Ayuthaya
On an island across the Chao Phraya River from Bang Pa In Palace, this unique buttercup-yellow ubosot (ordination hall) was designed to resemble a European Gothic cathedral. And since its spire holds a Buddha relic, it's actually a one-of-a-kind stupa. Inside you can admire stained-glass windows and gilded filigree that wouldn't look out of place in a European church.
Take a free, monk-operated cable car across the river from the palace parking lot (leave a donation in the boxes).
29.72 MILES
Among the largest open-air markets in the world, Chatuchak (also referred to as 'Jatujak' or simply 'JJ Market') seems to unite everything buyable, from…
0.15 MILES
Ornate buildings are sprinkled across Bang Pa In Palace's 19-hectare gardens. First established in the 17th century, the palace was revived in the 19th…
8.77 MILES
The prang (Khmer-style spire) in this large temple complex is one of the best extant versions in the city. There are giant stucco-sculpted Garuda on the…
8 MILES
Glorious in the early morning light and also at sunset, this temple is Ayuthaya's most impressive off-island site thanks to its 35m-high central prang …
7.91 MILES
Visitors to this photogenic ruin 2km southeast of the island can climb stairs up into the crypt of the stunning 60m-tall, bell-shaped chedi (stupa). There…
8.62 MILES
At this captivating ruined temple, three wonderfully intact stupas form one of Ayuthaya's most iconic views. Built beginning in 1448, this was a private…
8.96 MILES
With animatronic ghosts, supersized crows and glowing Buddhas, Wat Tha Ka Rong is eerie and playful in equal measure and feels more like a carnival than a…
9.09 MILES
Featuring a gorgeous 6m-high Buddha flanked by maroon columns, this active temple was one of the few to escape the wrath of Burma's invading army in 1767;…
0.15 MILES
Ornate buildings are sprinkled across Bang Pa In Palace's 19-hectare gardens. First established in the 17th century, the palace was revived in the 19th…
6.96 MILES
Set within manicured, frangipani-fringed gardens, this small museum complex details the lives of the estimated 1500 Japanese who came to settle in…
7.03 MILES
Arriving in the 16th century, the Portuguese were the first European settlers in Ayuthaya. Several of their skeletal remains are on view at this excavated…
7.5 MILES
The little 'Dutch House' features a concise but informative exhibition of Dutch history in Thailand from 1604, when the Dutch East India Company (VOC)…
7.54 MILES
Atmospheric ruins and lively temple worship can both be experienced at Wat Phutthai Sawan. King U Thong founded this temple in 1353 on the south bank of…
7.57 MILES
In 1665, King Narai gave the French land next to the Christian Vietnamese settlement and donated money towards building the first St Joseph Church, which…
7.75 MILES
This lively temple, believed to date to 1324 (26 years before the founding of Ayuthaya), revolves around the 19m-high Phra Phanan Choeng Buddha, aka …
7.88 MILES
The 6.5m-high, 14m-thick weathered walls of this 1580 fortress once served as Ayuthaya island's primary line of defence. Besides making a good photo-op,…