5-Day Bangkok and Ayutthaya Tour
Jump into a local tuk-tuk and explore bustling Bangkok city. Climb the Golden Mountain. Marvel at the boldness of the Grand Palace, then wander the elegant Summer Palace and feel the power of time in its historical relics. Take a boat ride on the river and experience the city's vibrancy from a new perspective, uncovering new wonders of Bangkok City along the way.
Days
5
Price
from US$1,007 P/P
Best For
Discvery-Seekers
Best Time
Oct. to May
Tour Highlights
Itinerary Details
Be prepared not only for a warm welcome from your hosts, but also for the heat of the Bangkok climate. Your private guide and driver will meet and greet you with the traditional Thai "Sawadee-ka!" They will then escort you to your hotel and assist you checking in. You will then be free to explore the area around the hotel as you begin your Bangkok experience.
Tour Suitability:
This Thai excursion is tailored both for expatriates in Bangkok and for visitors. We provide a door-to-door transportation service from your local accommodation.
After a coffee to fortify yourself for the day ahead, your guide and your driver will take you out into Bangkok to initiate your Thai experience.
We begin with the glorious Grand Palace. Within the iconic complex you will view the Jade Buddha Temple along with the majesty of the palace itself, learning the long and colorful history of the Thai royals.
After a break for lunch at a local restaurant, you will be taken to Wat Pho by tuk-tuk. Wat Pho is famed for its huge sleeping Buddha and the exquisite reliefs decorating the pagodas. Thai massage was developed there, and a half-hour foot massage is part of your package. You may learn about the skill through rows of statues demonstrating the techniques used, and may even want to try it out for yourself with your friends when you return home.
The next mode of local transport on your itinerary is the 'long-tail' boat, the traditional river craft of Bangkok. You will take this to Wat Arun with its beautiful pagodas. By then you should be ready for another fortifying coffee which you will have in the tranquility of a riverside bar.
Avoiding the traffic, you will be whisked back to your hotel on Bangkok's Sky Train where you'll pack your bags in preparation for your three-hour journey to Ampjawa.
Night is the best time to arrive in Ampjawa, famed for its floating market. The vendors trade from lazily-rowed boats, hawking their wares from the colorfully lit waters of the river as the sun sets on its bustling activity. There you will spend hours exploring before you settle down in your cozy hotel nearby.
Awakening refreshed in Ampjawa, your day begins with the fascinating Maeklong Railway Fair.
The vendors at the railway fair are daring individuals whose products are arrayed next to the tracks. When trains arrive they conduct their transactions rapidly to avoid injury or being whisked away to some unwanted destination, making the fair vibrant and lively.
Then we're off to Ayutthaya, reaching your hotel after a three-hour drive with lunch at the Sala Ayutthaya Eatery and bar with its fabulous view of the river from the comfort of its outside dining area.
You can then explore for an hour or so, or rest and freshen up for your exploration of the enchanting Banglan Night Market. We arrive there on the now familiar tuk-tuk, enhancing your immersion into the life of the locals with the authentic and varied Thai street food the market has to offer.
From the market, we move on to the dazzling lights of Ayutthaya's Historical Park. The park itself has the aura of fantasy, but everything there is authentic in its strangeness, not least a unique statue of the Buddha in Wat Mahatha which, in the passing of the centuries, has become almost consumed by the growth of an ancient tree.
The park will provide you with fantastical themes for pleasant dreams when at last you return to your hotel.
Over 650 years ago Ayutthaya was Thailand's capital. From then until the present day, Ayutthaya has retained considerable significance for the Royal family of the nation.
Daytime presents the park in a new perspective, and your morning's exploration will provide you with an enhanced appreciation of the elaborate decoration of the pagodas in the brilliant Thai sunshine.
The Royal Palace and Garden flourished in the 19th century under the supervision of King Rama IV and his innovative renovation work. There we can see the harmony of differing influences in a coherent design from classical Thai architecture through Chinese styles and on to the inspiration provided by European contact and ideas from that far distant continent. Completed with beautifully landscaped and lovingly maintained grounds, the Pa-In Summer Palace remains active as a meeting place for Thai royalty all the way through to the present day.
We only have time for a quick lunch before taking the slow boat to Bangkok along the Chao Phraya river. A three-hour journey through spectacular scenery, it provides a new view of Thailand in the river activity conducted by local villagers in their ancient and traditional homes, as well as revealing other more magnificent edifices built for the Thai aristocracy. Through the ancient we sail back to Bangkok's bustling modernity where your driver awaits to return you to your hotel.
After our Bangkok experience it is time for you to return home with Asia Highlights easing your way. We are confident the wonder we have aided you in experiencing will make you want to return to Bangkok, or explore some other aspect of Asia with us.
We look forward to seeing you again and welcoming you for more incredible experiences in this amazing part of the world.
Price Includes
Price from: $1,007 (Tour code: gh-ah-30)
Trip Notes
Best time for this trip
Bangkok, Amphawa and Ayutthaya share a lot in common weather-wise: temperature varies very little throughout the year with the average staying above 28c. Rainfall comes more often during May to mid-October.
As for this very trip, most sightseeing and activities are outdoors, which can be greatly affected by weather. However, we always have plan B during the rain season: instead of outdoor visiting or boat rides, we will arrange more museums, private car transfer and the pace will be more loosen, giving you time to relax.
Guiding
For this 5-day journey, you will be accompanied by an escort tour guide who knows his/her way around all three destinations. Tour guide's mobility cost (transportation and accommodations) is included in the tour quotation.
Meals
Daily breakfast at hotels and lunches for days with sightseeing are included. So are some coffee breaks and dinners as detailed in the sample itinerary. Special reminder: the cost for coffee breaks is non-refundable even if you'd like to skip.
For meals that are not included, your tour guides will suggest where and what to eat.
Food in Thailand is mainly rice-based and you will eat a lot of vegetables, fish, chicken and beef. If you would like to make special arrangements, such as Halal or Kosher food, or none-dairy, please inform your travel advisor at the time of inquiry. We will do our best to accommodate you.
Transportation
You will have a private car in each destination; our cars are within 5 years of usage and your private drivers will be polite and drive with strong regard for safety.
For the boat rides, we only work with legit licensed companies that make it through our anual assessment conducted by our local offices (emergency exit, first aid and life jackets are the things to be checked on).
Arrangements
Sightseeing, activities and accommodations that are mentioned in this tour you are looking at are just for your inspiration. Every detail can be changed to your own palate. Flexibility always applies.
Discovery your way, Global Highlights' motto suites you the best.
Responsible travel
Travel avails you with special experiences. Somehow its impact on the local community can be more beyond imagination and what Global Highlights wishes to do is lead the impact onto a good path, a path that helps the local people (not only your tour guides) borden their outlook and the local communities develop.
Instead of using the private cars at all times, we encourage our clients to try out some local transportation such as tuk tuk and SkyTrain, which helps reduce carbon emission while avoiding being caught up in the nasty traffic jams in Bangkok.
Taking baby steps one at a time, we highly appreciate you would like to be part of it (of course, we can make other arrangements if needed).
With that being said, detours to so-called factories, specialty workshops or gimmick visit to hill tribes are strictly prohibited. We make sure your tour guides earn enough to support their families without squeezing commissions out of you.
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