Any Feedback on this Bangkok to Ayutthaya one-day itinerary?
May 22nd, 2014, 04:15 AM
#1
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Any Feedback on this Bangkok to Ayutthaya one-day itinerary?
Hi:
I am working with a tour guide who will drive us from Bangkok to Ayutthaya for a day trip (depart 8 am - return 4 pm). We are a family of three (2 adults and 1 eight-year old). We will have visited Siem Reap in Cambodia prior to this trip. Here's the itinerary that has been proposed.
Morning:
- Bang Pa-In Summer Palace
- The Old Royal Grand Palace & The Old Royal Temple (Wat Phra Si Sanphet)
- Viharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit
Afternoon:
- Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relics)
- Wat Ratchaburana OR Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
- Private Long-Tail Boat ride around the historic ruined city (*See Wat Chaiwatthanaram from the boat)
My questions:
1. Since I have to pick either, what do you recommend between Wat Ratchaburana OR Wat Yai Chai Mongkol?
2. Is it okay to see Wat Chaiwatthanaram from the boat, or should we be visiting it? If visiting is a must, what can I remove from the itinerary to make room for it?
3. Anything else that must be added or removed from this itinerary?
Thanks,
D
I am working with a tour guide who will drive us from Bangkok to Ayutthaya for a day trip (depart 8 am - return 4 pm). We are a family of three (2 adults and 1 eight-year old). We will have visited Siem Reap in Cambodia prior to this trip. Here's the itinerary that has been proposed.
Morning:
- Bang Pa-In Summer Palace
- The Old Royal Grand Palace & The Old Royal Temple (Wat Phra Si Sanphet)
- Viharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit
Afternoon:
- Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relics)
- Wat Ratchaburana OR Wat Yai Chai Mongkol
- Private Long-Tail Boat ride around the historic ruined city (*See Wat Chaiwatthanaram from the boat)
My questions:
1. Since I have to pick either, what do you recommend between Wat Ratchaburana OR Wat Yai Chai Mongkol?
2. Is it okay to see Wat Chaiwatthanaram from the boat, or should we be visiting it? If visiting is a must, what can I remove from the itinerary to make room for it?
3. Anything else that must be added or removed from this itinerary?
Thanks,
D
May 22nd, 2014, 06:54 AM
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After Angkor you may find Ayuthaya a bit lame. Im not a fan.
I would recommend you visit Suan Pakkard, Vimanmek Mansion, National Museum and Wat Arun in Bangkok.
Assuming coup has died down and things are functioning as normal.
You didnt say when u are going. I would avoid Bangkok for the next 2 or 3 weeks.
I would recommend you visit Suan Pakkard, Vimanmek Mansion, National Museum and Wat Arun in Bangkok.
Assuming coup has died down and things are functioning as normal.
You didnt say when u are going. I would avoid Bangkok for the next 2 or 3 weeks.
May 22nd, 2014, 08:12 AM
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Hopefully your tour guide will be dropping you off at the airport at 4:00 (end of tour time), Dukkar! Otherwise, I'd do the tour on a different day. I have considered the bus/boat combo tour but have yet to do it. I have been to Ayuthaya and found it to be interesting for a day tour. I have not been to Angkor.
Are you allowing time in Bangkok for a longtail boat klong tour (boatride in the smaller canals)? If not, you might want to do that after you check out of your hotel on that last day. Check out at noon, stow your bags, and then head to the river for a 1.5 hour (+-) tour. Very interesting!
Are you allowing time in Bangkok for a longtail boat klong tour (boatride in the smaller canals)? If not, you might want to do that after you check out of your hotel on that last day. Check out at noon, stow your bags, and then head to the river for a 1.5 hour (+-) tour. Very interesting!
May 22nd, 2014, 08:14 AM
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Your 8-year old would enjoy feeding the (zillions of) fish in the canal! Vendors will see you a small bag of bread. Watch the fish go crazy! Fun fun fun! This is obviously part of a klong tour, if you ask the driver to stop.
May 22nd, 2014, 12:18 PM
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We did a day trip to Ayutthaya this past Jan. 31, 2014-Tour With Tong-and really liked the itinerary. Here's what we did and we also stopped for lunch. We had a guide and driver for the 2 of us. You can actually design your own itinerary if you want which is what we did and the order of our tour. Cost 4000 THB. We were picked up at 8:00 am and returned to our hotel at 5:00 pm.
Wat Chai Chaimongkol Loved this and the climb up isn't too bad
Wat Mahathat
Wat Na-Phrameru
Wat Phra Si Samphet
Lunch
Lokayasntharam This is just a large reclining Buddha and I could have skipped this if we didn't have enough time.
Wat Chaiwatthianaranm when we were there it was being renovated so couldn't enter but we did walk around. It's lovely.
Bang Pa-In Palace
We didn't do Wat Ratchaburana so I can't compare and offer an opinion. It appears to be close to Wat Mahathat. Is there any way you could do both? If not I would suggest you goggle both-look at the pictures and read about each of them and then decide.
Wat Chai Chaimongkol Loved this and the climb up isn't too bad
Wat Mahathat
Wat Na-Phrameru
Wat Phra Si Samphet
Lunch
Lokayasntharam This is just a large reclining Buddha and I could have skipped this if we didn't have enough time.
Wat Chaiwatthianaranm when we were there it was being renovated so couldn't enter but we did walk around. It's lovely.
Bang Pa-In Palace
We didn't do Wat Ratchaburana so I can't compare and offer an opinion. It appears to be close to Wat Mahathat. Is there any way you could do both? If not I would suggest you goggle both-look at the pictures and read about each of them and then decide.
May 22nd, 2014, 12:37 PM
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I agree that if you have done Angkor, Ayutthaya pales by comparison and maybe you'd be better off doing something else. The summer palace is worth visiting, however. Personally, I like simpson's suggestion to do a klong tour and if you don't do that, at least go out or return by boat as most of the Ayutthaya tours do this.
May 23rd, 2014, 09:27 AM
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Depends how much you like rushing around to see old ruins. I did a bus/ferry combo and while the ferry views are decent I was underwhelmed by the tour. The Ayuthaya ruins arent that attractive or interesting IMO.
The Bang Pa Summer Palace was prob the highlight. It was ok.
The Bang Pa Summer Palace was prob the highlight. It was ok.
May 23rd, 2014, 01:43 PM
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We loved our trip to the summer palace and ayuthaya and didn't regret going there even though we went to siem
Reap afterward. That being said, we spent 7 days in Bangkok and found plenty to do. A great day trip would be the floating market. We did tong's tour and had a blast with her.
Reap afterward. That being said, we spent 7 days in Bangkok and found plenty to do. A great day trip would be the floating market. We did tong's tour and had a blast with her.
May 27th, 2014, 08:43 AM
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The most enjoyable, fun, and atmospheric way of getting to Ayutthaya from Bangkok is by 3rd Class train.
Me and the cook always use trains whenever possible in Thailand. Here's our experience of getting to Ayatthaya early in 2013...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Province.html
Train journeys are often a very memorable part of our trips to SE Asia, and that was one of them.
Me and the cook always use trains whenever possible in Thailand. Here's our experience of getting to Ayatthaya early in 2013...
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop..._Province.html
Train journeys are often a very memorable part of our trips to SE Asia, and that was one of them.
