Getting Around Ayutthaya

It is advised to rent a bicycle for around 40-50 baht per day. You should get a copy of a map for free at the shop that rents you the bicycle. If you are physically larger than most Thais, be warned that the larger bicycles are not necessarily well maintained, so be sure that they work properly (seats well attached, handlebars don't slip in relation to front wheel direction) before you leave.

Alternatively, you can hop around town by tuk-tuk. Ayutthaya's tuk-tuks are larger than the Bangkok variety and you can easily squeeze in four or more on the two songthaew-style facing benches. Only "official" tuk-tuk drivers or tourist "helpers" can pick up passengers from the train station. You can verify their status by looking for their photos/name on a "Tourist Officials" board displayed at the southern end of the platform. These people are required to charge/work for fixed charges, usually quoting 300 baht/hour, but this can usually be bargained to a slightly lower price (eg. 1000 baht for 4 hrs).

You can also flag down tuk-tuks from the street and try to hire them, most drivers carry with them a stack of postcards featuring the famous sites of the city to ease communication, they also are used to the standard temple hopping circuit. If you have a map you can point out any of the destinations that you are wanting to see and they'll often quote a trip price and will wait for you at each stop, you can sometimes negotiate this down to a pretty good deal (We easily negotiated it down to 600 baht for a trip to see five wats with the driver giving us as much time as we wanted at each stop).

TOT runs "trams" around the main tourist attractions for 20 baht/day.

The local bus to Lopburi leaves the main bus station every 20 minutes and pass Wat Nah Phra Meru.

From Ayutthya, mini-buses can be taken from the railway station into the city. Hiring a mini- bus within Ayutthaya costs between 400-500 baht/day. For travelling between Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-in, mini-buses regularly leave Chao Prom Market, Chao Prom Road starting from 6AM. The fare is ab

By bicycle

There are various bicycling routes in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya:

Route 1 TAT Ayutthaya Office – Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre, a total distance of approximately 1km. From opposite TAT, turn left into Rotchana Road, via the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre on the opposite side. Visitors should spend an hour and a half here.

Route 2 Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre – Wat Phra Si Sanphet, a total distance of approximately 2km. From the Ayutthaya Historical Study Centre, turn left into Rotchana Road, via the old city hall, turn right into Si Sanphet Road, via TAT and Wat Ket, straight on to Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, on the left. Visitors should spend at least one hour here.

Route 3 Wat Phra Si Sanphet – Wat Mahathat – Wat Ratchaburana, a total distance of approximately 1km. From Wat Phra Si Sanphet, go straight ahead on Naresuan Road in between Wat Mahathat and Wat Ratchaburana. Visitors should spend at least one hour at the two temples and may stop at the nearby Thai Boat Museum.

Route 4 Thai Boat Museum – Wat Na Phra Men, a total distance of approximately 1km. From the Thai Boat Museum, follow the old Chikun Road, turn left into Naresuan Road, turn right at the intersection and go straight ahead, turn left again into the around town or Rop Ko Mueang Road, follow the Lop Buri River to Wat Na Phra Men. Visitors should spend at least one hour here to admire the beauty of the Phra Ubosot and its principal bejewelled Buddha image of the Ayutthaya period.

Route 5 Wat Na Phra Men – Wat Lokayasutharam, a total distance of approximately 1km. From Wat Na Phra Men, turn right to follow the Lop Buri River, via the remains of the old Grand Palace of the Ayutthaya Kingdom on the left, go straight ahead and down the bridge, turn left to the canalside road, straight on and turn right into Wat Lokayasutharam. Visitors should spend about 15 or 30 minutes here.

Route 6 Wat Lokayasutharam – Wat Chai Watthanaram, a total distance of approximately 2km. From Wat Lokayasutharam, return on the same route to the entrance of the canalside road, turn right via Suan Somdet Phra Si Nakharin, go straight ahead to the T-junction and turn left across the Wat Kasattrathirat Bridge, turn left again and continue along the route to Wat Chai Watthanaram. Visitors should spend at least half an hour or more here.

Route 7 Wat Chai Watthanaram – Portuguese Village, a total distance of approximately 4km. From Wat Chai Watthanaram, continue on the asphalt road via old traditional Thai houses, turn left at the T-junction via Wat Phutthaisawan, the Portuguese Village is at the end of this road.

Route 8 Portuguese Village – Wat Phutthaisawan, a total distance of approximately 2km. From the Portuguese Village, return on the same route to Wat Phutthaisawan. Visitors should spend about half an hour here.

Route 9 Wat Phutthaisawan – TAT Ayutthaya Office, a total distance of approximately 1km. From Wat Phutthaisawan, pedal via Wat Phutthaisawan School, turn left to the ferry pier, cross the river on board the ferry, turn left to return to the TAT Ayutthaya Office.

There are still many other bicycling routes such as to the Japanese Village, Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon and Wat Phananchoeng. For more information, contact the TAT Ayutthaya Office at Tel. 0 3524 6076 – 7. Bicycles for rent are available at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Tourist Police Office, in front of Ayutthaya Railway Station, Chao Phrom Market and several guesthouses at 50 – 70 Baht per day.