Bangkok/Ayutthaya/Kanchanaburi
In the morning, around the time after breakfast, we will pick you up from the joining point hotel with other travelers in your group. If you are staying elsewhere, and have to be picked from a different location, please inform your booking agent at least two weeks before your departure date. Firstly, we will visit the Bang Pa Inn Palace, a former summer palace of kings of Thailand, located on the Chao Phraya River 65 kilometers north of the capital. Witness the grandiose grounds, filled with the combination of European and Thai architectural buildings and gardens. Then, visit Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam, and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, delve into the Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. This temple is home to the fortune teller who might give you a glimpse of your future, continue the tour to Wat Phanan Choeng, Ayutthaya’s Taj Mahal; it takes approximately forty minutes to arrive. It is one of the oldest temples in Ayutthaya that homes a 19-meter high Buddha image. There is a small shrine behind the temple that dates back to the 18th century. This temple was built to honor a Chinese princess who drowned herself because of the king’s unfaithfulness. Then, we take a short lunch break. After lunch, we move towards the ruins of Wat Phra Mahathat that dates back to the 13th century. The major attraction of this place is the rows of Burmese beheaded Buddhas, and a Buddha head surrounded by Banyan tree roots, which might be the most picturesque site in Ayutthaya. Finally, we head west to Kanchanaburi, where we will stay in the resort.
Included Activities
Ayutthaya Historical Park
The Park comprises the ruins of temples and palaces of the capital of the ancient Ayutthaya kingdom. This Park lies on an island surrounded by three rivers where the ancient capital used to be. The Ayutthaya kingdom (1357-1767) was one of the largest and prosperous empires of the time. The remains of temples and palaces in the Park gives you an impression of the wealth of the ancient kingdom. The city got robbed and burned down by invading Burmese in 1767, and most of its records were destroyed, so most knowledge about Ayutthaya’s history was gained from the foreigners. During the existence of more than 400 years, the kingdom built a great number of temples and palaces in a variety of styles. Some of the famous temples and palaces are Wang Luang Palace, Chandra Kasem Palace, Wang Lang, Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Wat Mahathat, among many more.
Bang Pa Inn Palace Summer Palace
Bang Pa Inn Palace lies north from Bangkok and just a few kilometers from Ayutthaya. King Prasat Thong of Ayutthaya built the original palace in the early 17th century. After the Burmese invasion in 1767, the palace was left abandoned for almost a century. There are several impressive buildings in the Palace complex, built in very different architectural styles; some in classical Thai, some Chinese, and some European too. The landscaped grounds are still well-maintained. The classical style of European buildings gives the palace a vibe of a Versailles. The day might simply fade away in this picturesque place. There are a variety of different style architectures in the palace ground. The Royal Sala, the copy of the Phra Thinang Aphonphimok Pavilion in the Grand Palace of Bangkok, is the only building on the Palace grounds built in traditional Thai architectural style.