Ayutthaya

Capital of Siam for four centuries until the Burmese sacked it in 1767, Ayutthaya is a UNESCO site of brick prang towers and headless Buddhas spread across an island in three rivers. The Buddha head in the fig-tree roots at Wat Mahathat is the famous image. An easy day trip by train from Bangkok, better with a night to see the ruins lit up.

Highlights

• Buddha head in tree roots at Wat Mahathat
• Wat Chaiwatthanaram at sunset
• Three chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet
• Bicycle loop of the historical park
• Bang Pa-In Summer Palace
• Long-tail boat round the river island
• Wat Lokayasutharam reclining Buddha
• Night-lit ruins
• Boat noodle stalls

Things to do

• Wat Mahathat & the Buddha head in the banyan rootsMorning · 1h 30m
• Cycle the historical park templesMorning · 3h
• Wat Phra Si Sanphet & Wihan Phra Mongkhon BophitAfternoon · 1h 30m
• Long-tail boat ride round the river islandAfternoon · 1h 30m
• Wat Chaiwatthanaram sunsetEvening · 1h 30m
• Bang Pa-In Summer PalaceMorning · 2h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: November – February

• Songkran (Thai New Year water festival) — Three days of nationwide water fights, biggest around Chiang Mai's old-city moat, Bangkok's Silom and Khao San Road, and Pattaya, where it runs on to about 19 April. Expect to be soaked anywhere outdoors: carry phones and passports in a dry bag. Buses, trains and flights sell out as Thais travel home; book two months ahead.
• Loy Krathong · 24 Nov — On the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, people float candle-lit krathong baskets on rivers and ponds. Sukhothai's historical park holds the oldest celebration, with light shows over the ruins; Bangkok's riverside piers get very crowded. Hotels in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai fill weeks ahead.
• Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.