Ayutthaya, Central Thailand
Tour Overview
Two nights on the river island that was once the capital of Siam for more than four centuries — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of brick prangs, headless Buddhas and grassy ruin-fields where a kingdom's golden age is written into the stone. A full day is spent tracing the old city's most storied temples, including the sandstone Buddha head that has grown into the roots of a fig tree at Wat Mahathat; and as the sun drops low, a long-tail boat carries you along the rivers that once ringed the capital, its ruined chedis silhouetted gold against the evening sky.
Highlights include the world-famous Buddha head cradled in tree roots at Wat Mahathat, the three royal chedis of Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the riverside Khmer-style prangs of Wat Chaiwatthanaram, the towering climbable chedi and rows of seated Buddhas at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, and a sunset river cruise with dinner served as the ruins light up along the banks.
