Summary: Ayutthaya Historical Park; Wiharn Phra Mongkhon Bophit; and Wat Mahathat. The oldest and longest capital city of Thailand is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A knowledgeable tour guide will help you appreciate these well-intact ruins, especially if you love history. Our guide also brought sun umbrellas which turned out a lifesaver as there is virtually no shade here.
The City of Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and flourished between the 14th and 18th centuries. The City was toppled by the Burmese in 1767 and was never rebuilt. The ruins of this abandoned City remain and has become an interesting archeological site to visit. Photographed below are the City's tell-tale prang or towers.
Because of it's rich history, we truly appreciated our guide's historical knowledge. We recommend using Joy with Thai Tour Guide. For $350, our family of four spent an entire 12+ hour day with Joy and a private air-conditioned van and driver. The day included breakfast and lunch, along with snack stops at street vendors. Admission to the Historic Park was included. Before reaching the Park, we made stops at the Maeklong Railway Market and Damnern Saduak Floating Market. What was especially nice was the cool drinks, hand-held shade umbrellas, and chilled hand wipes provided by our super sweet, barely English speaking driver.