrance to shade you from the sun.
Tips for visiting the temples with kids
- Don’t try and do too much, it might be tempting to tick off each and every temple in the guidebook but there is the law of diminishing returns to consider.
- Ice-creams and drinks stops are a key part of the day. Almost every temple site has a few shops nearby, so you’re never short of options. For something healthier, they also sell sliced fruit.
- Let the kids have a camera to record their memories of the day. Once their creative juices start flowing, you’ll be amazed how many cool angles and shots they seem to find.
Getting back to Bangkok
Three trains depart Ayutthaya for Bangkok between 4.00pm and 5.00pm. These trains give you enough time at the temples, but still arrive back in Bangkok in time for dinner and air-con. We returned on the 4.41pm train, arriving back in Bangkok at 6.00pm.
Final thoughts
Ayutthaya is one of the most popular day trips from Bangkok, but most people visit on a cramped minibus tour. If you’re visiting with kids, it’s much more fun and flexible to use the train and book your own driver when you arrive.
The ruins are spread out and it’s not really the sort of place to cycle with kids, so having transport makes the experience far more enjoyable, especially in the heat. As always, if you’re visiting with children, it helps to keep expectations managed and don’t expect to maintain enthusiasm levels throughout the whole day.
It’s best to go with the flow, be selective about which temples you visit, focus on the impressive sites, and leave plenty of time for snacks and shade.
