Sukhothai is one of my favorite destinations in Thailand. In this article, let’s look at how to get to Sukhothai and what is the best way to get around in this small historic town.
Sukhothai is the ancient capital of Thailand and is one of the great places to visit to learn more about the history of the country. You can explore lots of ancient ruins including temples and Buddha statues at the Sukhothai Historical Park from the 13th century.
If you are traveling between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, this is a great break for a more relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. The city is easily accessible by road and by air.
I personally experience getting to Sukhothai from Lopburi, and getting from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, but I also share with you how to get to Sukhothai from any cities in Thailand.
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How to get to Sukhothai from Lopburi
To get from Lopburi to Sukhothai, I used the combination of train and bus. I took the train to Phitsanulok Train Station, then tuk tuk to Phitsanulok Bus Station, then minivan to Sukhothai Old Town.
I stayed in old town Lopburi, checked the train schedule on dticket.railway.co.th then went to the train station 30 minutes to 1 hour before the departure and bought the ticket.
I bought the 111 rapid train departing at 9.44 am and arriving at Phitsanulok train station at 13.45 pm. It was around 4 hour train ride. If you book the special express at 10.30am, it will be around 2.5-3 hours. I want to leave early in the morning, so I don’t mind the longer journey.
How to get to Sukhothai from Phitsanulok
It is around 70 km from Phitsanulok to Sukhothai Old town. You can book a private taxi or minivan/bus to get to the old town. You can buy a bus ticket in person at the Bus Station, but it is a good idea to check the schedule in advance from websites such as 12go.asia, you can also book online from 12go.asia.
When arriving at Phitsanulok Train Station, I asked local staff at the station how to get to Phitsanulok Bus Station to get to Sukhothai. He showed me the tuk tuk and confirmed to me it was 60 baht.
It was just a few minutes’ ride, and when arriving at Phitsanulok Bus Station, the tuk tuk driver showed me how to buy a ticket to Sukhothai Old town. The staff will ask if you want to go to the old town or the new town. I bought a ticket to the old town for 100 baht.
The driver picks up more people along the way. The journey is around 1.5 hours. He also stopped at Sukhothai Bus Stop in the New Town before heading to the Old Town. I wasn’t sure where the driver would stop in the old town as he did not speak English and was not very friendly. He just said Old Town.
From my experience traveling in minivans in many places in Thailand, I just opened google maps and put the destination of my hotel there.
When I feel the van is close to my hotel, I will ask the driver to stop. It will be a shorter walk to my hotel instead of walking from the official stop near the Historical Park.
How to get to Sukhothai from Chiang Mai
The popular way to get from Chiang Mai to Sukhothai is by bus. I traveled from Sukhothai to Chiang Mai, and you can do the same as the opposite way.
I bought a ticket in Sukhothai Old Town at the Wintour office. The bus leaves from their office to Chiang Mai Bus terminal 2. From Bus terminal 2, you’ll need to catch tuk tuk or Grab to get to Chiang mai city center. It is around 100 baht.
You can book tickets online at 12go.asia, at any tour agency in Chiang Mai old town, or ask your hotel to help. The ride is around 5-5,5 hours. You will need additional transport to get to Chiang Mai Bus Arcade 2 (easy by tuk tuk or Grab). In Sukhothai, I recommend staying somewhere in the old town for easy access to major attractions and the bus stop.
How to get to Sukhothai from Bangkok
You can get to Sukhothai from Bangkok by airplane, bus, and by train + minibus. Taking a flight is the quickest way and also the most expensive option. The journey is one hour plus another hour taxi ride from the airport to the historial park area.
There are also many buses departing from Mo Chit Bus Station in Bangkok to Sukhothai. The ride is around 7-8 hours. You can check the schedule and buy the ticket online at 12go.asia. You can also check the schedule and buy the ticket at the bus station.
Another option to get from Bangkok to Sukhothai is to take the train from Bangkok to Phitsanulok then use a minibus to get to Sukhothai (around 70 km away). You can buy the ticket at the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station or Don Mueang Station. The journey is around 6 hours. When you arrive at Phitsanulok Station, you can get a tuk tuk to get to the Bus Station then take a minivan to Sukhothai.
How to get to Sukhothai from Ayutthaya
It is around 6 hour bus ride from Ayutthaya to Sukhothai. You can look at the schedule on this website. You can also take the train from Ayutthaya to Phitsanulok which is the closest train station to Sukhothai (70km away). From Phitsanulok, you can book a minibus to get to Sukhothai Historical park. If you are with a group of people, consider hiring a private car with a driver.
Best Ways to get around Sukhothai
In my opinion, the best way to get around Sukhothai is on foot and by bicycle. If you want to explore more attractions further away, you can consider renting a motorbike. But for me, the town is small, walking and cycling are enough to see major sights.
Sukhothai Old Town on foot
If you stay in the Old Town, you can easily get around on foot. The town center is very small, where you can find a range of restaurants and shops on the main street.
You can enjoy walking distance to the night market near Wat Trang Thong as well as early morning alms where monks walk and receive food from locals. You are also close to the main temple in the Historical park such as Wat Mahathat. You can wake up early to see the sun rise here.
Sukhothai Old Town by bicycle
While you can easily walk in the town center, it is recommended to rent a bicycle for a day to explore other parts of the Historical park such as the Western Zone, North Zone, and Central Zone.
Some guest houses offer free bicycles for guests but it is also very cheap to rent one, only 40 baht for a day as I remember. Sukhothai is quite safe, the shop owner didn’t give me the lock (I also forgot to ask for it) But I have no problem at all, I can just park it anywhere near the sight I want to visit.
Lots of rental shops around the corner of the Historical park. I started from the West Zone, North Zone, then Central Zone, followed both a google map and paper map for exploration. Some major temples are Wat Saphan Hin, Wat Si Chum, Wat Mahathat, and Wat Si Sawai.
If you travel with family or a group of friends, you can consider renting the Electric Golf carts and driving yourself.
See more:
- My 1-2 Days In Sukhothai Itinerary
- 18 Things to Do & See in Sukhothai
- Best Places to Stay in Sukhothai
This is my suggestion of how to get to Sukhothai and How to get around. I hope you will have a wonderful first time in the first capital city of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand).