Ayutthaya is an ancient city located just a couple of hours by train from the capital city. It is a great place to explore the ancient ruins and temples.
I personally took a van from Kanchanaburi to Ayutthaya, and a train from Ayutthaya to Khao Yai. So, in this article, I will share with you my experience of how to get to Ayutthaya from these cities, as well as Bangkok. We also look at some of the best ways to get around Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya is located around 80 km from the capital city of Thailand. It is easily reachable by train, and bus. You can also hire a private taxi as well as drive a car to get to Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya has a train station connecting the city with major cities in Thailand such as Chiang Mai and Bangkok. The train station is located to the east of the city center, 3km away.
From the train station, you can take a short boat ride then walk to your accommodation in the old town. You can also use Grab taxi to get to your hotel.
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How to get to Ayutthaya from Kanchanaburi
Ayutthaya is located around 150km away from north east of Kanchanaburi. I booked a ticket from Good Time Travel. You can easily ask your guest house to book it for you. It is probably cheaper than booking it online.
The driver picked me up at my hotel at 1.30pm, and there were only 3 passengers in the van plus the driver. He stopped at a petrol station at 3pm for a quick toilet and bought some snacks from 7-11. He dropped me off at my hotel in Ayutthaya around 4pm.
There are more frequent vans from Ayutthaya to Kanchanaburi in the high season. You can also consider hiring a private taxi but it is usually more expensive than a shared van with other people.
Both Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi have a train station, but there is no direct train between these cities. If you prefer taking the train, you will need to take a train back to Bangkok then switch for another train to Ayutthaya.
How to get to Ayutthaya from Bangkok
Popular way to get from Bangkok to Ayutthaya is by train. It is around a 1 hour train ride from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Ayutthaya Station. If you stay in a more central location of Bangkok, you’ll need to catch the MRT to get to Bang Sue Station where you can walk to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to buy a train ticket to get to Ayutthaya.
If you stay close to Mo Chit New Van Terminal or Khao San Road, you can book a minivan to get to Ayutthaya. You can book your ticket online or at the bus station with companies such as Win 91 Ayutthaya, Khao San Mama Travel, or Khao San Tara Travel.
The bus ride is ranging from 1,5 hours to 2.5 hours. Mo Chit Bus Terminal is quite big, so be sure to ask locals or follow instructions after booking to get to the right place for the bus. Most minivans will terminate near the old town, so you can easily walk to your hotel.
See more:
- My 1-2 days In Ayutthaya Itinerary
- Top 20 Things to Do & See in Ayutthaya
- Where are the best areas to Stay in Ayutthaya
How to get to Ayutthaya from Khao Yai
The easiest way to get from Khao Yai National Park to Ayutthaya, in my opinion, is by train. Pak Chong Train Station is the closest train station to Khao Yai, so to get to Ayutthaya from Khao Yai, you’ll need to take the train from Pak Chong Train Station.
You can take the train schedule online at dticket.railway.co.th. You can buy a ticket online from here or just go to the train station before the departure time and buy it in person. It is around two hour train ride.
Best ways to get around Ayutthaya
The best ways to explore Ayutthaya, in my experience, is on foot and by bicycle. You can consider renting a motorbike if you are comfortable with driving in Thailand and have a valid license.
Additionally, there are many tuk tuk around the major attractions, where you can hire them hourly. This is a great option if you travel as a group or with family.
Ayutthaya on foot
Walking is one of the best ways to explore the old town of Ayutthaya with its ancient temples and markets in Ayutthaya. You can easily explore major attractions such as Wat Mahathat and the night market on foot.
It is just only 20 minute walk from Wat MahaHat to Chao Phrom Market Pier where you can catch a small boat to get to the train station. There are also many restaurants, convenient stores, 7-11 and shops around the main temple, Wat Mahathat.
If you are tired of walking and want to avoid the heat sometimes, you can use Grab or wave a tuk tuk driver. If you use tuktuk, I recommend checking the price on Grab first to see how much it is worth then bargain the price with the tuk tuk driver.
Ayutthaya on Bicycle
Cycling is one of the most popular options to explore Ayutthaya. You can easily spend a day exploring surrounding temples such as Wat MahaHat, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Lokaya Sutha, and many other lesser-known temples scattered around the old town.
You can rent a bicycle from your guest house as well as many other shops on the main road. It is around 40 baht a day and comes with a lock.
Ayutthaya on shared boat tour
While a bicycle is a great way to explore the temple inside the old town, I recommend taking Ayutthaya boat tour to see the major temple along the riverside. The boat is usually run in the afternoon so you can catch the sunset at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
The boat trip ran around two hours. The tour will pick you up at your hotel on a tuk tuk then drop you off the pier for the boat tour. When you finish the tour, the driver will take you back to your hotel. The boat tour will take you to three temples, including Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan, Wat Phutthaisawan, Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
You can easily book this boat trip with your guest house. This is also a great opportunities to see local life along the river.
Ayutthaya on tuk tuk
If you want to visit Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, which is located a bit further away from the old town (4km); you can consider taking Grab and asking a tuk tuk driver to get there.
If you travel as a group and want to avoid the heat, hiring a private tuk tuk driver is a great choice. You can hire them for a couple of hours and choose the temples that you want to visit.
It can be expensive for solo travelers like me. I prefer walking, a half day cycling, and a couple of hours in the after for a boat trip. For further individual temples, I can use Grab taxi to get there.
There you have it, how to reach Ayutthaya from Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, and Khao Yai. I also suggest some best methods to get around that include walking, cycling, taking a boat trip, or tuk tuk. I hope you have a wonderful time in this ancient city.