Written pieces on visiting the old capital: how to do the day, what stands at each temple, the facts that surprise people, how to photograph it, and whether the private fare is worth the difference. For longer planning pieces see the guides; to compare fares, start with the Ayutthaya day tour from Bangkok listings.
Everything that decides the day. Which four temples to fix on, whether to take the new train or a tour, what the heat does to an afternoon, and how the ticketing works at the gate.
An open city has no interior, so this is a walking order rather than a floor plan. Eight named temples, what each one is for, and the single thing at each not to walk past.
343 kilograms of gold melted off a single statue. A temple founded on a duel between two brothers, and a capital of 416 years that most visitors arrive thinking is one temple.
Where the light lands, and which bank to be on at the end of the day. Plus the one shot in the city that carries a rule about how you stand when you take it.
The same four temples cost $33 on a coach and $268 with your own guide. What the difference buys. And the two situations where the cheaper answer is the better one.
The practical answers sit on planning a visit and the FAQs, and every fare is compared on Ayutthaya Tours.
