Bangkok to Ayutthaya

The fastest way and the easiest way

The train is the fastest: 50 to 80 minutes from Krung Thep Aphiwat (checked October 2026). The easiest is your own van, door to door, waiting at each temple in the heat.

Ask Tanner which way suits your group.

Taking the train

About 16 long-distance trains a day stop at Ayutthaya on the way north from Krung Thep Aphiwat, and the fastest take about 50 minutes. A third-class seat is about ฿20.

• Bangkok Connex: a direct air-con train since August 2026, 75 minutes, at 9:05am and 6:15pm daily, plus 5:15am on weekdays. Tickets only at the station.
• The station: Krung Thep Aphiwat, on the MRT Blue Line.
• At Ayutthaya: walk to the river landing and take the ferry to the island for ฿10, or a tuk-tuk to the park for about ฿150.

The 9:05am Connex fills on busy days, so get there early. Want it simpler? Ask Tanner for a van, and skip the station.

How far it is

Ayutthaya is about 80 km north of Bangkok, and about 1.5 hours on the expressway.

The Connex stops at Don Mueang on the way, so Ayutthaya fits on the day you land or the day you fly out.

Ask Tanner to fit it around your flight.

A taxi, or your own van for the day?

A one-way taxi is fine if you take the train back: Grab runs about ฿900 and a metered taxi ฿1,300 to 1,500. For the whole day, your own van waits at each temple, cold inside, and drives you home.

Up to 4 of you ride in the luxury van for the whole day; up to 10 travel together in the party van.

On a hot afternoon, that cold van is the whole difference. Ask Tanner which van fits the group.

Is Ayutthaya a day trip from Bangkok?

Yes. The ride is short, so most of the day goes on the old city, and you're back in Bangkok by evening.

Leave by 7am, ahead of the heat and the coaches. Start at Wat Mahathat, then Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, which sit close together, and save Wat Chaiwatthanaram for the afternoon.

The old capital was founded around 1350 and burned in 1767, and its ruins sit on an island between three rivers, UNESCO notes.

The park itself is free; the big temples charge foreigners ฿80 each, or ฿300 for a seven-temple pass. Most open 8am to 6pm, and shoulders and knees need covering.

Then it's back to Bangkok for dinner and the party. Ask Tanner to set the van for the day.

A temple day for four, all in

The Bangkok to Ayutthaya train is the cheap way for two. For four, the luxury van for up to 4 is from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, and it waits at every temple.

The Bangkok to Ayutthaya minivan from Mo Chit 2 is the lowest cost by road, ฿150 to 220, but it takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours in traffic.

Insider tip: Krung Thep Aphiwat is on the MRT Blue Line, so if you take the train, skip the taxi to the station.

Tanner's pick: for four, take the van and leave at 7. Ask Tanner and it's outside the hotel.

How long to give it

A full day covers the main temples on the island. For a slower visit, stay over and see the temples before the heat.

Most groups pair it with 2 or 3 days in the city. See the Bangkok nightlife guide, and ask Tanner what to book for the evening you're back.

Bangkok to Ayutthaya in short

• What it is: the old Siamese capital, founded around 1350, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Fastest: the train from Krung Thep Aphiwat, 50 to 80 minutes.
• Cheapest: a third-class train seat, about ฿20.
• Trains: about 16 a day from Krung Thep Aphiwat, plus the Bangkok Connex.
• The Bangkok to Ayutthaya distance: about 80 km, about 1.5 hours by road.
• Temples: ฿80 each for foreigners, or ฿300 for seven.

Checked October 2026.